This is the inaugural column I submitted to the Hawaii Herald for publication in mid May. It actually was released on June 4th... of course by then there was a news release by the DK Restaurant group that Vino would reopen just across the breezeway in Waterfront Plaza at the former Bonsai club tentatively in September. Since the Hawaii Herald was edited for their readership, I thought I'd let you read the unedited version...
I recently lost two good friends, friends who I saw
regularly at least once a month, more often it was biweekly or weekly and on
some weeks, it was 2 to 3 times a week. And the common theme with these friends
was that wine and food were always involved. A relationship that lasted at
least a decade… And though Vino Italian Tapas & Wine Bar and Hiroshi
Eurasion Tapas weren’t actually people, their closing and “passing” still feels
the same as losing a special friend. And I still remember that first meeting – a
dinner with family visiting from the Bay Area and friends from Honolulu when I
first met the DK Restaurant Group resident Sommelier, Chuck Furuya.
Chuck Furuya, MS was the 50th’s first Master
Sommelier and just the 10th American to pass the rigorous exam
administered by the Court of Master Sommeliers. And back in those days, any
addition to the ranks of Master Sommelier was a rarity with just 62 American
members since Eddie Osterland was the first in 1973 until 2004. Just in the
past 10 years, the American Court has swelled by another 77 members. And over
the past decade, Chuck became more than just a reference for all things wine,
he also became a friend. A friend who felt comfortable enough to leave loads of
wine capsules, Champagne cages and corks in my wife’s purse at our countless
visits to Vino. And as a wine mentor, he introduced me to my absolute favorite
wine, Noel Verset Cornas along with Jobard La Piece Sous le Bois Blagny. It
also was at Vino when I first sampled Jacques Selosse Champagne, Leon Barral
Valiniere, Livio Sassetti Brunello di Montalcino and Fattoria le Terrazze Chaos
along with countless other “finds” in the wine world.
Of course, behind every great man stands an even greater
woman. And the Vino/Hiroshi group was fortunate to have the gracious and
beautiful Cheryle Furuya running the “show”, definitely Chuck’s better half. She
knew exactly what our food and wine preferences were even knowing exactly which
tables we preferred. And like her husband, she also had an excellent palate with
wine.
Then there was the food. A moment of silence please. From
Hiroshi’s Red Wine Steamed Veal Cheeks as succulent and decadent as oxtail but
with no bones to our usual starter of the Duo of Contemporary Sushi with miso glazed salmon and seared ahi, a perfect two bites to start our
evening… well, probably four bites for the Mrs since I have a big mouth.
And if we were carting an aged bottle of Sauternes then
it was the LaBelle Farms Foie Gras Sushi
with kabayaki sauce. Rich and
luscious seared foie gras with a touch of shoyu-based
sauce and vinegared rice to balance the rich foie gras and perfect with a
dessert wine. And just recently, they introduced the Okinawan Soba “Mazeman” with thick cut fresh
noodles unlike the usual soba but
more like an al dente cooked udon
with ikura, roasted salmon and crisp
salmon skin in a clam-mushroom sauce and fresh local herbs along with a dish
that I implored the Hiroshi staff to add to their regular menu, the Braised
Mary’s Chicken Okayu. It first appeared as a special in March and after I
sampled it, I knew I needed more. Forget your usual okai that Mom served when your tummy wasn’t feeling all that great.
This version had perfectly cooked chicken on rice surrounding a perfectly slow
cooked egg topped with chicken skin cracklins’. Pop that egg yolk and mix with
the rice in chicken broth with galangal and spring onions with the occasional
hit of crispy chicken skin. Died, gone to heaven, died again and returned. It
was THAT GOOD!
Of course the Vino side more than held up their end with their
Grilled Caesar Salad which I’ve “stolen” for use on my own dining table to the
Twin Bridges Waialua Asparagus Milanese with perfectly crisp asparagus, roasted
mushrooms and that sunny side egg topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and
truffle oil… break that egg yolk and mix everything together… Of course Vino
also had their own succulent meat in the form of the Mini Veal Osso Buco with
sugar snap peas and garlic mash in a rich veal and red wine reduction or the
Raviolo con Uovo with an egg yolk placed within a ring of spiced ricotta sitting
in sage brown butter or a rich mushroom sauce – the servers knew that we’d
“save” our plate long after the raviolo was consumed to sop the egg yolk and
sauce with their freshly baked bread... And we’d usually always order the pizza
special and over the past several months, Vino topped their pizza with a
perfectly cooked sunny side egg… yes, I know it’s apparent that like Tony
Bourdain, I’m a total runny egg “slut”… and I’m not changin’ any time soon! And
if we were in the mood for white wines, we’d always order the Dungeness Crab
“Ala Chittara” with chittara referring to the guitar-like contraption used to
cut the fresh pasta into thin ribbons. That mixture of fresh Dungeness crab
with a touch of heat from red jalapenos in the lobster-uni beurre blanc… I often ordered it even if we were drinking red
wines.
And both Hiroshi and Vino were more than just great food
and superlative wines. The staff also became part of our family. We’d often
share wines with the staff for after service consumption and we’d occasionally
leave my “famous” smoked meat or “family secret” pound cake for after-hours
consumption. And it didn’t hurt that both barkeeps knew how to shake that
perfect Negroni for my end-of-night libation with Bafferts gin, Campari and dry
vermouth served while the “ice line” was still present in the libation. I even
shared my personal recipes for barrel aged cocktails while I still was
experimenting with this “trend”.
So while the sister establishments of Vino Italian Tapas
& Wine Bar and Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas no longer exist, I am happy that
Cheryle finally gets to retire – she’s tried several times – to spend more time
with her Mom and her grandchildren. And Chuck… we all know he’ll never truly
retire. His passion for wine education teaching both newbies and connoisseurs
alike burns as bright as it ever did. He’ll just hold court at DK Steak House
and Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar instead Vino Italian Tapas &
Wine Bar and Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas. But we will miss some of the staff who we
know won’t be a regular part of our lives as they’ve been for the past decade. But
that’s just part of life itself. The only constant is change. But if you close
your eyes and remember, it’s all still there like it’s never left.
Obviously obituaries aren’t written for restaurants, they
either just fade into oblivion or are fondly remembered by those longing for
the past. But if an obituary was written, I imagine it would look something
like this:
Vino Italian Tapas &
Wine Bar
Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas
Published on June 4th 2015 – The Hawaii Herald
May 21, 2015
Vino Italian Tapas &
Wine Bar and Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas, both food and wine meccas died in
Honolulu. They are survived by Chuck Furuya, MS, Managing Partner and Master
Sommelier, Cheryle Furuya, General Manager, Ashley Vino Hostess, Chefs Keith
Endo and John Iha, Executive Chefs, Axelrod Colobong, Executive Sous Chef, mixologists
Brent and Jacob, a host of excellent servers over the past decade from Kepono,
Sefo and Michelle up to Anne, Michael Ryan, Nate and Heather. They are also
survived by legions of wine and food enthusiasts and connoisseurs who will
continue to raise a glass in their memory and honor.
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