Xenia: Literally, guest-friendship in Greek or their
concept of hospitality, generosity and courtesy.
Senia: The newest and most anticipated restaurant in the
50th’s dining scene.
As I previously mentioned in an earlier column, the
opening of Senia probably was the most anticipated restaurant event in Hawaii
as far back as I can remember. Partly because residents of the 50th
had sampled co-owner and Chef Chris Kajioka’s cuisine in previous iterations
whether it was his stint at Roy’s, creations at Aziza or the Ritz-Carlton in
San Francisco, the luxurious $300 meals at Vintage Cave or simply pop-ups at
various local restaurants. Once Chef Kajioka left Vintage Cave in 2014, the
rumors were abuzz that he planned on opening his own restaurant in the 50th
so understandably, the anticipation started well over two years ago. I
initially heard rumors of a partnership with Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza then
later rumors of starting Stateside. Finally, it was announced in mid-2015 that
he was partnering with fellow Per Se (New York’s version of The French Laundry)
alum, Chef Anthony Rush and spouse Katherine Nomura-Rush. Even then, it took
another year and a half before their doors would finally open to the public.
The Restaurant
For starters, Senia is located in the heart of Chinatown
on King St between The Pig and the Lady and gastropub, Smith and Kings. I never
have any luck finding street parking so I simply use the municipal lot behind
the building. The restaurant décor is very simple with one large light fixture
almost resembling a Chihuly glass work with a few potted succulents gracing the
large brick wall. Most of the tables are two and four tops where you select
your dishes from the ala carte menu then there’s the chef’s counter facing
directly into the kitchen seating about 8 or the chef’s table for 4 also facing
the kitchen where you basically get served the “omakase” meal consisting of 12
to 14 courses.
Ala Carte
On our initial visit about a month after Senia opened I
simply selected a seat in the main dining area as the chef’s counter seats
weren’t available for the whole month on January. Which wasn’t a bad thing as
all of the dishes were “new” dishes to us. So after starting with a couple of
cocktails – and they were very good cocktails that also paired with our
starters reminiscent of the cocktail program at Aziza.
The Kaji – a “hard” plantation tea spiced with grilled
pineapple, ginger, vanilla and cardamom
The Lydie – a softened Negroni with gin, bitter spirits,
elderflower and grapefruit
We then progressed to our appetizers including:
Chicken Liver Mousse
with honey vinegar and financiers
I pride myself on making a great chicken liver pate but
this version was a league above with a creamy sweetness balanced by the sweet
and sour honey vinegar “droplets”
Bone Marrow Custard
with beef cheek marmalade and Hawaiian sweet rolls
After sampling this dish, I “stole” the idea creating my
own oxtail marmalade (and admitted it to Chef Kajioka). It appears to be a
small serving but the rich flavor of unctuous beef cheek and rich bone marrow
more than sates any appetite…
Malfadine
with wild boar ragu and rosemary bread crumbs
Not your usual pasta course as the ragu had savory
Moroccan/middle-eastern flavors of cinnamon and coriander with perfectly cooked
pasta
Mushroom and Kale Lasagna
with OK Farms egg and Fontina cream
Yes, a runny egg yolk front and center gets me every time…
Brussel Sprout “Caesar”
with green apple and salsa verde
We also selected one of the large plates:
Herb Dough Baked Snapper
with clam bouillabaisse and saffron aioli
We actually had to box of this dish as we were getting
quite stuffed but the saffron infused bouillabaisse was a meal in itself
Then exactly 4 weeks later, we booked the Chef’s table
for four for a 12 course meal reminiscent of Vintage Cave definitely
approaching The French Laundry (at about $90 less) and as usual, we started
with a round of cocktails.
The Bully – Plymouth gin, maraschino, violet, lime and
lychee
The Melissa – Calvados, mead, green apple and rosemary
Chef’s Table
Kusshi Oyster
Smoked Salmon
Wagyu Beef
This trio was served on a wooden board and while I
normally focus all of my attention on any fresh, raw oyster, the stars on the
board were the succulent smoked salmon and the rich Wagyu beef
Bigeye Tuna
Opening versions of this dish used venison tartare but
our version had tuna tartare in smoky dashi covered with heart of palm and it
was served with a scoop of Osetra caviar… yes, almost died and gone to heaven…
Hay
Chef Rush explained that back home in England, hay is
commonly used for cooking and smoking so this dish with lightly smoked ikura on
hay infused custard with a light dusting of hay ash was an upscale version of
British comfort food
Maui Venison
Chef Kajioka previously served caviar on smoked brioche
at Vintage Cave (I hear it’s still part of the “secret” menu in the main dining
area) but topped the brioche with venison tartare. I’m also “stealing” this
smoked brioche idea…
Foie Gras Tart
The coffee crust really accentuated the richness of the
foie gras while the banana blossom and bananas with a touch of acidity balanced
the richness of the tart
OK Farm Egg
Chef Rush first displayed Senia’s truffle “storage”, a
ceramic container modeled to appear like a huge black truffle. Of course
beneath the shaved black truffles lay a glorious runny egg yolk…
Kona Kampachi
A good dish though when placed between truffled eggs and
exquisite chicken…
Chicken
Though this doesn’t sound like much, the chicken dish was
a food epiphany. I’m not sure how the chefs cooked the chicken so tender and
succulent. The morsel of leg meat literally melted on the palate like a fatty
slice of otoro. Chef Kajioka said he simply sous vide then roasted the bird but
I’ve never had chicken meat melt on my palate… Can I have a whole bird to go?
Japanese Cheesecake
Pastry Chef Mendoza explained the dessert tableside which
was your usual airy Japanese cheesecake perfectly complimented by the meringue
and dollops of sauces
The Septagon
Finally, Chef Rush presented the Septagon or a seven
sided wooden box that when unrolled revealed six mignardises of chocolates,
gellees and baked goods. He said that he had the boxes created well before the
menu was actually developed knowing it was how he wanted to present the final
course
So did both dining experiences actually live up to the
anticipation and expectations of Senia? Most definitely! Our tab in the main
dining area minus alcohol was a little over $100 per person including tax and
tip but that’s for 6 courses and way too much food for two people. The Chef’s
Table and Counter runs $185 per person plus tax and tip that’s prepaid when you
book your reservations on Resy. In comparison, The French Laundry charges $295
(tip included) per person for 13 courses while locally, La Mer charges $195 per
person for 8 courses and Vintage Cave charges $300 per person for 12 courses.
So I feel these special Chef’s meals are well worth the additional costs for
“special occasion” meals. And apparently, professionals alike must agree as
Senia was nominated as a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award Best New
Restaurant, just one of two Hawaii restaurants nominated as semi-finalists.
Senia
75 N. King St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 200-5412
Mon - Sat
5:30pm-10pm
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