Appetito’s menu limited, but still exhilarates

Most restaurateurs take a cautious approach to opening. No one wants to face hungry masses before they’re ready.

Not so Appetito. Since July the craft pizza and wine bar in the Ohana Waikiki East hotel has been teasing foodies with one delicious image after another on its Instagram account, encouraging speculation and salivation over what might actually make the menu on opening day, which came three weeks ago.

Chalk it up to confidence. Parent company WDI International already offers a range of dining options, including Taormina Sicilian Cuisine, Wolfgang’s Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zwiener, TR Firegrill Waikiki, GEN Korean BBQ House, Tony Roma’s and the soon-to-open dim sum specialty house Tim Ho Wan.

But, due to some logistical problems, the restaurant opened without being able to produce the pizzas promised. For now, feed your craving for pizza elsewhere. There’s no shortage of other pau hana pupu or full dinner choices.

Much of the power behind the WDI brands is team building, evident from the many hands that worked together during nearly four months of trial runs to come up with the dishes.

The executive regional chef here is Hiroyuki Mimura of Taormina Sicilian Cuisine, who worked with restaurateur David Chiddo to remain true to Chiddo’s Italian roots. Mimura’s sous-chef, Naomi Ito, stepped up into the position of chef de cuisine at Appetito, a casual, stylish and more affordable alternative to Taormina.

The opening dinner menu is compact but still manages to excite, with notions of future possibilities. Local favorites of Kona kampachi carpaccio ($16) with citrus-soy dressing and the kick of jalapenos is a no-brainer, as are Ito’s spicy meatballs ($12), a trio of hefty orbs presented in a hot skillet with a mild green curry sauce.

Some of the sauces will challenge local expectations of what we have come to recognize as Italian fare. Some confusion arises from a pasta of rigatoni tossed with tomato- based pesto rosso ($16). A lot of people like their pesto green and heavy on the basil.

Before you arrive at the pastas, you’ll find such shareable bites as flash-fried portobello fingers ($9). For me the water content of mushrooms makes them less crisp than desired. My preference is the cauliflower fritto ($9), crusted with a light, airy mixture of fine breadcrumbs and Parmesan, and served with a toasty roasted paprika aioli.

A classic lasagna ($17) has all the richness of beef ragu and marinara, but portion size had some diners quibbling. It’s served in a ramekin the size of a typical bowl of French onion soup, and some wanted more for the price.

Porcini cream ($17) and Bolognese ($16) can serve as individual entrees or be shared among friends, particularly when ordered to accompany a wondrous bistecca alla Fiorentina ($48), a 26-ounce T-bone steak grilled with rosemary and garlic. The price can give pause, but it is well worth the expense.

Just as pleasant is a more humble dish of skillet lemon chicken ($16), a half herb-marinated, free-range chicken that’s tender and juicy, and capped by a thin, brittle layer of golden brown skin.

Desserts are also inventive, including a ginger creme brulee ($9). Chocolate Nutella cake ($9) is even better when ordered with a creamy butterscotch pudding ($9) with dark rum caramel sauce. The pudding can be overly sweet on its own, but a little magic is created when it’s drizzled over the Nutella cake.

I’m looking forward to the arrival of Appetito’s pizzas, but that might not happen until late December.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.