Extensive menu has tasty choices for all

I’m always leery of the big menu and chefs who try to take on more than they can handle. Pride aside, it’s easier to win accolades as a one-hit wonder with one fabulous claim to fame than put out a full menu that is likely to include a handful of restaurant equivalents of bloopers, assuring a place in the middle of the pack in the ratings game. Plus, it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to a 100-plus-item menu.

Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill is one of the exceptions, with a full range of Asian-style tapas, pastas, salads, meat, seafood and fried specialties. It’s a great casual, go-to place for groups because the large menu assures there will be something for everyone, with a bigger sampling for sharing the pupu-style dishes. Even at the "meh" moments, the dishes are very good. That blase feeling comes from having sampled something exceptional minutes before.

Kenzo Tokeshi and Ken Kawasaki carry out the work they started at Waikiki’s Genius Lounge, and fans will recognize some of the more popular dishes such as pumpkin stir-fried with bacon ($11; how could you go wrong with this sweet-salty combo?); kim chee fried rice; and chicken with citrus pepper ($9) that features slices of broiled chicken accompanied by a paste of yuzu, chili peppers and salt.

It will take a while to work your way through the menu, because every time you go, you’re likely to reorder a couple of favorites. Dishes I keep coming back for include the aforementioned pumpkin and bacon; mentaiko pasta ($12); and kim chee om rice ($9), kim chee fried rice topped with heavenly creamy, fluffy scrambled egg. I’m not a big fan of natto, but the eggs here are so good that I had no problem devouring my portion of the natto cheese omelet ($9) as well, a moister option to the fried rice dish.

Predominantly Japanese-inspired, the fusion menu contains small touches of Korean, Chinese and Italian influences, as with dishes of pi-tan tofu ($10), the tofu topped with fermented duck egg, ginger, garlic, green onions and sesame oil; and several Chinese- and Mediterranean-style pasta dishes.

For those who can’t stomach seafood, Italian-style pastas such as the arrabiata ($11) and carbonara ($12) may be preferable to the Japanese-style pastas that are heavily fish-based. But Italian pastas such as the puttanesca ($12) and Siciliana with anchovies and capers ($12) paled for lack of spice and brine when compared with the Japanese offerings. Perhaps my preference has simply changed due to the influx of Japanese-style Italian restaurants.

Uni pasta ($17) in a butter soy sauce is the most pungent and is popular with male diners I know. Women preferred the ume pasta ($11), with its subtle fruity nature.

As much as I liked the ume pasta, I can’t ever get enough of the mentaiko pasta, flavored with konbucha and tossed with a spicy garlic butter and cod roe sauce.

Crisp-skinned, sweet teriyaki-slathered Nagoya-style chicken wings ($10) offer a break from the usual karaage, and those who need a shot of calcium will find it with the Hane cheese gyoza ($9), which starts out as your ordinary spinach-and-pork dumplings connected by a grilled mozzarella crust. It’s not one of my favorites, but it’s a dish guaranteed to give every cheesehead something to rave about.

A taegu, watercress and tofu salad offers a refreshing break from some of the heavier dishes. It will be difficult, but save room for such homemade desserts as tiramisu ($7), banana cake ($7) or an original parfait of cereal, vanilla and green tea ice creams, azuki beans, mixed fruit and mochi balls ($9).

Chez Kenzo, which has primarily been a pau hana, happy-hour and late-night spot, recently began offering lunch service. On the menu are favorites such as the kim chee om rice and natto cheese omelet, ahi katsu ($12) and pokedon ($12), plus Okinawan shoyu pork ($12) and bittermelon stir-fry ($12). There are also chicken curry ($8), crab cake ($13) and grilled ham-and-cheese ($12) sandwiches.

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