Maile’s Thai Bistro in Hawaii Kai has a new Italian sister: Bellini Bistro & Bar at Ward Centre, featuring cuisine from the other side of the globe.

I’d been anticipating this new venue for a while, ever since I tried out owner Maile Sengoura’s Hawaii Kai establishment. Maile’s Thai Bistro was worth a visit in my book (my Pau Hana Patrol ran on Oct. 31, 2014), so I wanted to see what else Sengoura could do.

Sengoura is no stranger to Italian food. She worked at her uncle’s Paesano Ristorante Italiano in Manoa and her aunt’s Assaggio Ristorante Italiano in Hawaii Kai. Last year she told me she had always dreamed of opening an Italian bistro.

Bellini Bistro & Bar opened in May, next door to the Crazy Shirts outlet on Auahi Street and across from Nordstrom Rack and T.J. Maxx.

The experience

To visit Ward Villages these days is to enter a construction zone, with Howard Hughes’ towers going up on adjacent blocks, but parking garages remain open at Ward Centre and nearby. Along with Bellini, other new establishments are opening in expectation of the residents who’ll soon move in.

The restaurant has taken up a long and narrow space, but features a well-designed interior, with nice woodwork at the bar and modern touches such as cubed glass pendant lights. It’s cozy, with only four to five bar stools.

There are a surprising number of tables inside as well as on a thin strip of lanai outside.

The service is professional and courteous. You know it’s good when they refill your water or take plates away seamlessly, and you barely miss a beat in the conversation you’re holding.

Your view? At the moment it is the cranes for Anaha, the new high-rise under construction across the street. A row of artificial reeds creates a soft barrier between you and the people walking by on the sidewalk. There are clean, modern restrooms inside.

The food

During happy hour, Bellini has a small list of pupu at a discount. You have a selection of bruschetta, prosciutto & melon and calamari fritte (fried calamari), all $7. There is also eggplant milanese and a seafood salad, also $7, a few bucks less and perhaps in smaller portions than the regular antipasti menu.

If you are ordering for four or more, you might as well get the Bellini Platter for $20 from the main menu, which offers prosciutto, salami, roasted bell peppers, cheese, olives and breadsticks.

I enjoyed the housemade diced tomatoes with basil and balsamic on the bruschetta. The tomatoes were flavorful, the baguettes crisp.

The calamari was pretty on the plate, and came with just the right coat of crisp, plus two dipping sauces — spicy aioli and marinara.

For me, pupu menus serve as an opening introduction to what to expect for the main course, however, and this one wasn’t particularly intriguing. Simplicity is good, but there wasn’t much wow factor.

The drinks

The Blueberry Bellinis were made from real fruit puree, layered with Caposaldo Prosecco and one blueberry at the bottom. They came chilled, with stainless steel straws attached to a spoon at the bottom, a nice touch.

The prices for happy hour drinks here, at $7, beat the ones in nearby Waikiki. The house wines, also $7, include prosecco, Kung Fu Girl Riesling and Canyon Road Chardonnay.

The verdict

While I liked the place and enjoyed the service, the pupu weren’t particularly memorable. I’m hoping the menu will be tweaked to create a better lead-up to the main menu.

It is good to have another happy hour choice in Kakaako, even as it goes through growing pains. The service was nice enough that I would come back again with friends and give it another try.