Premium Pick | BLT Market
BLT Market caught our attention while helmed by chef Johan Svensson, who departed for a Florida kitchen. Chef de cuisine Johnattan Hernandez took over the reins in September, maintaining this restaurant’s attraction for a tony clientele while transitioning to a more Latin/Caribbean perspective.
Hernandez’s menu includes plates such as empanadas and pressed pork, with accents including plantains and Hawaii-distilled rum (poured over sorbet for a fire-and-ice palate cleanser). That points to a flavorful future.
The restaurant itself has a contemporary, soothing aspect, outfitted in blonde wood and creamy leather, and open to the ocean air. Windows overlooking Fort DeRussy and the sea beyond give the room delightful natural light during the day, and provide a fireworks view on Friday nights. With its limited tables, the room feels a bit like a private club, though all who can swing the tab will be welcomed warmly.
Island ingredients are in abundant display. Molokai beef fills the empanadas. Ahi is thick-cut and rare, “crusted” on the outside with arare that has been perfectly toasted. Locally sourced vegetables embellish and are used in relatively uncommon ways; a wood-eared mushroom is served in one bushy piece.
Desserts are remarkable. Try the mango-filled malasadas, smaller than golf balls, served with white chocolate and a panna cotta-like semifreddo.
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Ritz-Carlton Residence, 383 Kalaimoku St.; 729-9729. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. $$$-$$$$
Tango Contemporary Cafe
I return to Tango whenever I need a pick-me-up, as a source of consistent satisfaction. With chef and co-owner Goran Streng at the helm, this restaurant operates at a high level of expertise and low level of hype, delivering well-prepared meals in a bright, airy setting throughout the day — for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Streng, a native of Finland who has worked in prestige kitchens including the Halekulani’s La Mer and Raffles Hotel in Singapore, brings a populist sensibility to his menu design, serving favorite dishes including eggs Benedict and a Kualana grass-fed beef burger, and for dinner, a rich, densely flavored five-spice braised beef on a bed of creamy polenta, topped with thin and crispy, lightly spiced onion rings.
His most outstanding dishes, especially seafood and duck, are elevated by his Scandinavian background and global, fusion-friendly experience. Must-tries include the Hamakua mushroom risotto, addictive and full of umami, and the crispy-skin branzino (European sea bass), its delicate, white flesh a perfect contrast to the crisped outer layer, and enhanced just so with a tomato-fennel coulis.
Without fanfare, Tango has also become a wine-lover’s destination. Servers here are informative and well-informed, and can be counted on to steer you to a discovery or familiar favorite, to the advantage of your meal.
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Hokua, 1288 Ala Moana Blvd.; 593-7288. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. $$-$$$
Grondin french-latin kitchen
Grondin earned a “rave” from me in 2015 for its high standards, warm atmosphere and standout menu options. While the restaurant scene has expanded in its Chinatown neighborhood since then, I’m back to report that this eatery remains a prime pick. Opened in March 2014, Grondin rewards the repeat visitor by consistently delivering a delicious plate and welcoming experience.
The menu draws from among European, American and Latin influences, inflected by the French and Ecuadorian backgrounds of owners Jenny Grondin and David Segarra. You’ll find cassoulet, a hamburger and chicken mole on the menu — and each iteration promises to be brightly flavored and satisfying.
Start at the top of the menu, and you won’t be disappointed: The restaurant’s Salade Frisee is a prime example of the way this restaurant combines do-it-yourself panache with classical credentials. A subtly smoked lemon vinaigrette combines with the yolk of a perfectly poached egg, topping frisee lettuce, with thick-cut, house-made bacon; the complementary flavors and textures practically dance on your taste buds.
Among the rustic entrees, Grondin’s Chuleta — a pork loin chop cooked to perfection, served with annatto rice and black beans — earns more raves. Pair a plate with one of Grondin’s creative cocktails or a glass of wine; it’s literally all good.
The surroundings here enhance your dining experience — there’s a hand-built, natural feeling to the room, with its wood, brick and tile fundamentals. Al fresco dining in the Mendonca Building’s lush courtyard is a treat. Try the restaurant’s new, second-Sunday Chinatown Brunch Society for a dose of funk, soul and dance music on vinyl, or the monthly Sunday jazz brunch for a convivial experience — sometimes, patrons may even get up to dance!
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62 N. Hotel St.; 566-6768. Lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. $$-$$$
