Sustainability has been at the heart of Zetton Hawaii’s restaurant philosophy since it opened its first restaurant, Aloha Table, here in 2009. Successive restaurants Goofy Café, Heavenly Island Lifestyle, Zigu and Paris.Hawaii went further in promoting farm-totable menus and mapping the farms that provide the ingredients for their meals.

With the closing of Paris. Hawaii during the pandemic, the company had the opportunity to build back better and started looking at the issue of climate change and what they could do to contribute to the health of the planet in the belief that our collective small actions can add up to big change.

With its newest restaurant, natuRe Waikiki, the chain has adopted green strategies to make its share of small contributions toward preserving the land and slowing climate change. Some practices include recycling cooking oil to burn in its glass candles and working with farmers to recycle plant waste into compost that nourishes their soil and crops.

Executive chef Nae Ogawa — who had served as sous chef at Paris.Hawaii — didn’t skip a beat restarting, continuing in the former restaurant’s Paris-meets-Hawaii style of European culinary tradition coupled with Hawaii ingredients. Her menus are built around ingredients steeped in Hawaiian tradition. Their cultural value is shared through stories posted to the restaurant’s website, or in chats with diners. Diners enjoying prix fixe tasting menus sit at a bar overlooking the kitchen where the flow of ingredients whets the appetite for courses to come.

While Paris.Hawaii only offered one tasting menu to suit all, with allowance for substitutions if required, diners had requested vegan-ori ented dishes and a la carte dining and those desires have been accommodated with a vegan tasting menu and a la carte dining at three outdoor tables and small bar area.

One of the ingredients highlighted on the menu is ulu, the nutritious fruit that sustained an estimated population of more than half a million pre-contact Hawai ians. Ogawa creates an ulu hummus encrusted with Manoa Chocolate husk powder, served atop an ulu chip. The husks that lend their chocolatey essence to the dish would otherwise be discarded after nibs are extracted to create chocolate. Finding a way to turn those husks into food avoids needless waste. This dish starts both standard and vegan tasting menus, slated to change every three months.

The current seasonal menu features Molokai venison pate en croute with J. Ludovico Farm chicken liver and Pono Pork lardo spiced with holiday aromatics such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves for a delicious taste of winter. It’s accompanied by a green onion aioli and star fruit pickles. This was one of my favorite courses, along with the third course of sous vide Kona abalone sautéed with butter and served with Otsuji Farm turnips and two layered sauces, one a verdant purée of turnip leaves and shoots, and the other of abalone liver to again, ensure no waste. I never appreciated the fact before that turnip greens could be so delicious.

Courses four and five are duplicated on the vegan menu, putting the spotlight on sweet Ewa corn served with sage-scented gnocchi, corn espuma and Sweet Land Farm tomme cheese that is substituted on the vegan menu. On the regular menu, a half Kona lobster tail ($24) can be added as a supplement for this dish.

Next came a warm kabocha soup topped with coconut espuma and finished with pumpkin seeds. Accompanying the soup is beautifully toasted house sourdough with ogo butter. I wanted seconds.

The main course is kiawe-smoked Big Island beef served with taro mash and sea asparagus with a red wine jus and briny clam juice foam over Brussels sprouts.

Courses specific to the current vegan menu include slices of roasted eggplant with fermented tomato gelee and a squeeze of finger lime. Some dishes can appear unappetizing, such as a blackened coconut heart of palm beignet with an exterior coat of activated charcoal. Once you get over appearance, you’ll find the crunchy heart of palm very enjoyable.

The main course is a porto bello pithivier, puffed pastry also stuffed with mushroom duxelle and okara wrapped in luau leaves, Ogawa’s satisfying take on laulau. It’s served with a truffle red wine reduction and taro espuma. Shaved black winter truffle is a $15 supplemental option.

The a la carte menu repeats many of the dishes included on the tasting menus for those who want to visit more frequently or don’t have the time or patience for a lengthy tasting experience. A couple of rustic selections make a satisfying meal in keeping with the season, including Ludovico chicken liver mousse ($13) served with guava confit and Melba toast, and pastas such as a Kauai shrimp and macadamia nut pesto linguine ($26) and Molokai venison Bolognese ($24).

No matter which menu you choose, each meal ends with a choice of three desserts: a vegan puréed purple sweet potato Mont Blanc; Manoa Chocolate terrine accompanied by Laie Vanilla Co. ice cream; or herb granite with pomelo and Manoa Honey Mead jelly, honeycomb and Big Island Honey ice cream. Although I loved the honey components of the latter, the bitter pomelo ran counter to my need to end a meal on a sweet note which the other two options fulfill.

natuRe Waikiki

413 Seaside Ave., 2nd floor
Validated parking at Hyatt
Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel
Food: ***«½
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-212-9282
Hours: 5:30-11:30 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays
Prices: Prix fixe menus $85 per person; optional wine or beer pairings available, as well as a la carte menu. an 18% gratuity is included in the bill.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).