A hidden gem in Waikiki

At the start of the pandemic, I thought high-end meals were a luxury gone for its duration, as lost wages and a distancing-motivated return to cooking at home took hold of society.

But people never lost the desire to treat themselves to a rewarding meal and restaurateurs kept opening new but smaller venues. For some, survival depended on a daily guarantee of set earnings.

Enter the exclusive, omakase-only restaurant/sushi bar, a business model that is flourishing. The small, intimate settings give patrons a degree of privacy while also allowing restaurateurs to make precise buys and avoid food waste.

You just never know where the next one will pop up. The hidden sushi bar Sushi Fukurou seems like it would be an unlikely addition to the Mexican restaurant Buho Cocina y Cantina, but it makes sense in the hands of corporate executive chef Yuya Yamanaka, formerly with Paris Hawaii, and Miki Yanagihara, an alumnus of Nobu and Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar.

Yamanaka has a way with fusion, blending elements of Mexican cuisine with his native Japan culinary knowledge, while Yanagihara merges her love of Japanese cuisine with local ingredients and foodways. Together, they’ve created a unique blend of Japanese, Mexican and Hawaiian flavors.

While the combination may sound like a recipe for a crazy clash of cultures, with plenty of room to go overboard, be assured it’s not that. Dishes are created and presented in a respectful and elegant way, with enough pleasant surprises to keep diners beguiled from beginning to end.

Fukurou’s opening menu is $125 per person, covering 14 courses, and it grabbed my attention from the start. Lightly smoked tako ceviche with okra is brightened by a touch of ume and a hint of spice from jalapeños. There’s a thoroughly Japanese aesthetic at play here so the heat is subtle, and visually, it paired well with ceramicware that provided an Instagram-ready backdrop. They even thought about lighting fixtures at the bar to help get those pics just right.

Next came a roll of Nanatsuboshi rice wrapped with marinated bluefin, capped with quail egg yolk.

One of the more obvious nods to Mexican cuisine was a shrimp-filled mini, finger-size “chimichanga” with a crisp spring roll wrapper, accompanied by guacamole and a red sauce accented with a dusting of ancho chile powder.

And if you stretch your imagination, you can accept a thin slice of radish as a tortilla, the base for a street-style “taco” of grilled kampachi topped with a dollop of orange-flavored oroshi.

Nods to local mixed plate culture came with onaga nigiri topped with ginger-scallion sauce associated with Chinese cold ginger chicken, as well as Ora king salmon nigiri topped lomilomi-style with chopped Kamuela tomatoes and green onions. Both were combinations that worked.

I also enjoyed nigiri of amaebi finished with light kizami wasabi, followed by deep-fried amaebi head with a crisp coating of potato starch, perfectly accompanied by ponzu sauce.

Nigiri of sweet Hokkaido scallop and bluefin chutoro and otoro followed before the piece de resistance, a hand roll of Hokkaido uni and caviar that we were instructed to eat as soon as it was passed to us, lest the nori that held it together become soggy. Next came another taco of miso-marinated washugyu beef with a dab of cumin-spiked salsa verde, micro cilantro and pinch of kosher salt.

The no-waste philosophy was on display again with Maine lobster chawanmushi flavored with fish stock gleaned from bones of fish used throughout the menu.

The meal ended with a dessert in the form of a matcha churro paired with locally made Roselani vanilla ice cream and a heap of azuki beans.

It was an experience that proved to be both creative and delicious.

Sushi Fukurou

Inside Buho Cocina y Cantina
Waikiki Shopping Plaza rooftop
2250 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-922-2846
Hours: Two Seatings 5:30 and 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays
Prices: $125 per person with add-on options available

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).