Call it what you will, but the prix fixe/ omakase/tasting menu restaurant format that took hold during the middle of the pandemic continues.

Before, such fixed priced offerings were merely one option to consider over piecing together an a la carte meal. But many restaurants have gone all in on tasting menus that takes the guesswork out of buying and reduces waste.

The latest to switch formats is TBD … by Vikram Garg, where sustainability and integrity of ingredients is among executive chef Vikram Garg’s guiding principles to the point where cooking from scratch also involves not only sauces and aioli, but also making his own yogurt, cream cheese, bread and butter, and ice cream.

He now offers the best of two worlds — prix fixe and a la carte — by providing diners with several choices over the course of a meal. Plus, I love variety and the prospect of enjoying many small portions rather than having most of my tummy’s real estate taken up by one big entrée.

And, regulars will be happy to note that popular items from the former menu have not disappeared, but have moved to the restaurant’s lounge menu, where you can still enjoy a tabletop meal.

In the lounge, you can nosh on mushroom donburi ($22) with koshihikari rice, mushroom escabeche and pepper sauce; seafood shabu shabu ($59) with shrimp, lobster, fresh catch, mushrooms and vegetables in a seafood nage; as well as steak frites ($79), comprising aged prime rib-eye, fries and a soy-pepper sauce.

In the comfort categories are specialties such as “The Burger” ($29) of prime beef and pork with caramelized onions and cheese fondue, and Garg’s curry du jour ($36), such as a recent chicken curry served over koshihikari rice that he has come to prefer after experimentation that follows a lifetime of habit and acceptance that Indian curries are best served with basmati rice. The soft sushi rice absorbs the curry, intensifying its rich flavor.

TBD’s $99 tasting menu comprises four courses, with appetizer, seafood, meat and game, and dessert categories.

Each category gives you three options. There’s leeway for those with allergies or food aversions in that, if you don’t eat meat — for example — you can skip that section and pick a substitute seafood or appetizer selection in its place.

Current appetizer options are hamachi crudo, cauliflower velouté or smoked romaine; the latter I consider a must. Beautifully textured and flavorful, with truffle vinaigrette and Parmigiano-Reggiano crisp, I think it will surprise even those who say they don’t like vegetables.

Milder cauliflower velouté topped with a slow-cooked egg is best when enhanced by one of three supplemental noble ingredients, black truffle ($29), Alba truffle ($89) or ossetra caviar ($49).

I was enamored by seafood offerings of a Tristan lobster tail served with Forbidden Rice pilaf and finished at the table with a pour of intense lobster bisque, and Ora King salmon kissed by a light touch of smoke before being layered over a sauce of Sumida Farms watercress. I’m not that big a fan of the bitter greens, but somehow, it works well here. What I didn’t get to try was the third option of shrimp-scallop risotto with porcini cream, that also includes a choice of adding black truffle ($29) or Alba truffle ($89).

In the meat and game section came tender braised prime short rib served with creamy ulu mousseline and pepper sauce, and fall-themed pork chop served with a puree of butternut squash, cinnamon-spiced poached pear and ginger-soy glaze, each element enjoyed to the fullest when eaten together.

The third meat item is duck leg confit with braised endives and orange gastrique. To this you can add foie gras ($29).

For dessert, chocolate lovers will gravitate toward the Carib and milk chocolate mousse with praline and hazelnut ice cream, while those who love the flavor of lilikoi are best served by the light, fluffy pavlova with passion fruit caramel and passion fruit caviar. Rounding out the desserts is a berry-yuzu cheese parfait topped with raspberry sorbet and drizzled with hibiscus sauce.

This restaurant would make a nice addition to holiday lists for those planning to treat themselves to a special night out in the months ahead.

TBD … by Vikram Garg

Lotus Hotel at Diamond Head
2885 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ****
Call: 808-796-5510
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays
Prices: Tasting menu $99 per person; $59 per person, wine pairings optional

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).