If you’re looking for a fine-dining experience with both vegan and non-vegan options, natuRe waikiki (pronounced “nacher” in French) is heaven.
Nestled on the second floor of a 1939 garden courtyard building in Waikiki, stair railings entwined with lilikoi vines lead you to a cozy bar area with high tops and an a la carte menu for a casual dining experience. Continue into the warm and inviting dining room with its dark wooden décor and you’ll find an ambiance reminiscent of a French country kitchen. Choose a spot at the chef’s counter for a front row look at the team preparing the island-French cuisine, or opt for a table on the terrace overlooking the courtyard for a more intimate setting.
Executive chef Nae Ogawa has wonderfully crafted a six-course tasting menu ($105) combining classic French culinary techniques with a local vibe that includes a plant-based option ($90) almost identical to the regular course. natuRe’s “beyond farm-to-table” concept utilizes locally sourced and seasonal organic produce with 30% of the menu plant-based and served on crockery made by local artisans.
“I have a deep respect for the native community and hope they feel that the respect for Hawaii and its people are conveyed in my dishes,” explains Ogawa, a native of Japan.
True to French cuisine, the menu changes every two months, enticing local diners back for more.
To begin the plant-based tasting menu, taro poi is served on a crispy sunchoke chip with mushroom purée and powdered luau leaves resting atop a rustic bundle of smoked twigs. A colorful array of Kahumana Organic Farms roots, coconut milk burrata and mac nuts is followed by a zucchini-mac nut ricotta, and sun-dried tomato mille fuille pairs perfectly with Lokelani brut sparkling wine (a five-glass wine pairing is an additional $50).
The ulu, jicama and warabi is a unique dish with a Japanese twist that reflects Hawaii’s history as a cultural melting pot. While savoring the tomato, eggplant and black garlic risotto, I peek over at my husband’s fifth course to compare the non-vegan version set apart only by the addition of tako. Nae’s attention to detail shines in the final course: portobello mushroom, butternut squash and laulau pithivier encased in vegan puff pastry with an option to add Périgord black winter truffle ($45).
Plant-based dishes on the a la carte menu include hearts of palm and shishito beignet ($18), truffle french fries ($12), macadamia nut pesto tagliatelle ($20) and portobello mushroom laulau pithivier ($30). Two out of the three dessert options are vegan-friendly — the local sorbet of the day ($12) comes with a mac-nut crumble, seasonal fruit and lilikoi coulis — while the local sweet potato Mont Blanc paired with cashew ice-cream and mac-nut crumble ($16) may just change the way you look at plant-based food.
natuRe waikiki
413 Seaside Ave. 2F, Honolulu
808-212-9282
naturewaikiki.com
Instagram: @naturewaikiki.com
Lillian Cumic is a vegan chef and author of Hawaii A Vegan Paradise and Tasting Hawaii Vegan Style. Her column is a guide for plant-based eating on Oahu. Follow Lillian’s journey at lillianvegan.com.
