Breathtaking views, melodic sounds and beautiful presentations of delectable fare await you at Solera, G. LION HAWAII’s newest restaurant that opened April 1. Located in The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, patrons can expect a sophisticated and soulful dining experience featuring modern contemporary American cuisine prepared by executive chef Mel Fogata, who incorporates global influences and locally sourced Hawaiian ingredients in each dish.
According to director of beverage Ariana Tsuchiya, Solera was born from the convergence of its team’s unique and varied experiences, cultures and traditions.
“Solera is inspired by the solera aging method, a traditional winemaking technique used to blend different vintages over time, creating a more complex and refined final product,” she states. “This philosophy of blending aligns with the restaurant’s approach — melding various cultures, ingredients and culinary traditions into a seamless, elevated dining experience. Additionally, Solera is inspired by Hawaii’s natural beauty, its rich food culture, and the idea of bringing people together over exceptional wine and cuisine.
Crave was invited to experience the magic that is Solera, and it did not disappoint.
We wanted to experience it all and felt that the chef’s favorite’s menu ($125 per guest) was the best way to go, as the curated six-course selection showcased the very dishes that inspired the concept of Solera.
We started with an amuse bouche of ahi kinilaw, which was citrus-poached and came with a Thai bird chile coconut foam, garnished with bubu arare and sat atop an Okinawan sweet potato chip. This dish — which was essentially Solera’s take on a Filipino poke — had a refreshing, nice crunch to it and even had a little bit of a kick, which I’m assuming is from the Thai bird chile.
The cornbread Johnny cake featured a honey brown butter with whipped egg mousse and Hackleback caviar. The soft, pillowy mousse had a nice contrast in texture with the toasted souffle cake that was reminiscent of homecooked cornbread, and the dish had a sweet and salty juxtaposition with the natural syrup and caviar.
For the second course, we indulged in local beets, which boasted Sweet Land Farm chevre (whipped goat cheese), spiced macadamia nuts, sea asparagus and banyuls vinaigrette, which gave the dish an extra oomph. While the beets were so refreshing, juicy and soft, the local goat cheese was the star of the show in this meal for me. I was also curious as to how they got the macadamia nuts so tender but it still added a good crunch for texture. This dish was my absolute favorite.
Next was the seafood koshihikari “risotto,” which didn’t have real cream in it — hence the quotation marks — and instead featured a saffron and shrimp broth. It also boasted sundried tomatoes and pickled onions, which gave the dish beautiful pops of color, and a premium fish sauce that made it taste like it came straight from the ocean.
The Kona kanpachi was next and showcased fish sourced from the Big Island and was complemented with white beans, baby fennel and Ho Farms cherry tomato ragout. The skin on the fish had the perfect crisp to it and the flavor of the dish was enhanced by the mixed greens and white beans.
We moved on to the next entree, which was prime flat iron steak with wagyu gold potato whipped mashed potatoes and melted rainbow chard, which was cooked down with butter and garlic. Our server then poured a bordelaise sauce all over the steak, which was so tender and juicy and paired perfectly with the sides. Each bite tasted like heaven and I was so sad when I had my last taste of it.
And although we were so full, who can possibly say no to dessert? Solera’s dessert cart changes weekly and on this particular night, it boasted a white chocolate mousse cake, tiramisu puff pastry and a raspberry and lychee gelee. The best part? We didn’t have to choose just one and could experience them all! The latter was very light. Meanwhile the white chocolate mousse cake was fruity and sweet and each layer added something different with each bite. The tiramisu puff pastry was my fave and tasted soft and pillowy. I definitely do need to come back for Solera’s signature table-side shave ice service, which is called hashi-gori and features finely crafted shaved ice, layered with luxurious fruits like strawberries and mangoes, alongside indulgent flavors like chocolate and pistachio.
The beautiful scenery overlooking Waikiki, the soulful melodic tunes of Grant Carvalho who tickled the ivories like no other, the impeccable service we received from our waitress Delilah or Fogata’s perfectly curated menu — it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly was my favorite part of this unforgettable dining experience. I guess I’ll just have to go to Solera again to figure
it out.
