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Quick Bites: Lotus Honolulu, Salt Bar & Kitchen, more
A new menu at Salt features 'duck duck ramen,' a noodle dish with roasted apple broth, duck breast, shiitake mushrooms and cracklins'. --Courtesy Salt Bar & Kitchen
COMPILED BY NINA WU / nwu@staradvertiser.com
Dinners at Lotus: Missed dinner on Valentine’s Day? You have a chance to redeem yourself tonight or the rest of this weekend at Lotus Honolulu.
The “Creative Aphrodisiac” menu by chef Greg Profeta, formerly of New York’s Restaurant Marc Forgione (who is headed to Sakai of Hawai’i next), is available tonight, Saturday and Sunday.
Start with oyster shooters, a crudo with avocado mousse, hearts of palm and caviar for the first course, followed by chilled asparagus salad with manchego and pine nuts.
The main course is seared sea scallops with pink pepper, cardamom yogurt, celery root and blood orange.
Dessert is chocolate mousse with vanilla creme anglaise and honey.
Seating is every half-hour from 5:30 to 8 p.m. A special tasting menu will also be included. Cost is $60 per person (additional for wine pairings).
The space at Lotus Honolulu, 2885 Kalakaua Ave., is playing host to pop-up dinners before renovations begin for Peppoli, an Italian restaurant featuring Antinori wines, scheduled to open some time this year. Call 922-1700.
Next up: Koji Tanaka, executive chef of Sakai of Hawai’i, offers a pop-up dinner from March 1 to 3.
Tanaka, named “King of Iron Chefs” on FUJI-TV’s (Japan) Iron Chef finale, was trained in Japan as well as at La Grenouille and Forge (Marc Forgione’s first restaurant) in New York City.
His French-Japanese menu starts with two amuse bouches — an almond choux with foie gras and seafood cocktail with cauliflower puree. Appetizers include a tuna ball with lobster and yuzu zest, along with a “yellow tail ball” and radish salad.
For entrees, choose red snapper with lobster sauce and snap peas with basil-potato puree or New York strip steak with hashed potatoes and creamy spinach in a red wine sauce.
Dessert is the “Sakai Souffle.”
Cost is $60 per person plus optional wine pairing. Seatings are every half-hour from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
New Salt: Salt Bar & Kitchen has unveiled a new menu from chef-owner Quinten Frye.
More small bites designed to be shared, including duck confit pot stickers, the “plato de tres tacos” and Salt’s version of bacon and egg featuring confit pork belly, egg and kim chee miso on a toasted English muffin, are available.
Check out “duck duck ramen,” which elevates a simple noodle dish with a roasted apple broth, plump duck breast, shiitake mushrooms and cracklins’.
Salt is at 3605 Waialae Ave. Call 744-7567.
Hawaii Cocktail Week: Celebrate Hawaii Cocktail Week from Saturday to Feb. 23.
Some highlights include a “Pork & Tiki” fundraiser for Pow Wow Hawai’i from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Whole Ox Deli, 327 Keawe St. Chef Robert McGee will offer “localvore” bites to be paired with tiki-influenced punches by Kyle Reutner and Mike Prasad of Hawaii Bitters.
Town is hosting a five-course dinner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, offering local dishes that complement spirits from the Beam Inc. portfolio. Cost is $75 per person.
Late-night bites will be offered at venues including The Manifest and V Lounge.
Visit www.hawaiicocktailweek.com for tickets and the full schedule.
