Hello there, outwars here. I recently went to the US and I was able to go to a lot of beautiful places, as well as try out a bunch of excellent food. I took some photos and I've decided to create posts to share them to others, as well as to document the experience. For this post, I will share my experience with Bar Maze Hawaii.
Bar Maze is a fine dining restaurant located at Ala Moana Blvd. Honolulu, Hawaii. My first impression upon seeing the exterior of Bar Maze was that it was a rather small restaurant. I actually have no problem with that since it was highly recommended. From my experience with Tanuki Sushi, I shouldn't judge a restaurant from the outside.
Upon entering Bar Maze, I am greeted with the Kitchen and a bar table. It was already full of people, and it seems like we are the last clients to arrive. [I took the photo above when the people left]. I was correct in my assessment earlier that it was small. The restaurant has 6 seats in front of the bar, two 2 seater tables, and three 4 seater tables. I was with a group so we had two of the 4 seater tables.
The ambience of Bar Maze was interesting. It didn't feel so uptight like other fine dining restaurants. I would say it was actually a bit casual and laid back. I really like the aesthetics of the place; from the heavy wood design, the lighting, and even to the high ceiling. There are a lot of things that catch the eye.
One of my companions have eaten here loads of times, and was actually the one who really wanted us to try Bar Maze. As we were waiting for the staff to prepare, my companion started sharing what they know about Bar Maze. They actually know one of the owners, Justin Park.
Justin Park, the co-owner and the Head Bartender, is a multi award winning Bartender. He is also the co-owner and co-founder of Bar Leather Apron, that has been recognized in a lot of Top10 and "Best Bar" lists, and James Beard Award Semifinalist twice. He has a lot of accolades so I will not list them all here, but just share their website later.
The Head Chef is Ki Chung. He worked in a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants across the US. He also worked at the "Landing at Aubergine" restaurant at L'Auberge Carmel, where he rose to first chef de cuisine, and helped lead the restaurant to a Michelin Star, and a Forbes five-star ranking. What was interesting is that the couple in our group actually had their Wedding dinner in "Landing at Aubergine".
We were then shown the courses for the night. I was told that it changes from time to time, and that their meals always come with a unique alcohol that complements the dish. I thought that this is different from the usual style of fine dining restaurants where the dishes come with different wine. Below is a closer copy of the courses:
Looking at it, there should be an appetizer with an alcohol mix. 3 courses with its own different type of alcohol mix, and a 4th one for dessert. The snack was oysters and seared fish together with the mixed drink.
The taste was very interesting. They were very light to the taste, and seasoned just right. I don't usually like oysters but I really liked it. It seems to have some other taste apart from the oyster, and I couldn't tell what it is but it really works well. The drink was also very light and had a bit of sourness in it. The whole set served its purpose of really getting our appetite going.
We were then served the 1st course. From the onset, my reaction was that not only was it very beautiful, but it was also very appetizing. The dish was arranged to look like a flower. It was a bit sour, but not overpowering. The texture was very soft and smooth, and some crunch was added as well. It made me think that this was their version of a salad. I also liked the bowl that it was served in. It was ceramic that looked chipped all around, but it was not sharp. It actually looked like a very big egg that just cracked and revealed a very sumptuous dish.
The drink was also very interesting. It looked very foamy which piqued the imagination. The taste complemented the dish very well, and has a light and airy feel to it. It was also sour, so my stomach was already growling in anticipation for the next dish. Finishing the drink showed a very big block of ice, which was cleverly hidden behind the froth. I was told that it was made with a special technique to keep it clear, which I thought was cool.
We were then served the 2nd course. There were the scallops, brioche, caviar, and the drink. The scallop looked very simple when I first saw it. But after tasting it, I will have to say that it was the best scallops I have ever tasted. It was perfectly cooked. I don't know how, but it was bouncy on the outside, but very soft once inside the mouth. This texture combined with the smooth and savory taste of the sauce really blew my mind. The plate they used was also very pretty. If I am comparing it to the one before, it looked like the egg has slowly crumbled to the side.
The other part of the course was the brioche and caviar. The brioche was very flavorful, and was cooked excellently. I don't usually eat caviar, but I thought that it was very flavorful. The fluffy and slightly sweet flavor of the brioche really complemented the savory taste of the scallop.
As for the drink, it was actually a bit stronger than the first two. It looked very simple, but the taste was very complex. There was still a bit of sourness to it that helped serve as a palette cleanser. It really complemented the dishes. The foam also added a contrast via texture. While the sauce was a little thick and savory, the foam was airy and light.
Before we were served the 3rd course, we were given a dish not on the list. If you look at the list again near the top of the post, you can see that there are two choices. Since we are in a group, we decided to get both so we can taste everything. There were 6 of us, so I think they were not yet finished with all the dishes so they gave us this dish while waiting. I was actually surprised with how it looked. They were able to artfully fit a lot of ingredients in such a small area. It looked like a mini garden with flowers and leaves on top of soil. Once I tasted it, it did not disappoint. It was a burst of flavor that mixed so well in my mouth.
We were then served the 3rd course. I believe this is the main course as well. The left one was the duck breast, the middle was the rice, the right was the wagyu. The duck was very juicy, and the buffalo carrot sauce complemented it perfectly. The brussel sprout and the pear provided the contrast in texture and taste.
Next is the rice. As a Filipino I love rice. Out of all the rice meals I have tasted, I would have to say that this is one of the most flavorful and full of umami I have tasted. The wagyu fat gave it so much taste, and the vinegar was there to help stabilize it. The portion was also ample enough for sharing, but I also had almost half to myself since the others in my group was already starting to get full, and they wanted to have space for dessert.
Above is a slightly closer look of the Wagyu, and how the rice was served with its cover. I have eaten my fair share of wagyu, but I would have to say that this blows all of them out of the water. This wagyu was so soft yet still juicy. It was so flavorful and well seasoned its unbelievable. The banchan [side dishes] had different flavors that really worked well with the wagyu. The black paste at the top had a very complex taste that I can't describe, but it was perfect with the wagyu. The plate they used was also cool. The color went well with the food, and made them pop out and look more vibrant.
As for the drink, I had the Hibiki Harmony. It was the strongest of all the drinks but not too overpowering. Like with the previous courses, it complemented the dish and helped elevate the flavors. It looked simple, but I can taste the different flavors mixed into it, which created a very flavorful and satisfying drink.
We were then served the 4th course, which was the dessert. It was a very exciting meal full of flavor, and different textures all bursting with each bite. The coldness of the ice was refreshing. The soft and sweet meringue was a nice contrast to the lemon curd. The whole dish was full of different flavors that really worked well with each other that resulted in a very satisfying dessert.
Just as I thought that everything was over, we were served another dish that looked like an egg with eggs [caviar] on top. It was not on the list, and was given to us by Justin. I don't really remember what it was called, but the brown ball was a bit sweet and felt like a custard, while the caviar was a bit salty. While it was different from the dessert before, it was still very good. The presentation was simple, but very enticing.
But the egg was not the last dish served to us. We were given a plate full of rocks. Initially we didn't know what it was, and we were informed by the staff that this was also given to us by Justin. We were told that while those are indeed rocks, those with green mint[?] garnish are actually sweet desserts. While it cannot compare to the two desserts before it. It was still good, and was visually appealing. It was very cool to see, and experience. I think it was a perfect end to the whole experience.
I will admit that I haven't been to a lot of fine dining restaurants. But comparing this to the ones I have been to, this is by far the best experience I've had. Not only was the food great, but the whole experience was a very entertaining ride. They steered away from the usual, boring Wine as the accompanying drink, and provided mixed drinks that are not only unique, but also complement the dish completely.
Like the person who recommended this restaurant to me, I too strongly recommend this place. If the award winning staff does not entice you, the unique and refreshing take on fine dining should. While my photos cannot give it enough justice [I really need to upgrade my phone], I hope you can try it out for yourself and have a wonderful experience.
You can check out their website [Bar Maze Restaurant], and find out more info about the restaurant and the staff.