Dining Wataru / With all the big franchise restaurants popping up all over town, it was refreshing to discover a quaint, little Japanese bistro with a big heart. Dining Wataru, a mom-and-pop eatery that has been quietly chugging along since last November, is operated by 32-year-old Wataru Nakanishi and his wife Mika. The menu, though, isn’t typical home cooking. Chef Wataru, in his limited English, likes to call it Japanese ‘fusion,’ but the buzzword doesn’t do his cuisine justice. Yes, Japanese ingredients are cooked with European elements, but the simple and honest way it’s presented is a far cry from the ostentatious and often gaudy presentations that come from other chefs aboard the fusion bandwagon.

Dining Wataru is nestled quietly on ‘Ena Road in Waikiki, around the corner from the bustling Wailana Coffee Shop. Its plain black facade keeps the 39-seat restaurant inconspicuous. Stepping inside doesn’t reveal the style of cuisine, either. Paper screens separate minimalist black wooden chairs and tables and booths, and the walls are undecorated. It’s hard to tell whether to expect traditional or modern Japanese cuisine, but one glance of the menu shows that most selections are unique creations by Wataru.

Considering Wataru is the lone man in the kitchen, the menu is quite large–18 appetizers and 25 entrÈes. All six of the salads sound uncomplicated on paper. I ordered the Japanese tofu salad ($8.50) to see what the chef meant by ‘Japanese’ and to see what he could do with tofu–an ingredient that can make or break a dish. The cubes of tofu came out a bit bigger than bite-sized and didn’t really absorb any of the flavors of the soy-based vinaigrette that had a clear, light sweetness to it. Lightly dressed on Kamuela tomatoes, bright green Japanese cucumbers and surprisingly crisp baby greens, it was a safe, straightforward start to the meal.

The portion sizes lean more toward that of fine dining than generous home-style, and the food is neatly plated. Sauteed scallops with olive sauce ($8) came out on a rectangular plate with five scallops in a straight line, drizzled with bright green, extra virgin olive oil, balanced with a small mound of minced Kalamata olives at the end. The presentation resembled an exclamation point, as if this dish was trying to say ‘wow!’ Unfortunately, the intensity of the flavors didn’t quite match the appearance. The scallops could have been seared in a hotter pan to a golden crispness; although they were amply sweet and fresh, they could have been a knockout if caramelized properly. The pungent olive oil was fragrant enough to bring together the delicate tastes and soft, meaty texture of the scallops, and the minced olives gave the dish an occasional burst of salty, briny flavor.

Next up, the deep-fried soft-shelled crab with pepperocino sauce ($9.50). Pepperocino is a broad Italian term for something, usually a sauce, enhanced with red pepper flakes. Here, it turns out to be a mix between the sambal sauce you usually squeeze out of a bottle in a Vietnamese pho shop and the Mae Ploy, the orange-colored sweet chili sauce from Thailand. The crabs were bigger (hence older) than typical soft-shelled crabs, plump and full of meat. Overall, the dish was delicately battered and quite zesty, though the claws and legs were snipped off, leaving out some of the most flavorful, crisp and fun-to-eat parts of the crab.

Simmered beef tongue ($15) is a dish that always stands out on a menu–it’s always exciting to order a dish you would never cook at home. The tongue took a while to prepare, and it resembled a strip of beef tenderloin. Consisting of seven small, rectangular slices in a pool of dark, burgundy-colored demi glace, the tongue didn’t have any of the chewy elastic texture that one associates with such a tough cut of meat–it was fork tender. The sauce was a pleasant and a subtle surprise from Wataru’s French repertoire.

Desserts are the menu’s most typical Japanese offerings. A scoop of thick, rich vanilla ice cream ($6.50) was perfectly complemented by a few chewy mochi balls that were delightfully al dente and far from being mushy. The best element was, however, the lightly sweet and colored but extremely fragrant Japanese maple syrup poured on top of it all. It proves that the best desserts tend to be simple ones made with thoughtfully combined quality ingredients. The Jog Parfait ($12) was typically Japanese in its whimsical, over-the-top presentation. A cornucopia of sweet snacks you can find in the supermarket, this parfait comes in a tall sundae glass with vanilla ice cream, crunchy corn flakes, a generous dousing of chocolate syrup, slices of banana and crisp green apples, all garnished with cookies and a thick dollop of fresh whipped cream. This dessert erupts out of the glass and is an imaginative way to end a meal where simplicity was the constant theme. Great for two to share.

Wataru also offers a decent sake selection, including a bargain threesake sampler ($8.00) that comes with a cheat sheet describing what flavors and aromas you’re supposed to taste. The service is full of warmth from Mika and her helper despite the language barrier. The style of cuisine at Dining Wataru is best described as things that Chef Wataru likes to cook and eat, but that’s probably a hard thing for him to say in English. Instead, he lets his diversely influenced foods do the talking.

Dining Wataru

432 Ena Road (941-4200)

Hours: Tue-Sun, 5:30-9pm Appetizers: from $8.50 Entrees: $7-$20 Desserts: $6.50-$12 Recommended Dishes: Soft-shelled Crab, Jog Parfait, Sake Sampler Payment: Visa, Amex, Master, JCB