Honolulu Weekly

‘Elua Restaurant and Wine Bar / When ‘Elua opened in May, it did so quietly–unexpected behavior for a restaurant whose chefs are known for their big personalities.

‘Elua, the Hawaiian word for ‘two,’ is the theme of the culinary collaboration between Donato Loperfido of Donato’s (now closed) and Pasta & Basta and Philippe Padovani of Padovani’s Bistro (also closed) and Chocolates by Padovani. The two, rather than create a single menu that reflects the sum of their cooking parts, have instead opted for a dual menu in which one part–the part with the French-inspired dishes–belongs to Padovani and the other to Donato, where his Italian heritage is splashed all over the page.

At first take, the two-part menu seems incongruous and unfair–maybe we want pasta with our Perigueux sauce. But that wouldn’t work, and so we silence our more-is-more tendencies and give in to the supremacy of the pair of chefs, who, when it comes right down to it, really knew what they were doing when they chose the separate-but-equal menus.

Before we start heaping praise on the place for managing to provide this city with fine food for a reasonable price (two can eat three courses, plus wine pairings for each dish for well under $200), allow us the liberty to start with a complaint.

The restaurant has taken over the old L’Uraku space, and the hotel-lobby-like room looks nothing like it did before, but it doesn’t look much better either. (Though they did get the lighting right, a rare occurrence in this town where too-bright fluorescent lights create anti-ambience at most restaurants.) Tawny high-backed leather chairs against dark brown walls are promising building blocks for a warm, rich dining room, but add to that the Hawaiian-themed art that hangs on every wall, and the result is an old-boys’ room that would be well-suited as a VIP lounge in an inter-island terminal. Semi-formal dress is appropriate here, but anything modern–that is, anything but high-end aloha wear–seems to scream: ‘Look at me! I don’t shop at Reyn Spooner!’ Not a bad claim to make in most circles, but here, it almost seems inappropriate to be anything but stuffy. It’s a shame because this is one place where up-and-comers can ease themselves into that faction of society that takes itself seriously without breaking the bank. ‘Elua is the perfect training ground for future haute-cuisine types who haven’t yet discovered the wonder of a late-night cheese-and-wine mini meal.

Speaking of late-night wine and cheese, back to the food that makes you forget that you’re not eating in the hippest spot in the city. Chefs Loperfido and Padovani take turns in the kitchen, each taking alternating nights, but on two separate visits–on the first Padovani cooked and on the second Loperfido did the honors–the food and service remained consistent, a testimony to the chefs’ expertise.

The appetizer menus from both chefs are small, as if neither chef were willing to veer off into typical app territory (there’s nothing even resembling a spring roll or a chicken wing), so they figured better small and strong than ordinary and abundant. It works. A mushroom fricassee ($12)–a blend of four kinds of mushrooms tossed in white truffle oil–is the ideal meal starter: light, fresh and toothsome. For fans of shellfish, Loperfido’s traditional pepata di cozze ($12) is a heaping plate of fresh, tender mussels swimming in a savory tomato wine sauce that’s so addictive, you’ll need to resist the urge to spoon the stuff, sans mussel, into your mouth. A smoked duck magret (the breast of duck that has produced foie gras) carpaccio, also from Loperfido’s side of the menu was too salty to really enjoy the tender, aged, ultra-lean slices of breast meat. If being labeled as gauche doesn’t concern you, eat the salty meat with bread.

Here, the experience is in the eating as much as it is in the food itself, which means that you should allow a few hours for a meal. The servers don’t rush the courses–they want you to sit, sip and eat. Slowly. It’s a nice change of pace and by the time the entrees arrive you’re ready for them. Each entree is paired with a wine recommendation, and it would be shame to experience ‘Elua without tasting for yourself how the wines truly enhance the food and vice versa. Padovani’s pan-fried veal with Perigueux sauce ($38) is incredible. The meat’s exterior is browned to a light caramel, while the meat itself–almost unnaturally moist and succulent–retains the perfect shade of pink. Everything else on the plate (fingerling potatoes and veggies) gets ignored in favor of finishing the chop. Loperfido’s pasta-heavy menu, instead of shrinking in the shadow of Padovani’s meaty menu, stands out with offerings like his cavatelli alla piemontese ($20), a hearty bowl of house-made cavatelli, perfectly al dente, with a veal and wild boar meat sauce. His Kobe beef–unadorned meat cooked to medium rare (he won’t allow it to be ordered any other way)–proves that he knows his meat. Padovani counters with a crispy confit of duck leg ($21) that he serves on a bed on sauteed cabbage and boiled fingerling potatoes all doing their best (but failing miserably) to soak up the buttery butter–there’s no better way to describe it–sauce. This is all the comfort and familiarity of gasthaus food, with the delicacy of a French gourmet.

It’s now that we suggest a departure from the familiar. Though we’re accustomed to ending our meals with something sweet, we suggest you take the chefs’ suggestion and forego the sugary last course in favor of an assortment of cheeses and a glass of wine. (But if you have room for both, try Padovani’s divine chocolate ganache cake, $12. Share it, if it’ll make you feel less indulgent.) Allow the knowledgeable servers to prepare a plate of your choice of four cheeses ($17) from the mobile cheese dome, and while you’re giving yourself over to the server, let him or her suggest a wine to complement the cheese. Our server gave us Chicca, a late harvest Zinfandel that unlike its non-dessert wine counterpart, actually tastes incredible. We’re forever in his debt.

‘Elua Restaurant and Wine Bar

1341 Kapi’olani Blvd.
(in the Uraku Tower), 955-ELUA
Mon.-Fri. 11:30am-2pm; dinner served daily from 6-11pm, late night wine and cheese service Fri. & Sat from 10pm-midnight
Recommended: Pan-fried veal chop with PÈrigueux sauce, crispy confit of duck leg, cavatelli alla piemontese, fricassee of mushrooms
Payment: AmEx, Disc, MC, V
Details: Free parking in the Uraku Tower, reservations highly
recommended