John Dominis restaurant must have been something to behold when it opened in the late 1970s, with its indoor garden and a stream running through it. But, by the time it closed two years ago, it had seen better days. It was dark, dingy and strange. Situated on the water’s edge, it seemed wrong to sit encased in glass, with waves crashing against the walls. I kept waiting for the water to burst through. Its closing was no surprise. The bigger mystery was what would take its place.
Sixteen million dollars later, the new enterprise couldn’t be more different. It’s a combo wedding chapel aimed at Japanese visitors, with a restaurant, 53 By the Sea, open to all.
Kamaaina will get there on autopilot with the magic words, "where John Dominis used to be." Otherwise, there are no signs to indicate it’s a restaurant, and you might mistake it for someone’s McMansion or a Las Vegas wedding chapel.
A gleaming foyer with a grand ballroom staircase leads to the chapels. Behind the staircase is the dining room, which finally makes perfect use of the spectacular views of Diamond Head and the ocean. The building is now elevated above the rocks so you can step out to enjoy the fresh air at lanai tables, or for a view of Friday night’s fireworks at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
The former restaurant’s emphasis on seafood is a precedent that hasn’t gone away. Fish and shellfish are well-represented on 53 By the Sea’s Italian menu, the creation of chef Hiroshi Hayakawa. Where other Italian restaurants helmed by Japanese chefs tend to take a light approach to this cuisine, Hayakawa has a bold streak that leaves dishes saturated with intense flavors, so "spicy" is really spicy, and dishes with garlic are likely to contain large slices.
There’s nothing new or exotic about the menu, but it comprises food done right in portions that ensure no one leaves hungry. It’s accompanied by an extensive wine list created by master sommelier Roberto Viernes.
The restaurant is open for dinner, with lunch service starting next week. By night it is destined to join the ranks of best-date and special-occasion destinations. By day, with proximity to downtown Honolulu, it may become the top spot for business lunches.
Another precedent that hasn’t gone away is the luxury pricing. Appetizers are $18 to $30. On the low end is escargot that does away with the usual slotted dish, using mushrooms caps to cup the snails in a rich tomato cream sauce.
At the high end is the house 53 Seafood Showcase ($30), a seafood cocktail platter for two, which, when I visited, featured a half lobster tail and single claw, grilled scallops, two Fanny Bay oysters, ahi sashimi, and two pieces of Kona kampachi wrapped around slices of refreshing grapefruit. This was accompanied by cocktail sauce and vinegar. As much as I laugh at the idea of local friends of mine going to Paris and requesting soy sauce at the dinner table, I couldn’t help thinking the ahi would have been helped by shoyu, and the lobster by some hot drawn butter.
After that, a small salad of romaine ($12), mixed greens ($12), green papaya salad with anchovy-garlic vinaigrette ($8), or arugula ($9) would be fine. A salad of mixed field greens with fried calamari ($18) may prove too heavy. It’s entrée-sized and studded with thin slices of bottarga, or poor man’s caviar, a roe pouch that’s dried, cured and coated in beeswax. It’s an acquired taste.
Rich lobster bisque ($20), with a fair amount of diced lobster, might also seem a candidate for filling you up before dinner’s end, but the cup portion is manageable.
Pasta fans will find a few classics such as spaghetti Bolognese ($18) and homemade fettuccine with tomato sauce and pork sausage ($24) that I couldn’t stop eating. It was rich with olive oil, mushrooms, onions and Pecorino.
Seafood entrées include an opah and seafood stew ($34) that seemed promising in a light tomato broth spiked with red pepper flakes, but paled in comparison to tender chicken breast mushroom marsala ($22) with its mushroom-cream sauce, and Colorado lamb chops ($48) coated in Dijon and Italian bread crumbs in a rosemary red wine sauce.
The restaurant also is poised to rival steak houses with its offerings of grilled Black Angus filet mignon (6 ounces for $30, 8 for $38), ranchers prime ribeye (8 ounces for $35, 16 for $56) and prime New York sirloin (10 ounces for $45).
The steak includes steamed vegetables and a side: mashed potatoes ($8), sautéed mushrooms ($12), grilled asparagus ($15), garlic broccolini ($12), garlic butter spinach ($14) or fries ($8).
Talk about having something for everyone!
For dessert, try the deep-fried eggplant coated with chocolate. The eggplant might be compared to a plantain, without as much flavor. But you really wanted the chocolate, right?
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Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
