After 12 years, it was time for a refresh at Stage restaurant, where a new, more locally inspired menu accompanies a redesign of the dining room.

Housed in the Honolulu Design Center, the restaurant has always been a space for fantasy and inspiration, and it’s no different now. Gone are the theatrical pieces that initially, and literally, reflected the restaurant’s name.

This time, the overall ambience is more tropical, with handcrafted wood partitions and furnishings in green and natural tones, with more romantic florals in cozy two-seaters overlooking the street view.

But design center and restaurant owner Thomas Sorensen has never been afraid of going over the top in pursuit of imaginative furnishing ideas, and the room is also filled with wire acrobat chandeliers by Philippines designer Kenneth Cobonpue, fluffy pink clouds visible from the street and reminiscent of a “Guardians of the Galaxy” film set, plus — depending on your mindset — light fixtures that look like either eyes or breasts.

The entry to the restaurant through the Amuse Wine Bar also has a new look to be more cohesive with its redesign.

The menu by Chef Ron de Guzman has been revamped to reflect the essence of local cuisine, with a dash of theater, of course.

It starts with a lengthy list of starters for those who enjoy grazing on many small bites. Though visually chic, dishes are comforting and familiar.

One of my favorites was a quartet of Kauai shrimp tempura ($16) with truffle oil added to a tsuyu sauce of dashi and shoyu. With the tempura coating you may not be able to see the head is attached, so tail-only types may want to cut into it first to avoid the surprise.

Chawanmushi ($13) has been made over in a larger-than-usual portion layered with shiitake, smoked trout roe, corn and a truffle-soy sauce that was much saltier than the delicacy I’d expect of this dish at a Japanese restaurant. But this is not an ethnic specialty restaurant, and once I got over that initial burst of salt, my brain and palate recalibrated and I enjoyed this dish immensely.

If it’s a salad you’re looking for, de Guzman offers a unique take on a Caesar ($12) built over endive instead of romaine, with a lighter dressing of anchovy vinaigrette. For the gluten-averse set, the crunch of croutons has been replaced by a combination of crisped Parmesan and Big Island hearts of palm.

Graham-cracker breading adds a touch of sweetness to deep-fried calamari ($14) served with wasabi cocktail sauce, and that French classic of butter-drenched escargot ($12) has been lightened up and made greener, deconstructed on the plate and served with a creamy lemon-cauliflower puree, Alii mushrooms, lemon zest, Parmesan crisps and green garlic butter, made for scooping up on toasted baguette.

And a Kona lobster bisque ($13) is a joy, thickened after being poured over an herb powder when it arrives at the table.

Two highlights on the entree menu are the twice-cooked pork belly ($30) with pickled onions and dots of ume puree to cut some of the fatty factor, and Chilean sea bass ($40) with a pour of marungay, or moringa, tea. Moringa is one of the trendiest ingredients out there, a staple of Filipino cuisine now valued for its health benefits. Here, it tastes like a lighter version of green tea, blending with the cauliflower puree, corn, Brussels sprouts leaves and shiitake that surround the fish fillet.

Duck with a lilikoi reduction ($36) is one of the more unique items on the menu but I struggled with whether to order it. Other dishes, such as the New Zealand king salmon ($36), beckoned. I generally avoid duck because it usually arrives overcooked and rubbery. This time I wanted to give it a try and did not regret the decision at all.

The duck breast was tender and juicy with that slight brightness of lilikoi, the sweetness of white honey and sides of taro puree, plus the invention of a healthier fried rice replacement, farro combined with charred Brussels sprouts leaves and bits of applewood bacon.

When the kare kare ($36) arrived, I had to ask, “What’s that?” I had ordered it but didn’t recognize the Filipino stew, which turns out here to be a hefty hunk of peanut-braised beef short rib ($36). The shrimp paste and braised vegetable “stew” is kept to a minimum for those sensitive to the briny bouquet of the original dish.

More traditional types may prefer classic beef Wellington ($40) of sous vide tenderloin with truffle-mushroom duxelles, Alii mushrooms and asparagus.

Those who want to skip the decision-making process can opt for a five-course tasting menu ($80) featuring the Caesar, chawanmushi, pork belly and beef Wellington, plus dessert du jour by pastry chef Cainan Sabey, who has come up with such unusual offerings as a lemon-grass tart ($14) topped with macerated Ho Farms currant tomatoes that somehow works.

And perhaps inspired by the room’s cotton-candy clouds, there is also a cotton-candy du jour ($10) that arrives like a bouffant coiffure over a glass head, something you won’t find anywhere else in town.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.