Truffle lovers, rejoice! By popular request of fans who divide their time between Tokyo and Honolulu, Japan-based truffle specialty restaurant Margotto e Baciare just opened its second branch here so those with an addiction to truffles never have to go without their fix.

And that’s not an exaggeration. It turns out that the tasty fungi contain anandamide, described as a “bliss molecule” similar to marijuana’s endocannabinoids. Like THC in cannabis, it can improve mood and create a slight buzz in humans and animals, which might explain why people become so giddy while consuming truffles.

All this time, I just assumed it was just a result of pure bliss from tasting something so delicious. Though before you head on down, not everyone agrees that truffles are the earthly equivalent of ambrosia of the gods.

Truffles might best be compared to other members of the fungi family — mushrooms, with complex flavor described by fans in similar terms such as earthy, nutty and musky. With other gassy and sulphuric notes, detractors tend to describe the flavor more like a combination of wet socks, dirt, mold and body odor.

To try truffles for the first time here would be an expensive way to find out you fall in the latter category, and there is also a third category of diners who simply cannot taste the magic and wonder what the fuss is about. So you have a 33.33% chance of becoming one of the restaurant’s true believers.

What is the cost of this addiction? When Kazutomo Robert Hori opened the first Margotto restaurant in 2014, he introduced diners new to the phenomenon with tasting menus priced at about $100. Over time, his growing clientele argued that his price was too low, and — given that the Italian-sounding Margotto name is based on an Osaka dialect childhood term “marugoto” meaning “the whole piece,” something Hori wanted every time he ate truffles — diners eagerly purchased whole truffles to be shaved at their tables throughout the evening, so today the average cost per diner in Tokyo is $700.

Similarly, at this getting-to-know-you stage, the base price of a 10-course omakase dinner at Margotto Hawaii is $100, with two or three $30 supplemental items also available.

You’ll also pay an additional fee for the amount of truffle you want. You can pay by specifying a dollar amount or weight by grams. The current rate is $1 per gram for mild summer truffles and $25 will get you a pretty generous shave over the course of the evening.

Be aware that the price will go up as more aromatic fall and winter truffles start arriving from Australia in coming weeks, and later in the year, prized specimens from Italy. Then, you can expect the price per gram to double and triple. Buying a whole truffle might cost as much as $5,000.

Margotto is also a Krug Ambassade restaurant so you can also count on the best bubbly, as well as fine wines overseen by Lee Kamimura, including rare wine futures, pre-releases of in-demand vintages. Wine pairings range from about a standard $80 to premium $120 tasting and he maintains a database of customers’ tastings and preferences, so with each meal, you can expect to see new introductions as well as more of the selections you favor.

As for the degustation menu, it’s one for food purists, those who respect technique and the integrity of great ingredients without an insecure chef’s mashup of unnecessary added herbs, spices and saucing.

The menu had me at first bite with sheets of truffles enhancing the flavor of mushrooms in the form of rich duxelles served on delicate, flaky and crispy housemade pie crust.

This was followed by a trio of appetizers, recently starting with a delicate Washington Kumamoto oyster with mascarpone mousse, champagne gelee and the sweet note of pickled strawberries. Also tasty was a combination of avocado and salami picante sitting on a crispy rice cracker colored with charcoal.

A pork ragout on flat “bao” was the least interesting to me. Their take on kalua pork and cabbage, which is so common here, is not different enough (even with a touch of cumin) to excite locals to try something new.

At this point, you can insert a couple of supplemental dishes ($30 each). Recently, these included a heap of caviar on a soba blini, and a pair of sweet local amaebi topped with caviar. While both little bites are worth trying, the budget-conscious might hold out for a more substantial meat option of roasted Duroc pork shoulder or A5 wagyu, both served with a dreamy Gruyere potato gratin, a shave of truffles and a Madeira reduction that brings out all the truffle’s rustic attributes. As much as I enjoyed the pork, I find the rich, fatty wagyu even more irresistible.

Along the way you might also find a Maine diver scallop, lightly smoked with kiawe wood and served with a mild carrot or cauliflower purée, and catch of the day, recently seared mahimahi served over sautéed spinach with pickled green mango and tartar sauce.

Other stars of the menu are carb-centric, including fried egg toast that’s a staple on the restaurant’s Japan menu. This version of egg in a hole features Japanese milk bread toast combined with a golden Waimanalo TKG egg yolk, surrounded by a swirl of port wine reduction and topped with shaved truffles.

Then came cacio e pepe of house-made linguini with lemon, butter and Parmesan. The simplicity of this classic Italian dish provided the perfect canvas for more shaved truffles. But so did the tamago kake gohan, premium Akitakimachi rice with Waimanalo TKG egg, shaved truffles and a housemade blend of dashi and 10 light soy sauces from Japan providing a dash of salt and umami.

Dinner was near complete with a mango parfait of Keitt mango layered over lilikoi jelly, mango custard and granola.

Then came a box that opened to reveal cream puffs (vanilla cream) shaped and colored to look like whole truffles.

For truffle enthusiasts, the new addition to Honolulu’s dining scene is a dream come true.

Margotto Hawaii

514 Piikoi St., Honolulu
Food: ***½
Service: ****
Ambiance: ***½
Value: ««««
Call: 808-592-8500
Hours: 5-10:30 P.M. Thursdays-Tuesdays
Prices: About $155-$185

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).