Seasonal flavors of Japan | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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PHOTO BY NADINE KAM

A signature Suntory dish Steamed butterfish is always a customer favorite at this Waikiki restaurant.

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The nigiri course featured snapper, maguro, amaebi, uni and ikura.

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Miyazaki wagyu is one of the highlights of Suntory’s seasonal Hibiki menu ($180).

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Restaurant Suntory’s seasonal Hibiki menus opens with a small appetizer featuring macadamia nut tofu, potato salad, simmered turban and preserved uni.

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Dessert comprised a fruit and azuki bean mini tart and a cheesecake also containing sake lees.

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The sashimi course features ahi, red snapper and horse mackerel.

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Although tourism from Japan has been slow to return, anecdotal tales of friends and family suggest Hawaii residents’ travel to Japan has returned in a big way.

But if you can’t make the trip right now, Restaurant Suntory is bringing the seasonal flavors of Japan to the local table in a big way, with a handful of elaborate tasting menus.

At the top of the line is the nine-course, $180 sea sonal kaiseki Hibiki dinner with highlights of butterfish nitsuke and Miyazaki wagyu, followed by the seven-course $86 Irodori menu featuring miso butterfish and comforting seafood kamameshi.

Here is what the Hibiki menu has to offer:

The dinner opens with a small appetizer featuring a light bite of macadamia nut tofu, potato salad, simmered turban and saltwater preserved uni.

Next comes a lightly seasoned comfort dish of steamed kettle soup containing Asari clams, shrimp and shimeji mushrooms.

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A sashimi course of ahi, red snapper and horse mackerel followed, before a house signature dish of simmered butterfish.

By this time, I was becoming quite full, but certainly couldn’t resist polishing off four rich grilled pieces of Miyazaki wagyu sirloin presented as the main dish. To lighten up the pace and cut the weight of the wagyu, a light vinegary dish of scallop and octopus sunomono followed.

Next came five filling pieces of nigiri featuring snapper, maguro, amaebi, uni and ikura.

We were nearing the end of the feast with the arrival of fishbone dashi miso soup, and finally the dessert course of a mini fruit tart with azuki beans and cheesecake also containing sake lees.

It was an amazing meal for a cost far less than a trip to Japan.

Restaurant Suntory

(Seasonal tasting menu)
Royal Hawaiian Center, 2233
Kalakaua Ave., Building B, third floor, Honolulu
Food: ****
Service: ****
Ambiance: ****
Value: ***
Call: 808-922-5511
Hours: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 2-4 p.m. and 5:30-9:30 p.m. daily
Prices: $86-$180

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).