Mugen

What an incredible treat. Chef Gilbert and his staff, the sommelier, the staff and bartender all went out of their way to make our dinner (5 ppl) so memorable! Everything was prepared to perfection and the experience and beauty of having each course on beautiful custom made dishes and plates from Japan. Truly a gastronomique experience that will go down in my memory for years to come! Well done team!

My wife picked Mugen as the special restaurant to celebrate her birthday. True, it was three days before her actual birthday( she loves to cook for both of our birthdays ) but the stars were aligned and Mugen was her choice. French/ Japanese is something we love and it’s a rarity on Oahu. We were told there was some architectural work to be done but the room that is part of the kitchen was completed. There are only two seatings. We selected the 7:30. Mugen has not been officially reviewed on Oahu but both Yelp and Open Table have a Number of reviews. Our greeting was very special. A super charming young lady who also was our waitress greeted us in the best aloha spirit we’ve ever had. Her style was addicting making for a truly relaxing evening. Our host for the evening was Lee Kamimura the General Manager. His style was so endearing that we actually felt like were were having a fine dinning experience in his home. Once he found out that we were former Wine Educators from NYC( teaching wine programs for over 25 years) it seemed that his amazing 500 bottle wine cellar was at our disposal. Just kidding but we did order and taste some very exciting wines. The menu was eight courses ranging from a a taste to a full portion. Each unbelievable dish was created by the Executive Chef Jason Yamaguchi and his single sous chef. Being highly versed in wine we look for contrasting flavors, bouquets of equally delicate and layered scents and colors that are impressionistic to the eyes. We got all of this and a lot more. What also made the entire eventing so memorable was that total relaxing feeling that our hosts generated. We can’t wait to go back. . Although located in the Espacio Hotel, possibly the most expensive hotel in Hawaii we never once felt overwhelmed.
The following is the menu that we had the other evening.

Sasanian Osetra Caviar:
Mochi Blini. Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta. Cured Yolk.

Red Sea Crab:
Yuzu Kosho Aioli. Edamame Coulis. Black Sesame Tuile.

Heirloom Beet:
Salt Roasted Beets. XO Plum. Purple Haze Goat Cheese. Fine Herbs.

Parisienne Gnoochi
Kona Lobster. Comte Espuma. Coppa.

Pineapple Sorbet:
Shiso Oil

Colorado Lamb:
Negi Panisse.
Umami Demi.
Celery Root.
Ykare.

Milk & Honey:
Honey Comb.
Fennel Sugar Cane

Butterscotch Pot De Creme: Chantilly Cream. Hazelnut Streusel. Maui Carmel Sauce

Excellent dining experience. Perfect service, delicious tastes and best vine pinches.
I enjoyed my anniversary night with all of these. If you are not vine person definitely give a try to their tea collection. Enjoy!

Coming from SF, this is well worth the price. Both the service and food were amazing. Some familiar flavors (if you live in CA and been to restaurants like this) and some local flavors. I'd def eat here regularly if it was in the bay area.

The place is a little hard to find, but there's free valet. Just pull up to the curb at the address and you'll be good.

A symphony of dining delights.
Exclusive ambiance, master chefs, attentive service, decadent food, ultra-rare wine, vintage spirits.