Aina Kauai Restaurant

Absolutely incredible restaurant and really the only fine dining on the island. Sure you can easily spend $200-300+ for two people at other places (Merrimans, Roy's Eating House, Stevenson Library, JO2, to name a few that we visited this week) but if you are a foodie, you know none of those meals while good (some even very good), are going to deliver the extraordinary or "wow" factor you are searching for. Something you can readily find on Oahu just didn't exist on Kauai until now. For those that don't understand what Japanese Kaiseki is (they don't serve California rolls!), or have an open mind beyond "steak and potatoes", or need everything to blow your tastebuds, perhaps this is not the place for you. If you crave the sugar bomb cocktails of all the other establishments, go there. For those that are globally travelled and epicurious, this is your place. It's a intimate restaurant (14-20 seats on any given night) and I highly recommend sitting at the bar if you want to engage with the chef. It's a 9 course tasting menu (some courses have multiple components). You will immediately notice how peacefully and efficiently the kitchen is operating. The Japanese perfectionist mentality is evident by how clean the kitchen is. Every employee knows their role down to the minutest detail, timed down to the second. Nothing is out of order. Geek out at the orchestra in the kitchen. Dishes were superb in execution. From the starting palate cleanser, to the dashi sous vide and grilled catch of the day. From the binchotan grilled veggies and meats, to the perfectly fried tempura (they even accomodated a special gluten free tempura mix!). Even the finish - a delightful guava cake topped with local Lydgate Farms chocolate for dessert was superb. The whole meal was a perfect balance between dishes that highlighted the purity of its ingredients, and others that delivered the amazing flavours and umami Japanese cuisine is known for. Best of all, this may be the only restaurant on the island that relies almost entirely on locally sourced ingredients. Unbelievable as it sounds, most restaurants on Kauai source from Costco due to challenges of the small and fragmented farming community. Please go here and support this restaurant if you are at all interested in food beyond consumption. It's not "cheap", but no fancy meal in Kauai is. This meal in Oahu/Maui or any other major city globally would easily fetch double the price. I would even say they are easily operating at the Michelin star level. If you are on vacation and forking out over $500+/night for a hotel, and wanted one fine dining splurge meal, you need to go here. Peter Merriman and Roy will be just fine without you :)