Vintage Cave Honolulu

Well I went there with a group to celebrate my birthday. The 12 course fixed price menu was incredible. The owner, founder of the four seasons hotel chain spared no expense on the place. Simple but elegant and every square inch of the walls and ceiling in brick. Hence the vintage cave name. We must have had 7 different servers waiting on our table. If you are a foodie and $ is not an issue its a great experience

Vintage Cave is the epitome of fine dining in Honolulu. The intimate atmosphere and lavish décor combined with impeccable service and delectable cuisine set this restaurant on a level beyond all others. The chef’s tasting menu will tantalize your taste buds with its seamless integration of the highest quality ingredients available. Every dish is carefully crafted with the utmost detail and has a story to highlight the preparation, influences, and presentation. Our sommelier was very professional and attentive and recommended wines that paired perfectly with each dish. The rest of the staff were also very attentive, personable, and professional and provided us with everything we needed from a new set of silverware for each dish to water consistently kept above half-​full. Sheer elegance defines this restaurant, and you have the privilege of touring Vintage Cave to view timeless art pieces following the dinner service.
I dine here with my fiancé yearly on January 1^st, and it’s here that I proposed to him with the help of the Vintage Cave staff. They created an unforgettable engagement by placing the ring in a chocolate sphere with golden swirls. They told us to crack open our spheres, and when my fiancé found the ring in his sphere with a mini scroll that read «Will you marry me, Lance?», I proposed while they recorded the entire moment.
We look forward to dining at this restaurant in the years to come.

Fine dining at its best! Exceptional attention to detail in quality of food, service and overall appearance.

Ridiculously wonderful food. Coming here after the holiday rush, we were treated to a nearly private dinner for two in the main dining hall.
The staff is extremely helpful and friendly (professional and down to earth). They anticipated our every need before we knew what needed.
It was course after course of of clean, fresh flavors that come with laser like precision and direction of the chef. His reckless disregard for the amount of shaved truffle on his sushi rice risotto leaves one grinning ear to ear in euphoria. I happily released a notch in my belt by the evenings end.
Sean, the sommelier, treated us to a tour of the restaurant’s art collection. A wonderful way to cap the experience that only Vintage Cave can provide.
Brilliant.

Time to revisit Vintage Cave. After a period of uncertainty and the loss of a lot of the original staff, La Cave emerges with a brilliant new chef — Misao Masuda, hired away from Nobu Lana’i. Masuda sets a new standard for fine dining in HNL and is ably assisted at the front of the house by the assured wait and wine service under Sean Fontes. I’ve much enjoyed several previous visits with both Chris and Jon, the former head chefs, and I had a rather disappointing meal when this place was finding its way during the most recent transition which made me skeptical about going back. But this new «French Kaiseki» menu was flawlessly executed. Bonus points for our favorite waiter Steven who is now wearing kitchen whites and comes out to explain the dishes. If you can afford it, go!

Nice place, everything is great. I love this place.

This place is unreal and I probably had my best dinning experience ever at Vintage Cave.

I had always wanted to go here, as I had viewed it as the pinnacle of fine dining in Honolulu. My friends had gone, were raving, and the pictures are just spectacular. However, even as I write this review, I’m wavering on how many stars to give.
When some out of town friends were going to be in town for my birthday week, and wanted fine dining, I immediately thought of Vintage Cave.
I made the reservations, which was a pleasant enough experience. The sweet lady over the phone gave me lots of information, and she also sent me a detailed email, which include things such as: hours, menu (including prices, $ 300 per person, plus tax and 20% service charge), allergy information, dress code, location, etc.
I’m not sure how detailed to go: The restaurant itself is beautiful, and you should really get a tour. The artwork is lovely, and the entire layout is very nice.
I am big on pictures, so I took pictures of everything! The waiter who gave us the tour was very patient!
For our meal, we did the French Kaiseki. I’ve taken many pictures of the food, so please go through those. I have misplaced the menu I got, but I’ll try to come back and add in all the names of every course another time.
I was a bit disappointed, because upon arrival and looking at the menu, there were «upgrades.» I mean that some of the menu choices on a $ 300 menu had little surcharges. You want the foie gras? Another $$. It wasn’t the money at this point, I was just annoyed because I felt like they were nickel and diming me. Also, if you’re already serving the best that money can buy, then why do I have to pay even more?
The drinks were good, and the wait staff was pretty pleasant. The courses arrived and arrived and arrived. We were having fun talking and making merry, and some of the food honestly felt like a bit of an interruption. Also, strangely enough, it seemed like a new person arrived with every dish!
I enjoyed the textures of most of the courses, but for me, the flavors weren’t all there. Standouts for me were the lilikoi ball that popped in my mouth, the foie gras mousse, and the cute little breads that they brought.
Another con: One of the waiters got a bit snippish with us when we commented amongst ourselves that a specific dessert look a bit like a Vienna sausage. Seriously, it looks just like it: check out the pictures.
As a summary: Nothing was bad, per se, just not overwhelmingly good. Please note that I did go after Chef Chris left, so maybe that’s a contributing factor.
Perhaps another contributing factor is that I’ve been to multiple Michelin starred restaurants, and eaten top-​notch food. Vintage Cave tries hard, but I don’t think they’re up to that level yet.
It’s okay and a part of me is glad I went because it was on my bucket list, but honestly, it’s not worth the money to go. Better to buy a plane ticket with what you would spend here, and go eat somewhere else.

Great experience.
Ate everything, even the onions…
The variety was astounding.
Foie gras was cooked to perfection,
Little crunch on the outside and delicate.
Duck Brest, I generally don’t like to eat duck…
I have always since childhood, love ducks, my favorite color is mallard green.
That said, this was phenomenal.
A5+ beef was delightful, cooking it on brick…
Creative, fact that the brick was the same that lines the cave…
Epic
I could keep going,
I let you judge for yourself
Go

We fell in love the moment we stepped into the cave.
Everything was absolutely amazing.
I cannot tell you how excited we were to finally experience this. And we cannot wait to go back to try the sushi course.
We don’t have a membership. But with the way I’ve been craving to go back once a month, we just might pick one up!

I was lucky to come here with a group for a good friend’s birthday. We had the chef’s sampler menu. Our portions were really small (as in a bite or two) and the food was OK, nothing mind-​blowing for me. Believe it or not, our dinner ended up being over 4 hours long. Needless to say, I left hungry. Service was good except we had to ask for butter twice and it was wasted because it finally came after we ate all the complimentary bread.
I must say this place is very unique with all the fancy (and expensive) décor. It is everything the other Unilocalers mentioned.
For me it was a nice to experience this place once but I would not go back. The portions were way too small for the price. I guess I’m too cheap (and poor) to be spending over $ 100 on myself for small portions. hahaha

I felt rich eating here.

REVIEW IS FOR SUSHI RESTAURANT IN VC
I am a complete foodie in which I travel and seek out the best restaurants in new towns. When the check came ($ 800 for two) I felt robbed. The sushi was good but nothing was a ‘wow experience’. We ate at onodera as well and the worst course there was better than the best at VC… not to mention it was a fraction of the price. The sushi rice was good but not great. Nothing was very inventive and creative. The pics of sashimi that look amazing must have been from the French VC restaurant that we should have gone to in the first place. I wish I could get 80% of my money back and then I would feel there was some value to this meal. 4 star experience minus one star for how expensive the food is.

The owner of Shirokiya is an art collector and has always wanted to do a dinner setting where he can showcase his love of art. Thank you for bringing to Hawaii this combination of beautiful art and exquisite food. What originally started as a members only is now open to the public for a pre fixe menu for $ 295 per person. This is a 10 course meal with a few supplemental options. A tour is offered after your meal that includes the exclusive bar for members and you may meet the executive chef.
To find the entrance you must drive to the basement of Ala Moana and locate a brick wall. When we arrived 2 people were outside waiting to greet us. Very welcoming and friendly staff. Member or not they make you feel right at home.
The ambience is unique to Hawaii and matches its name of Vintage Cave. Vintage from all the art and fine wine and fine liquor collection. Cave from the low light setting and dark bricks.
Every single dish has a play of flavors that has my tastebuds dancing. Absolutely amazing!

Amazing food and drinks, great wine pairings with every course. Art exhibits are nice too. The location is awful in the basement of the mall but you don’t notice after you walk in. Great staff too, Charlie is great and the chefs are the big hit!

When you are the most expensive restaurant in Hawaii, you need to deliver the most amazing dining experience to your customers, a culinary journey that cannot be compared to any other business. That is EXACTLY what you get at Vintage Cave.
In September 2014, the restaurant looked to Executive Chef Jonathan Mizukami, who worked for 10 years at The French Laundry, most recently as a sous chef, as the new leader for Hawaii’s most prestigious restaurant. He delivers each delightful menu item with an immense flavor explosion, and takes pride in using locally sourced ingredients with every dish.
Vintage Cave only has a prix fixe menu that starts at $ 295.00 per person, a hefty price for a dinner, but you will surely leave with a memorable experience, and impress your guests with a meal of a lifetime. The 10 course menu can be referred to as Contemporary French-​American influence, but if you add the canapé’s, intermezzo palate changer and final dessert offering it is more like a 20 course menu! You will need at least 3.5 hours to dine here.
The restaurant is a private membership establishment, but does allow the public to make table reservations based on availability. Reservations are required, and men need to wear a jacket.
Whether you are a resident or a visitor to Honolulu, if you want to dine at the best, you need to experience Vintage Cave.

One of the best culinary experiences in my life. Found out about this place by
Trevor who we met at Catbird Seat in Nashville, and we asked him where would he go eat if he could go and he mentioned this place. So I did some research since we were going to Oahu. At the time the restaurant was closed because they were changing chefs, but we so blessed that the week we were there, they were open, and with two very accomplished chefs.
I’m glad we got there early because to find the entrance it’s a bit tricky, but after we got there, we were about 30 mins too early :(
I was concerned that this would be a problem, but they sat us right away.
Coming into VC, my jaw fell, the place was incredible. I fell in love! The art, the paintings, the chandeliers, everything was exquisite, and I haven’t even tasted the food yet. I just sat there and took it all in, (live in the moment).
We were then introduced to our wait staff, who were just amazing. We ordered the set menu with wine pairings. Just the right amount of food. The food comes out, they explain everything that’s on your plate. Also they don’t rush you, they let you enjoy your meal. The service is really first class.
After dinner, we were given a tour of the «Cave» and of their wine cellar. What a great way to end such a memorable evening.
Can’t wait to go back.

So… I’ve been here at least 3 times, I think. I like that they have a pescatarian option, as well as a vegetarian option. I’ve had both and thought they were good. Sometimes the items can get REALLY fancy but overall, I liked everything. By the end, I was really full. So full I had to take home part of my dessert. Now that the chef is different, I wonder if I’ll still like it.

It is an understatement to say that Takeshi Sekiguchi is a rich business man. I was told he spent about $ 20million US to build Vintage Cave. When you walk in there are a series of Picassos in the main room. I was then told that his art collection is somewhere between $ 2−3Billion US. That makes this restaurant pocket change compared to the collection which some of it is just lying around in the various rooms of the back parts of the restaurant. But then again, he built the Ala Moana mall above this restaurant, the resort I stayed in on the Big Island and tons of other things in Hawaii.
I digress. Back to the restaurant. We drove around the parking lot pre emptively to make sure we knew how to get to the crazy somewhat secret entrance to VC. We made sure to sport the doorman and the entry. It was like we were casing the joint. A few hours later, we returned decked out in our formal wear ready to take the elevator down. The foyer and entry way are already decked out in various pieces of the art collection. We walk through the large main room, the Picassos, large sets of crystal, other fine art pieces. We’re taken across the room and into a small cove by ourselves but with the view of the rest of the dining room. Our servers buzzing around us and the managers keeping a watchful eye.
After perusing the wine and dinner menu we make our journey with:
–Potato
–Meringue
–Macaron
–Cracker
–Caviar
–Tasting of Sashimi
–Seaweeds
–Cabbage from Hirabara Farm
–Jidori Egg Yolk
–Foie Gras
–King Crab
–Nabeta
–110 Dave Aged Sylvia’s Beef
–Sphere
–Caramelized White Chocolate
–Candy Cap Cheesecake
–Canale
As you have noticed, the menu names dont tell you much about what’s in store, as much as what the main ingredient would be. At this writing Chef Chris Kajioka is most likely no longer at VC as he’d indicated he was off to do his own thing and spend some time with his young child. However what a chef does when he has carte blanche from a wealthy patron/​owner could be a number of things.
I remember Chef in an interview asking why Hawaiian cuisine has to be the same Asian fusion stereotypes that has been persistent since the 80s. So he set out to create a worldly menu with the experiences and techniques he’s garnered over the years. I see the influences in some of the places that I’ve eaten at all over the world. However he’s made it his own and in the end it was all delicious. The Nabeta dish maybe one of the finest pieces of seafood Id had all year. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours and Im also curious as to how the new chef will change VC’s direction.
It’s interesting that the slew of servers all come from the background of various outside non industry experience. I guess they wanted to train folks in a way that were not influenced by other hospitality tenets? For the most part it worked out well and we were very well taken care of. It turned out one of our servers grew up in the same area as my friend, and those commonalities always lead to a more personal experience.
We talked to chef briefly before he wrapped up service (and would run into him again in San Francisco when he came to cook a dinner for the Hawaii tourism bureau). We were then offered a tour of the space, which is simply mind blowing. The amount of wine and art alone is worth seeing if you didnt have a meal. I can see why some would drop a ton of cash to be a member here. But as a tourist for the gastronomic side, it was just as good. Good luck Chef Kajioka!

This has been a unicorn for me. I’ve wanted to go since they opened… but it’s very expensive for one meal especially on my paycheck. However, you are not a true food connoisseur if you have not gone here. Well, I can say that now… now that I have been here… lol.
When I heard Chris Kajioka was leaving… I decided to suck it up and I’m going. I was not disappointed and wished I went earlier.
I was lucky to get a tour before dinner of the expensive works of art and the wine cellar as well. If you’re a member, you get your own little wine spot to store your wine. Did you know each brick was laid by hand for this place?
So you can believe with this décor, the food is just as amazing. Dinner here is a set menu. Our menu was a smaller menu and obviously a little cheaper because of this. There at wine pairings but we just ordered a bottle of wine. We had 16 courses, 3 were dessert. I tried so hard to write down the descriptions of the dishes but it was tough! And I tried recording then but fail. I deleted it accidentally towards the end of the meal. Well here goes…
1. Smoked brioche with golden Osetra caviar, crème fraîche, marcona almonds
2. Caramel popcorn with habanero and caviar
3. The Ocean– 7 pieces of wonderful ocean goodness
4. Salmon roe with potato purée
5. Charred Hirabara cabbage with anchovy boullion
6. Amaebi
7. Agnolotti with spinach, artichoke and pork belly
8. Brioche — same as #1
9. Jidori egg yolk with truffle
10. Foie gras mousse
11. Smoked duck pastrami sandwiches
12. Chicken glazed onaga
13. Snake river Farms wagyu beef with sancho peppercorn sauce and white Asparagus
14. Intermezzo melon sorbet
15. Yogurt mousse with compressed plum and candied ume with raspberry vinaigrette
16. Petit fours
Everything was amazing. I was scared at first since I can be picky but I have no complaints. Obviously the brioche was my favorite. It was orgasmic. I savored every bite. And the second one we requested because it was that good, I tried to make it last longer. I can’t eat brioche again unless it has caviar on it.
I’m so glad I went and I want to go again when the new chef comes in. But he has some huge shoes to fill I must say. Chris Kajioka’s is very talented. He totally makes Vintage Cave a success. Now if I can figure out a way to make more money and get him to be my personal chef…