Gastronomy inspired by the ocean: Umi by Vikram Garg

Umi by Vikram Garg is a modern Hawaiian seafood restaurant located in the lobby of the Halepuna Hotel, Hawaii. The name Umi means ocean in Japanese and mother in Arabic and her restaurant is an ode to the ocean and what it offers.

It’s been a little over a year since we stayed at Hotel Halepuna, the small sister hotel of the famous Halekulani Hotel and around this time, March 2023, Umi by Vikgram Garg opened where once stood Halekulani Bakery. Chef Vikram Garg was born in India, trained in French techniques but inspired by Japanese cuisine. He has worked around the world in restaurants like The James Beard House (NYC), L’Épuisée, Marseille (France), Food Cellar Matarkjallarinn (Iceland) and Tabla (North Carolina) and is returning to his roots as a former Halekulani. executive chief.

The restaurant is full tonight and has a modern vibe with booths and sea-inspired artwork. And if you hold your phone up to the QR codes near the artwork, you’ll find smart filters and information about each work of art.

A large table of 30 people is celebrating and the atmosphere is friendly. Chef Vikram spends a lot of time there chatting with customers. The menu offers an a la carte selection as well as three tasting menus: the 4-course Waikiki menu at $99 per person or the 5-course UMI menu at $139 per person. The service is fantastic and accommodating.

We start with a cocktail. It’s a Pink Lady for me, a mocktail flavored with rose and sparkling grapefruit juice which suits me perfectly while Mr. NQN orders his mysterious negroni made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Campari, Vermouth Di Carpano while the rest is said to be a secret and this drink is limited to one per person. Mr. NQN really enjoyed the negroni and described it as significantly milder than a regular negroni.

The Kampachi comes with diced jicama, fennel and a shishito vinaigrette with touches of lime mayonnaise. It’s a refreshing and delicious start with a sweet accent. The touches of green chili on the side add heat.

Mr NQN starts with the scallop carpaccio, thin layers of scallops intertwined with cucumber namasu pickles in a light dashi broth with slices of red chilli for heat. The dashi broth is delicate and never overwhelms the scallops or cucumber. We are instructed to lift the bowls and drink the remaining dashi when finished.

Normally I don’t order abalone because in the wrong hands they can be chewy and tough, but here they end up being one of my favorite dishes. The abalone is served already sliced ​​and superbly tender and topped with a gratin-like mushroom miso crust. It is garnished with sea asparagus and ogo with a black sesame lace tuile. I ended up eating most of it because I didn’t really want to share it!

This is good because Mr. NQN and I have opposite taste buds and he loves popcorn soup, a rich corn soup with burnt butter on the bottom and spicy, popped lotus seeds.

The UMI menu has an extra course so we end up sharing it and it’s another favorite course. It’s Ogo lobster with shellfish essence, togarashi pepper and forbidden rice. The key is how perfectly cooked the lobster is and how well it pairs with the black rice. It is associated with the powerful essence of shellfish.

The next course is steak and both menus offer steak with the same sides and sauces but with different sides and cuts. Mr. NQN is a big fan of filet mignon, two perfect medallions of the most tender beef. Both steaks are tenderized while aging in koji and accompanied by okra tempura with soy black pepper sauce (one of my favorite steak sauces and rarely seen in Australia). The side dish is ulu mash, an incredibly delicious mash, supernaturally creamy with the flavor of browned butter.

With the UMI menu you can get the filet or the ribeye and I had the ribeye which is my favorite cut because I love the ribeye. It’s also aged with koji and served with okra tempura and black pepper soy sauce. It also has king mushrooms with a sweet glaze and a side of rice with sautéed greens on top. I love the succulent creaminess of the ribeye and it pairs well with the rice and is cooked perfectly medium rare.

By now we’re full but not completely full, so there’s still room for desserts, or three as the case may be (research, right?). There is no dessert on the Waikiki menu but on the Umi menu you can choose any dessert you want and we end up choosing extra ones. We start with their version of a pavlova with a meringue base, lilikoi or passion fruit and finely cut mango with whipped cream, hibiscus and creamy English sauce and 24 carat gold on the top. It doesn’t quite have the soft center of a pavlova, but I love the Anglaise that comes with it, as well as the fresh fruit and cream.

The black pebbles are actually black sesame with a thin layer of cocoa butter with a sweet ginger butterfly pea sauce that gives it a natural blue tint, matcha sponge and little pieces of black sesame praline.

The signature dessert is the mango popsicle, a playful take on mango kulfi with rose yogurt and crushed pistachios and 24-karat gold to finish. The exterior is white chocolate and the ice cream inside is intensely mango flavored.

Breakfast is also an absolute treat and offers à la carte dishes such as Croque Madame, shakshuka, Mai Tai pancakes or salmon toast. If you’re hungry, opt for the set menu at USD 45 per person. Here you can choose your American-style breakfast with a starter (choice of fruit salad, yogurt parfait or granola), your choice of main course and excellent coffee or tea. Coffee is Abby Garg’s passion that extends to when she and Vikram are at home and she carefully calibrates the water temperature to bring out the ideal flavor of the beans.

Umi Fried Rice is a savory combination of koshihikari rice studded with tender shrimp, bacon, egg and tsukemono pickles on the side that balance each rich bite. On top is a perfectly cooked onsen egg that coats the rice when you stir it.

My choice is the loco moco with a tasty, thick beef and pork patty, a rich Hamakua mushroom sauce (mushrooms grown in the north of the island of Hawaii) on a bed of koshihikari rice. Loco Moco usually has a fried egg on top, but the onsen egg really works well for this dish, giving it that creamy, delicious quality.

So tell me, dear reader, do you generally opt for tasting or a la carte menus? And which breakfast would you choose?

NQN and Mr NQN were guests of Umi but all opinions remain his own.

UMI by Vikram Garg

Hotel in Halepuna

2233 Helumoa Rd, Honolulu, HI 96815, United States

Monday and Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday

Wednesday to Sunday 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Telephone: +1 808-744-4244

https://umibyvikramgarg.com/