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Hiroshi’s tapas are
seductive fare

It's hard to leave a place you've called home for about a decade, but there comes a time in a young chef's life when he must strike out and establish his own brand.

In Hiroshi Fukui's case, his name has been synonymous with L'Uraku since the restaurant opened, but with his departure and subsequent move to Restaurant Row, more of Honolulu will be getting to know him on a first-name basis. Like Madonna! Usher! Britney! -- Hiroshi! is ready for the spotlight in the venue, formerly Sansei, now known as Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas.

He counts among his fans Hawaii's former First Lady Vicki Cayetano, who's no stranger to banquets and fine food, and has been anxiously awaiting the restaurant's opening.

RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM From left, Veal cheek, truffle panna cotta, softshell crab "ooze."

With the move, Fukui has freed himself from the confines of the usual American meal structure of appetizer, soup/ salad, entree and dessert. Diners will feel liberated by the tapas, or small plates, approach to dining. We're not getting any younger, you know, and this format is most desirable in the matters of aesthetics, variety and digestion. Those with short attention spans will be thrilled because to such people, there is nothing more boring than a huge slab of meat on a plate or a bowl of risotto. Mix it up and you create instant excitement.

Fukui was already known in foodie circles for the small plates he created as part of L'Uraku's kaiseki dinners, so if the word "tapas" makes you nervous, just think of it as D.I.Y. kaiseke, in which you are the architect of your meal's construction, one dish at a time. Oh, what fun it is! The staff recommends three dishes per person -- all meant to be shared to heighten the convivial mood -- and at a wide-ranging $7.95 to $21.95 per plate, it could end up costing you more than the normally structured dinner.

Fukui's partner, master sommelier Chuck Furuya, is often at hand to make pairing suggestions from an extensive wine list, including 16 wines by the glass through a custom cruvinet system.

Limiting yourself to just a few plates may be difficult because everything looks so delicious, but don't go overboard. As small as the plates are, you will get full, and you can always return for more.

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RICHARD WALKER / RWALKER@STARBULLETIN.COM Chef Hiroshi prepares truffle panna cotta in the kitchen of his new restaurant.

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YOU'RE IMMEDIATELY presented with rice crackers and an addictive nori-wasabi aioli. The simplest dishes appear on the menu's left column. Here is your spinach salad ($6.75), spicy tuna in a cucumber boat ($6.95) and shrimp chawanmushi ($6.95). I assume you've tried all these dishes elsewhere, and as tempting as it may be to skip ahead to more extravagant dishes, you can't run from some basic principles of dining, such as varying the courses, and, as with storytelling or singing, starting slowly and building to a climax. No matter the course, Fukui consistently delivers plenty of flavor. Even that humble spinach salad is punched up with the toasty, earthy pungency of truffle oil.

Some dishes will look familiar to those who have been to L'Uraku or Vino next door. If you've had Vino's sashimi ($7.95) of kanpachi, or kahala topped with basil and tomatoes, you'll find Fukui's version dressed more extravagantly with chopped kalamatas, pickled wasabi, shaved Parmesan, micro greens and citrus-chili vinaigrette.

Fukui has also made good use of moi over time, and here you'll find it "bagged" ($15.50) with tomato concasse and chili pepper water-konbu broth; served as carpaccio ($9.95) topped with a relish of slivered ginger and tomato, and truffled 'Nalo greens, along with miniscule cubes of Mrs. Cheng's tofu; or served as cioppino ($16.95) with Manila clams, shiitake, crunchy snap peas and scallions. If you can pick only one pricey dish, start with this one. It is a new favorite of mine, and a friend describes it as "heavenly," although that's what she said after sampling almost every course.

A couple of dishes that would be the stars of other restaurant menus, such as the bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp ($7.95) or seared sea scallops ($9.95) with bacon takana ragout, seem plain when compared against the rest of the menu. In plain language, Fukui's most pedestrian might be considered the best elsewhere.

We couldn't resist a dish with a name like softshell crab "ooze" ($7.75), but here's a problem with earlier courses. If you arrive hungry and are so enthused about the lone crab sitting in front of you, you might gulp the whole thing down, like I did, missing the ooze of kabocha puree.

A couple more dishes worth trying are the crab stuffed Kona cold lobster tail ($14.75) with a tiny dice of sauteed beets and 'Nalo micro herbs, and newbies will also find Fukui's slow-cooked red wine braised veal cheek ($15.95) a revelation. Let's just say if you loose all your teeth, you'll still be able to enjoy this melt-in-your-mouth morsel topped with a cilantro "pesto" crust and accompanied by scalloped potato and succotash that includes soy beans.

For dessert, there's a positively wicked green tea creme brulee, the usual chocolate cake with chocolate ooze you can't miss, and smooth panna cotta to round out a meal that seduces from beginning to end.

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Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas Restaurant Row, 500 Ala Moana Boulevard / 533-4476 (HIRO) Food Service Ambience Value Hours: 6 to 10 p.m. daily Cost: About $60 to $75 without drinks