Wataru fuses East, West
The Japanese restaurants keep coming, and though no two are alike, it sort of makes me wonder how much one little island can sustain, though one need only look to the mother country for inspiration. There, hundreds of cubbyhole eateries have been able to survive through specialization or as one-hit culinary wonders that are relatively new in the West, as real estate costs drive entrepreneurs into smaller spaces and narrow niches.
It seems logical that Japanese restaurants should dominate the landscape here, given our position as an expansionist's steppingstone to the U.S. mainland, and because Japanese, Japanese-American and other Japanese-combo ethnicities form a majority of our population. Maybe we should expect to see a race to match those restaurant numbers from Filipino restaurateurs, now that demographic research indicates Filipinos are poised to achieve majority numbers in decades ahead.
Until that time, I got one more Japanese restaurant for ya this week.
Dining Wataru is easy to overlook on busy Ena Road, which doesn't allow drivers to enjoy the sights. The stress of pau hana driving makes this well-considered space an oasis where diners are greeted by the relaxing sound of classic jazz in a small room that manages to offer some privacy through a veil of bamboo curtains and shoji screens.
And here's the best idea for the parking phobic (though you will have to reverse out): free parking at ground level in Waikiki, in the lot marked with a "Pay here" sign at the T intersection of Hobron Lane and Ena Road. Just make a note of your stall number and tell the hostess. The restaurant will pick up your tab, saving you at minimum $3 and, at maximum, a whole lot of parking aggravation.
NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM
Pork cutlets, flavored with miso, are presented on skewers over a bed of greens at Dining Wataru on Ena Road in Waikiki. Watch out for the wasabi hiding in the miso sauce.
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DINING WATARU features old-school Japanese fusion, the wedding of traditional Japanese dishes with techniques and ingredients from the West. Hawaii's come a long way in finessing Japanese fusion over the past 10 years, and Wataru recalls the roots of the movement through such rudimentary dishes as scallops with olive sauce, essentially olive oil with a mince of black olives, and mille-feuille (no pastry is involved) ahi and avocado. It's a basic timbale dish featuring a stack of diced avocado topped with cubed ahi, served atop a sauce of shoyu, wasabi and olive oil. Though simple, or because of it, it's one of the best dishes on the menu.
Some other dishes just seemed to try too hard, such as heavy miso-drenched, scaloppine-style pork cutlets ($9.50) served on skewers in a sculptural arrangement. Deep-fried items such as tempura ($11) and soft-shelled crab ($9.50) were also trouble spots because the kitchen couldn't get the oil hot enough to deliver crisp bites. Sometimes it's best not to offer something that can't be delivered, but I suppose enough people like the shrimp and crab enough to overlook this flaw. The crab is served with a "peperoncino" (pepperoncini) sauce that seems to be little more than sweet Thai chili sauce with a full-size pepper stuck in it.
NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM
The complete wall painting reads "Enjoy," spelled out in the negative spaces.
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The chili sauce also accompanies one of the most novel menu items, Wataru tacos ($8), bite-size shells filled with shredded lettuce and teriyaki beef. This is the sort of dish that takes a while explaining to friends, guaranteeing they'll have to try it themselves later, and tell other friends.
You can also choose from an array of salads, or get your greens through a dish of spinach and mushrooms ($6.90) sautéed in garlic butter and topped with bonito shavings.
And if other deep-fried, miso-coated or teriyaki'd dishes don't appeal to you, there's always sushi in the form of a California roll ($8.50), Wataru roll ($11) with the same filling as the Wataru tacos, shrimp tempura roll ($8) or my pick, the rainbow roll ($13.50), with its layers of snapper, salmon, ahi and avocado.
Simplicity works for dessert as well, and there are few better combinations than the chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream and banana slices that go into a banana chocolate parfait ($7). Go bigger with a jug parfait (not "jog" as it appears on the menu) that includes the ice cream and banana, with the addition of other fresh fruit, for $12.
Dining Wataru is ultimately a very pleasant place to visit, with a fair menu, though in light of the enormous competition among Japanese restaurants, it probably wouldn't be a first choice.
NADINE KAM / NKAM@STARBULLETIN.COM
Shrimp and onion tempura is served, not with typical daikon, but with pureed ginger and salt.
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