After 10 years, Chef Mavro has plenty to say but more to cook
POSTED: Sunday, November 30, 2008
“;To me, merlot with raw oyster is like to punch me in the nose.”;
There, in a sentence, you have George Mavrothalassitis. Passion, humor, certainty and a freewheeling use of the English language, all traits that have served him well.
FALL MENUSelections from Chef Mavro's current menu, from the top down:
Big Island Abalone Ceviche, with salt cod croquettes and a red chimichurri of roasted red bell peppers
Blackmore Wagyu Beef & Corned Short Ribs, with Swiss chard, frisee, a rye-bread crisp and Indian-inspired raita sauce
Grilled Hamakua Mushroom & Macaroni Gratin, with shaved sunchokes, watercress and Parmesan chips. The mushrooms are jumbo aliis from the Big Island; the macaroni is made with cauliflower puree instead of cream and cheese.
Chocolate Black & Tan, pastry chef Hiromi Okuda's selection of chocolate desserts.
Crispy Filet of Flounder (above right), coated with rice flakes and crisped in clarified butter, with braised green papaya and broccolini in a tamarind curry sauce.
CHEF MAVRO is at 1969 S. King St. in Moiliili. Call 944-4714 or visit www.chefmavro.com.
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He celebrates the 10th anniversary of his restaurant, Chef Mavro, next month, and he's just collected a AAA five-diamond rating as well as been ranked in the Gayot guides' Top 40 American restaurants. All badges of honor for the Chef Mavro concept of set menus, with wines assigned to each dish. Menus change by season, and a meal is designed to be lingered over all night.
To mark his latest achievements, we sat down for an interview recently, but it was an interview only in the loosest sense. One question was posed—“;So, 10 years, eh?”;—and Mavro pretty much took over from there. So I'm just going to let him speak, interjecting a few transitions, just as a guide to the reader. I didn't actually ask these questions. I barely did anything but laugh with him. Oh, and sample his food. (I actually get paid for this.)
Question: Most diners gravitate to chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon off of wine lists. You have no wine list, and you don't pour chardonnay or cabernet. What's the concept?
Answer: I am so sorry to see people drink cabernet sauvignon with lamb or merlot with oysters. You know, this is bad for the lamb and bad for the cabernet sauvignon. ... That's why I decide to do the wine parings. So I don't have this kind of nonsense in my restaurant. (For the record, with lamb Provence style, drink syrah; with raw oysters, sauternes or sauvignon blanc.)
If you have a $1,000 bottle of wine, bring it here and I cook for your bottle.
Q: Dinner at Chef Mavro starts at $108 for three courses with wine, and goes up to $250 a person ...
...A: People consider us very expensive, when I consider us very cheap. It was kind of a problem in the beginning; sometimes people don't realize what it takes. ... Some people open the menu, see the price—awk! Escape! ... But I'm very stubborn and I didn't lower my prices, and they came anyway.
Q: Your menus are so carefully planned—do you ever vamp?
A: I never have specials of the day. Because you wake up in the morning and say, “;Today I am going to do onaga with raspberry coulis”;—and it doesn't work. I promise you. I tried.
Q: What of the next 10 years?
A: I am looking forward to being at the corner of King and McCully, and I hope not to be tempted to open a second restaurant.
Q: But you did try a second restaurant with Cassis, which closed this year after just 10 months.
A: Cassis was a good experience, too much fun, actually. ... I almost killed myself—I was every lunch at Cassis and every dinner here. I ended up in the emergency room. (Mavro's wife, Donna Jung, says the problem was exhaustion and anxiety; she had feared something worse.)
I realize it was mission impossible. The room was too big. I was dreaming.
Q: Do you have other dreams?
A: Until five years ago I was still working on my perfect omelet, and sometimes I'm not sure I have it right. ... It takes a life.
