CAFE MIRO - HONOLULU, HAWAII

CAFE MIRO

HONOLULU, HI

Cafe Miro is located in Kaimuki in a very unimpressive looking building from the outside. In fact, you could easily miss this place because the sign is so small and it does not look like such a nice place. I was impressed when we entered and found a smiling staff and well decorated and clean restaurant and bar. Seemed like at least four different people welcomed us to the neighborhood eatery. Our waiter was well versed on the menu and ingredients. He also went out of his way to make sure our daughter had a cool beverage in place of fruit punch which was not on the menu. Her special drink came in a large Martini glass and she loved it. I went for a glass of chardonnay. The menu at Miro consists of two tasting menus. The Prix Fixe Menu (3 courses) is $38. The Chef Special Menu (4 courses) is $49. There is also an assortment of add on items such as Foie Gras with Truffle Sauce ($18) and soup or salad for $6-$7. The menu has many choices to choose from. Everything from Roasted Game Hen to Duck Breast, Beef Tenderloin, Rib Eye and several selections of fresh fish. We opted for the Chef Special Menu so we could enjoy a larger variety of the menu items. Prior to ordering, hot fresh bread was brought to the table with butter. Then came a complimentary cold potato soup. The soup was awesome. It was delicious and very refreshing on a hot summer night. I would like to try the same soup warm sometime.  The rest of our dinner started out with a bang. We ordered the Appetizer Tasting Plate that includes five different appetizers. This dish not only was beautiful on the plate but absolutely awesome. The combination of different tastes blew us away and we thought we may have found a real gem. The plate included Ahi Carpaccio with Wasabi Mayonaise and Crispy Garlic. This one bite item was the best of the evening. Fresh raw ahi with a slice of avocado. The Fresh Oyster Escargot Style (broiled with herb garlic butter) was also perfect and delicious. The Oyster went down like butter. The Proscuite and Mozzarella Salad with honey drizzle and walnuts was also great.  There was also a vegetable terrine and crab cake that were good. Our appetizer plate was followed by the Sauteed Fresh Foie Gras. This was probably the worst Foie Gras I have had in quite sometime. Also the first time one of us did not want to finish the dish. The Foie Gras had a bitter aftertaste and the sauce was bland. The Sauteed Fresh Hokkaido Scallop with Honey Cream Sauce was really good. Two nice size scallops perfectly cooked and topped with fresh mushrooms. My wife had a piece of Onaga fish that was excellent but served with a very oily sauce. The oil ruined the dish. Our meat entrees were Roasted Duck Breast with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce and Braised Short Ribs with Port Wine Reduction Sauce. My duck was uneatable. I really left all but one piece on the plate along with a piece that had chew marks. I could not chew this stuff and it had absolutely no flavor. The Short Ribs also lacked flavor. For dessert we enjoyed a magnificent cheese platter that included three different cheeses, crackers and fruit. I liked this as a finish. Our other desert was ice cream with several different cakes. Good presentation and flavor. I was so bummed that this dinner started with a bang and ended in a thug. The staff at Miro was gracious. I really wanted this to be a hit. Don't know if we will return here.