M by Jeremy Shigekane (formerly Chef Mavro)

Although I knew it was an award winning restaurant, Chef Mavro was never on my list of restaurants to try.... I guess I assumed would be too fancy or intimidating. Boy, was I wrong! The restaurant is absolutely lovely and feels so welcoming! The staff is attentive and friendly and the service impeccable. Due to some recent health problems, I have had to adopt a plant based diet and it is often difficult to order when eating out. I'll admit that I miss eating meat and cheese and often times the salad or other vegetable dishes just aren't all that appealing or satisfying. But tonight was different... Not only does Chef Mavro offer an entire vegan menu, but every dish is delicious and beautifully presented. The misozuki tofu made from chickpeas and the breadfruit were probably my favorites. I enjoyed every dish and definitely did NOT leave hungry! I love the way the multiple course tasting menu really encourages you to slow down and enjoy the dining experience. In our fast paced world, it is refreshing to sit with friends and truly enjoy a meal and each other without feeling rushed. This was definitely a five star experience and now I understand why Chef Mavro restaurant has garnered such a great reputation!

It was a pretty good fine dining experience. However the ambience could’ve been elevated. The decor and ambiance didn’t match the food. We did the tasting menu. The bread and butter was a standout, however wish the radish that accompanied it had some form of treatment instead of just cut into quarters and place on a plate. The duck had a beautiful med rare cook with a crispy skin. The soup would’ve been better if greens were somehow incorporated into it instead of just plopped on top like a garnish. It took away from the dish entirely. I was hoping that the accompaniments for the wagyu beef was less pedestrian and more inspired than root vegetables. Whipped potatoes were delicious and gorgeously seasoned. The cocktails are beautifully curated by their in house mixologists who in my opinion was the best part of evening. Not a fan of the vinyl table cloths.

Amazing experience. (BTW, The Best cocktails. ) Fine dining cuisine tasting menu style without astronomical prices. The A5 Wagyu was best steak I think I’ve had in my life and the cocktails were delicious (made with a great attention to detail from nose to finish) A bit of a hidden gem, and the parking felt safe.

This was the best meal I had in Hawaii. The restaurant pioneers the Hawaiian regional cuisine movement, characterized by local ingredients and global influences. The menu changes based on ingredients. The mousse creme brûlée is probably what pure umami tastes like. The foie gras flavor is dampened, and it is paired with a sweet Asian pear layered on top and an unobtrusively complementing rosella jam. Overall the flavors are light, but the taste of satisfaction is immense. The Brûlée is a nice touch. The wagyu tartare has an intensely smokey flavor, making it taste cooked even though it’s raw – a welcome dissonance. The sauces were especially highlightable for the wagyu steak: the wasabi creme fraiche breaks it up fantastically, and it’s glazed with apple cider for sweetness. Lastly, the wine shallot extract adds even more flavors. The fish had a yuzu brown butter sauce is like the best version of adding citrus to your fish. The chicken was, without exaggerating, truly some of the best chicken I’ve had. This is probably what peak roast chicken is like: tender, juicy, and naturally flavorful. The first dessert is a Hawaiian specialty - it had ulu (breadfruit) ice cream at the center of the dish, despite having the most modest flavors. Regardless, the flavors were exciting.

Would give 3.5 stars if I could. Maybe I'm being a little harsh on the critique, but this restaurant was VERY overrated. The food was mediocre and the service was rather slow for being rated a top restaurant in Oahu.The plating was a little sloppy and I wish they were a little more creative (ex: different types of plates, in the steak tartare the beef was covered with too many greens so it was hard to appreciate the dish.) I really wanted to love this place, but was a little disappointed. Looking forward to seeing this place improve :)

I like food and I spent a big part of my life in france. The tasting menu and wine pairing is great. The ratatouille is exceptional and even better than in France. Oui, oui! Vraiment. Je ne pensais pas trouver ça à Hawai. I highly recommend this place. The service is great. The experience is really good. We went to other places with great view, fancy menu, etc. However you cannot leave Honolulu without trying this place.

M by Chef Mavro is supposed to be a brasserie... it is less formal than Chef Mavro but I think it's an Asian-influenced take on a brasserie. We began with glasses of Champagne and the Wagyu tartare and charcuterie for 2. The charcuterie was a visual and taste delight; a meal in itself. The tartare was served with delicate chips to use as serving vessels. We would have preferred a raw quail egg as the tartare needed a touch more moisture. We ordered the American Wagyu and the catch of the day (Ono) for our entrees, accompanied by a glass of pinot noir for the steak and a white with the Ono. Both entrees were visual and taste delights. Service was unobtrusive but attentive. All in all, a great meal at a reasonable price point. Highly recommended!

I enjoyed Chef Mavro’s Spring Grand Tasting menu. The evening began with a presentation of a basket filled with local morel and chanterelle mushrooms, later to be used in some of the preparations. These turned out to be cornerstones for the menu in the ‘Egg and Morels’ and ‘Chanterelle Risotto’ courses. An amuse bouche built on abalone topped with ikura brought interesting textures and flavors. A diver scallop with heart of palm, hibiscus, sweet corn, grape, shiso, and ume was a dish in which the sum of the parts was greater than the individual components (i.e. very successful). What doesn’t get better with shiso? Caviar service was proper and righteous. A poached egg with morel mushrooms, potato, and San Danielle prosciutto was well conceived. The Keahole lobster was at times sashimi-like in texture. It was poached in vegetable stock which allowed more of the shellfish’s complexity to emerge than with say a more traditional butter poaching. Miyazaki A5 Wagyu beef was perfectly prepared to enhance its butter flavor, with the green apple bringing appropriate sweetness and the creme fraiche and wasabi adding spice and mouthfeel (inspired by steak with horseradish). Typically the palate cleaning sorbet or ‘pre-dessert’ is a write-off course, but not in this case. Honeydew Mellon in champagne gelee with fresh mint brought interesting and flavor and texture combinations. The wine list was concise, but worthy. Pairings were absolutely appropriate, and the Egg & Musar, foie gras & Haag Spatlese Mosel Riesling, and Wagyu & Savigny les Beaune Pinot Noir combinations were inspired. Service was excellent.