Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Adventures in Dining | March/April 2002

Adventures in Dining
By Joan Crow

Culinary Reverie

The setting, the service and the cuisine at Dondero's at the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i are right out of a dream

A terrace setting and food whose presentation, taste and texture are absolutely flawless make Dondero's an enchanting experience.

Fine dining is meant to be more than a culinary extravaganza; it's intended as well to be pleasurable nighttime entertainment. At Dondero's, the smart Italian restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i, the experience is more akin to an enchanting dream than a floor show.

Perhaps it was the terrace setting that first began to lull me, the muffled sounds of the intimate dining room behind us, wind whispering through coconut fronds, surf murmuring somewhere in the distance.

The service-discreet, correct and ever-so-attentive-was also reassuring. As the napkin was gently placed upon my lap, I instinctively knew that all I had to do was sit back and relax.

We asked our waiter to choose a merlot and he returned with a fine 1998 Napa Valley Duckhorn vintage, smooth and full-bodied, a personality in its own right, yet still a demure canvas for the quiet riot of flavors that followed.

First came shucked clams baked with white wine and garlic, escargot style; carpaccio soft as butter in a tangy horseradish sauce; tender grilled portabello mushrooms with virgin olive oil; and sliced tomatoes layered with basil and mozzarella cheese made just that morning in Dondero's kitchen. Chef Vincenzo "Vincent" Pecararo, who previously sated diners at the Grand Hyatt Bangkok, and the Hilton Waikoloa Village and Hyatt Regency Waikoloa on the Big Island, also cures his own green olives.

A proper Caesar salad followed, with a crunchy scallop "crouton" providing a pleasant surprise. We eschewed soup to save room for the main course, which would also include a sample of Dondero's most popular entree: black ink (from squid) linguine with scallops, shrimp, clams, salmon and mussels in a cognac bisque sauce with black truffles.

The menu also tempted us with classic osso buco alla Milanese, rissoto with scallops or porcini mushrooms, grilled salmon and red snapper, and sauteed shrimp. But my companion had his heart set on the roast rack of lamb, and the lobster piccata with pistachio fettucine caught my eye.

The pasta, made vibrant green and faintly crunchy by the flavorful nuts, was colorfully adorned with strips of sauteed red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes. Crowning this were two large pieces of lobster tail meat that had been breaded and sauteed and were oh so sweet and tender in a delectable truffle cream sauce. It was absolutely flawless, in presentation, taste and texture.

My few bites of the black-ink linguine with seafood convinced me that its popularity was fully warranted, and the enthusiasm with which my companion finished off the rest showed that he shared my highopinion.

He graciously shared some of his lamb, which was served cut away from the bone in a demi sauce of its own rich juices. The meat had an irresistible hint of smokiness, and was beautifully done, medium-rare just as he had ordered.

They had shown us the dessert selection on the way to our table, so I knew that even more pleasures were in store when they cleared away our plates, which were nearly polished clean, refilled our wine glasses and brought us cappucino.

Again, we somehow managed to effortlessly devour all that was placed before us, in this case a small platter of sweets: fruit tarts with a delectable almond paste crust; classic tira misu; a light amaretto cheesecake with blackberry compote; and something new to us both, the intriguing semi fredo. This is a frozen parfait made with zabaglione and cream and studded with bits of dried dates, prunes and figs.

Before we knew it, three-and-a-half hours had flown by, the restaurant was closing and it really was time to leave. We looked at one another and blinked. Where had the evening gone? Of course, some credit is due my charming companion. But Dondero's is the type of restaurant where all the elements seamlessly meld into and enhance one another, spinning such a delightful reverie that one is only reluctantly awakened.

Dondero's, Hyatt Regency Kaua'i, 1571 Po'ipu Road, 742-1234. Dinner 6-10 p.m. nightly. Major credit cards.

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