Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Adventures in Dining | May/June 2002

Adventures in Dining
By LEN TAKUSHI

Bravo, Le Bistro!

This cozy neighborhood restaurant in East Honolulu serves up an eclectic menu, and it's all good

After worldwide training in the culinary arts, Alan Takasaki came home to Hawai'i and opened his own place in Niu Valley with his wife, Debbie. Photos by Brett Uprichard

As a junior in high school, Alan Takasaki would sneak up to the roof of the Hawai'i Kai restaurant he worked at and gaze longingly toward the ocean's distant horizon. "I'd look out and say to myself, 'I want to travel one day,'" he recalls.

Cooking, he decided, would be a good vehicle to help fulfill his dream of seeing the world. There was only one slight problem: "I had no natural talent as far as cooking goes," he admits with a smile. "I couldn't even fry an egg."

Nonetheless, just a few years later, at age 21, Takasaki embarked on a five-year, learn-on-the-job journey that led him first to New Orleans, where he found work as a saucier at Le Jardin Restaurant at the Hotel Iberville. Having developed a passion for French cooking, he moved on to New York to further his training at La Recolte at the Hotel Inter-Continental and Le Bernardin. He also apprenticed under Chef Joachim Splichal at Restaurant QV and followed him to the Regency Club in Los Angeles. Takasaki's next stops were in Europe, where he worked at La Truffe Noire
in Brussels and Château De Gilly in Burgundy, France.

Takasaki returned home in 1991 and served as an independent consultant to restaurants and catering services. He later operated Alan T Restaurant & Catering at the Honolulu Club and, in 1995, opened Sam Choy's Diamond Head restaurant as its executive chef.

Today, the 44-year-old Takasaki is the owner/chef of Le Bistro, a charming neighborhood restaurant in the
Niu Valley Shopping Center in East Honolulu. Specializing in French, Italian and Japanese dishes, this intimate eatery (maximum seating is 57) has earned high marks since it opened for business in August of last year.

"Our original concept was a pure French bistro," says Takasaki. "But as we got closer to the project being completed, the idea still sounded romantic, but was this really what people want to eat once or twice a month? In the end, I felt that people here want some familiar things that make them feel comfortable, and then they can experiment and try our specials. So far, everything's exceeded our expectations."

Our Le Bistro experience exceeded our expectations as well. The ambience is elegant, yet very comfortable. French-style paintings adorn the walls, and playful jazz melodies add to the pleasantly casual setting. We liked the fact that the tables are nicely spaced apart and the service-led by Takasaki's wife, Debbie-is attentive without being intrusive.

Ultimately, it's the food that makes Le Bistro worth a visit. For appetizers, I had the Salade of French Bistro Greens & Kahuku Corn, a winning medley of fresh garden flavors accented with thinly sliced, crispy potatoes. My dinner companion raved about her 'ahi and salmon sashimi, a wonderful starter that will delight any raw fish-ionado.

For her entree, my companion ordered one of the specials, a pan-seared snapper that was cooked to perfection. I went with the Grilled Paillard of Chicken with Mushroom & Bacon, a flavorful dish that was another winner. Other items on the menu include the Slow & Low Short Ribs ("Our No. 1 seller, bar none," says Takasaki); Barbecued Lamb Chops with Balsamic Vinegar & Honey; and New Orleans "Miro Street"-style Scallops. Specials change nightly.

The portions are generous and, better yet, the prices are friendly (entrees come in "petite" and "regular" sizes and run from $11.80 to $24). We barely had enough room for dessert, but we somehow managed to sample both the Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and the Paradise Cake-a refreshing "cake" layered with guava, mango and haupia sorbet. (All right, we scraped the plates clean.)

In all, Le Bistro delivers a memorable dining experience that will have us coming back for more. Not bad for a young dreamer-turned-chef extraordinaire, who traveled long and far to find his way back home.

Le Bistro, 5730 Kalaniana'ole Highway, Niu Valley Shopping Center, East Honolulu, 373-7990. Open daily except Tuesday, 5:30-9 p.m. Major credit cards accepted (except American Express), Comfortable attire.

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