Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Adventures in Dining | November/December 2003

Adventures in Dining
BY LEN TAKUSHI

Free Spirit

A traditional Japanese restaurant is transformed into a hip, color-splashed Waikiki eatery

There are some people who think Kiyoshi Matsumoto is, well, crazy. How many other sushi chefs, after all, once painted 50 umbrellas and hung them upside-down from a restaurant's ceiling? How many other artists have taken a 39-year-old traditional Japanese restaurant and turned that upside-down, transforming the venue into a fabulously wild and colorful eatery that serves something called Pop Japanese?

Just one that we know of. "I'm not actually crazy," says the chef/artist known simply as Kiyoshi. "My ideas may be crazy, but they're from my heart."

Kiyoshi is both a master sushi chef and a gifted artist. Merge the two personas and you have the inspiration behind Youme.n, a new restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Waik??. Yes, it's a curious tag-it's pronounced You-meen-but it's also abbreviated from the eatery's official name: Shoku Raku You Min by Furusato. Loosely translated, it means, "To eat at a joyous place with fun people."

Ask Kiyoshi, however, and he'll tell you that Youme.n means "free spirit." For him, that's what this restaurant is all about. "People who come here can unwind, enjoy themselves and have a free spirit," he says. "Youme.n is about feeling."

Visiting Youme.n for the first time is like stepping into a kaleidoscope. Kiyoshi the artist used the entire restaurant as his canvas, leaving almost no surface untouched. Drenched with color, the interior is filled with whimsical scribblings and scrawlings. Playful jazz music permeates the room. Even the table settings and menus are stamped with Kiyoshi's artistic flair.

Amazingly, it all works. The ambience is just what Kiyoshi intended: lively, informal and downright fun. Try sitting inside Youme.n for five minutes without breaking into a smile. You can't.

Of course, all the atmosphere in the world is meaningless for a restaurant if the food isn't up to par. Gratefully, Youme.n excels in this area, as well, thanks to a creative menu put together by Kiyoshi and chef John Chong.

Our dining adventure began with a trio of appetizers: "bomb croquettes" made with potato and crab, a thoroughly refreshing fruit and vegetable salad and one of Kiyoshi's specialty creations: the shrimp tempura tomato roll. All were superb.

"Pop Japanese" cuisine, according to Kiyoshi, includes his delightfully innovative sushi creations, as well as the traditional nigiri sushi. Again, it's all about casual, fun dining-an experience meant to be shared. "We try to present every dish so that everybody can share it," explains Kiyoshi. "Even with our steak items, we slice the beef so it makes it easier to share with others."

Adds manager Kiyoko Yanagiya, "Anybody can come to Youme.n, eat food and enjoy each other's company. Our food is meant to be shared. I really enjoy seeing people having fun together here, sharing food with each other."

For her entree, my dinner companion ordered the baked butterfish with miso sauce, served on a healthy bed of greens with cherry tomatoes, sprouts and broccoli. From the little that I got to sample (apparently, my friend isn't such a big believer in sharing), the fish was prepared and cooked to succulent perfection. Meanwhile, I savored my choice of the black peppercorn steak, a mouthwatering, eight-ounce cut served with mushrooms, caramelized onions and sprouts. The creamy pepper sauce added a zesty burst of flavor.

Other entrees include filet mignon with french mustard, baked 'öpakapaka with almond, chicken teriyaki, grilled salmon and deep-fried pork. Prices range from $9.50 to $19.50. Youme.n also features a decent selection of wines, sake and tropical drinks, including perennial favorites such as the mai tai, chi chi and blue Hawai'i. The service was efficient, unobtrusive and-much like Kiyoshi himself-extremely gracious.

Formerly known as Furusato, Youme.n had its official grand reopening on Sept. 26. The restaurant once enjoyed a nice niche in Waik??, catering almost entirely to Japanese visitors, but, with changing demographics, something new was needed.

The company turned to Kiyoshi, whose umbrellas and other painted works brought a splash of color to L'Uraku, another Furusato operation (in Honolulu near Ala Moana Shopping Center). "I wanted a restaurant that would attract the younger generation and appeal to local residents and Mainland visitors-basically, people from all around the world," he says.

If Kiyoshi is indeed crazy, he's crazy like a fox.

Youme.n by Furusato, Hyatt Regency Waikiki, 2424 Kalakaua Ave. Reservations: 922-4991. Dinner nightly, 5:30-10:30. Web site: www.youme-n.com

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