I attended another of Cafe Hula Girl's "Guest Chef" events. This is where chefs from different venues come to the cafe and get to have fun. They really express themselves in a five course set menu, something they may not really be able to do at their regular gigs.
Cafe Hula Girl's "Guest Chef" events are the most interesting and most innovative dining experiences of this year! I attended a previous one, the "encore" of chef Merle Mariano, who was formerlly at the Wynn Las Vegas. I blogged (raved, really) about it previously.
As Im learning, the proprietors of Cafe Hula Girl have the wit and imagination that really makes you certain that there was some "purpose" in the naming of the last event. For those fortunate enough to have enjoyed the Wynn Las Vegas, you may know that they expanded the resort to include a second hotel tower, another casino, and more ammenities. They named their expansion the "Encore". Similarly, Cafe Hula Girl's repeat of Chef Mariano was named his "encore."
On to Chef Sato's dinner... I simply do not have the leeway, nor the energy, to artfully, or witfully, dance around my review of this Chef's dinner. It's just impossible for me not to rave about Chef Sato's fabulous dinner!
Highlights: The french onion soup, (called something else that night), did not have a toasty, cheesey crust. Instead, it was accompanied by a puff pastry "gift" (see my amateurish attempt to photograph it). A hearty delight! There was also a "deconstructed" gazpacho, with all the flavors of this summertime soup, but none of the soup! The pork loin had flavor, literally, gushing from the meat! The presentation was nothing short of spectacular! Fit for any Ramsay, Morimoto or Flay!
Lets not forget the ambiance! The service was very friendly and efficient, and, there even seemed to be time for the staff to chat with the tables, making people feel comfortable and welcome! The entertainment was,again, by Paul Barton. One of the waiters confided in me that the originally booked entertainer was forced to cancel, due to an emergency. But, the result was another fabulous performance. Paul's non-vocal guitar stylings are the perfect accompanyment to these creative and delicious dinners. The music is, at once, passionate, energetic and entertaining--without taking away one bit from the food. On the contrary, the two best accompanyments for Chef Sato's dinner was a wonderful glass of red wine and Paul Barton's guitar!
I was there that evening. The puff Pastry grift was spectacular. I was left wanting more!
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