Miro, Miro
“This restaurant will be my legacy,” asserts Chris Kajioka, referring to the newly opened Miro Kaimuki. Most 30-somethings spewing the “L” word with such conviction could possibly spark concerns of a terminal illness, if not at least elicit a skeptical scoff for what may be construed as flippant delusions of grandeur. However, neither is the case with Kajioka; the credible posturing is merely a reflection of his confidence steeped in a track record of culinary successes. Cooking is in his soul.
While typical youth venerate the likes of Michael Jordan or Neil Armstrong, Kajioka reveres Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori Ryugin and Hideki Ishikawa of the eponymous Kagurazaka Ishikawa. Even as a child, he concocted epicurean repasts for family before furthering his ambitions by working at local restaurants after school. Graduating from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park,
he ascended to refine his prowess in some of the finest kitchens in America, helmed by Michelin-starred celestials as Thomas Keller and Ron Siegel.
Kajioka established a trusted trademark of dining experiences correlated with curated ingredients, calculated precision, inspired artistry and choreographed service, embracing an ever-evolving approach to cuisine with each progressive phase of his career. After returning to Honolulu in 2012,
his inaugural position as executive chef at Vintage Cave enabled him to brandish the skills and knowledge acquired abroad, cogitating ostentatious presentations incorporating alluring indulgences of Golden Osetra, Perigord truffles and A5 Miyazaki wagyu, paired with empyrean wines as Chateau Cheval Blanc and Screaming Eagle.
Just as Hawai‘i’s foodies were extolling his gastronomic tour de force, Kajioka departed the cave and partnered with another brilliant culinarian, Anthony Rush, to launch Senia in 2016. Senia shed the many of extravagances of Vintage Cave, but embellished upon the harmonized dichotomy of Rush’s polished European style and Kajioka’s Asian-imbued New American perspectives.
Maintaining his partnership at Senia, Kajioka teamed up with Tom and Justin Park of Bar Leather Apron and Mourad Lahlou of San Francisco’s lauded Mourad in 2019, to assume the space occupied by Café Miro, a French-Japanese bistro mainstay in Kaimuki. When former owner/chef Shigeru Kobayashi retired after 22 years, Kajioka considered it kismet to operate in the neighborhood where he grew up—specifically in the venue fondly recalled as 9th Avenue Bakery.
Miro Kaimuki embodies Kajioka’s return to the classics. Admiring Café Miro’s soulful approach to modest décor and unpretentious cuisine, Kajioka pays proper homage to the beloved eatery’s space and menu. The refurbished interior features blonde Scandinavian wood tables, banquettes, and chairs with tall mirrors lining matted light ashen walls. A few varnished cerulean tables with brass trim, sans tablecloths, amplifying the energetic tone of the simple functional space.
The bistro features two dining formats—a bar menu and a prix fixe experience—prepared by Chef de Cuisine Trevor Webb under the overarching guidance of Kajioka. A la carte offerings include sharable appetizers as escargots a la Bourguignonne in the shell, featuring tender snails bathed in a chartreuse-tinted butter, laced with affable curried notes of vadouvan. An order of the Parisian gnocchi cloaks billowy dumplings with emulsified butter, Parmesan and mustard herbs contrasted by morsels of sweet corn and vibrant orange uni. A luscious foie gras torchon, dusted with smoky urfa biber and draped with a fruity strawberry veil, is brightened by lychee infused with rose geranium vinegar when smeared over buttery brioche. French and Californian wines and an eclectic selection of aperi- tifs and cocktails by Justin Park span the gamut of flavors to complement.
The prix fixe menu features a culinary passage to five courses for $65, with a $35 wine pairing supplement. Although menus are scheduled to rotate micro-seasonally, the launch menu opens with a tuna tartare composed with smoked oyster emulsion, a crusting of crispy lentils, and a piquant substratum of chili oil. The second course recapitulates a signature dish Kajioka served at Vintage Cave—toasted brioche nesting a satiny smooth slow-cooked egg yolk sweetened with celery root and bacon marmalade, and enriched by a cumulus of parmesan foam dusted with black truffle. A $5 sourdough bread supplement serves as the perfect medium to sop up the foam, if not a worthwhile interlude. The cracklin-crisp crust houses a feathery crumb of tempered sourness, punctuated by salted butter and a marjoram crumble of citrusy and grassy aromatics. An unctuous hot smoked Ora King salmon lacquered with preserved calamansi and brown sugar ensues, accompanied by a slightly tart basil curd with smoked eggplant, confited bell peppers, and tomato jam—a nod to Chef Kobayashi, who plated each entrée with ratatouille. Supple wagyu beef cheeks over nutty green farro, accentuated by cauliflower and raw, pickled and fried brassicas round out the savory offerings. For the denouement, pastry chef Beverly Luk presents a baked meringue dome over a buckwheat sponge, yogurt sorbet, yuzu gelee, salt-preserved lemon puree, and a dollop of ethereal Chantilly cream, arriving at a heavenly synthesis of textures and flavors.
Those mourning Café Miro’s closure will find solace in Miro Kaimuki, which honors its memory via classics but with an innovative flourishes. Will this bistro be Chris Kajioka’s legacy? Only time will tell, though considering how he is pouring his soul into the heart of this quaint neighborhood, he is sure to win the adoration of discerning patrons seeking a casual bite or a convivial meal.
3446 Wai‘alae Ave., (808) 379-0124, mirokaimuki.com