La Vie
Things continue to remain fairly steady here in Hawaii in terms of COVID this past week or so. We’re constantly hovering in the 20-30 case per day range across the state with most of them coming from Oahu. I’m still not back to being 100% comfortable with dining in unless I can research ahead of time the social distancing setup of a restaurant (some seem to be doing a better job than others). I’m also still preferring outdoor or open air seating.
These preferences led me to check out La Vie for dinner tonight. Located in the Ritz Carlton Residences Waikiki, La Vie offers open air seating. Based on the pictures I could find online the tables seemed to be very well spaced out as well. When we arrived and valeted our car I was pleased to see everyone wearing masks (the correct way) and that the valet placed a plastic wrap on the steering wheel before parking our car. This wrap would be removed when we picked up our car after dinner.
Open air seating with a southward view to the ocean
A staff member escorted us to the elevator which took us directly up to the restaurant. We were greeted and shown to our pick of tables. We opted for one that was a bit off to the side but still with a great view. I felt very comfortable for our entire dinner due to the open air, great ventilation, and well-spaced tables.
Right now La Vie is offering a special $59 three-course “choose your own” prix fixe dinner option. You can also get a four-course selection for $79. Here are the dishes we tried for dinner tonight on July 22, 2020:
Complimentary house bread - Mushroom babka served with truffle butter
Although a little messy due to the mushroom duxelles, this warm bread was quite delicious. They sent us home with a couple of slices to enjoy for breakfast which we certainly will!
Foie Gras Parfait - Royal Tokaji gelee, Asian pear, caramelized brioche
A bit different from other foie gras dishes I’ve had where the balancing sweetness comes from fruit or a sauce. In La Vie’s version most of the sweetness comes from the well-caramelized brioche. The Royal tokaji gelee adds a pronounced liquor flavor as well.
King Salmon Parisienne - Spinach, potato galette, smoked leek potage
The salmon skin was perfectly crispy and had a crunch to match the crispy potato.
Scallop Veronique - Braised fennel, green grapes, toasted almond
Overall a pleasing combination of flavors that melded together well with the sweetness of the scallops. I do wish the sear on the scallop was a bit more pronounced though.
Ludovico Farms Chicken - Morel fricasse, ris de veau, bacon lardon
The chicken here was well prepared and very tender. Only drawback was one of the morel mushrooms was very under-rehydrated which gave it a very grainy almost sand-like texture.
Hay Smoked Duck Breast - Lentils du puy, endive au gratin, spiced orange jus
The duck and endive au gratin were OK on their own but the dish shines when eaten together with the lentils and the spiced jus. Actually the lentils were my favorite part of the dish!
Chocolate Souffle - Dark chocolate, coumarou, creme anglaise
Very delicate and served pipping hot from the oven. The chocolate was not too overpowering or overly rich.
Gateau Ispahan - Raspberry, lychee, almond
I believe this dessert is a nod to Pierre Hermé’s signature combination of rose, raspberry, and lychee . Like the souffle it is not overly sweet. The lychee and raspberry give the dessert a very light and tart flavor profile which is nice after a rich meal.
Service at La Vie was great. Our servers were very attentive and had a great energy. From the moment we arrived to valet our car to the time we left it felt like all the staff were invested in making sure we had a nice evening. The timing of courses was just right without too much of a break in between. I think this is one of the better options for a nice meal during these times, especially if you’re being overly cautious about social distancing. Overall we had a pleasant evening at La Vie.
La Vie
Ritz Carlton Waikiki
383 Kalaimoku Street
Honolulu, HI 96815
www.laviewaikiki.com
