Nanzan GiroGiro
We tried Nanzan GiroGiro twice back in their first year or so of opening. The first experience was OK; the second one was bad. There were two courses in particular that I recall not wanting to finish. The most specific memory I have (this was over 10 years ago now) was a shrimp sauce on a dish where the shells were used and the texture was like liquid sandpaper.
Between that last visit and moving to the mainland for a while, I haven’t thought to go back to Nanzan GiroGiro in over a decade. But, when trying to pick a place for a nice dinner date with my better half, I thought to myself… “Well, this place has been open for over a decade and always seems full when I drive by despite the challenging parking situation.”
Given the longevity of the restaurant and its popularity, I felt it time to give Nanzan GiroGiro another try.
The menu here changes monthly and they offer a 6 or 9 course option. The 6 course is pretty reasonably priced at $88. The jump to 9 courses - which adds 2 dishes and dessert - is hefty at $165 per person. But, the big price jump includes some premium ingredients. We opted to try the 9 course version of the April menu.
Here is what we had during our visit on April 22, 2023:
Blue fin tuna, citrus soy sauce, wasabi, shiso, green beans sauce heart of palm, green, egg tofu
Kinmedai snapper, broth, sesame tofu, snow pea, bottarga
Sawara Japanese Ono, shiso, somen noodle, green and kiriboshi daikon, sesame sauce, broth jelly
Black cod, radish and bell pepper pickles, cabbage sauce, chive puree, arugula
Beef, Hokkaido scallop, asparagus, daikon radish, foie gras sauce, tomato, Fuki butterbur
Caviar, otoro, heart of palms pickles, cauliflower, wasabi
Lobster, lobster tomato soup, egg custard, amaranth, Hokkaido and Santa Barbara uni
Duck, egg, yuba soymilk paper, shredded gobo, green onion, rice, mitsuba, pickles
Cake "Suzette", orange Genoise, Suzette sauce, orange tuile, chocolate mousse, fresh orange, Kyoto matcha green tea
Dining at Nanzan GiroGiro was a good reminder that sometimes restaurants just have a bad night. The experience we had was much different from the two previous visits. Perhaps time and experience in execution was a factor (given the 10 year time jump), but I found our dinner to be pleasant and flavorful. Service was warm and friendly; perhaps even too chatty for some but in a non-intrusive way. The meal is well orchestrated from the kitchen and we found the pacing between courses to be just right.
Having just come back from Japan, it was hard not to compare our dinner at Nanzan GiroGiro to some of the meals we had in Tokyo. The April menu showcases the core ingredients in a delicious yet not overdone or ambitious way. Very Japanese in my experience. I think Nanzan GiroGiro would probably fit right in as a restaurant in Japan. In fact, I enjoyed the menu at Nazan GiroGiro more than one of the Michelin places I went to in Tokyo recently.
Nanzan GiroGiro
560 Pensacola St. #107
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.524.141
