new restaurant concept - Vintage Cave @ Ala Moana Center Shirokiya

[killersmile]

I don't think anyone posted anything about this yet. Private club/restaurant occupying the basement of Shirokiya. Tasting menu for $295, wine pairing an additional $100. Membership includes private wine storage and priority dining. Interesting concept especially with the membership part. I wonder if we have enough big money people to support this restaurant for the long term. I also wonder how long Chris Kajioka will stay committed to this project. Supposedly they have sold quite a few memberships already even at $50,000 and $500,000 a membership. I guess there are enough multi-millionaires vacationing in Hawaii to make it possible. More info at the weblinks below. Anyone have more info or have been yet?
http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/Biting-Commentary/November-2012/Vintage-Cave-a-new-restaurant-or-private-society-concept-in-Honolulu/
http://vintagecave.com/
http://takeabite.staradvertiserblogs.com/2012/12/01/a-meal-to-remember-at-vintage-cave/
http://www.nonstophonolulu.com/eating...

[andrew_eats]

The $300 price tag is too expensive. Maybe if it won 3 michelin stars or some other accolades. But as of now, its simply does not have the credibility for that price. Quite frankly, its an unproven noob. Some of the finest restaurants in the world, like Iggy's in Singapore, seem similar and charge less. Also, it will be heavily dependent on rich visitors and business dinners, of which few will be consistent regulars. There simply isn't enough local traffic to support the high costs. Perhaps if they made a grand degustation menu at their current cost, but a much cheaper $100-200 price range tasting menu, they'd grow quicker.

[Bill Hunt]

Yes, price-points can be interesting things. Some folk just set their prices at the ceiling, and many assume that they MUST be worth the price. Others work up, as the stars come in.

Time will tell.

Hunt

[Joebob]

Hopefully, some day Hunt will tell.

[Bill Hunt]

Maybe next trip? I could see the culinary investment, just to test.

Aloha,

Hunt

[KailuaGirl]

The Honolulu Magazine article added a posted 12/10 saying that they will no longer be membership only, although memberships will be offered for wine storage. It's still going to be expensive, but there might be enough high rollers and VERY special occasions to support it. It sure looks nice!

[Bill Hunt]

We read several articles on it (from slightly different directions), and it sounded like a great place. Unfortunately, we were booked 100%, so did not get the opportunity to sample things there. I do not think that the upper-end "membership" of US $500,000 is in the making, but would love to dine there, and see what they have to offer.

Maybe on our 2013 O`ahu trip?

Hunt

[KaimukiMan]

looks impressive, you beat me to the punch on posting killer... ;-) and they used real brick for the walls instead of fake glue-on stuff (yeah, architects notice things like that.)

[manomin]

Today's Star-Advertiser section had a review by Nadine Kam about this place. Not sure it's a "gift to all of Hawaii" as she states. Sure it's got to be fabulous but how much of "all of Hawaii" can afford $1,000 + for dinner? Amazing detail K-Man on the brick installation and origin of said bricks.

[killersmile]

You are right on that. I'm guessing that most nights the place will be empty after the initial interest subsides. There are only so many big money people on Oahu, definitely not enough to fill the place night after night. How interesting will it be for a chef who has no customers some nights? Time will tell.