When Rodney Uyehara moved from Waikiki to Chinatown to open HASR Bistro, he imagined he’d be trading his fine-dining menu for something a little more rustic.<\/p>\n
The idea was to create a simple, French-inspired lunch and dinner menu offering approachable, affordable dishes to complement the fine wines sold next door by HASR Wine Co. owner Terry Kakazu, also co-owner of HASR Bistro.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n
(HASR stands for Highly Allocated, Spoiled Rotten.)<\/p>\n
The reality, however, is turning out to be a little different.<\/p>\n
“People have followed us from The Bistro and from Beach House,” Uyehara says, “and they want the same kinds of dishes that we did there.<\/p>\n
“They are not asking for steak and pork chops,” he adds. “They’re demanding them.”<\/p>\n
Here, he breaks into a typical Rodney-sized grin and laughs.<\/p>\n
Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Uyehara worked at the prestigious Aureole Restaurant, New York, under Charlie Palmer before returning to Hawaii to continue his career.<\/p>\n
He’s undoubtedly one of Honolulu’s most charismatic chefs, and his move from the fine-dining rooms of Waikiki to an unpretentious bistro downtown has brought him closer to customers – and to the food he loves best.<\/p>\n
“What Terry and I thought was that initially we’d just do this good comfort food in this casual environment,” he says. “Turns out it’s looking like 70 percent of the fine-dining dishes I’ve always done!”<\/p>\n
So as the restaurant celebrates its grand opening on Jan. 20 with a party to welcome friends, family and customers old and new, Uyehara is getting ready to roll out a whole new HASR Bistro menu. And it doesn’t look much like the simple pastas and salads he first imagined.<\/p>\n
“Our customers are coming for dinner and looking for lobster, steak and pork chops, and a lot of classic dishes,” says Uyehara, “so I guess we’re going to give them what they want.”<\/p>\n
Try HASR at lunch and you’ll find organic chicken confit, escargot, salads, a variety of pasta dishes, house-made burgers and a Dungeness Crab Reuben that comes with melted cheese on grilled focaccia topped with tarragon aioli.<\/p>\n
And, yes, there’s Chef Rod’s famous French Onion Soup, a dish that’s followed him from The Bistro days.<\/p>\n
As evening descends, HASR transforms from daytime sunny hues into a casual, intimate dining room; and the courtyard that fronts both bistro and wine store lights up the corner at Pauahi Street.<\/p>\n
Wines by the glass are hugely popular, or guests can check the nightly specials, then take a few steps into HASR Wine Co. to buy a their own bottle – with no corkage fee.<\/p>\n
And if the bistro is a natural progression from the wine store, then Uyehara’s menu is a natural progression from fine dining to classic comfort food.<\/p>\n
Look for a host of new menu items to debut this week as the charming bistro enjoys an official opening, having found its place in bustling, vibrant Chinatown.<\/p>\n
With the combination of Uyehara’s food and an immense selection of rare and lovely wines next door, a trip to HASR Bistro should delight. <\/p>\n