A new weekend omakase is launching this weekend in Honolulu.
Chef Jason Peel, now at Diamond Head Market & Grill, is launching an 11-course omakase experience at Hale Pikake, the new event space above Diamond Head Market & Grill. This isn’t your typical sushi omakase, however. It’s centered around premium Hokkaido-grown Nanatsuboshi rice, and courses highlight unique preparations that feature Japanese flavors and local ingredients.
The omakase features 14 seats — six counter seats and eight table seats — and costs $175 per person. It’s from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; customers can make reservations online at halepikake.simpletix.com.
The omakase includes iced tea, coffee and soft drinks. Premium sake selections by Tassho Pearce from World Sake are available for pre-order; sake bottles are also offered for retail purchase in Diamond Head Market. Upon making their reservation, customers can submit their vehicle information and license plate to receive a parking pass for the omakase.
We got a sneak peek of the upcoming menu during a media preview. There may be slight menu adjustments in future omakases.
The omakase began with a rice cracker filled with Japanese egg mousse and topped with caviar. The delicate bite was creamy yet slightly salty, thanks to the generous amount of caviar.
It was followed by a crispy sushi rice cake topped with ama ebi (shrimp), cilantro, jalapeno and finger lime. This dish boasted an overall refreshing, citrusy flavor.
The next course was especially unique, as it features Peel’s version of Chex Mix. It was a medley of edamame, kanpachi tartare, spicy bubu arare and ikura. We loved the contrasting textures, especially the crunchy arare paired with the refreshing bursts of ikura.
Instead of traditional sushi rice, the “sushi” course featured ‘ahi with soy chili gel atop okoshi (puffed rice). It was a flavorful one-biter; the crispy puffed rice contrasted nicely with the fresh ‘ahi.
The following dish was one of my favorites of the evening. Tristan lobster was soaked in escargot butter, and served with mochi bread for dipping.
“This is lobster with our escargot butter that we used to make at Nami Kaze; you eat it together,” Peel says. “I wanted a bread and butter course.”
The succulent lobster — bathed in the savory butter — tasted even better when paired with the slightly chewy mochi bread.
This was followed by a natto rice pudding with okra wasabi, topped with creamy Hokkaido uni. Natto lovers will appreciate this dish’s texture.
Next came braised abalone chawan mushi with brown butter and rice milk ankake (a thick sauce poured over).
“I braised the abalone with the rice and innards to make the sauce on top,” Peel explains. “There’s pickled wood ear (mushrooms) on top of that.”
Meanwhile, the kanpachi confit served with cabbage is Peel’s version of a pasta course, but of course, with a twist.
“I love using GoFarm, and they used to bring me a ton of cabbage,” he says. “Ever since I closed Nami Kaze, I haven’t been able to use it in a while; I wanted to use cabbage again. This is kind of like a cabbage pasta — using the rice as a carbonara, but lighter — with a little bit of gingerbread crumb on top of the kanpachi with skin.”
The light, flaky kanpachi was cooked perfectly. The cabbage boasted carbonara’s signature creamy flavors, but was a welcomed lighter alternative to pasta. The gingerbread crumble provided the perfect crunch.
The meat course featured torched wagyu atop mushroom truffle rice. While wagyu lovers will savor the umami flavor, the truffle rice — made with truffle and unagi sauce — stole the show.
Next came Peel’s version of ozoni (a traditional Japanese soup made with mochi), featuring kanpachi bone broth, mochi and watercress from Sumida Farm.
“I wanted to make mochi,” Peel says. “There’s some lemon in there (the broth); there’s a little chili garli sauce on there to mix in.”
Our omakase includes two desserts. The first was an amazake (thick Japanese drink mad with fermented rice) kakigori, or Japanese shave ice, with calamansi custard and caramelized sweet potato. The calamansi custard is the base, so customers should scoop from the bottom of the glass to get all layers in one bite.
“My wife (pastry chef Bev Luk) made some amazake to go on top the shave ice,” Peel says.
The meal concludes with Sage Creamery’s haupia chocolate ice cream, served with a Palmier and ume strawberry koji. The koji’s slightly tangy flavor prevented the dessert from being overly sweet. The flaky, buttery Palmier added the perfect crispy texture between bites of ice cream.
“We macerated the strawberries with strawberry koji,” Peel explains. "It's (koji) an inoculated rice; helps to break down things.
“I just wanted to do different things with rice,” he says, of the omakase’s theme. “It’s nice to pick something that you want to focus on and just to have fun.”
CONTACT
Omakase at Hale Pikake
Diamond Head Market & Grill
3158 Monsarrat Ave., Honolulu
Halepikake.simpletix.com
Omakase is from 6 to 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
