$$$$ • Wine Bar • Waikiki
I was invited to Cattleya Wine Bar in the Halekulani Hotel for a belated birthday celebration by a friend. Cattleya is a new, open from 4 to 7 on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It's just inside the Orchids restaurant. We found ourselves the only patrons on Thursday evening. Our server, Kale, was very personable and helped us with the wine list and ordering food.
My host likes whites and I helped her select a 3oz pour of Montevetrano Bianco. I was going to start with sparkling wine but decided upon a rosé, selecting the Ame du Vin from Provence. Unfortunately, it wasn’t available so Kale suggested the Marissa Cuomo Rosato from Amalfi. It was nice yet austere, perhaps due to the limestone and dolomite soil. I thought of a pinkish facsimile of a Chablis.
We started with the Charcuterie Plate, consisting of 3 types of meats, assorted cheeses, olives and baby carrots accompanied by a basket of lavosh and breads. The prosciutto was the best of the lot and I liked all of the cheeses and olives. I just wish the plate had some fruit to pair with the cheese.
Next, the Kona Lobster and Kahuku Shrimp Gyoza. There were 4 large gyoza, with a dish of spicy Ponzu sauce. The gyoza was brimming with lobster and shrimp meat ... delicious! I was going to order a red (because I like reds) but Kale suggested the Kellerei Cantine Terlan Pinot Grigio. It was a nice wine; I think I would have preferred something drier. There are 8 whites on the menu, from Italy, Spain, France and Turkey.
Last, Truffle Fries. I intended to get the Prime Beef Tartar but the charcuterie plate was filling. Kale suggested the 2020 Terre Nere Etna Rosso; I finally got my glass of red. I don’t often drink Italian wines, but these wines opened my eyes to another part of the world.
Final thoughts … We enjoyed Cattleya. There are 28 wines available; 17 from Italy. There are 11 food choices; I would like to see more than one fresh seafood option and perhaps something like bone marrow or foie gras.
