Grind Time: Vintage Cave delivers

The menu at Vintage Cave during our visit last week. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

BY JASON GENEGABUS / jason@staradvertiser.com

Better late than never.

That’s the easiest way to describe my first meal at Vintage Cave last week, months after all the “friends and family” meals, media previews and initial round of online raves by foodies who managed to score a table at the new restaurant in the basement of Shirokiya at Ala Moana Center.

Sure, I already read about the culinary field of dreams bankrolled by Japanese real estate developer Takeshi Sekiguchi, with his Picasso originals hanging on the walls and private wine lockers for those willing to spend at least $50,000 to become a full-fledged member of the semi-private dining society. For a while, all I could hear in my head whenever someone talked about the restaurant was Jermaine Dupri’s 2007 hit, “Money Ain’t a Thang.”

Yes, I was impressed by the story about the European bricklayers who spent weeks installing 150,000 bricks from the Pennsylvania Brick Co. I had no doubt custom Swarovski crystal chandeliers installed in the restaurant were a sight to behold.

And I’m not going to lie — I’m particularly proud of fellow ‘Iolani alumni Chris Kajioka, 29, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who worked in kitchens from Per Se in New York to Aziza in San Francisco before coming home to assume the role of executive chef at Vintage Cave.

None of that stopped me from freaking out a little — on the inside, of course — while being escorted through the 15,000-square-foot space before our meal on Thursday, April 18. The opulence and refinement present here, from the decor to the food being served, is like nothing else Hawaii diners have ever seen before on our shores.

Our table during dinner last week featured a view of "Hiroshima," a collection of three paintings by Adron Mordecai that depict the Japanese city before, during and after the United States dropped an atomic bomb there in 1945. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Still, at a cost of $295 per person, dinner here isn’t for everyone. If you can’t appreciate the artistry that goes into conceptualizing, preparing and executing a meal of this caliber, save yourself the extra cash and opt instead for one of many other worthy local restaurants that operate at a lower price point.

Once you’re at peace with the price tag and make a reservation, however, it’s only a matter of time before your mind gets blown — repeatedly — by Kajioka and his talented team. I’m actually glad I waited this long to visit, even if it was not by choice, as the kitchen has had a few months to settle in and find its groove.

Here’s what was on the menu for dinner last week:

First Course: Assorted Hors d’Oeuvres

Oysters with miso and takuan. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Pain Au Lait. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Clam Dip. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Meringue with Red Onion Uahi Sea Salt. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Vanilla Bean Macaron Caviar. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Second Course: Sashimi Plate

Clockwise, from top and finishing in center: Kona Kampachi with yuzu, radish and shiso; Bigeye Tuna with foie gras; Toro with smoked tuna gel; Buri with charred scallion pesto and ponzu; Kinmedai with ume and fennel; and Shima Aji with burnt citrus wasabi. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Kona Kampachi. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Shima Aji. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)

Kinmedai. (Star-Advertiser photo by Jason Genegabus)