Gastronome

Bellini’s Bellini JAIMIE KIM PHOTOS

The beginning of any new restaurant is a time to figure out what works and what doesn’t. As any new restaurant owner will know, it’s difficult to manage everything needed for a new business. From buying equipment from a website like www.nellaonline.com, for example, to hiring the right staff, there is so much to do and so much which can go wrong.

One of the things that need to be a necessity of all new restaurants is food safety to ensure that everything being made is following the regulations. To do this, cold storage with stainless steel doors locking the food in is important and will need to be checked regularly. Besides these, a new restaurant also needs to think about attracting more customers to increase their sales, which is why they must think about the different techniques of advertising their business. For instance, some restaurants are known to be using something similar to the platform offered by Atmosphere to advertise and connect to customers on a national level. Anyway, I have a feeling that this restaurant (the one in talks) is doing all of that. Personally, it’s what I like about visiting a restaurant from the very beginning – to return and experience its growth (or sometimes lack thereof).

So I really don’t expect my first visit anywhere to be perfect. Especially when that new restaurant has only been open for a few weeks.

Sometimes I’ll immediately like it, other times I won’t. Every now and then, there’s a new place that I know just has to grow on me.

Thus describes my night at Bellini Bistro & Bar last week.

It started off quite nicely, with a glass of the restaurant’s Bellini’s Bellini. Simple, sweet and sparkly, it was difficult to refrain from ordering one too many.

Bellini Platter

Then there was the Bellini Platter. It was so, so good, packed with prosciutto, salami, roasted bell peppers, cheese, anchovies, olives, marinated pickles and vegetables, artichoke hearts and slices of bread. It was, suffice to say, too much for only my dinner companion and myself. But it was one of those great, perfectly salty appetizers that didn’t leave me feeling overstuffed before the entrees came out. As our waiter explained, the intent of the platter was really to allow diners to “nibble.”

Everything – the quiet ambiance, the sun setting and reflecting on buildings across the street, and the buzz from our beverages – lent itself well to a relaxed dinner.

Mix Mushroom Sauce pasta

And then came out my entree, a Mixed Mushroom Sauce pasta that I ordered because of the combination of oyster, button and portabella mushrooms. On the recommendation of my waiter, I had it prepared with garlic sauce.

The mushrooms were the highlight of the dish, adding hearty and earthen flavors. The sauce itself could have used a little less butter, and it still would have been rich with flavor.

As dinner came to a close, our waiter inquired as to whether we’d be ordering dessert. Only, there was no dessert menu. A few options were listed as our waiter explained that it wasn’t set yet, and that other items, like the tiramisu, were still being perfected. We passed, partially because nothing sounded particularly appealing, but mostly on the grounds of being too full.

But as much as the latter half of the evening had me feeling conflicted, I do plan on going back for more.

And much like the appetizer I had and loved, there were other things that drew me in – the small space that still managed to feel comfortable, and the tables outside that allowed for al fresco dining.

Plus, as we paid our bill, other dishes leaving the kitchen looked really good, and the menu at Bellini Bistro & Bar is rather extensive.

So I plan on returning for more.

And when I do, I’m expecting great things.

Bellini Bistro & Bar

1200 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 633
Honolulu, HI
Phone number
(808) 591-2488
website: bellinibistroandbar.com