Giovedi — Restaurant in Honolulu

The BTS concert trio (world food tour duo plus one) dined at Giovedi on Hotel St. prior to seeing Ronny Chieng at Hawaii Theater. We were seated out in the patio area under a large white awning to shield us from the intermittent showers.

I ordered a 2015 Barolo Bussia Riserva “Cascina Dardi” from Alessandro Fantino. I’ve come to appreciate Italian wines and this Barolo, although lightish in coloration, offered a lot of fruit, spice and earthiness and opened up during the evening.

We had to order the Hokkaido Milk Rolls … Four warm and luscious rolls served with black garlic butter; the Mango Panzanella (special), the Onion Dip with sesame chips in place of the shrimp chips (shellfish allergy), Mushroom Donburi, Dan Mien Vietnam Atriciana, Foie Gras Torchon, and the Washugyu Flat Iron Steak.

The mango appetizer came with a round of fresh mozzarella and croutons … the fruit was sweet and complimented the cheese … A sweet and savory winner! The onion dip was prepared similar to hummus … The chips were fine, but I would have preferred some toast points or pita bread. The Foie Gras Torchon came with a (sort of) quenelle of caramelized onions and pieces of olive oil toast. This bread would be great with the onion dip.

The Dan Mien was egg noodles from Yat Tung Chow on King St. with lap xuong (lup cheong to us locals), Pecorino Romano and pickled peppers … We should have ordered two plates as we scarfed up the noodles quickly. The mushroom donburi was a combination of Nanatsuboshi white rice and Venere black rice, sliced mushrooms, dressed with cilantro pesto, pine nuts and shavings of Pecorino Romano cheese. I didn’t care for this dish, but my tablemates loved it. The Washugyu flat iron steak was served sliced with a broccoli salsa verde, slivers of crispy garlic and a mustard sauce. The steak came medium rare and was tender and flavorful. Our server dropped off a dish of Gnocchi Mapolonese … This was a wonderful dish …. Large gnocchi with a beef check ragu, topped with a dollop of whipped tofu.

We ended our meal by sharing Mrs. Tran’s Tiramisu. It was the classic tiramisu … One bite was enough for me.

The world food tour duo loves the food at Giovedi … the menu is inventive, the wine list offers something for almost anyone and the prices are reasonable in today’s environment....

Out of this world! This is the phrase that comes to mind. From the minute we saw this place we knew we needed to come in and dine...so that is exactly what we did. From the first step inside we knew this was a special restaurant. We were greeted promptly and taken to our patio table in a very charming space. The warm smiles on the staff's faces spoke volumes. I'll try to speed this up. We started with very unique signature cocktails...the Mrs. had the Peacock Tail and I a Negroni fan opted for the Strawbroni, which both were refreshing and delicious. Moved on to wine and appetizer...one of the highlights of the night was the Veal Tartar with shaved black truffles & crunchy rice - An absolute homerun!! The flavor and texture was perfect. After we continued our culinary experience with the Capellini Granchio (dungeness crab, preserved lemon, kani miso breadcrumbs) & Char Siu Pork (kurobuta rib chop, red wine plums). Then followed up all that goodness with Mrs. Tran's Tiramisu...which is a classic take on the dessert. I am a bit of a Tiramisu snob as I pride myself on making a excellent classic version myself...Looks like I won't ever have to make my own again since Giovedi nailed it. Now I have talked so much about the food...here is a bit about the ambiance. The decor is great. Balanced, simple, and elegant. The staffs outfits are lightly colored, casually professional, and matching not just each other but the decor. The lighting is soft and welcoming making you feel alive yet relaxed and ready to dine and socialize. A shout out to the owners / partners for putting what only appears to be their genuine personalities and vision together. And last but certainly not least...THE MUSIC!! The perfect song selection at the perfect volume. A wonderful compliment to the atmosphere that has been created. This gem hit the high notes on all of the five senses. By far the best restaurant we have been to on island or actually any where in a long time. My wish is for you to treat yourself to this very special dinning experience. I know we will...

So so so happy that this former pop up restaurant has now found it's forever home in downtown/chinatown. Chef Bao Tran and his wife Jen (front of the house Directress) present Italian/Asian fusion cuisine that is approachable and craveable(oh so craveable, still thinking about my superb meal). Every dish we ordered (we tried 80% of the menu between 4 people)was so artfully and thoughtfully prepared to entertain your tastebuds in every way from complex sauces to unique textures using the freshest ingredients. I recommend sharing everything family style except the Tiramisu( I want my very own dessert) Our faves, I am keeping the descriptions short because they may vary the preparations: scallop crudo, ahi carpaccio, oxtail gnocchi, washugyu steak, foie gras torchon, pasta with crab, green salad(full of umami bread crumbs), and Tiramisu. I can't wait to go back. They were solely prix fixe at the pop up, but now it's all ala carte in their permanent home. Full bar available with craft cocktails. Al fresco dining and bar seat dining available. I sound like I'm a paid reviewer but I'm not. I am very selective about the reviews I write. I am only prompted to write reviews for deserving establishments who are passionate about what they do and we as patrons are thrilled to enjoy the fruits of their labor. And, I want them to be successful so that I can continue to enjoy their luscious cuisine over and over again. PS, Service is attentive, friendly, knowledgeable but not intrusive I love this place, please try Giovedi's for yourself, you'll be happy that you did.

Chef added a new dish: Grilled Kampachi with crispy skin and caponata, one of the best grilled fish I have ever had! Better than any fish entree that I've had rivaling fish entrees prepared at Le Bernardin

New appetizer: Nairagi Crudo with their house made calabrian chili crisp with shaved bottarga. This is the tastiest crudo I have ever had in terms of unami metrics. This is a must order item for us. Ps If they have a veal special, or truffle...