Honolulu Star-Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 194

Cht)sen by Honolulu Star-Advertiser dining and food writers 3 'A ill I r---5 Ik 1 NEW RESTAURANT BERNINI Chef Kengo Matsumoto approaches his menu with the winning combination of fine ingredients and a light touch, allowing each element to speak for itself. So a salad of roasted button, shirneji and oyster mushrooms topped with Parmesan conies alive with the flavor of a fall forest. Pastas range from a creamy and spicy chicken car -bonara to spaghetti with sea urchin, or beef ragu of lin-guine topped with a rustic meat sauce dotted with stewed Angus cubes. We were wowed by the simplest dishes of a crispy-skinned half chicken baked in herbs and spices, and the thin-crust Norcia pizza that elicited a nonstop stream of "wows" with every bite of its lick-worthy combination of mozzarella, pork sausage, mushrooms, crunchy walnuts and sprinkling of truffle oil. 'in LUNCH NICO'S AT PIER 38 Nico's is right next to the Honolulu Fish Auction, and the fish doesn't get any fresher.

Need proof? The restaurant often posts Facebook photos of fish on ice at the fish market in the morning so patrons can see what will be on their plates at noon. The menu is a dream. Nico Chaize offers dishes aimed at local tastes, but with an upgrade. Barbecued chicken is flavored with hoisin sauce, for example. Breakfast items are also offered.

And you can't go wrong with the Furikake Seared Ahi. As the restaurant's popularity has grown, placing your order has become an exercise in getting up close and personal with other fans lined up at the counter and crowding the patio. But things are about to get better. Later this year, Nico's is taking over another nearby site that offers much more space. Food will still be ordered at the counter, but the lines will be shorter and there will be indoor and outdoor seating.

Recommended: Catch-of-the-day specials, such as Pan-seared Opah with Lemon Caper Sauce, which are prepared perfectly, the fish moist and delicate, the sauce seductive. 7 i. I DENNIS ODA DODAiSSTARADVERTISER COM Chef George Mavrothalassitis continues to refine and update the menu at Chef Mavro. The lamb souvlaki and hummus are excellent, and specials such as the restaurant's version of moussaka lightened by emphasizing the fresh eggplant and garnishing, rather than dousing, with bechamel are uniformly worthy of your attention. Recommended: Fish Souvlaki, one of owner Savas Mojarrad's most popular plates, is also one of the best, made with fresh whitefish, cut into kebabs and garnished with grilled onions and tzatziki.

Mouthwatering! 1133 N. Nimitz Highway; 540-1377; www.nicospier3H.com. Breakfast, lunch (closed Sundays). 1218 Wuimanu 591-8400; uww.berninihonolulu.com. Dinner (closed Mondays).

FINE DINING CHEF MAVRO Chef Mavro's George Mavrothalassitis keeps racking up those accolades. September's Wine Spectator calls him one of the country's 1 1 most important French chefs, and with good reason. The James Beard Foundation Award winner's operative word is fresh ingredients, fresh ideas, fresh menus. Employing his classic training, Mavrothalassitis and crew continuously work to develop new dishes that feature local ingredients in their best light. The results are delightful, thought-provoking contemporary menus that keep Chef Mavro on best-chef and restaurant lists across the globe.

1969 S. KingSt; 944-4714; www.clwfmavm.com. Dinner (closed Mondays). NEIGHBOR ISLAND CAPISCHE? Don't be fooled by the punctuation: There's no question about the quality of the fxxf and ambience at this South Maui restaurant. Owner and executive chef Brian Etheredge has put an inventive spin on his dishes, which he describes as "Northern Italy meets Southern France." Adding to the appeal is the location a little off the beaten path, mauka of the main resort strip in the low-key Hotel Wailea.

Capische? benefits from the boutique hotel's kxlgelike design, which incorporates exposed stone and wood and an airiness and intimacy that take full advantage of romantic sunset and ocean views. The restaurant's extensive wine collection has won Wine Spectator accolades, and live piano music sets the mxd for guests in the martini lounge. The menu changes regularly, but we recommend the Mushroom Truffle Risotto and the Capische Ciou-pino. And don't skip dessert or you'll miss the Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart. 4614 Kilauea Ave, Kahala; 737-0303.

Dinner BREAKFAST CREAM POT Cream Pot is another quirky Japanese fusion restaurant with a mix of French farmhouse flair and refined-yet-eclectic Japanese-inspired breakfast and lunch fare. Just don't bring someone who likes to talk story once the food shows up at your table, there won't be much conversation other than a few satisfied sighs between bites. (Take the owner's suggestion and order the mind-blowing Souffle Pancakes with fresh strawberries.) Also recommended are French Rolled Omelets. The salmon version is the perfect blend of Grey Goose-cured fish, caramelized onions, sour cream and fresh dill. The classic version, with baked maple-cured bacon, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, potato and Gruyere cheese, is a no-brainer as well.

CASUAL OLIVE TREE CAFE The food is great, the servers are gtxxl-natured and the tidy, bright restaurant Is cute. There's just one thing wrong with Olive Tree: It's so darn popular! Perceptive diners in search of fresh, tangy (and bargain-priced) Mediterranean fare pack the place every night, making the atmosphere one of controlled fervor. What are you going to do? Just take a sip of your BYO wine or beer and enjoy the consistently superior fare. If you don't want to wait for a seat, you can always order takeout. Hotel ttatlea.

555KaukahiSt. Wailea. 879-2224; www capische com. Dinner SSSS Hawaiian Monarch Hotel, Waikiki, Breakfast, lunch (closed Tuesdays). 'ILIMA AWARDS 11.