Vintage Cave Cafe

A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS WEEK’S HOUSE SPECIAL: ROASTED RACK OF LAMB ($34) AND CAPRESE DI AMERA TOMATO ($16)

Vintage describes something as being of prime and superior quality. At Vintage Cave Cafe in Ala Moana Center, that’s exactly what customers can expect from the exquisite establishment.

The restaurant’s interior is dressed with elegant art murals and framed paintings created by local artist Kamea Hadar, whose several other works also can be found in Kakaako. Meanwhile, its walls are intricately designed with bricks, which have been brought in from an old brick factory in Pennsylvania.

“The bricks have been kilned 50 times, where you put it in the oven, bring it out, put it in, bring it out, before it becomes this color,” describes Grant Hamura, Vintage Cave’s deputy general manager.

For all you wine connoisseurs out there, you’ll be elated to find a showcased-glass room, featuring a seemingly endless array of quality wines that Hamura notes can range anywhere from $20 to $28,000, at Vintage Cave.

Along with the selection of wines, guests will be pleasantly satisfied to discover many filling, mouthwatering bites on the eatery’s menu, which makes it the ideal spot to take a well-deserved break from shopping or celebrate a night out on the town.

The Chef’s Special Truffle Pizza ($30, 9-inch lunch only; $38, 12-inch dinner only) grants diners a unique and flavorful experience as a perfectly poached egg sits atop the circular dish. The server will ask if guests of the table want the egg popped. If they so choose that option, the server will slit the egg open and as the yolky-goodness flows out, spread the egg about the pizza for even distribution among all slices.

On a sweet note, diners can enjoy delightful desserts like Panna Cotta ($12), a gelatin-cream dessert that is topped with fresh fruits and a vibrant lilikoi sauce.

Vintage Cave, which opened in March 2017, is nestled just around the corner from Shirokiya Japan Village Walk. It’s the premier spot for Italian cuisine with a hint of Japanese flair, as well as superb customer service. The eatery is open seven days a week.

Check out this spread

A savory green pepper-corn sauce that is made in-house adds a nice flavor to the lamb.

Subtle sides

The dish comes with mini potatoes, roasted tomatoes, arugula and red leaf lettuce, which serve as worthy palate cleansers between the juicy lamb slices.

A work of art

Vintage Cave Cafe’s rendition of the caprese salad takes taste buds to another level. Japanese amera tomatoes provide a lightly sweet, delightful bite and the burrata cheese, which has some firmness on the outer layer, presents soft, creamy texture on the inside. The dish is painted with a balsamic glaze.

Far from ordinary

While lamb is generally known to have a more gamy taste, these pristine cuts, which are sourced from Australia, present diners with tender softness and clean, meaty flavor.