Restaurant Insider with Anne Lee: Noe restaurant

Anne Lee, center, explores the Noe restaurant flair with (left to right) assistant manager Quynh Pham, chef de cuisine Ryo Takatsuka and general manager Simone Orlandini.

ANNE LEE speaks with chef de cuisine RYO TAKATSUKA and general manager SIMONE ORLANDINI

Find your elegant escape at Noe restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, which offers fine Italian dining with local flair.

Holding down Noe’s kitchen is chef de cuisine Ryo Takatsuka. While he is a native of Toyama, Japan, Takatsuka found a passion for Italian cuisine when he moved to Tuscany, Italy. There, he spent 10 years working with Chef Giancarlo Perbellini in Verona — where the restaurant earned two Michelin stars during his tenure — and then transferred over to the highly acclaimed Ristorante Yamazaki. Finally, in 2016, Takatsuka arrived at Noe, where he has been making bold and successful culinary moves.

With pasta at the forefront of this restaurant (of course), all of Noe’s pastas are homemade from scratch. “The short pastas, such as macaroni and rigatoni, are hard to make, but our pasta machine can create these shapes, so when you order our pastas, all of them are handmade here at the restaurant,” shares Takatsuka. “Usually other Italian restaurants are unable to make all of the pastas handmade and fresh.”

Ultimately, Noe aims to bring a memorable Italian experience to diners that is one-of-a-kind.

Beef Filet ($67)

“Noe brings a newfound dining experience to the island, with authentic Italian-inspired cuisine, while capturing the story of grape, soil and climate from some of the world’s finest wine regions,” says general manager Simone Orlandini. “Tasting freshly made pastas and a glass of Greco di Tufo, one can truly say this is where Capri meets Oahu.”

Here is more of what Takatsuka and Orlandini had to say about the exquisite dining location:

AL: What type of cuisine does Noe specialize in?

SO & RT: The menu represents chef Ryo’s journey while in Italy, which starts in the south in Rome at La Tarazza, one of the most acclimated restaurants in Italy; then we travel north toward Tuscany, Florence, where the porterhouse steak flavors come from; then on to Verona and Bellini, where the Veal Milanese flavors are from, which are more rich and intense flavors.

In Northern Italy the winters are harsh, so you will see more rich, starchy and comforting hearty options, whereas the south has more fresh, crispy, refreshing dishes.

AL: What makes the restaurant stand out from the others?

SO & RT: We have an award-winning wine list. Noe was awarded a Two Glass Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for two consecutive years. Noe boasts an extensive list of more than 500 wine references with a well-chosen assortment from quality producers ranging from Brewer Clifton to Ruinart, the world’s oldest established Champagne house.

Noe Signature Tagliatelle ($31 small, $41 large)

AL: What is Noe’s most popular dish?

SO & RT: The Noe Signature Tagliatelle is our most popular dish. The sauce is made with mushroom stock and port wine, white wine, shallots, garlic, water and with mushrooms, made to boil and we create the stock. We then add butter, Parmesan cheese, truffle paste and mix all of it together with the pasta. We top it off with sliced truffles. It’s very simple and tasty. We offer it in two portion sizes, the smaller portion allows you to try this and other dishes on the menu.

Capichera & Podere Sapaio Wine Dinner

Noe is putting on a lovely wine dinner collaboration with two wine makers coming from Italy, Capichera Winery from Sardinia and Podere Sapaio Winery from Tuscany. This event is one night only. However, it’s part of a reoccurring wine dinner series that Noe offers.

Cost: $170 per person

When: Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

Reserve a table: 679-0079

On the Menu: Created by chef de cuisine Ryo Takatsuka. Each item is served with featured wine pairing.

Ahi
Scallop, squid salad, spicy marinara, olive, mozzarella, arugula paste

Maccheroni Neri
Crab bottarga, sea urchin, cherry tomato, asparagus

Beef Filet
Chestnuts, wild mushroom, beets, truffle sauce

Chocolate Bliss
Chocolate flourless cake, caramelized cocoa nibs, macnut streusel, candied strawberry, strawberry sorbet, micro basil