Av - Honolulu

However, the ambiance was not what I expected from a fine dining establishment. The space was rather small, and I had envisioned a cozy atmosphere where I could enjoy a romantic evening with my partner for his birthday. Instead, we found ourselves in a brightly lit room, feeling somewhat isolated, with our waitress engaging in friendly conversation throughout the night. While it was nice that she wasn't vegan, her extensive commentary on vegan food felt out of place. We also opted for the wine pairing without realizing it would cost $65 – a warning about that would have been appreciated. Given the price of the meal, I assumed it would either be included or offered at a lower price. It would have been nice to have the option of one or two glasses of wine or a cocktail instead of only water or the pricey sake. Overall, I regret the amount spent on this experience. I truly loved the concept and the quality of the food, but I would have preferred to pay half the price for fewer courses. Spending $150 and constantly interacting with the staff felt rather unprofessional, unromantic, and awkward. While I understand the effort that goes into creating such dishes, as someone seeking a memorable dining experience on a special occasion, I ended up feeling disappointed and let down by my expectations.

The dining experience was elegantly crafted, but ultimately, the restaurant seems to be struggling to embody a true identity. During our conversation with the server, we learned that none of the staff, including the servers, chefs, or owners, follow a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. The owner established the restaurant out of the belief that the vegan food market was overlooked. However, it appears the menu was hastily compiled by a corporate chef in an effort to open the restaurant quickly. This review has been updated from a previous one dated December 31, 2021.

However, my experience at AV was different. The attentive staff greeted us warmly and provided us with a hospitable atmosphere right from the start. After we settled in, we were treated to 15 delicious and artistically presented courses, served with care and detailed explanations. The setting was elegant, and the food was absolutely incredible. Everything went smoothly—until we encountered the final bill! Let’s just say that while it was the most enjoyable experience, it came with a price that was hard to swallow. It was truly a case of 'delicious food, expensive taste!'

I haven't had a tasting menu for years and nail it! this place is much needed in honolulu and fills an empty raised restaurant niche for vegans. the personal is super friendly and describes every cure in great detail, and eating itself (all 14 courses) is fun and delicious. we added the Sake pairing for 1 and divided 6 glasses of different sake that was more than enough because we are anyway light. the personal said the menu changes all the couple weeks so that this place now definitiw in the special occasion rotation. the $140 per person costs in a round at $10 per cursor. Sake pairing was another $60 when they're on a date, they just play it cool when their bill comes, okay?

I’ve never tried fine dining prior to going vegan so this was definitely out of my comfort zone! I’m more of a junk food vegan and never enjoyed seafood prior to being vegan. That being said this overall experience was pleasant. You can tell the chef really cared about the process and how he was able to create these dishes. I loved that he explained how he did everything because a lot of non vegans (which from my understanding they do receive a lot) they’re favorite question is “what’s this made from”. The total for 2 people (with no drinks besides water), 14 courses, the $8 waffle dog x1 was $310 without tip. I think this is more of an experience rather than paying for a meal again imo as I was never into fine dining.