THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED 'Elua

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED 'Elua Restaurant Review:

Naysayers grumbled that two such talented and headstrong chefs couldn't work together and doubters opined that the concept was flawed. But true food lovers kept their fingers crossed when word leaked that Philippe Padovani and Donato Loperfido were opening a restaurant together. It turns out that the true food lovers were blessedly right. 'Elua (the Hawaiian word for "two") exceeds all culinary expectations. Do not look for collaborative dishes here. Each chef carries one complete side of the seasonally shifting menu. The dilemma is from which side to order; does one mix and match or commit to a single chef? We find it impossible to make such a choice and recommend ordering with abandon. Why not have the simple-sounding yet flavor-rich Yukon gold potato and leek vichyssoise from Padovani and the roasted heirloom tomato soup drizzled with a delightful surprise of blood orange-infused olive oil from Loperfido? Both chefs remain true to their individual expertise with Padovani crafting French-influenced, highly refined Hawaii Regional cuisine and Loperfido adhering to classic Italian fare. Padovani fans will find his crispy confit of duck leg and Loperfido devotees will surely order his mushroom risotto. We like those dishes just as much as anyone, but recommend seeing what else is on the menu, as you could find yourself eating crisped-skin onaga atop a bed of pasta in a light broth. Take advantage of the flexibility offered by the cruvinet system which allows for two-ounce pours from a thoughtfully-crafted wine list dominated by old-world and boutique winery selections. Do not miss dessert. The menu offers smaller portions of seasonal fruit panna cotta and crème brûlée though our preference is for the lighter-than-air mounds of delicately sweet meringue snow eggs floating in a sauce infused with Tahitian vanilla.