Carte Blanche

A Feast for the Senses with Unparalleled ServiceCarte Blanche is nothing short of extraordinary--a gem in Honolulu's vibrant culinary scene that dazzles with style, class, and panache. From the moment we stepped through its chic, understated entrance, we knew we were in for something special. The atmosphere is effortlessly elegant, with just the right balance of sophistication and warmth. It's a place where fine dining meets approachability, making us feel like VIP. Even the chairs are a statement of luxury--each one adorned with down-filled back cushions featuring the restaurant's elegant logo. These thoughtful details elevate the experience, making us feel enveloped in comfort and sophistication. Let's talk about the food: each dish is a masterpiece. The menu is a symphony of creativity, showcasing the freshest local ingredients elevated with global flair. The amuse-bouche alone is enough to hint that you're in the hands of culinary virtuosos. Our personal highlights included the miso-glazed kampachi--a perfect balance of umami and delicate sweetness--and the wagyu short rib that melted like butter, served alongside artful purées and vibrant reductions. Every plate is presented with meticulous attention to detail, worthy of a standing ovation. The flavors are complex and well-thought-out, yet never pretentious. It's clear that the chefs here don't just cook; they create. The service is impeccable. The staff is attentive without hovering, knowledgeable without being overwhelming, and genuinely passionate about ensuring your experience is perfect. Their personalized approach made us feel like royalty--anticipating our every need, offering tailored wine pairings, and even providing a heartfelt farewell from the maître d'. And then there are the little touches: perfectly folded napkins after each course, subtle yet meaningful adjustments to the table setting, and an ambiance that speaks to true hospitality. Carte Blanche doesn't just deliver a meal--it curates a memory. For anyone who appreciates a dining experience that transcends the ordinary, Carte Blanche is a must-visit. It's a love letter to culinary excellence and service. Bravo to the entire team for making Honolulu just a little more magical. Sorry no photos... you just must come for the full monte yourself!

First Girls Night in a while so we were looking for something special and a little bougie...Carte Blanche delivered!!!Ambiance: Bougie! Chandeliers and beautiful lighting, fluffy cushions covered with satin, nice menu with hard back covers. Service: we had this cute young man! He apologized as he was normally kitchen staff at the sister restaurant XO and was filling in. But he was polite, engaging, and attentive without overdoing it. Food: pre fixe menu only1. Caprese pani puri w/tomato water Open wide! This is one big bite of crispy, bright, refreshing, tomato and mozzarella flavor packed deliciousness!2. A take on French Onion SoupSalty and crispy, pretzel-like lattice complemented by sweet little onion balls atop French onion soup! So pretty and good til the last drop!3. Palette cleansing granitaNot quite sure, what this was, but it tasted like sweet pickled mango and mild takuan and was very refreshing!4. Shrimp toast with scallops in a creamy bouillabaisse sauce The shrimp toast was a bit salty alone, but paired wonderfully with the perfectly cooked, mild flavored scallops and sauce!5. Braised pork belly w/roasted vegetable saladThe pork belly was nicely cooked, almost like candied charsiu. But the salad was the star for me! Mixed greens tossed with bacon oil and balsamic vinegar and topped with carrots, roasted parsnips and pumpkin, charred Brussels sprouts and crispy bits of bacon throughout!6. Ube tart with coconut creamWarm and crunchy crust with cold, creamy ube pudding, with chunks of ube and fluffy coconut sauce! The Chef also came by to personally ask how everything was. He encouraged all feed back and was very friendly. It's been a while since I've been impressed enough to write a review, but they did it!Thank you Carte Blanche for a memorable evening!!!

probably the best food I've had in Honolulu? Yes I have eaten it all the best restaurants here and this is now my favorite.And probably could be double the price in a larger city.Beautiful, small room atmosphere, and every one of the eight dishes we had were amazing.highly recommend you bring your date here for the entire place like we did for our company holiday party.

My other half and I enjoyed our anniversary dinner at Carte Blanche. We loved the ambience, and it was neat to see our server also preparing our food. The food was delicious and you can tell they are very meticulous about every little detail. Each plate was like a piece of art. The amount of food that comes with the pre fix was more than enough to enjoy and even take some home, we left absolutely stuffed and satisfied!

We came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. The restaurant was quite small but the interior has a modern classy vibe. We went on a weekday and the place was empty. We were the only ones occupying a table until another party came in after we were about to leave. Even when we're the only ones there, it wasn't uncomfortable since both chefs were focusing on preparing the dishes. We had some cases where some servers at other places would stare at us eating or conversing which made us very uncomfortable. Anyways, when we were seated one of the chefs introduced the prix fixe menu that consist of 5 courses. There is also a kids menu and additional supplement menu.Caprese pani puri: I've tried pani puri once at a wedding and I was not a fan. However, this pani puri was delicious. The pesto and burrata were fresh. The tomato water poured in was a burst of flavor. The outer crisp was so light and thin. French onion soup: The soup presentation was absolutely beautiful. The top pasty grid was flaky and buttery. There were some lumps on top with a savory filling, I assume creamy onions that were delicious. The soup itself however was very salty. Even with the pastry broken in and mixed with the soup, it was still quite salty. Cucumber and melon granita: Very nice palette cleanser. It's helps cleanse the saltiness of the soup.Cold smoked ora king salmon: My favorite dish of the night. I rarely eat salmon at restaurants since it's tend to be overcooked or dry. The king salmon was the best I've had that I wished I can ordered an additional one to go. The dish was like an elevated version of a Hawaiian salmon lomi lomi. The salmon was very moist and soft. It was very buttery with a good amount of oil and fat. It was cooked perfectly. The tiny chops of tomatoes and onions were fresh and the charred cabbage was so savory. 72 hours not just braised short rib "steak": The braised short ribs were so soft and tender. The fried ulu and the foam sauce was delicious and goes well with the short ribs. The only thing we couldn't finish was the fried shiso. It was stuffed with other ingredients that made it taste quite peculiar and odd. Molten and frozen fried ube potato pie: This definitely reminds me of McDonald taro pie. The one fries under the pie was a cute addition. It was good. A good dessert to end an amazing meal. Overall, an amazing dinner. The prix fixe menu included 5 delicious dishes that were quite filling. For $74 each person, this was a great dinner with a good deal. It was disappointing that we couldn't try their duck Wellington since it wasn't available the night we visited. I did hear recently that you can request for it beforehand when making your reservation so they can prepare. This place definitely needs more recognition.

Located on 11th Ave in Kaimuki, next to where their AV storefront is. Parking upfront seems to be reserved for their staff, so we parked in the main gated parking area in the back. We couldn't quite figure out if there was a pathway to cut straight into the restaurant from the parking lot, so we walked around, if that makes sense. Look to enter through the brown wooden door, not the white covered glass doors with a lock on it. All this for just $74, such a steal! The portion sizes were huge and we were already full, by the time we finished the salmon course. Very interesting concept, though I wish the menu was a little bit more cohesive throughout the evening. There were blips of wins and areas of opportunity, but definitely worth a try. The inside of the restaurant is very clean and a total vibe where it feels like you're in a different location entirely (you can't hear any of the outside street noise from inside). As for the service, it was a 3-man show when we went there. Looked to be one main guy cooking, another one helping/running the food, along with a sommelier. The sommelier was under the weather for the evening, so he was helping to cook the food (TMI, though I appreciate the honesty). Every dish was explained and they were able to accommodate my nut allergy, thank you for that! My opinions on the following, take it with a grain of salt: Pani Puri - I personally didn't care for the burrata cheese inside, as I'm accustomed to the Indian street food version, but I appreciate the creativity on that. French Onion Soup - on point! The croquette on top yummy, when you mix it with the soup base yummy. Not too salty, just the right temperature.Cucumber and Melon Granita - Not my favorite, tasted like watermelon rind. And the pickles threw me way off. Maybe like a brighter zestier note if it's supposed to be like a palate cleanser, perhaps something yuzu?Cold Smoked Ora King Salmon - I personally love squid luau or luau in general and this was the fanciest I've ever seen a Hawaiian-inspired dish. Portion size is huge, all the flavors meshed very well together.72 Hour Not Just Braised Short Rib "Steak" - presentation and plating may help gel the flavors better. I enjoyed the components separately because it felt like too much of the aioli or mentaiko foam that was on the plate. Less of that, off to the side, next to the salad, and the meat off to the side is what I'm envisioning. The crispy stuffed shiso leaf topping was not my favorite. I think the cassava filling threw me off. Molten & Frozen Fried Ube Potato Pie - my only wish was to have more of this! Everything on point here! Great date night or girls night out spot! I'm interested to see how often they change up their menus and to see what else they come up with next!

Decided to check this restaurant out based on the previous yelp reviews but was disappointed. First, the address is wrong on the yelp site. It should be 1133 11th Ave. ( vs 1138 listed). Private parking is very limited in front of the building that is also shared with Subway. The dining room is an airy nouveau faux opulent space with an open kitchen but not very charming or inviting. Although the menu looked interesting, the dishes were only ok and disappointing. The first two courses of the Pani Puri and French Onion soup were the best in presentation, taste and uniqueness. The watermelon granita was a good palette cleanser. The scallops were underwhelming...the scallops themselves were fishy, dry and just off. The shrimp toasts were good but over salted and the sauce was just too heavy for the dish. And why plate this on less than half the plate? The pork belly dish was beautifully plated and the salad, squash and Brussel sprouts were delicious. The pork belly taste for me was a bit underwhelming reminding me of the Smoked Chinese pork belly you find in the grocery store...just a fresher, better presented version. Thankfully the dessert left us with a good taste for the evening. The fried ube potato pie was a winner.

Came here for a bday/ Xmas celebration. They have a set menu for the holidays so we didn't get to try the infamous duck wellington. We could just imagine how good it is as everything on their pre fix menu were great!! Their foie gras with bread - that bread was so buttery and soft! The onion soup was sooo delicious and you must try their fried chicken! They ran out of caviar so we only got to try the regular order, it was super juicy! I highly recommended if you are looking for a place for any kind of celebration!

One of the most creative restaurants I've eaten at. It is a little off the beaten path from Waikiki, but it is well worth the Uber ride out! We came here for my girlfriend's birthday dinner and were not disappointed. We were the only guests there for 8:30 dinner on a Thursday. The place is small and only opened four months ago, and it felt like an exclusive dining experience. The waiter gave us a great recommendation for wine that paired well with both of our dinners. Everything was amazing! What stood out to me us the way they pair Hawaiian flavors with fine dining -- it is arguably more of a Hawaiian culinary experience than anywhere else. The waiter was knowledgeable and explained the source of ingredients and all the meticulous work that goes into preparing the food. If you want a luxurious meal in Honolulu/Waikiki, this is the place to be!

The entrée during my evening at Carte Blanche was a pork dish with a side of tossed greens and roasted Brussel sprouts. Not their most creative dish, but not a bad one. I know usually it would be their signature duck Wellington. The course menu was otherwise unchanged and delicious. They were out of their caviar add-ons this night, but explained that it was due to a menu change underway. My guess is that the entrée change was for the same reason. The foie gras side-order served with toasted brioche was delightful. The service was attentive and very hospitable. They are not shy from striking friendly conversations with guests! We had a nice chat and a wonderful dinner.