Mugen

One of only two AAA five diamond and Forbes five star restaurants in Hawaii that puts forth outstanding intimate dining experiences worth the effort securing a reservation for.The "Sunset Champagne & Caviar Experience" is the perfect way to pregame an evening in Waikiki. Hosted on the top floor pool deck with an expansive view of the Waikiki shoreline and timed with sunset (currently 17:45). A classic caviar service with freshly made blinis and taro chips with all the classic toppings (crème fraiche, chives, onions, capers, egg yolks) plus a smoked sturgeon pate..Great quality caviar. Not too salty. Beautifully round eggs glistening with oil. Rich and yolky with a long finish.The taro chips pair so well with the pate while the classic match, always a winner though as always, dive bombing using the mother of pearl spoons is ALWAYS the best way to go.Champagne accompanies the service. $280 / 2 guests. $180 per ounce for additional caviar.Yes, it's expensive but there is no other restaurant offering a traditional caviar service with amazing sunset vistas in Hawaii.Local friendly, polished service.Note: This review will be updated with an upcoming visit to the eatery for dinner and afternoon tea.Based on this experience alone, outstanding.

For our 33rd anniversary, we decided to fly to Honolulu to attend the Opening Night of Cirque du Soleil's Auana and then try Mugen Restaurant for Breakfast the following morning.We wanted to see if it was worth the trip to return for Dinner and the full experience at a later date.We were not disappointed.Ralph and Gerric served us - while also answering all of our questions about the dinner menu and service. The breakfast fare was amazing! It was fun to watch the morning chefs select fresh cuttings of herbs from their indoor hydroponic herb garden. The food was healthy and prepared beautifully. The mango chicken sausages were plated with fresh edible marigolds.It wasn't just a meal, it was an experience.Mahalo Nui to Chefs Gino & Lowell and to Ralph and Gerric for providing us with seamless service.Patrick Toal & Jon VagiHawaii Island

Manager Wes and his team truly took great care of us last tonight!We started with Roederer Estate champagne at sunset on the pool deck of this boutique hotel. Such a special way to celebrate a scenic Happy Aloha Friday :)For dinner we enjoyed the Fall prix fixe menu. Chef made an incredible line up of six tasty treats and presentation of each plate was done with style and grace. We especially enjoyed adding the Osetra Caviar to everything for that little extra ;) So nice of Chef to stop by and greet guests when his schedule allowed. Sommelier Doug took the time to tell us about each of the wine pairings. We were so fortunate to taste a sample of smooth Iwa 5, as he told us about this special sake from Japan.Servers Shari and Eduardo were very pleasant all evening. They checked on us often and at their recommendation, we added the A5 wagyu musubi to our prix fixe.This establishment offers valet parking from Kalakaua Ave. The Valet will escort you passed the secured entryway. Elevators to the pool deck are also by secured escort. At the end of our enjoyable dining experience, they gifted us with gold dusted chocolate candies in a sleek black cannister, such a classy touch. Great service, delicious food, and lovely atmosphere...we will certainly return because this was such a memorable dining experience!

Our leadership team has our year end dinner here. This beautiful restaurant is located at Espacio Waikīkī. Fine dining at its finest. This is my first time dining here and I have never had such a unique dining experience. Our team of butlers, sommelier, and chef created a tasting menu for our team that was impeccable. The food was so tasty and delicious. Although the servings were bite sized, I was full at the end of our last course. The champagne and white wine were crisp and light, and complimented every dish. For anyone looking for a once in a lifetime dining experience, you need to try out Mugen!

The world food tour duo ventured into Waikiki and made their first visit to Mugen, in the ESPACIO Hotel on Kalakaua Avenue. I decided against valet parking, as they use the Aston Waikiki Beach Tower parking lot, so we parked at the International Marketplace.After a leisurely stroll down Kalakaua, we found ourselves at the ESPACIO, a nine-suite hotel at $5K/night. The restaurant is inside the hotel, up a short staircase. It is a dark and intimate space ... I loved the atmosphere.I perused the extensive wine list and we started with a bottle of 2014 Le Corton ($330), a red Burgundy from Bouchard Pere et Fils. The bottle had a lot of sediment, so we had it decanted. It was very dark ruby red with hints of cassis and some astringency from the residual tannins.Mugen has a six-course tasting menu ($200pp) and on our visit one chose one of three options in course two, one of two in course three, and from three options in course four. The first course features three items: a glass of Taro Vichyssoise, a piece of charred octopus sitting on wasabi pesto, and a mini tart with ahi and Hamachi poke with a dollop of caviar on top.The better half of the duo opted for the Wagyu Beef Tartare, Shima Aji, and Maui Venison while I chose the Kona Kampachi, Lobster Risotto, and Marrunga Lamb. The tartare was served with two rectangles of potato pave. It was luscious and creamy though I thought it would have been better with toast points for a texture contrast. My Kona Kampachi came with a wonderful cranberry ponzu sauce ... A fabulous dish. The Shima Aji was a disappointment ... my better half usually prefers raw to cooked fish and I thought the skin of the aji was far too salty. On the other hand, my lobster risotto was spectacular. The lobster was perfectly cooked and the Shimeji mushroom risotto was perfection. I wanted more.The venison was crusted with what was described as heart of palm and shallot crust ... it was tender and so flavor rich. It came with a black garlic blueberry gastrique ... It didn't need any of it. My lamb was served with quarters of charred Brussel Sprouts, Maui onion jam and a lavender jus. Like the venison, it was perfectly cooked and oh so tender. Two fabulous main dishes.Course five was dessert; one could choose from three offerings; we selected the Chocolate & Chestnut and the Green Apple & Ginger Sorbet. My chocolate dish was a log of chocolate and a nest with chestnut atop a small serving of apple banana "foster". I don't like bananas, so I didn't eat that portion of my dessert. The sorbet was served with a container of warmed mulled hibiscus. The sorbet was decorated with slices of Asian pear and halves of grapes.The finale was a plate of several cheeses. One was served like a cookie with cream filling, and pieces of pineapple cooked in sweetened mustard wine (mostarda) atop some creamed cheese was the other item.Two hours later, we left thoroughly sated and content ... Dinner at Mugen, with one exception, was superb and comparable to other extraordinary venues in Honolulu. Service was attentive and gracious; the atmosphere was tranquil, and the food was fabulous. We hope others make their way to Mugen because it was empty for much of the time we were there. People don't know what they're missing. Highly recommended!

This has become one of my favorite restaurants period. I loved the meticulously prepared menu and the professionalism and humbleness of each and every staff. I can see they have put a lot of thought into preparing the whole experience. They truly know the spirit of a high end restaurant and deserves a star!

Mugen is located inside ESPACIO, and they offer a breakfast, afternoon tea, and a dinner menu.We came to check them out for their dinner - we weren't sure whether to go for their 6-course or for their Dry Aged Prime Tomahawk for Two experience, but we ended up choosing the latter!The meal started off with:+Poke & Caviar - ahi, hamachi, ginger, and green onion aioli+Pea & Parmesan Arancini - with iberico ham and truffle aioli; I opted out of this+Charred He'e - with kupu place nasturtium wasabi pestoOut of the 2nd course choices, we went for:+the Scallops - caramelized cauliflower, shio konbu cabbage, and golden raisin+the Wagyu Beef Tartare - with egg yolk gel, black garlic, and potato paveThe Dry Aged Prime Tomahawk came with assorted local banchans and a black garlic bordelaise. We went to add on a couple of 'enhancements', which included the A5 Wagyu Musubi and the Foie Gras Sandwich & Banyuls.For the dessert, we went for the Green Apple & Ginger Sorbet (with warm mulled hibiscus, Asian pear, and grapes) and the Okinawan Sweet Potato (with speculoos, torched meringue, and a coconut water veil).The restaurant has 34 seats, which makes the dining experience a bit more intimate. Service was friendly and attentive, and the space was dimly lit and sophisticated.+located at ESPACIO+friendly service

Food was delicious from start to finish.Ricardo explained all parts of the menu and his service and recommendations were excellent. We tried the house margaritta, and it was probably the best on the island using higher end resposado teqilla.Although the food may look small, you are still left satisfied as each bite was delicous and different. The courses are cohesive and the ambiance of the place makes everything come together for an immservice experience.Each main was different and we would definitely want to come back as the seasons change. Would highly recommend going there, it is different than pre-covid, so it is worthwhile to check it out again.

Upon arrival we were greeted and escorted into a private and charming dining area, the staff all attentive and professionally dressed.The tasting menu offered was easy to read and sounded delicious. Our server, Evan, walked us through the menu and selections with descriptive precision.The menu that followed was superb and flowed effortlessly from dish to dish, and as food enthusiast, we were both delighted and impressed. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a special night out.Thanks to the crew and Evan in particular!

WOW! Dinner at Mugen was one of the best meals we have enjoyed in a while! We like tasting menus and wine pairings every so often and Mugen exceeded all expectations! The excellent service, beautiful and delicious courses, variety of wines, and cool ambience all contributed a very memorable experience. Highly recommend dinner if you are on Oahu. We also got a tour of one of the suites of the hotel!