By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Chef Russo's Valentine's meal features shrimp laced
with vodka, Caesar salad and chocolate cake with a
liquid chocolate center.
The new chef at Michel's says
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
atmosphere makes the meal romantic
Star-BulletinIan Russo knows the importance of being earnest. The new executive chef at Michel's at the Colony Surf is drive, personified. Along the way to Michel's, the 30-year-old Brooklyn native once earned a job at Roy's Restaurant by buying a one-way ticket to Hawaii and working free for a week. He won a position with a premier French chef after camping in a tent in France, then donning a suit for the job interview. He paid $4,000 to attend a customer-service workshop at Disney World.
"Whatever I could do to learn," said Russo. Most participants in the workshop were sent by their companies. No one had ever paid his own way. "I didn't care. It was about customer service and Disney does an amazing job. It didn't matter to me, if I could go there and learn."
The quietly intense new chef at Hawaii's most romantic restaurant proposed a Valentine menu-for-two at home: Aromatic shrimp and pasta in a festively pink, vodka-laced sauce. Piquant Caesar salad tossed at tableside. Sumptuously rich chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate center.
Glowing tapers and soft sounds also make the heart beat faster, suggested the bachelor chef of Michel's -- first named the World's Most Romantic Restaurant by the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" TV show in 1985.
"I used to wear a tuxedo for my girlfriend," Russo said. "If you're cooking for somebody who really appreciates you and they're being there for you, I think, forget about the food. Even if you just ordered pizza and you made it romantic and you were dressed really nice, I think that's the start.
"It's so simple, just a couple of candles, put the lights down, music, dress in something nice. If you have that, then great food is just an addition. I try to have something that tastes great, but once the person arrives, don't have to spend too much time cooking. Those things I think are important."
Russo also felt training with respected culinarians was important. His career included stints at La Reserve and La Chantilly, both in New York City; Hotel de France in Gascogne; the Michelin three-star Comme Chez Soi in Belgium; and, back in New York, the Zagat top-rated Bouley and the Zagat No. 3-rated Lespinasse. Most recently he was executive chef at New York's Pelago.
Russo will be guest chef for a five-course dinner at New York's prestigious James Beard House next week Thursday.
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Ian Russo
Executive chef, Michel's
at the Colony Surf
At Michel's Russo is keeping the award-winning classical French cuisine and adding signature updates to complement the 37-year-old establishment's $1.3 million face lift.Renovations included a compact bar and upholstery in muted mauve, rose and beige. Renowned features remain -- the rarefied aura of crystal and silver; the incomparable open-air view of the sun setting on the ocean. To these add Russo's signature potato-wrapped trout and stuffed quail.
He stuffs Idaho trout fillet with spinach, mushrooms and fresh herbs, and wraps it in a strip of potato that, unrolled, is 20 feet long. He pan-fries the bundle until it's crispy outside, soft and flaky inside. "It was written about in New York magazine. Now I add fresh hearts of palm from the Big Island."
For the quail dish, he stuffs a deboned bird with roasted acorn squash, sweetbreads, risotto and foie gras. "It is a lot of work, but each dish should be a little different. For example, we serve it with carrots cooked in carrot juice with a little bit of five spice."
Russo began at an International House of Pancakes at age 14 and became a cook at 16. Customer compliments on his burgers and blintzes lit a fire in the youth. Now chef Russo said he works 11-1/2-hour days, seven days a week.
"They don't even have to pay me," Russo said. "I mean obviously I've got to make a living, but my focus is to have everyone have an amazing meal."
Russo just unveiled five-course prix-fixe menus showcasing lobster en papillote, salade compose (roasted eggplant, radicchio, cucumber and tomato with mustard vinaigrette), his trout and quail specialties, and banana walnut souffle for $65. Also, Friday's new late-night menu offers appetizers and live music until 1 a.m.
"I want to introduce local people to the menu. They can come in, have an unbelievable meal with great service and you don't have to spend that much," said Russo, who's as earnest about value as he is about food. "Everything's spread out, really romantic. They could come here, have a Caesar's salad tableside and a bottle of champagne, and it's just a great experience.
"You know, if I weren't working here, it's something I'd be doing on Friday night."
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-BulletinCaesar salad for two
6 ounces romaine lettuce, washedInto a wooden bowl, squeeze lemon juice. Add remaining dressing ingredients, one at a time in any order; mix well.
Fresh pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
3 ounces croutons
Dressing:
1/2 lemon wrapped in cheesecloth (so seeds won't fall into salad)
1 canned small anchovy filet, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 ounces mayonnaiseFold in romaine. Finish with freshly cracked pepper and top with freshly (it makes a difference) grated Parmesan cheese and croutons. Serve on chilled salad plates. Makes 2 servings.
Note: For a lower-fat version, substitute lite mayonnaise for regular mayonnaise; and use only 1 teaspoon total Parmesan cheese instead of 1 tablespoon.
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-BulletinCheese tortellini with shrimp
in a spicy vodka sauce14 ounces cheese tortelliniCook tortellini in boiling salted water until tender; drain and cool. Drizzle a little olive oil on pasta so it doesn't stick together.
7 ounces cleaned and deveined shrimp
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ounce extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces vodka (optional)
3 ounces heavy cream
2 cups top-quality tomato sauce
Crushed red chile pepper, to taste
Fresh basil, to taste
4 ounces ricotta cheeseLightly season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute shrimp until just cooked; remove from pan.
When pan cools, add vodka and then cream. Bring to a boil, then add tomato sauce and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red chile pepper.
To serve, add tortellini, shrimp and chopped basil to sauce. Place in a beautiful serving bowl, warmed, and top with ricotta cheese. Serve on heated dinner plates. Makes 2 servings.
Note: For a low-fat version, substitute 1 percent low-fat milk for 3 ounces heavy cream; substitute 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for 1 ounce extra-virgin olive oil; and substitute 4 ounces skim-milk ricotta for whole-milk ricotta.
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-BulletinRusso's warm, sexy chocolate cake
2 ounces chocolate, bitterMelt bitter chocolate and butter in a double boiler or over water; set aside. Whip eggs with sugar until light, about 10 minutes. Fold into chocolate mixture; then add flour.
4 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 ounces eggs (1-1/2 to 2 medium)
2-1/2 ounces sugar (1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon bread flour
1 ounce sweet chocolateWith canola-oil cooking spray, mist two 4-ounce cups. For each cup, fill half way with batter, drop 1/2 ounce of the sweet chocolate into center, and top with more batter to fill cup. Bake at 300 degrees about 15 to 20 minutes or until cake is set. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 2 servings.
