Dining Scene
Spotty service tarnishes the promise of Le Guignol
By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic
It's not as though they don't have some positive things to offer, and they do, but Le Guignol isn't where it should be. I ate there several months ago when they first opened at this location, but figured that I should give them more time to get their act together. It was disappointing then, and unfortunately, it still is after two more visits.
Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser
Perhaps the most positive thing is the presence of Leilani, the warm and sweet hostess who also happens to be the mother of the chef, Shane Sutton. She calls her guests by their first names, smiles and welcomes them. We should all have someone like Leilani fronting or representing our business concerns.
Le Guignol's Shane Sutton shows promise as a successful chef. However, menu descriptions are not accurate and the wait staff needs extra training.
Le Guignol
• 1010 S. King St.
• Dinner: Wednesdays-Sundays, 5:30-10 p.m.
• BYOB
• 591-1809
• 2 1/2 forks=Mediocre+
Our waiter, who I recognized from months ago, committed so many mistakes I lost count. When reciting the night's specials, he failed to give prices. Case in point was the foie gras appetizer ($19.95), which was lightly sauteed and placed atop slices of apple, with a dark and slightly sweet sauce made from a duck stock reduction. This dish was very good, but at $19.95 it's on the expensive side for a place of this stature. They should definitely mention the price.
We ordered another appetizer and a bowl of soup for starters. Everything was brought out at the same time, but we were not given plates. The coquilles Saint-Jacques appetizer ($8.95) looks quite lovely on its plate: plump, juicy scallops and flaky puff pastry in a light cream sauce, but unfortunately it's flavored with curry. I think this flavor masks the sweetness of the scallops. The menu says nothing of the curry flavoring; however, the entree version of the scallop dish does mention the "hint of curry" in its description.
After clearing our table of the starter plates and utensils, our waiter failed to bring silverware to us in time for our salad course. All entrees, by the way, include a salad of baby greens in an uninspired, creamy dressing. And believe it or not, our waiter failed again to get silverware to us in time for our entrees.
Miss A's entree, le veau Guignol ($19.95) arrived a full five minutes before my poached salmon ($19.95). Perhaps our waiter was making up for the fact that all our appetizers arrived at the same time. But hey, even if my salmon was brought to the table with her entree, I still didn't have a knife and fork. "Je ne suis pas un campeur heureux," I kept saying across the table. The people at the table next to ours thought I was reciting romantic French passages, but the truth is, I was saying, "I am not a happy camper."
Miss A's veal was very tough and chewy, even though she loved the port wine mushroom sauce. My late-arriving salmon was served with the skin still on and was quite underdone. These entrees really missed their mark, but on a subsequent night, they nailed the entrees. We had a delicious, well-prepared rack of lamb ($29.95) and a filet mignon ($19.95), both served with bearnaise sauce, a dollop of mashed potatoes and steamed spinach.
Desserts are OK, not great. The French chocolate cake ($7) is flourless and a far cry from what you'd be expecting if relying on the menu, although it is pretty good. The creme brulee ($6.50) is served in a rather pedestrian coffee cup, and the chocolate mousse ($6.50) is a very light, almost too subtle, milk chocolate flavor.
The issue is this: The service is spotty, at best. It's so different from most of the genuine French restaurants I have visited. The efficiency level is low. Our waiter forgot silverware and dishes multiple times on both evenings. They do not serve beverages except for pre-sweetened iced tea and lukewarm coffee. I want to make sure that you know this is a BYOB place, but that's no excuse for not carrying anything to drink. The dining room and patio area are plain with little atmosphere.
On the upside, Shane Sutton shows a glimmer of promise as a successful chef. He is young (26) and my guess is he didn't apprentice or train long enough under a top-level chef. Given time, experienced management, a concisely written menu and professionally trained wait staff, Le Guignol may one day hit its mark.
Send comments, questions and suggestions to ChefMatthew@LoveLife.com
