Article by the Pacific Daily News (GUAM). Written by Min Kim.
Find the original article here > Pacific Daily News
The raw, hand-varnished walls, the laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere and even the carefully invented, delicately seasoned entrées only signify the effort and teamwork that the folks at Delmonico Kitchen & Bar have poured into this new restaurant.
Located at the former location of Sereno’s in the Bayview Hotel lobby, Delmonico celebrated its birth with a soft opening last month, with the grand opening scheduled for tomorrow.
“Our specialty is really the combined efforts of all the partners who contribute in different ways,” says Eddie Chien, executive chef of Delmonico.
“This restaurant’s true to what we are. We are very relaxed and easygoing guys who love to cook and serve people and have a great time at it.”
Along with Chien, the rest of the crew includes Heronimo Matsumiya, chef de cuisine; Raul Cordero, pastry chef; and Kaz Endo, also known as “the articulator.”
The folks are no strangers to Guam’s dining scene, as their camaraderie roots back to the kitchen of a once-popular steakhouse.
“The whole team, both front and back of the house, is made up of staff from the former Colors Restaurant Red. We’re very lucky to find a group of people that enjoy each other’s companies as much as we do,” says Chien, who was also chef at Ivory Restaurant and Roy’s in the Hilton before working at Colors.
As the Tumon steakhouse recently closed down for relocation, Chien and his partners decided to open up Delmonico, but with a dampened approach.
Although the name is derived from Delmonico’s — a famous, high-end steakhouse in the New York area in the 1800s — Chien says the team was looking for a more casual setting.
“We do serve steak but we wanted to honor that name by creating a fun place to hang out, relax and have dinner,” he says.
Meat Of The Menu
As inviting as it sounds, the chill vibes are only half the enjoyment.
With a variety of options, diners can enjoy fusion cuisine that combines the preferences of each chef.
“My palate leans more over to the spicy taste but my other partners have purely American and Asian taste buds that all just come together,” Chien says.
Nonetheless, there’s still one aspect that the chefs all agree on — steak.
Because the steaks were well-received at Colors Restaurant, Chien says they are bringing back some of the popular steaks to Delmonico, such as the No. 86 “Delmonico” ribeye steak and the KB Steak Burger.
Also, the restaurant will feature a bar, but not just a martini bar.
“We’ll be bringing out a sushi bar, dessert bar and a soda bar so everybody can enjoy,” Chien says.