nyloS Restaurant

There are fancy dinners, and then there’s nyloS, the kind of meal that makes the whole table go quiet for a minute because everyone’s too busy figuring out what just happened.

115 Baldwin Avenue
Paia, HI 96779
(808) 579-3354
Wednesday through Saturday
Reservations required

Tucked into Paia, nyloS is a tiny 14-seat tasting menu restaurant from Jeremy and Paulina Solyn, with an open kitchen that turns every seat into a chef’s table. The whole experience feels personal from the start, and that intimacy is a big part of what makes dinner here so memorable.

The Space

Part of the fun here is how small it is. There’s no big dining room, no wall between you and the action, no sense that you’re getting processed through a shift. Paulina served us with 100% commitment, a truly friendly and knowledgable service. You can tell they’re a tight husband/wife team, because she knew everything about what was served that night. It’s one of those places where you’re watching plates come together a few feet away and know every question will be answered.

The Menu for Our Night

On our visit, dinner was priced at $325 and read like a greatest-hits lineup for anyone who loves rich ingredients, sharp contrasts, and a little drama. The only negative from our experience was the price, but it was worth the money. It’s just hard to wrap our minds around spending that much for a night. After tip, which we were generous considering the high-level of service, it came to a pretty penny for 2. This should be reserved for your special date night. Again, worth the money, and know that you’ll leave having been served far more than you can eat. With only 3 other tables being served that night, the immense prep time for each dish, and the incredible ingredients being served, the price is warranted.

Opening Bites

The meal started with a course that did not mess around, sparkling wine, ikura, whitefish caviar, foie gras crostini, and grilled and chilled lobster tail, finished with lilikoi vinaigrette, green onion, micro salad, fermented cherry, and orange juice under a lilikoi smoke bubble with silver paper. It was luxurious from the first bite with the crostini as the star. The lobster kept things sweet and clean, the roe added little pops of salinity, and the foie gras crostini gave the plate its rich center of gravity. Then came the smoke bubble adding earthy fragrance before the first fork hit the plate.

Bread Course

Next came herb focaccia with caramelized garlic butter, sun-dried tomato butter, rainbow sea salts, smoked Spanish paprika, and minced herbs. This could’ve been a throwaway bread service, but it wasn’t. The focaccia was the kind of bread you keep tearing into even after telling yourself you’ll save room. I was kicking myself later on because I ate too much of it. The garlic butter brought the sweet, mellow depth, the tomato butter added a concentrated punch, and the salts and paprika gave you a reason to keep alternating bites just to see what changed.

Risotto

The organic arborio risotto came with pork hash, emulsified pork jus, Old Bay chicharron, gently broiled corn, chili oil, and micros. This was comfort food dressed for a very expensive night out. The risotto had that creamy, slow-built texture you want, but the pork and chicharron kept it from drifting into soft and sleepy territory. The corn gave it sweetness, the chili oil perked it up, and the whole thing felt like a playful, polished spin on rustic flavors.

Palate Cleanser

Then came sparkling grapes and granita, which showed up at exactly the right time. Cold, bright, and quick, it reset the table without feeling like filler. After the richness of the earlier courses, this one snapped everything back into focus. It was a fun course, and inspired me to make these grapes at home.

Wagyu Course

The sauteed A5 wagyu beef was one of the stars of the night, served with spicy Chinese mustard sauce, char-poached artichoke heart, unfermented kim chi and jus, and char-dried enoki mushrooms. A5 Wagyu is pretty much guaranteed to bring me to my knees, and it didn’t disappoint. The mustard sauce cut through the fat, the kim chi element added edge without hijacking the plate, and the enoki brought that deep, smoky savoriness that made the beef feel even bigger. Chef Jeremy said the enoki was is favorite part, and though the Wagyu stole the show, I agree they were special. The artichoke heart was spectacular too, and I’m still not sure what flavors I was finding, but I loved them! A truly unique take on one of my favorite vegetables.

Main Savory Course

The prime short rib ravioli came with Konro hardwood grilled white shrimp, Hasselback russet potato, sauteed mushrooms and pan sauce, red bell pepper coulis, green onion oil, moringa powder, and smoked thoroughly. This was probably the course that best summed up the nyloS style. It had a lot going on, but it never felt crowded. The ravioli brought richness and tenderness, the shrimp added a clean charred counterpoint, and the potato was delish. The pepper coulis and onion oil kept it moving, and the smoke worked for that initial ah factor.

Dessert

Dessert was a pineapple “Twinkie” cake with today’s sorbet, strawberry gastrique, isomalt glass threads, fresh Kula strawberry, sous-vide pineapple, mint paint drizzle, rice crispies, and gold dust. This was a fun plate, but it wasn’t my favorite.

Mignardises

Then came mignardises, the little final sweets that let dinner taper off instead of ending abruptly. I was so full, but somehow I ate them.

Wine Pairing

That night’s menu offered two pairing options, an “Incredible Wine Pairing” for $120 and a “Most Incredible Wine Pairing” for $175, each with five 3-ounce pours. It fits the format of a tasting-menu restaurant where the pairings are part of the fun, not an afterthought. We didn’t partake, as it was Dry January, but we’d like to try it next time.

Why People Love nyloS

nyloS has built its reputation around an intimate tasting-menu format with high-end ingredients and strong local produce. That small-room, big-ingredient formula is exactly what makes it work. It feels special without feeling stiff, and ambitious without losing the pleasure of just eating something delicious. We’ve been wanting to visit this little spot in Paia for almost a decade, and we’re glad to finally make it. I definitely recommend it, but I also warn it’s a special occasion kind of spot like visiting Mama’s Fish House. you need the time, budget, and general space in your head to commit to a special meal with special people.