Feast for a King
Just as King Kamehameha I united the Islands, a good traditional Hawaiian feast is a communal roundup of dishes. Hawaiian staples have varying roots, from local poi to Chinese-influenced chicken long rice.
Restaurants
New Inn Kakaako
Highway Inn started serving Hawaiian comfort food in 1947 in a space fronting Farrington Highway (hence the name). The restaurant relocated to Depot Road and then to its current location on Leoku Street, but has always kept the same menu.
Park to Eat
To be honest, Hawaii’s oversaturated food truck scene has grown a little stale. It jumpstarted with the launch of Eat the Street in 2011, but the wheels of excitement have slowed down over the past year.
3 Lunches Under $10
Food doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive to be delicious. Here are two new Kitchens serving up affordable dishes and one oldie, known for its budget-friendly plates, that’s adjusting to a new location.
Sushi For Non-Purists
For my 21st birthday, when I was back home in Japan, my father took me to a sushi restaurant tucked away in Yokohama Station. As we ate glistening morsels of oh-toro (fatty tuna) and shared a hot bottle of sake, he asserted, “There are no good sushi restaurants in Hawaii.” He didn’t believe me when I said, “There are, there are!” But Dad’s a super sushi purist.
Casual & Contempo
A new chef at a museum cafe and a new Kakaako spot are two must-tries for Honolulu saveurs. What they provide in common are healthy, light seasonal fare and a welcome chance to eat and drink outdoors in the fresh spring air.
Three Cheers For Pastry
In Honolulu, locals can count on finding delicious pastries such as an pans, azuki bean breads, guava cakes and apple turnovers. But for pastry connoisseurs who want to nibble on the unique (at least to Hawaii) and the finger-licking luscious, these three bakeries take the cake.
Sustainable Taskmaster
There’s a new guy in town from Brooklyn, with a conviction about what nose-to-tail sustainability can mean for Hawaii. Meet Justin Yu, Robert McGee’s successor as The Whole Ox Butcher & Deli’s executive chef and owner.
Bene, Bene, Oishii
Fusion cuisine is not new, but it can still be difficult to understand. From Pacific Rim to Tex-Mex and beyond, navigating the sea of mixed cuisines can, at times, result in queasiness.
A Tasty Roll Call
College food gets a bad rep, and for good reason–think frozen pizza, ramen, Taco Bell. But beyond these inglorious options are a few Oahu campus vendors worthy of delicious redemption.
Quest For Fresh
Continuing our pilgrimage in search of restaurants offering fresh, healthy fare (“Beyond Just Salads,” Dec. 19), we found three quick-serve, affordable eateries whose healthful food left us satiated–but not heavy or lethargic, as is too often the case with burgers or plate lunch.
Coffee Balk
Date night at an upscale restaurant: You delight in the local produce, Big Island beef or Maui lamb, crème brûlée made from local eggs and lilikoi from the chef’s backyard. And then you order coffee, expecting Waialua Estate or 100 percent Kona, only to discover that Illy Café or Lavazza is served.
Pillar of SALT
Salt Bar & Kitchen started as the offshoot of 12th Ave Grill. Though calling itself a “bar with food,” it was our Weekly readership’s top pick as new restaurant in 2011 and is this year’s Honolulu Magazine restaurant of the year.
Some Like It Hot
Mexican food in Hawaii is notoriously hit-and-miss. We have our favorites: Serg’s in Manoa and Waimanalo, and Mexico in Kalihi (at least for the tequila selection), but anybody from the Southwest misses prodigality of Tex-Mex choices.
Oh, You Like Beef?
To be voraciously stuffed, I turn to yakiniku. This style of cooking is credited to Korean immigrants who brought yakiniku to Osaka, Japan prior to World War II.
A Crustacean Affair
Last year, more than a handful of crab shacks clawed their way to forge Honolulu’s take on one of the nation’s biggest food trends. Although the dining concept is consistent–pick a shellfish or seafood combo, choose a sauce, wear a bib, make a mess, repeat–each restaurant offers a unique spin on the familiar Cajun-inspired cuisine.
Take Me To Your Liquor
Foodie culture is reaching rampancy now that we fancy ourselves fine diners. But since the 1980s–that era of bad taste and cocaine–cocktails have mostly been used to get us from Point A to Drunk.
Live Long and Eat
Honolulu Weekly restaurant reviewers dine anonymously, editorial integrity being our first priority. Reviewers may visit the establishment more than once, and any interviews with restaurant staff are conducted after visits.
Wanted: Local Pork
There’s just something about pork that inspires salivation. Kalua pig, barbecue ribs, tonkatsu, lechon, pig’s feet.
Cafe Renewal
During the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Top Hat Bar in Wahiawa was hit. It closed for three days and reopened on Dec.
Taking it to the streets
Instead of resolutions that are made to be broken, why not cultivate a habit that’s easy and fun to follow? For me, that means adding more variety to my fast-food diet, as I replace guilty pleasures with tasty, fresh grub from local lunch wagons.
Variety Is The Spice
What we think we know about the traditional restaurant–as a place to go for one menu prepared by one chef–is challenged more frequently these days, and we’re not talking about pop-up events and trucks. Perhaps the most exciting idea is the actual modification of the restaurant archetype, like that taking shape at Taste.
Restaurants
Sweet and Savory Chews
Restaurants / Literally, mochi is a beaten rice cake. Culturally, it’s respectful fare, made fresh for the New Year.
Beyond Just Salads
Honolulu has recently seen a propitious rise in vegan-friendly restaurants. Take Downbeat Diner, where most menu items can be made sans animal product by request, or Yuzu, where the veggie sushi platter leaves diners content to forgo fish.
Fast Food for Gastronomes
At quick-bite (okay, fast food) restaurants, one often gives up fresh, healthy ingredients in exchange for ease and low cost. Thankfully for the time-pressed and hungry, the owners of these recently opened restaurants are prioritizing food quality while somehow finding a way to speed the time from order to plate.
This week
Honolulu Confidential
For this year’s Food + Drink issue, we compiled 100-plus memories of the fantastic bites we’ve taken, the culinary experiences we’ve undergone and other tasteful moments of absolutely loving what Hawaii’s food scene has to offer. The result is a mixed plate of the Weekly ‘ohana’s favorite dishes, libations, produce, places and some lesser-known joys.
Favorite Dishes
Respect Your Veg At long last, vegetables are being recognized as culinary stars. The following dishes have two things in common: They’re veggie-centric, if not strictly vegetarian, and best eaten on the spot.
Noodles
Paitan Broth: Kyoto Ramen Yotekko-Ya If you’re a ramen lover, you know the most important element of the bowl is the broth. At Kyoto Ramen Yotekko-Ya, the paitan broth ($9.95 for paitan chashu ramen) is deeply savory.
Baked Goods
Naan: Cafe Maharani “The dough is just special,” says owner Chris Rahman of Cafe Maharani. The naan ($2.99) is made to order and handled very delicately.
Mean But Worth It
Asian: Green Door Cafe Enter into Green Door Cafe to find a whole ‘nother world. Owner Betty Peng is a one-woman show (don’t start with her, or else) and cooks all of her Singaporean dishes to order.
RIP
Byron’s Drive-in The vacant, former Byron’s Drive-in building still stands near the airport since closing its doors in February. “We’d always go [to Byron’s] late at night,” says Sabrina Thompson, a Tripler Hospital nurse.
Meat
Shinsato Pork: Guava Smoked Scott Shibuya of Guava Smoked made a splash in the farmers’ market scene with his finger-licking good, guava wood-smoked Shinsato Pork. “I really wanted to be my own boss,” he says.
Dairy
Cheese: Surfing Goat Dairy Owners Thomas and Eva Kafsack moved from Germany to Maui and found that they missed receiving fresh goat cheese from their neighbors’ backyards. A few goats from the Big Island (and a huge investment) later, Surfing Goat Dairy was born.
Snacks & Desserts
Decadent Fries: Home Bar and Grill These aren’t ordinary fried potatoes. Chef Neil Nakasone’s Parmesan truffle fries ($8) are an elite class of spuds.
Pop-Ups
Rotations: Taste Some might say Chef Mark “Gooch” Noguchi and partner Amanda Corby, with the help of another power couple, Poni and Brandon Askew of StreetGrindz, fleshed out the pop-up trend with Taste. But: “Actually, Adam is Taste,” Gooch explains, referring to Taste’s general manager, Adam Lock.
Healthy
Healthy Food Truck: Beet Box Cafe The Beet Box Cafe is a sit-down eatery located in Haleiwa Town, but their bright yellow lunch wagon is also worth following. The lunchtruck serves organic, vegetarian burritos ($7-10), a special of the day made with farm-to-table ingredients ($10-12), smoothies ($7.50), kombucha ($5) and snacks such as baked goods and dried fruits ($3).
Seafood
A Cook’s Catch When it comes to fish, freshness really matters, so eating local from our Hawaiian waters is always in the best of taste. Health and sustainability also count.
To-Go
Whole Foods & Down To Earth Down to Earth offers strictly vegetarian delights such as Bombay spinach, eggplant parmesan, stuffed shells, Thai curry and vegetable korma ($9.59/pound). The tofu and eggplant are always sourced from local producers.
‘Aina
Edible Land: Permablitz Fruit trees flourish in Hawaii but sadly, much goes to waste. Permablitz aims to change that.
Fruits
Foraging: Strawberry Guava at Waahila Ridge Strawberry guava is invasive to Hawaii, which is why I don’t feel an ounce of guilt picking the small, red fruits in (free!) handfuls whenever I hike up Waahila Ridge. When they’re a light red color, just pull them off the trees, check for bug-made holes and bite in.
Spices
Nutmeg and Cloves: Frankie’s Nursery Want to spice up your kitchen? Lynn Tsuruda of Frankie’s Nursery says they sell spices grown in Hawaii, by the plant or the fruit.
Specialty Markets
Filipino: Pacific Drive out to Central Oahu and find Pacific Supermarket, a haven for all things Southeast Asian. With the Leeward community’s large Filipino population, access to local favorites at Pacific is a big deal.
Lesser Known
Korean Chew: Taegu Taegu, more properly pronounced as dae-goo, is either a variety of cod, sliced into strips and seasoned, or a seasoned side dish. There is some confusion, as I came to realize while asking my born-and-raised-in-Korea mom, because those side dishes are made with different fish.
Coffee & Tea
Matcha Latte: Peace Cafe Peace Cafe, a second home for vegans, carries a matcha (green tea) latte with a secret. “The first sip is always the most important,” explains an employee.
Healthy
Good For You: Kombucha A SCOBY is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast integral to making kombucha. Kombucha, a fizzy tea, is full of promises to boost detoxification, immunity and digestion and joint health.
Cooking Classes
Free: Whole Foods Whole Foods Market Kahala offers free cooking classes at CookSpace in Ward Warehouse. “We just did a Health Starts Here cooking class,” says Whole Foods marketing supervisor Natalie Aczon.
Alcohol
Wine Tasting: Kalapawai Cafe Every second Sunday of the month at 3:30 p.m., Kalapawai Cafe holds a free wine tasting. “We [have] five wines.
Aloha ‘ino
Dear Friends, Readers, and Advertisers, I am sorry to say that this will be the last issue of the Weekly that we will print. I am sad about closing but I see no way that we can maintain our revenue stream and our fiscal health.
Phasing
Native Hawaiians and preservationists have pledged to fight a law, signed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie on May 28, that will allow some construction projects to begin before the site has been fully inspected for ancient burials.
A Food Forest
Imagine you’re walking through downtown Honolulu and, rather than bypassing an empty, blighted park, you’re drawn into an urban oasis–a forest of fruit-bearing trees and shrubs. You could spend your lunch break chatting with friends in the shade of an ‘ulu tree–and, if you’re hungry, pick whatever’s in season.
CIVIX
Road Rule On May 20, Gov. Abercrombie signed Act 73, requiring all vehicle passengers to buckle up regardless of age or seating arrangement.
Hell No, GMO
Tourists enjoying the Waikiki waterfront were treated to Hawaiian phrases such as “Aole, aole, aole GMO!” chanted by protesters in the March Against Monsanto on Sat., May 25. Translation: No GMOs, ever.
Done Deals?
The Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) made its proposed plan to redevelop the Kakaako district available to the community during an open house on Thu., May 23. HCDA Executive Director Tony Ching began with a presentation of the new Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) plan before letting residents ask questions.
TheBus
In 2011 the city Department of Transportation Services (DTS) was tasked by then-Mayor Peter Carlisle’s administration to shave $10 million from its budget. Over the course of a year, several bus routes were cut and many more were shortened or reconfigured and the frequency of service decreased.
No one for GMO
You mentioned in your May 29 GMO article (“Big Pharm Fallout”) that GMO bans were placed on taro and coffee in 2008 in Kohala County. However it was an islandwide ban in Hawaii County.
Sovereignty issues
What a great quote: “I understand that it’s frustrating that we can’t get past the issue of homelessness . .
Not pono
I know space is limited and you couldn’t put everything in one small article (“Art with HART,” May 29). Here is the rest of what I wanted to have said.
Git ‘er done
Have five or more contractors “compete” by tackling sections of roadway (“Road Repaving,” May 29). Criteria for competing are expenses, timeliness and a level of quality assurance standards.
A memoir’s reach
Thanks for this article (“The Naked Truth,” May 22), I’m Mykel Hicks, grandson of Sharon Hicks, and I am so proud of my grandma for all she has done for herself, this family and specifically me. She is an amazing grandma who comes with a moving story I hope can help people around the world.
Fix Kakaako
Please remind readers that the HCDA is not interested in providing housing for minimum wage individuals or families, but in providing property developers with profitable opportunities; that our ancient water and sewage lines were not designed to support the needs of thousands of condo and apartment dwellers, but no one is interested in replacing them because no one wants to pay the price (“Civix,” May 22). As a result, Kakaako’s streets are regularly flooded with no sidewalk retreat for pedestrians, wheelchairs, bicyclists, skateboarders, etc., and constantly excavated/repaired to accommodate one project after the other.
