A Taste of The Bayou / “Hallelujah!” I scream from the recesses of my mouth–my taste buds still tingling from our Saturday night dinner at A Taste of the Bayou. Honolulu now has supreme authentic Cajun cuisine–a newcomer to the Kapahulu foodie scene. Attentive and delightful servers Gida–an aspiring chef at KCC’s Culinary Institute–and self-possessed David make us feel right at home. They quickly bring wine glasses for our BYOB bottles of red wine, sans corkage fee, and plates of fresh-from-the-oven petite clusters of cornbread. All baked items are made in-house by Susan, wife of Chef and owner Dillard Faulk. Susan, tall and willowy, graciously greets the steady stream of customers. The corn muffins are part of the Cajun lagniappe tradition–a gifting from Louisiana merchants to their customers as a token of appreciation and hospitality.

One guest raves, “Man it’s all about attention to the smallest details. Nothing’s lazy here!” David is quick to recommend two orders of fried green tomatoes for the table which arrive exquisitely crowned with Creole mustard sauce for just $6.95. The thick and generous green tomatoes sit succulent in their breaded suitcases–firm and fleshy and distinctly unique. Although Creole and Cajun cuisine are frequently thought to be one and the same–their origins and influences are decidedly different. Cajun descends from the robust food of French Canadian fur traders who settled the remote reaches of the inhospitable Bayou, as lore dictates. With its fusion of aromatic spices and meats it was perfect comfort food. True Cajun gastronomy remains non-urbanized. Creole cuisine foregrounds tomatoes and okra and has its roots in Africa and the Caribbean.

Gida, a bona fide foodie from the twin culinary superstars– New Mexico and New York–with her ebullient smile and curly dark hair remarks, “Whenever you present a food from a different culture it can range anywhere from amazing to awful. What I most admire about Faulk, who was raised in Southwestern Louisiana, is his absolute commitment to authenticity. Dillard goes above and beyond to create the recipes that he grew up eating. Some people here have never eaten Cajun food and are unfamiliar with the ingredients. He could easily substitute a local ingredient which would alter the recipe–but he doesn’t.”

It’s precisely the rich imported Louisiana tasso that makes the jambalaya in the signature dish we order, A Taste of the Bayou, so satisfying and balanced. Faulk, soft-spoken and friendly, makes the rounds to talk story Cajun-style: “So how you’re doing–having a good time?” All harmonious with the restaurant’s French Cajun adage–Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!–he chats about his catfish supplier from Louisiana and his plan to introduce both alligator and crawfish to his menu.

What is particularly remarkable about Faulk’s Cajun cuisine is that all the fried food–typically not diet friendly–tastes surprisingly healthy. There is no residue of heaviness. The hush puppies–an incredible fusion of savory and sweet with a touch of scallion–are a pathway to heaven. They win table favorite hands down. One of our companions is a vegetarian, yet she is seduced by her perky green salad, hush puppy side and corn maque choux. Maque choux is a traditional dish of southern Louisiana. It is considered to be an amalgam of Acadian French (Cajun) and Native American cultural influences. It is a simple dish of corn, green bell pepper, tomatoes, onion and sometimes garlic and celery. The ingredients are first braised in a pot; historically with bacon grease but now with various combinations of oil, butter and cream. Faulk’s corn maque choux wears a delicate taste of cream.

Faulk, born and raised in Starks, a small town nestled in the Cakasieu parish in southwestern Louisiana, learned these Cajun culinary traditions in his mother’s restaurant. He graduated from KCC Culinary Institute of the Pacific and has resided in Hawai’i for 30 years.

A few of us are attracted to the shrimp etouffe–described as “plump juicy shrimps and savory vegetables smothered in a dark buttery roux and Cajun spices served with Cajun rice and corn maque choux.”

But David enthusiastically recommends his three favorites and we abide by the power of suggestion: Fried catfish with sweet and savory hushpuppies ($13.95); A Taste of the Bayou ($15.95) and the seafood file gumbo which comes in two sizes reminiscent of the old-fashioned lady menus (the small bowl for $7.95 and the large bowl for $14.95). We’re hearty eaters and no one elects the small bowl. Faulk offers a Cajun gastronome glossary at the back of his menu–like an invitation to travel to another world.

A Taste of the Bayou arrives on a long white plate with three sample bowls of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, chicken and tasso jambalaya and plump red beans and rice. “It reminds me of the food I ate in Cuba,” comments our Italian guest. Each of the substantial bowls is delicious, but the chicken and tasso jambalaya is earth-moving. I order mine “spicy” and consistent with everything on the menu, the balance between meat, rice and spice is flawless. Gida fills us in on the backstory of the hush puppy: “Back in the day after the coating of the catfish, the corn was flung into a sizzling pot. Encased in catfish batter–the aroma was such a delight that the dogs took to a din of howling. The community responded with ‘hush puppy!’”

Aesthetically, the restaurant with its alligator wood carvings, high ceiling fans, folk art, wooden floor, photo gallery and Forrest Gump slogan in the bathroom is festive without being a kitschy destination site. It is a restaurant to watch out for with a chef who is dedicated to sharing his childhood recipes with locals and tourists alike–one who is utterly unwilling to compromise on the integrity of the ingredient. It is space that is perfect for a celebration with a group of friends or an intimate dinner–where the rung of casual dining meets quality food, and the BYOB makes it extremely affordable.

At the night’s denouement, Gida and David bring out complimentary chicory coffees. We are satiated without being stuffed. We order one bread pudding with whiskey sauce. However, I hear that Susan does magic with her sweet potato coconut pie with Chantilly cream sauce.

There will be other times.

A Taste of The Bayou

740 Kapahulu Avenue, Tues–Sun 5:30–10pm, AMEX, Disc, JCB. MC, V. 732-2229