In an effort to bring attention to Hawaii’s food system and sustainability issues, Kanu Hawaii is asking all of us again to make a difference by taking the Eat Local Challenge. Starting yesterday and continuing through this Saturday, the challenge asks participants to eat only locally grown foods. Currently, more than 75% of our food is imported from out of state, which accounts to over $3 billion that is not being spent here. If barge and air freight to Hawaii were to be interrupted, our islands’ food supplies would only last 14 days. Eat Local aims to bring awareness to this issue and hopes to in turn, strengthen our local food system as a result.
Eating Local doesn’t necessarily mean going to your local eatery and ordering your favorite plate lunch though. Much of what is on that plate may not even be locally grown. The challenge is to find, buy and eat foods that were only grown here. Not exactly an easy task. Thankfully, there are participating markets and restaurants offering special “local” dishes for the week:
Zippy’s Restaurants – Loco Moco with Local Ingredients
Town Restaurant – Menu Item with All Local Ingredients
The Counter, Kahala Mall – Local Ahi Burger
Big City Diner – Menu Item with Local Ingredients
Hilo Bay Cafe – Menu Item with Local Ingredients
Kale’s Natural Foods – Discounts on “Eat Local” Items
I was not paid nor was I even asked to write about this. Just thought it was an important issue that we all need/should be aware of. So what do you say gang? You gonna help support this worthy, and frankly necessary cause? What are your ideas on supporting our local products and economy? Holla!
Wow! What an unbelievable month! I guess y’all really love your poke eh?
Last month, we struck gold when I introduced a topic that was near and dear to my heart. She went by the name of Poke. 8) Your feedback and comments were amazing and, as a result, I was able to make contact with some of the “giants” of the industry.
This month, we’ve got a very special treat for you with a star-studded lineup of exclusive interviews from the likes of Sam Choy (Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch, Crab & Big Island Brewery), Mel and Justin Tanioka (Tanioka’s Seafoods & Catering), Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi (Tokkuri-Tei) and Alan Wong (Alan Wong’s Restaurants)! Normally, an interview with these living legends, would each merit its own column, but this is Poke Paradise and this is how we roll, 😉 so strap on your seatbelts and get ready to go go go!
What’s a special on poke without some words of wisdom from Hawaii’s poke authority Sam Choy? Yep, my thoughts exactly. That’s why it was imperative that I get a few soundbites from bruddah Sam.
Hawaii’s Poke Authority: Sam Choy
[Edward Sugimoto] You are often looked to as THE preeminent expert/authority in poke. It’s even been said that the popularity of poke in Hawaii can be traced back to you. How does that make you feel?
[Sam Choy] It is an honor for people to trace the popularity back to me. My love for poke has made me want to make poke recognized as much as sashimi and sushi.
[Edward Sugimoto] Your poke contests/festivals are legend. Are you still doing them and if/so, when can we expect the next one?
[Sam Choy] We are working with Turtle Bay to have our Poke Contest there again later this year.
[Edward Sugimoto] What are your top 3 favorite pokes and where are they from?
[Sam Choy] My top three pokes are traditional ahi poke with Hawaiian salt, limu kohu and inamona, kole or opelu poke and oio poke which I make at home.
[Edward Sugimoto] Where is your “go to” poke place (besides your own kitchen)? 😉
[Sam Choy] Besides my own kitchen, Tanioka’s is my “go to” poke place. How can you go wrong with poke and one of Mel’s famous cone sushis? Try the alae poke! Have you ever tried the mochiko chicken? I was there doing a book signing with Mel in December and got to have it right out of the fryer… broke da mouth!!
[Edward Sugimoto] I’ve read somewhere that you even have a recipe that includes peanut butter? Is that true and how/why did you come up with that?
[Sam Choy] I actually got the peanut butter poke recipe from my dad who got it from his dad.
[Edward Sugimoto] What is one unique ingredient that surprised you (in a good way)?
[Sam Choy] The texture and the flavor of uni has surprised me. It is truly like taking a bite of the ocean!
[Edward Sugimoto] What’s in store for Mr. Sam Choy?
[Sam Choy] I am in the process of opening a new restaurant in Kona and looking forward to possibly expanding to the mainland (once) we’re up and running. The sky’s the limit!
Sam Choy’s Breakfast, Lunch, Crab & Big Aloha Brewery
580 N. Nimitz Highway
Honolulu, HI 96817 (map)
Tel: (808) 545-7979
Breakfast Hours: Mon-Fri: 7am-10:30am, Sat & Sun: 7am-11:30am, Breakfast Buffet: Sat & Sun: 9am-12noon.
Lunch Hours: Mon-Thurs: 10:30am-3pm, Fri: 10:30am-4pm, Sat & Sun: 11:30am-4pm
Dinner Hours: Sun-Thurs: 5pm-9:30pm, Fri & Sat: 5pm-10pm
Sam Choy’s self proclaimed “go to” place for poke is Tanioka’s. What say we head over to Waipahu and have a chat with father-son super combo Mel and Justin Tanioka to talk poke?
Tanioka’s Seafoods and Catering Sign
An Interview with Mel and Justin Tanioka of Tanioka’s Seafoods and Catering
[Edward Sugimoto] You first opened your doors in 1978 in a thousand square foot space with just four employees. What were those first years like?
[Justin Tanioka] I don’t know. *laughs* I was one years old.
[Edward Sugimoto] Yeah I heard you were like a kid sleeping on the cooler or something like that right?
[Justin Tanioka] Yeah, I was actually born one month before we opened.
[Edward Sugimoto] Oh wow, OK. So no memories of that huh?
[Justin Tanioka] Yeah. The first four years, I don’t know… *looks to dad*
[Mel Tanioka] It was simple. We had less items. So basically we were more like a fish market, selling just fish. No sushi, no chicken, you know, anything like that. It was just you know, mostly filets, poke. The trend of poke was just starting then.
[Edward Sugimoto] Oh so you didn’t have poke from the very beginning?
[Mel Tanioka] Oh we did.
[Edward Sugimoto] You now have a very successful catering business (like you said) to add to your seafood side. How or why did that come about?
[Mel Tanioka] Well, in the 1990s, we looked at the fish availability, and I felt that… If it started to get depleted, which we look at in the 90s and we thought if it starts to get depleted, what else, what kind of income is going to subsidize our market. So we decided to start our catering business, which has grown to equalize our fish. Before it was just a small percentage, but now it’s becoming a larger percentage of our business. So in the future, we’re going to hopefully gear towards more catering as the fish start depleting, unless you go into frozen fish. But for 30 years we’ve been dealing with fresh fish, so we’re trying to avoid that, but eventually it’s gonna come yeah.
[Edward Sugimoto] What are your top sellers in terms of poke?
[Justin Tanioka] Probably our Limu Poke. That’s our top seller.
Limu Poke ($12.95/pound)
[Justin Tanioka] Onion with Limu Poke is right there with it.
Onion Limu Poke ($12.95/pound)
[Edward Sugimoto] It’s just onions on top of that (the limu poke)?
[Justin Tanioka] Yeah kind of. A little different mix. A little bit stronger flavor on the onion poke side (with limu yeah). But the limu poke has been our item.
[Mel Tanioka] For parties, Spicy Ahi has been one of the best sellers because it stretches. You know the rice and spicy. For parties of two to three hundred, if you put like 20 pounds of poke, they’re gonna eat it up in a few minutes. So we thought that at least Spicy Ahi would stretch it out so everyone would have a share.
[Edward Sugimoto] What about not in terms of customers, but your guys’ personal favorite? Do you guys have any from here?
[Justin Tanioka] Mine would probably be the Onion with Limu. His is probably the Alae.
[Mel Tanioka] (*in unison*) Alae. *laughs* He knows yeah?
Alae Poke ($12.95/pound)
[Mel Tanioka] I love the Alae Poke. Chili pepper water oooh, that’s my favorite. With some poi and dry aku.
[Edward Sugimoto] Yeah, you guys have dry aku poke too right?
[Mel Tanioka] Yeah yeah yeah.
[Justin Tanioka] Yeah, we have dried poke. That one, it’s like a salty candy. When you eat it, it’s good, you know, just to pick on.
[Mel Tanioka] I always brag that we were one of the first guys to do that. Eventually, I don’t know who else does it yeah? *looks to Justin*
[Justin Tanioka] I’m not too sure. The only hard part about that is the price yeah? It’s priced kind of high, but, you know, after you dry it, you lose over 50% of your product just off the bat, and that’s not including the time and all of that.
[Mel Tanioka] So if you can picture a $10 pound of poke, when you dry it, it becomes $20 yeah? But the drying process is again, the labor process, the equipment used to dry, and all of that. For me it’s worth the price, but when you look at it at $19.95 (per pound) you’re like “woah”, but when you eat it, it’s worth it. *laughs*
[Edward Sugimoto] You guys have, like, I heard over 40 different types of poke, or almost there?
[Mel Tanioka] Yeah, probably.
[Justin Tanioka] Close to that. Yeah, maybe 30 something. We never really took a count.
The Different Types of Poke from Tanioka’s
[Edward Sugimoto] Are you guys continuing to think of new ones here and there?
[Mel Tanioka] We try to.
[Justin Tanioka] We try to. It’s hard to step away from the… Even when we make a new one, people kind of like it, but, like if they had to choose between a pound of the old Limu Poke or the new Garlic Poke, the Limu Poke is going to always come first.
[Edward Sugimoto] When making poke for yourself maybe like at home, what’s your one, go-to ingredient?
[Justin Tanioka] Aloha Shoyu. *laughs*
[Mel Tanioka] Our famous friends is Aloha Shoyu. We’ve been with them for 31 years.
[Justin Tanioka] Tell Sam (Choy) I said that.
[Mel Tanioka] Yeah, we’ve been using Aloha Shoyu for 31 years.
[Edward Sugimoto] You were mentioning earlier that Justin and your daughter Jasmine’s gonna be taking over. What else is in the future of Tanioka’s?
[Justin Tanioka] So far, everything’s up in the air yeah?
[Mel Tanioka] Yeah.
[Justin Tanioka] It depends on the economy. You know how everybody bounces back. I think some of it is fate you know? You gotta look, if you see something, maybe something might pop up (like) “Eh, you wanna be a part of this” or whatever, that’s how we would…
[Mel Tanioka] We did create a franchise. We went through the manual. But we’re not sure right now yeah ’cause it’s hard to… I tried, we had three stores at once, but it’s hard to keep the quality. You can expand a lot, but sometimes you lose the quality. So it’s trying to keep that quality vs. trying to expand… I guess people expand because they want to make more money right? But the end result is… You gotta expand with the intentions of keeping the quality.
A look inside Tanioka’s during a rare down time
[Justin Tanioka] And with it being harder and harder to get fresh ahi.
[Mel Tanioka] Yeah. That’s the part.
[Justin Tanioka] You know, each store is going to have to get their own fish and if we’re having trouble getting fish sometimes, like I don’t know what’s going to happen to them.
[Mel Tanioka] There’s a lot of factors. The Fresh Limu Factory is another one to consider. On a daily basis, it’s easy to get, but when it gets to the holiday time, I mean everybody is scrambling to get it, because you know, the volume goes higher. So that’s another thing that we’re looking at. But I think the franchise stores will probably go into like a different type of program. Not maybe 40 different types of poke, maybe they’ll have like 5 of just the basic sellers. Spicy Ahi, Shoyu Poke, Limu Poke.
[Justin Tanioka] And then of course the cooked food side. You know like the okazu-ya, just grab and go. Fried Chicken, Fish Patties, Shrimp Tempura, you know, stuff that’s consistent every day, tastes good. You know, it’s basic things that you would eat every day too yeah?
Family Bento with Fried Noodles ($5.50)
[Justin Tanioka] But as for me, I think my future is here at the market. Just keep it going. Keep this place going.
[Edward Sugimoto] Carry on the name ah?
[Justin Tanioka] Yup. Make my father proud. Make my parents proud.
The Tanioka `Ohana: Mel, Lynn and Justin (not pictured: daughter Jasmine Tanioka Lum)
[Edward Sugimoto] You guys have anything to add to your loyal customers or future customers?
[Justin Tanioka] Well, I would like to thank our customers. Thank you for standing in line. Some days are so busy. We try to get them (in and) out of here as fast as we can. I think we have a pretty good system right now.
[Mel Tanioka] And they’re so pleasant. Our customers are like, “Oh sorry, sorry you gotta wait in line,” (and they’re like) “No, no, no, it’s worth the wait.” They’re so positive and we’re just, we appreciate that yeah.
[Justin Tanioka] A lot. We appreciate it a lot.
[Mel Tanioka] And first of all we always trust in the Lord to guide us.
[Justin Tanioka] And our employees too. Our employees are what makes us. You know, without our employees, we wouldn’t be Tanioka’s you know. But our employees work hard, they work, you know they work fast… *looks at dad* Anything else?
[Mel Tanioka] *smiles*
It was great to see a truly genuine family doing good here in Hawaii. Justin was super cool and mellow, like he could’ve been your high school buddy growing up, while Mel Tanioka was very generous in packing, and I mean PACKING 3 shopping bags full of okazu items – like maki sushi, cone sushi, and even a bento to go along with their popular Limu Poke – for us to take back to the office. And though I didn’t get to meet daughter Jasmine, mom Lynn was just as warm and bubbly and always smiling.
Not only is their poke winnahz, they, as a family, are as well. Go and support the Taniokas k?
No stranger to the world of poke, Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi of the Izakaya style Japanese restaurant Tokkuri-Tei, is the winner of many cooking competitions, including Sam Choy’s Poke Contest, and has been delighting clientele to his unique poke stylings since the ’90s. Celebrating his 21st anniversary this year (the restaurant’s, not his 😉 ), Santa continues to push the culinary envelope for creative eats in Hawaii.
Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi inside his restaurant Tokkuri-Tei
Here’s a quick interview with the man simply known as “Santa”:
An Interview with Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi of Tokkuri-Tei
[Edward Sugimoto] Hi Santa, did you have poke on your menu from the beginning and if not, when did you start carrying it (and why)?
[Santa Miyoshi] Why? We didn’t have before, but after the poke contest (1997), we start carrying some poke.
[Edward Sugimoto] Was it a good seller in the beginning?
[Santa Miyoshi] Uh yeah, kind of.
[Edward Sugimoto] You won numerous awards at, like you said, the poke contests. What made you first want to enter the contests?
[Santa Miyoshi] Ah, well, it was Aloha Shoyu Cooking Contest I entered (in 1996), and I won a prize so I tried looking into other cooking contests, and there was one poke contest come up so I just entered. *laughs* There was no particular reason.
[Edward Sugimoto] And you had a story about wearing sweat pants and the security guard stopped you or something like that?
[Santa Miyoshi] Oh yeah yeah, because I just wear like T-shirt and start running around the display area and they told me not to, you know, stick around there because only for the chefs. Um, I have a badge saying I can enter. *laughs*
[Edward Sugimoto] On your menu, you have quite a few poke dishes (Ahi Poke, Spicy Ahi Poke, Ahi Tempura Poke, There’s a Spider in Da Poke, and Ahi Tar-tare Poke). Which is the most popular and which is your personal favorite?
[Santa Miyoshi] I think the Ahi Tar-tare Poke is the most popular one. And then Spider Poke is very popular too.
There’s a Spider in Da Poke – 2000 Sam Choy’s Poke Contest Winner ($16)
Also on the menu: Ahi Tempura Poke – Tempura Fresh Ahi with Shrimp Tempura ($16)
[Edward Sugimoto] How about your personal favorite?
[Santa Miyoshi] My favorite is maybe Amaebi poke which we don’t serve here.
[Edward Sugimoto] You also have some that are not on the menu (Ericka’s Poke, New Age Amaebi Nigiri Poke, Lilipuna Poke, Redefined Lomi Salmon Poke, Poke-ing Emi, and Poke Pasta Italian). Which is your favorite from these and why don’t you include them in your menu? Can customers order (them)?
[Santa Miyoshi] Some of the stuff is very hard to prep and we don’t have it (the ingredients) all the time so it’s really hard to make all the time.
(Off the menu) Lilipuna Poke – named after the street that some of Santa’s regulars live on.
(Off the menu) Seafood Risotto – not necessarily listed as a “poke” dish, but I just had to mention it ’cause it’s literally to die for!
[Edward Sugimoto] Are you working on any new poke dishes?
[Santa Miyoshi] Not necessarily but any kind of new item I’m always thinking (of).
Santa served this (hamachi, truffle, & shiso roll) to us recently, jokingly referring to it as the Sugimoto Roll! Could it be??? Santa san, douzo yoroshiku onegai shimasu! If not, maybe you can rename the Seafood Risotto to Sugimoto Risotto (or Risotto Sugimoto?)? 🙂
[Edward Sugimoto] And how about some of your favorite poke not from here?
[Santa Miyoshi] I like the one (jalapeño ahi) from Tamura’s. They make pretty good poke.
[Edward Sugimoto] Your new book Izakaya Hawai (Tokkuri-Tei Cooking), tell me a little bit about that.
[Santa Miyoshi] It’s just a history of this restaurant plus whatever I’ve been working on to make new dishes. It just consolidates all of the stuff we did (for) over 20 years.
[Edward Sugimoto] Do you have anything else to add to your loyal customers or future customers?
[Santa Miyoshi] Thank you for coming. *waves at camera and laughs*
Tokkuri Tei
611 Kapahulu Ave, Suite 102
Honolulu, HI 96815 (map)
(808) 739-2800
Mon-Fri 10:30am-2pm
Mon-Fri 5:30pm-12am
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Alan Wong
Last but definitely not least, we feature the god of Hawaii chefs: Alan Wong. Alan graciously took some time out of his insanely busy schedule to sit down with me to talk about poke, his use of it in his restaurants, and the importance of buying local.
An Interview with Alan Wong of Alan Wong’s Restaurants
[Edward Sugimoto] As a local boy, what are your fondest memories of poke?
[Alan Wong] You know when you’re raised in Hawaii, you grow up with that. It’s at every potluck, it’s at every gathering. I mean, you know, when you think of the holidays, New Year’s, Christmas, Thanksgiving, you’re always going to have red sashimi. Think of all the tailgating and all the hibachis. When you go tailgating at the football games, what does everybody have in their cooler? Poke, great pupus. You just grow up with it.
[Edward Sugimoto] Why was it important for you “the Master of Hawaii Regional Cuisine” to add poke dishes to both of your Hawaii locations?
[Alan Wong] I think what’s important is for people to taste Hawaii when they come to the restaurant. We want people to taste Hawaii so how do you taste Hawaii? We feature things grown/raised here in Hawaii, we also feature dishes that local people like to eat, whether it’s an ingredient, or whether it’s a concept like Loco Moco. So how do you take the Loco Moco and put it into this kind of a setting? Poke is a natural because it’s a big part of our culture. And so, every household eats that, so how do you take the poke, just like the Loco Moco, and put it in the setting?
[Edward Sugimoto] What’s the story behind Poki-Pines and how did you come up with it?
[Alan Wong] You know, Poki-Pines is, first of all a play on words. You know the animal the porcupine. *smiles* And so, cooking ahi or frying the ahi is one way to eat poke. You know, especially after it’s marinated. You marinate the poke and sometimes when you add shoyu to the poke it gets kind of dark, it doesn’t look very attractive, but you know, you can still eat it. Then you fry it and it tastes good. So we just wanted to encase that in the won ton strips, and it came all like you know, all this, like a porcupine. So it’s a play on words, and when you think about the crispy texture that you have on the outside, with the cooked poke, and then you marry that with wasabi sauce but with avocados, you know, that makes a good marriage.
Ahi Poki-Pines – Crispy Won Ton Ahi Poke Balls On Avocado with Wasabi Sauce ($15)
Restaurant Manager Kerry Ichimasa describes the Poki-Pines dish
[Edward Sugimoto] In your book New Wave Luau, you mention several different types of poke (Ahi Poke, Ahi Poke Gyozas with Soy-Vinegar Chile Dipping Sauce, Ahi Poke Nigiri, Nairagi and Kajiki Carpaccio with Swordfish Poke, Nori-wrapped Akule Stuffed with Poke, Seared Ahi Poke Cakes on Crostini, as well as the Poki-Pines). Are there any plans of making any of these available on your menu in the future?
[Alan Wong] They come in and out. We’ve served things in the book, in the various restaurants, but, you know, it’s like you gotta keep moving forward and try new things and different things and as you learn more, as you travel more as you taste more things, see more things, you’re cooking style evolves. So I think we will have more. Let’s say instead of poke dishes, more raw preparations yeah? It’s something that we love to do so we’ll always see those evolutions happening in our restaurants.
Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Salsa Stack – Stacked Crispy Won Ton, Spicy Aioli and Wasabi Soy ($19.50)
Restaurant Manager Kerry Ichimasa describes the Chopped Ahi Sashimi and Avocado Salsa Stack dish
[Edward Sugimoto] So even you’re still evolving as a chef?
[Alan Wong] Oh, you know, the local people love to eat raw fish. We are an island state, we’re surrounded by the ocean so, we like to serve the fishes from our waters, we are a culture that eats a lot of raw fish, and so it’s only natural that if you want people to taste Hawaii, and taste the culture, that you serve a lot of these preparations, whether they’re in poke form, or tartare form, a carpaccio form, or a kind of seviche or sashimi form, it’s all kind of one big category.
Alan Wong (Photo Credit: Arthur Betts)
[Edward Sugimoto] Do you eat poke outside of the restaurant…
[Alan Wong] Of course. *smiles*
[Edward Sugimoto] … and if so, where do you like to go?
[Alan Wong] Well, you know, I don’t go out too often, but every once in a while, the poke at side street, my buddy Colin (Nishida), you know. I don’t go out too often.
[Edward Sugimoto] What’s in store for you personally, and what’s also in store for your restaurants?
[Alan Wong] Well, I think, you know, you put the economy aside, you still have to do your thing. I think I’m ready to cook up another concept or two, and I hope that we can grow as a company, I think we can grow as individuals within our company, so that I think, you know, we want to move forward, but sensibly in this time.
Alan Wong’s Restaurant Sign
[Edward Sugimoto] Do you have any words for your customers out there or future customers?
[Alan Wong] *laughs* Well, besides come taste Hawaii, um, this past Christmas I said, imagine if every dollar you spend buying Christmas presents for your friends and family, you bought everything that was made or raised in Hawaii, or produced in Hawaii. With the economy the way it is, what better way to fuel our own economy. So I think I speak on behalf of all the restaurants, all the mom and pop stores and restaurants that dot the community and become the community, we need to support our local restaurants. That’s what it is. It’s like the farmers. If we don’t buy local, we don’t support the local farmers, well, we’re not going to have farmers. Well you know, it’s the same with the restaurant industry. It’s time to come out and support your local restaurants, and *looks at camera* I hope to see you.
Alan Wong’s Honolulu
1857 S. King Street
Honolulu, HI 96826 (map)
Tel: (808) 949-1939
Reservations: (808) 949-2526
Hours: 5-10pm daily
The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong
1450 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814 (map)
Tel: (808) 945-5529
Reservations: (808) 945-6573
Breakfast Hours: Sat: 8-11am, Sun: 9-11am
Lunch Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-4pm, Sun: 11am-3pm
Dinner Hours: Mon-Sat: 4-8:30pm
—
I’d like to send a big Mahalo to all of the folks who made this possible: Sam Choy and his Executive Assistant Sally Watanabe; Mel Tanioka, Justin Tanioka, Lynn Tanioka; Hideaki “Santa” Miyoshi; and Alan Wong, his Project Coordinator Nicole Ng, his Restaurant Manager Kerry Ichimasa, and his entire kitchen staff!
Stay tuned for Part III, when we spend a day in the life of Seafood Hawaii, Inc.’s President Jed Inouye. From the fish market on the pier, to the kitchen, to the market at Sam’s Club, we get a history lesson from one of Hawaii’s experts. We’ll also pay a visit to some of the other supermarkets’ poke offerings from the likes of Safeway, Costco, Foodland, and more.
As always, if you know of anyone in the industry, send them my way and I’ll include them in this series. Shoots!
On Friday, wifey went out for drinks with her friend, so I decided to hang with a couple o’ friends for a good ol’ fashioned BNO (Boys’ Night Out). My friend Dave was flying in from Hilo on a later flight, so I first hooked it up with Bari to do what most straight men like to do together on a Friday night… shop and eat frozen yogurt. Ha!
OK, so before you get any ideas 😛 , here’s why….
In preparation for my BJ Penn/UFC 94 flyaway (yep! I’m goin’!), I had to get some threads that would match the atmosphere I would soon be in: cold and testosteroney with some Vegas flair. And Bari scratched up the lens on his sunglasses so he had to get replacements. See, we had good kine, legit reasons for shopping. The fro-yo date however, I’ve got no excuse for! Nah, nah! We were actually hungry but wanted to wait for Dave to fly in before we full-on ate. So there! 😉
Anyway, our hot date spot of the night would start at Ward Warehouse for some clothes/shades action and then to Menchie’s.
Like its Manoa counterpart (Yogurtland), Menchie’s has a colorful interior…
is self-serve…
and has an assortment of toppings to choose from.
Even though I never plan to, it seems that I always fill my cup to the brim with a bevy of randomness.
A little macro action of my concoction
With the “I just landed” call from Dave, Bari and I walked off our yogurt and headed to Kanpai on Ward. It was bumpin’ when we got there.
We ordered up a storm, including the braised shortrib loco moco…
the spicy garlic chicken…
fried rice with two eggs…
and the Wafu style rib eye steak.
With the eats, we shot the breeze and had a few shots (and a few more). It was overall, a fun night. How did you spend your BNO or GNO this weekend? (Hopefully, it wasn’t a Guy’s Afternoon In. 😛 “The Office” watchers are (hopefully) laughing…)
Talk to me!
* What’d you do for BNO or GNO this weekend?
* Ever been to Menchie’s? What’d you think? Better than Yogurtland?
* Ever been to Kanpai Bar & Grill? What’s your favorite dish?
* Where should I hit up next?
Well, we’ve finally made it gang. The 3rd and final part in our Kau Kau Kauai series. Please! Hold back your tears!
In part 1, we spanned the Garden Isle for favorites such as Tip Top Motel & Cafe, Waimea Brewing Company, and Jo Jo’s Shave Ice. The 2nd part of our series took us to Ono’s Family Restaurant, Hamura’s Saimin and Duke’s, among others! Now, we’ll round it all out with stops at such hotspots like the Cafe Hanalei Sunday Brunch, Brick Oven Pizza and Polynesia Cafe.
Those previous Kau Kau Kauai adventures were written under the pretense that you were visiting these places all in a day’s work, when in actuality, each and every one of the Kauai restaurants were visited over the course of many, many visits there. The mishmash was then somehow puzzled together to create a single piece supposedly taking place over the course of one day. If you were fooled, please accept my humble apology. If you were not, but played along anyway, please accept my humble gratitude.
In this final piece, there ain’t no hidin’ it. It’s going to be a feeble attempt at throwing in the best of the rest, if you will, so prepare yourself for multiple breakfasts, numerous lunches, many dinners and miscellaneous treats in between for good measure. 😉
Conveniently located in the Coconut Marketplace in Kapa`a, Eggbert’s is not hard to find.
Eggbert’s Sign
Out front, they have a sign that boasts about their Loco Moco so guess what dis buggah just haaad to get.
Loco Moco from Eggbert’s
Out Honestly, the details are a bit fuzzy (I last visited there in October of 2005), but I do know that it wasn’t bad. As I’m sure with most of you, I only remember bad food experiences very vividly.
Eggbert’s Kauai Family Specialty Restaurant
Coconut Marketplace
4-484 Kuhio Highway
Kapa`a, Kauai, HI 96746 (map)
(808) 822-3787
There were no plans on eating at this next stop really, but after many visitor requests about this place in my previous column, I just had to check things out at Dani’s for myself.
Dani’s Sign
I had the $6 Corn Beef Hash with 2 eggs and rice special. The other options for this special were Rego’s Portuguese Sausage (instead of the corned beef hash) and toast or hash brown (instead of rice).
Now because momma always taught me that if I have nothing good to say, don’t say anything at all, I’ll just say that I enjoyed my other Kauai breakfast stops a lot more. I know this is a local favorite, but to me, the portions were quite small and tasted “canned”.
Corned Beef Hash with Two Eggs & Rice
On the other hand, my eating partner Art enjoyed his $6.20 hamburger steak with scrambled eggs & rice combo.
Hamburger Steak with Scrambled Eggs & Rice
Dani’s Restaurant
4201 Rice Street
Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 (map)
(808) 245-4991
Full yet? I’m just getting started my dears. Let’s drive on up to the the Princeville Resort where, every Sunday, they have the popular Cafe Hanalei Sunday Brunch.
The menu and prices are noted as subject to change without notice, but on this occasion, it boasted the following:
Salads:
Kilauea Baby Greens with Assorted Dressings
Crisp Romaine Caesar Style
Chicken Pad Thai Noodle Salad
Hawaiian Sweet Potato Salad
Kailani Spinach and Chinese Duck Salad
Spicy Crab and Kimchee with Cucumber
Marinated Heart of Palm and Artichoke
Spicy Thai Beef Salad
Local Potato Macaroni Salad
Thai Style Ahi Tuna Poke
Miscellaneous Salad Items
Chilled Seafood and Specialty Items:
Iced Seafood Display
Peel & Eat Shrimp, New Zealand Mussels and Dungeness Crab Legs
Horseradish Spiked Cocktail Sauce
Fresh Lemons
California Rolls with Wasabi and Pickled Ginger
Imported and Domestic Cheese Display
Assorted Water Crackers and Breads
Crisp Vegetable Crudite with Selection of Dips
Atlantic Smoked Salmon Display
Bagels and Cream Cheese with Red Onion and Capers
Grilled Marinated Vegetable Display
Dungeness Crab Legs
Entrée:
Fresh Island Catch of the Day
Tossed Pasta of the Day
Eggs Benedict
Chef’s Brunch Potato
Carved Slow Roasted Beef
Wok Seared Kauai Prawns
Moloaa Tomato Bisque
Chinese Style Fried Rice
Crisp Bacon, Link and Portuguese Sausage
Stuffed Roasted Loin of Pork
Pancit Noodles with Crispy Asian Duck
Seasonal Local Vegetables
Chef’s Omelette Station
Chef’s Omelette Station
Desserts:
Pastry Chef’s Dessert Display
Fresh Crepes with a Variety of Fillings
Sliced Island Fruits
Fresh Crepes with Cherries and Vanilla Ice Cream
As made obvious by my packed plate, I was a fan…
Just part of the damage I was doing to the buffet….
Though the food is good, the highlight of the Sunday Brunch is actually the view. (! – If you come at the right time and request to sit outside, you may be able to get a table with an amazing view…)
Your view from Cafe Hanalei
Cafe Hanalei
Sunday Brunch: 10AM-2PM
Princeville Resort
5520 Ka Haku Road
Princeville, Kauai, HI 96722 (map)
(808) 826-9644 – TEL
(808) 826-1166 – FAX
For the next two stops in our never ending day of gluttony, I have to apologize… Thumbing through my photo archives didn’t turn up many results in terms of usable pics. The Deli & Bread Connection, Inc. and Brick Oven Pizza are however, two stops that cannot go unmentioned.
Located in the Kukui Grove Shopping Center, this sandwich joint is always crowded during the lunch hour. They also sell fresh baked bread and, according to their business card, gourmet kitchenware as well.
Two different sandwiches from the Deli & Bread Connection, Inc.
Deli & Bread Connection, Inc.
Kukui Grove Shopping Center
3-2600 Kaumualii Highway #1005
Lihue, Kauai, HI. 96766 (map)
(808) 245-7115
(808) 245-3492 – FAX
Long revered as the best pizza on Kauai, Brick Oven Pizza sits conveniently off Kaumualii Highway in Kalaheo. These pizzas are hella fresh and homemade in their brick hearth.
Pepperoni and mushroom pizza from Brick Oven Pizza
Brick Oven Pizza 2-2555 Kaumualii Hwy
Kalaheo, Kauai, HI 96741 (map)
(808) 332-8561
Tues-Sunday 11AM-10PM
Closed on Mondays
While we’re here, we might as well cross the street and continue our foodfest at the Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co.
Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co. Sign
Not only do they serve delicious coffee from the wee hours of the morning, they also offer fresh baked breads and serve up a healthy menu for lunch and dinner. On this occasion, I ordered up their special of the day: Eggs scrambled with roasted veggies & a tiger shrimp seafood mix, topped with hollandaise sauce & served with hash browns & toast for $10.25.
Eggs scrambled with roasted veggies & a tiger shrimp seafood mix, topped with hollandaise sauce & served with hash browns & toast for $10.25.
Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Co. 2-2560 Kaumualii Hwy
Kalaheo, HI. 96741 (map)
(808) 332-5858
(808) 332-5868 FAX
(800) 255-0137 Toll Free
Email: javatalk@kalaheo.com
Open daily from 6:30AM-2:30PM
Dinners are Wed-Sat from 5:30 PM
We’ve finally reached the end of the road gang. Our last stop in this journey of Kauai Kau Kau takes us back north to the city of Hanalei. Located just inside the main entrance of the Ching Young Village Shopping Center, Polynesia Cafe is one of those pleasant surprises you won’t find very often. Billing themselves as gourmet food on paper plates, this little surfer’s-style cafe delivers on that mantra.
Entrance to Polynesia Cafe
Their menu is chock-full of gourmet entrees like Mac-Nut Herb Crusted Ahi or Thai Tofu & Veggie, salads, sandwiches and a variety of Mexican dishes. They even had a dessert case filled with tasty looking delights.
Dessert case at Polynesia Cafe
On this occasion, we ordered up Sesame Chicken and Chicken Quesadilla and a Lemon Bar for good measure for dessert.
On the menu, the Sesame Chicken was defined as “orange ginger glaze with curry batter” and went for $9.95. It came with mixed veggies and was served over a bed of rice.
Sesame Chicken – orange ginger glaze with curry batter for $9.95
The Chicken Quesadilla went for $8.95 and came with rice, beans and condiments for the quesadilla.
Chicken Quesadilla from Polynesia Cafe for $8.95
I don’t quite recall how much the lemon bar was, but lemme tell ya, it was worth every fattening bite!
Lemon Bar from Polynesia Cafe
Polynesia Cafe Ching Young Village Shopping Center
5300 Ka Haku Road
Hanalei, HI 96714 (map)
(808) 826-1999
…Annnnd I’m spent!
So there you have it! The season finale, the fairytale ending, the photo finish… You won’t ever have to hear the words “Kau Kau Kauai” and “World Wide Ed” in the same sentence anymore… Well, at least until I work on the prequels. *grin*
Much love for hanging in there with me gang. It was fun! Now… to work on “Munchy Maui” and “Broke Da Mout’ Big Island!” 😉
My attempt to foray from my usual food-related columns to an “outdoorsy”-type last month garnered five measly comments all month (four in the last half of the month). It got just as much action as one of my nerdy, computer related pieces before I transitioned to the grindz.
Well, it’s either that, or you are madly in love with me and all of my columns and are just more vocal about the ones with the eats. Yeah, I like that excuse… I think we’ll use it!
OK, you little democratic peeps, you have spoken. Starting this month (and continuing for at least another month or two), I will be covering some of your favorite eateries from our Garden Isle… Kauai.
For one reason or another, I’ve been making many, many trips to the island of Kauai in recent history. Whether it be for business, a wedding at the spectacular Princeville or just for the sheer heck of it, your boy has been racking up the mean mileage. But whatever the occasion, I made sure to equip myself with the trusty camera to capture the moments in time and food for y’all.
To make the most of your day, I would suggest booking an early AM flight to Lihue (if you’re a resident of Kauai, just meet us at the airport and we’ll go get breakfast together). Since we’ll be arriving early, it’ll be perfect timing to pick up our car and head north towards the nearby, and local favorite Tip Top Motel & Cafe.
Tip Top Motel & Cafe Sign
Paraphrasing a bit from their pamphlet, here’s a little history on the gem that has been serving the people of Kauai for more than 85 years:
Tip Top originally started as a Cafe & Bakery in November of 1916 by Denjiro Ota, and soon starting baking and delivering fresh bread island wide. In 1925, Denjiro’s creative son Mitchell the took over the business where he introduced pastries, pies and other baked goods that were to become the mainstay of the business. One is the famous pancake recipe which is still used today and another is the Macadamia Nut cookie which was the first Macnut cookie made in Hawaii.
In 1965, Mitchell moved the business a half mile to its present location and built a restaurant, bakery, 34 room motel and a bar. In 1989, Mitchell passed away at the age of 85, leaving the business in the hands of his 30 year old grandson Jonathan, the 4th generation of Otas to run the business.
Tip Top is known for their famous banana/macadamia pancakes, Macadamia nut cookies, and their best seller, the Oxtail soup, but since we’re here for breakfast, let’s get eatin’!
(! – As always, get here early or come during semi-off-peak hours as it’s always crowded, though I’ve been here twice and there was no wait on both occasions…)
Tip Top Cafe morning crowd
Rather than the traditional hand over the shoulder technique, the wait help at Tip Top cutely rolls your order to you on a tray on wheels type contraption.
Meal on wheels
On this occasion, we skipped the popular banana/macadamia pancakes and went straight for the hefty items, scrambled eggs, corn beef hash & hash brown, and Loco Moco.
Corn beef hash and eggs with hash brown
Loco Moco
Yum! Another successful morning at Tip Top. Next stop… Waimea Brewing Company.
Tip Top Motel & Cafe
3173 Akahi Street
Lihue, HI 96766 (map)
(808) 245-2333
Open 6:30am-10pm Daily tiptop@aloha.net
Now that we’ve got the most important meal of the day in our tummies, we should be energized to do something that involves exercise. What do you say? Yeah, I know, not your cup of tea, but c’mon, we’re on vacation! We’re supposed to be doing activities galore. OK, ok, what if I promise more good eats afterwards? I knew I’d getcha with that! 🙂
So let’s head west and do the touristy thing by checking out the Waimea Canyon Lookout.
Waimea Canyon Lookout sign
Since this is a column on food, I’m not going to get too deep into describing the canyon (you can Google it and find all the info you need), but we do have time to kill until lunch, so let’s just pretend you’re with me on this virtual tour of sorts a-ight? 😉
Waimea Canyon lookout
Whew! What a drive huh? And how about that view? I bet you’re hungry for lunch now huh? Well, I’ve got just the place for you! Let’s hit the “World’s Westernmost Brewpub”, the Waimea Brewing Company Restaurant.
Waimea Brewing Company sign
The Waimea Brewing Company is the self-proclaimed, westernmost pub in the world. To get here, you would drive down that exhausting, winding Waimea Canyon Road, and, instead of turning left to head back towards town, you’d actually take a right (at the West Kauai Technology & Visitor Center). Waimea Brewing Co. will be on your left.
Now I’m not condoning mid-day alcohol consumption by any means, but if you’re a beer connoisseur, you’d enjoy the home-brewed beers at this place, especially after being out in the sun for the past few hours.
The menu is quite extensive, ranging from pupus like Mango-stout BBQ Ribs and flash fried calamari rings, to entrees like “Jawaiian” Chicken and Coconut Prawns, to burgers to desserts. And this does not include their large drink menu too. On this occasion, I figured the best thing to go with my booze was their “Hawaiian Burger”, a 1/2 pound Angus burger with a thick slice of fresh pineapple & teriyaki sauce served on an onion bun.
The Hawaiian Burger, a 1/2 pound Angus burger with a thick slice of fresh pineapple & teriyaki sauce served on an onion bun.
With our big ol’ bellies, let’s head back to town and see what else we can stuff our faces with. In my July column on Shave Ice, I mentioned Jo Jo’s Clubhouse, a popular Shave Ice hut along Kaumuali`i Highway. Since it’s on our way back, why not eh?
Jo Jo’s Clubhouse
Jo Jo’s Clubhouse
Mile Marker 23, Kaumualii Highway (Hwy. 50)
Waimea, Hawaii 96796 (map)
(808) 635-7615
Other notable, but highly touristy stops on the way back are the Kauai Kookie Kompany (1-3529 Kaumuali`i Highway, Hanapepe, Kauai, HI. 96716. Open M-F from 8am-4pm, and Sat and Sun from 9am-4pm. Call 1-800-361-1126 for more info), Kauai Coffee Company (Just past Eleele, on Kaumuali`i Highway, as you head toward Poipu. Open seven days a week from 9am-5pm. Call (808) 335-0813 for more info) and the Kauai Chocolate Company (Port Allen Marina Center – 4341 Waialo Road, Eleele, HI 96705. Call (808) 335-0448 for more info).
OK, so we’ve got some time to kill before dinner. What do you feel like doing? Hit Poipu Beach for some fun in the sun? Do a little shopping in Old Koloa Town? How about we split up and meet back in Kapa`a at around 6PM? Cool? Cool!
*some time later…*
OK gang. Welcome back! Did you have a good time? What’s say we hit up this joint called Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Sushi Bar?
Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Sushi Bar is a fairly newer establishment in the quaint little town of Kapa`a. The usual hotspot for sushi here is local favorite Kintaro’s, but to be quite honest, I liked the sushi from Lemongrass a lot better (sorry Kintaro fans!).
Editor’s Note: It was recently reported that Lemongrass Grill no longer serves sushi. I called them and they confirmed this. If anyone knows why, please use the Comment Field below to discuss.
With a menu that hinted towards influences from Japan (sushi) and Italy (pasta), the main theme (including restaurant design) was definitely Thai.
On this occasion, we started with the Asian Marinated Chicken Satay for our appetizer, and threw in a couple of sushi handrolls – the Volcano Roll (masago & katsuo bushi on a California roll with a special spicy sauce) and the Spider Roll (deep fried soft shell crab with cucumber) – for good measure.
Note: apologies for the color clarity on these photos, but the lighting at Lemongrass was not all that bright.
Asian Marinated Chicken Satay – served with green papaya salad, crispy fried noodle and spicy peanut sauce for $7.50
Volcano Roll – masago & katsuo bushi on a California roll with a special spicy sauce for $6.75
Spider Roll – deep fried soft shell crab with cucumber for $11.50
We then moved on to our main dishes of Guava Glazed BBQ Ribs and Sauteed Shrimp with Penne Pasta.
Guava Glazed BBQ Ribs – Baby back ribs cooked just right, basted with our guava BBQ sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob for $17.50
Sauteed Shrimp with Penne Pasta – A garlic white wine broth garnished with capers and tomatoes for $21
Lemongrass Grill Seafood & Sushi Bar
4-885 Kuhio Highway
Kapa`a, Kauai, HI 96746 (map)
Tel: (808) 821-2888 or (808) 822-2288
Fax: (808) 822-1221
As mentioned before, an alternative in close proximity to Lemongrass is the local favorite Kintaro Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar (4-370 Kuhio Highway). Another somewhat new establishment is Wahooo (not misspelled) Seafood Grill & Bar, but I did not have a good experience there (rude host, costly and questionable food).
So we’ve gone an entire day with breakfast in Lihue, lunch and a sweet snack out in Waimea, and dinner in Kapa`a, and are almost ready to head back to our crib (hotel or otherwise) for some shut eye. Before we hit the hay though, let’s go for a little nightcap at a local hangout called the Lizard Lounge Bar & Grill in the Waipouli Town Center in Kapa`a.
With dart boards, video games, pool tables and a full bar, hanging out for hours at the Lizard Lounge is not hard to do. They’re open nightly until 2am. Go check um out!
OK, now we’re really ready for some shut eye. Let’s get our rest so we can start early tomorrow morning (a.k.a. next month’s column) for more eating adventures in Kauai.
No worries gang… I haven’t forgotten about the local favorites like Hamura’s Saimin, Brick Oven Pizza, Ono’s Family Restaurant, and much more! We’ll see each other “bright and early” to cover those and many more in Kau Kau Kauai Part 2.
In an effort to bring attention to Hawaii’s food system and sustainability issues, Kanu Hawaii is asking all of us again to make a difference by taking the Eat Local Challenge. Starting yesterday and continuing through this Saturday, the challenge asks participants to eat only locally grown foods. Currently, more than 75% of our food is imported from out of state, which accounts to over $3 billion that is not being spent here. If barge and air freight to Hawaii were to be interrupted, our islands’ food supplies would only last 14 days. Eat Local aims to bring awareness to this issue and hopes to in turn, strengthen our local food system as a result.
World Wide Ed 