The Gentrification of Chinatown
Larry Geller, Free Range Gourmet
November 2005

Honolulu's Chinatown, until recent years the hub of crime and drug dealing, has made a complete turnaround and is now home to some of the newest and most innovative restaurants. Nor are they all ethnically Chinese - there are Vietnamese, Thai and retro cuisines as well as chic fusion and international options. Upscale watering holes have replaced seedy bars. Chinatown has become gentrified and easily accessible to those in search of new culinary adventures. Even nasty Hotel Street is being transformed by an invasion of classy upscale bars into a nightly destination for many who seek a chic alternative to the staid downtown business scene.

A non-profit group, the Nuuanu Merchants Association, was founded in 2004 to encourage the development of new business in the area. At the same time, new parking facilities opened, and restoration of the Hawaii Theater Center on Bethel Street was completed. The theater has been called "the Carnegie Hall of the Pacific," and let's face it, its patrons need upscale places to eat before and after the show.

Some new ventures, such as the Grand Cafe on Pauahi Street, have become instant successes. Conveniently located directly across from the exit of the new Smith Street municipal parking lot, the Grand Cafe boasts one of the best kitchens in Honolulu. Its owners seem to be on a mission - perhaps it is to offer uncompromisingly well-prepared cuisine which will lure patrons back again and again. That's what they have accomplished. To start with, on entering, the diner is seduced by the ambrosial pies, cheesecakes and other pastry desserts prepared by Samantha Choy each day. There's no turning back. In fact, it's best to ask them to hold a dessert if you see it is about to run out, because that's exactly what will happen if you don't. [Editor's note Jan 2006: Samantha Choy is no longer with Grand Cafe. You can find her and her baked goods which are sold under the name "Baked by Sami C." at Nico's at Pier 38.]

Chef Kevin Dee may well be Hawaii's next superstar chef. Although the menu is supposed to reflect the recipes of the 1920's, Dee is clearly pursuing his own thoroughly modern yet agelessly comforting combination of dishes using the freshest local ingredients where possible. Both he and Choy are graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, and together with Indigo chef Glenn Chu, comprise the three shining stars of the newly emerging Chinatown fine dining firmament.

The Grand Cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch at present, and for dinner only on First Friday. Be warned if you choose that evening - they are very crowded. Of course, you can make your reservation, as we did, then go next door to the HASR Wine Company for their tasting and to mingle with the crowd there. On returning, we found our entrees of seared duck breast and rack of venison to be expertly prepared and presented. The hardest part was to choose dessert. We saw a lillikoi chiffon pie arrive at the next table, and just had to have one. We got the last slice, and it was to die for. I can't wait for the next First Friday.

HASR is a great place to taste both upscale and affordable vintages. Some may be exclusive to them since they may acquire the entire output of a winery they like. Wine tastings are held several evenings a week - email them at hasr@verizon.net to get on their email list. It's also a great place to pick up something on First Friday to accompany your meal at the Grand Cafe.

A short distance away at the corner of Pauahi and Maunakea Streets is the Green Door Cafe, a one-women enterprise run by chef Betty Pang. The small size of the restaurant, only four tables, has meant some compromises, but not with the Singapore/Malaysian style dishes that Betty produces for the cognoscenti. If you have experienced the delights of Nonya cooking, you won't mind the styrofoam clamshells that Betty must use so that she can spend her time at the stove instead of doing dishes. She also has, of necessity, to adapt to locally available ingredients, but of course so do the Singaporeans.

The Green Door may be Honolulu's only source of this cuisine which in other cities is often a welcome alternative to the plethora of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants. Betty is quite happy to discuss the available choices and will often come up with a suggestion that's not on the menu at all. For those who have spent time in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or other Malaysian cities, she is serving up true comfort food.

For the theater crowd, dining at Indigo Restaurant just behind the theater has become de regeur. Chef Chu is a Chinatown and Eurasian cuisine pioneer, someone who chose to execute his vision in an unlikely and perhaps risky location. Award- winning Indigo refuses to give up its place of leadership in its three nightly incarnations: first, its bar, considered to be the best in Chinatown, is the place to be seen for before-theater drinks and hors d'oeuvres, second, it offers an uncompromising but pricey after-theater dining experience, and finally, it attracts a different crowd as a late-night club spot. Their wine list spans the globe, and their food is derived from both Asia and Europe. One can also drop in after dinner for a killer dessert as a way to experience the ambiance on a budget.

Maunakea Street boasts several fine Vietnamese restaurants, some long-established and some newcomers. Pho '97 has an extensive menu featuring much more than just pho, the signature Vietnamese noodle dish. One of the newcomers is Sweet Basil, featuring an upscale Thai buffet.

Among Chinese eateries, Little Village remains a top choice and has recently expanded by absorbing and redecorating the space next door. It has its own parking lot. Nearby is Mei Sum, serving excellent dim sum and other dishes all day long. There are many fine choices for dim sum, best found by asking your friends which is their favorite spot, and then talking them into going with you. Chinatown is probably best enjoyed with family or friends, that hasn't changed over the years and despite its new upscale image. Eat, enjoy, go back again, Chinatown endures, entices and satisfies.