Dear Hawaii Diner Reader,
The month of September started off well with the long Labor Day holiday weekend. Things went considerably downhill the day after Labor Day as Tuesday September 5, 2006 will live in the memories of Oahu drivers as the day the traffic stood still - literally. The tales and images of the commute home for Central and West Oahu residents were stunning and seriously made me wonder what we'd do in the event of a major disaster. I know that many restaurants and bars did a booming business from customers who simply decided to opt-out of their usual commute hours. The unfortunate fact was that it didn't matter how long you waited, traffic didn't clear out until well into the wee hours of the morning. I hope that all of you were safe and got home with as little incident as possible given the circumstances.
Here at HawaiiDiner.com we have been busy with some new projects. One of which involves evaluating all of the fine-dining options in Honolulu. It's been an interesting journey thus far fraught with some disappointments which lead us to downgrade our overall expectations. As soon as we did that, we were very pleasantly surprised by a couple of spots which restored our enthusiasm. The results of this project will be forthcoming in an article sometime in October.
We are also very pleased to welcome a new restaurant to our HawaiiDiner.com and Everybody Eats ohana. Fujimamas in Kailua-Kona is also our first neighbor island restaurant to join and we couldn't be more pleased. I have been a fan of Fujimamas since I first dined at the flagship in Tokyo back in the late '90s. That a Texas-born chef could open a restaurant that literally took the Tokyo dining scene by storm (and has stayed on top ever since) was unheard of and amazing to all. Fujimamas has supported Second Harvest Japan from the time they first opened and participating in the Everybody Eats program here will provide direct support to the food-insecure households on the Big Island. Any of you who live on the Big Island or are planning to visit, please support this fine restaurant. Our Big Island restaurant reviewer, Cheryl King, wrote an in-depth review of the restaurant a few months ago which you can read here.
Mahalo nui loa,
Gail
Food and Restaurant News Around the Islands
Pearl City residents now have their very own Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Great Harvest Bread Co. Technically, these establishments are in Aiea since the zip code on the Diamond Head side of Kaahumanu is Aiea but geographically they are Pearl City. Located in the Waimalu Shopping Plaza, their neighbors include City Mill, Safeway and SWAM - a very cool wine and liquor shop.
The much anticipated wine bar, Du Vin, has not yet opened. Current information indicates they plan to open mid to late month. New details have emerged regarding this very cool space: they will offer around 300 wines, the food served will be in the style of what you would expect at a French brasserie and the chef is from New Orleans.
I've only dined at a P.F. Chang's once and it was quite good; one could consider it to be the upscale equivalent of Panda Express which is not necessarily a bad thing considering that Panda Express uses fresh, quality ingredients and is typically sparkling clean. The first one here in Honolulu will open on Tuesday, September 12. Located on the ground floor of one of Kakaako's newest condos, The Hokua, the restaurant has a main dining room and bar, outdoor seating and a take-out area. The next Honolulu P.F. Chang's will be in Waikiki in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and at 11,000 square feet, will be the second largest in the chain. Cafe Hawaii Partners are the owners of the franchise here in Hawaii. They also own the Jamba Juice and Starbucks franchises. One thing that might tempt me to try them soon is their special 'Flavors of Sichuan' menu which is being featured now.
Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor did not open as scheduled on September 1 but they are open as of this newsletter. All of you craving a 'Farrell's Fix' can cruise on over to Windward Mall in Kaneohe. If you want to double check on whether they are really open, call them at 792-4455.
Ala Moana Center is getting its fair share of new spots. One that comes highly recommended is the new pastry shop, Patesserie La Palme D'or, located on the mauka side at Mall level near Quizno's. Trusted pastry-loving friends offer glowing reports about the macaroons and other baked goodies. The patesserie keeps mall hours and you can call them at 941-6161.
This autumn will see the opening of the mega-shopping/hotel/dining complex Waikiki Beach Walk. The food spots include such national chains as Ruth's Chris Steak House; Yardhouse, which claims to have the world's largest selection of draft beer; Roy's Waikiki; Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Beard Papa's. Other restaurants we can look for include Holokai Grill from the same folks who brought us Tiki's Grill; Kai Wa Waikiki, which is described as teppan fusion (?); Giovanni's Pastrami, A New York Style Deli-Pizzeria-Sports Bar from the folks who run CJ's Deli at the Hilton Hawaiian Village; Coconut Willy's, whose other location is at Waikiki's International Market Place and the most mysterious of the bunch, Taormina Sicilian Cuisine. Best estimates put some of them opening as early as October. We will keep you posted.
One of my favorite food people, Deb Hopkins, is finding well deserved success with her BBQ sauce and hush puppy mix. You may recall that these items were picked up by the Defense Commissary Agency for distribution at military commissaries a couple of months ago. Now, she has found a new local outlet for them at Foodland (the large size sauce has been available at Sam's Clubs for some time). I picked up a 19.5 oz bottle for $4.49 and saw a larger size for $11.49 at the Foodland in Hawaii Kai. We also spotted it at Foodlands in Waipio and Pearl City. Give Deb's food a try and see if you don't agree that it is 'Soulicious!'
Food-Focused Fundraisers All Month Long
Saturday, September 9 marks the third anniversary of the Saturday KCC Farmers' Market. I just happened to be there the day it made its debut and the success of the market is a testament to the commitment of the farmers and producers of locally grown and produced products and the willingness of local consumers to support these businesses whether large or small. This Saturday will be a special day at the market with the new Hawaii Farm Bureau Cookbook available for sale (that's the fundraising part) and a rumored appearance by famed chef Roy Yamaguchi himself. Be there for the fun, food and festivities which will run from 7:30am-11am.
On Sunday, September 10, Slow Food Oahu throws a Terra Madre 2006 'Tomato Madness' dinner at town. The goal is to raise funds to send local Slow Food representatives to the International Slow Food conference in Italy in October. They could not have found better representatives for the conference than poi farmers Paul & Laurie Reppun of Waiahole and organic farmers Gary & Kukui Maunakea-Forth of Waianae. Tickets are $95 for Slow Food members and $100 for non-members. The cost includes two bottles of wine per four person table. Make reservations by calling town at 735-5900.
The Hale Aina Ohana throws a fundraising dinner to celebrate the 160th birthday of Auguste Escoffier who is widely recognized as the father of modern French cuisine. The organization focuses on raising money to support culinary education statewide. This dinner is expensive at $375 per person but, for those who can afford it, it will be a gourmet feast as befits an event honoring a culinary legend and proceeds go to an excellent cause. The event takes place on Friday, September 22 at Chef Mavro. Event details including the menu. The photo pictures Chef George Mavrothalassitis instructing students on Kauai on how to butcher and prepare lamb without wasting any of the animal. This is just one example of the educational opportunities made available to students through the Hale Aina Ohana.
Taste at Kapolei is one of the most popular of the 'grazing' events around the island and it benefits students through scholarships, educational programs and tuition. This year marks the 7th Annual Taste at Kapolei and it will be held on Saturday, September 23 at Ko Olina's 4th Lagoon. Details at their website.
Last up is the New Wave Luau II on Sunday, September 24 at The Pineapple Room. The event is brought to you by Alan Wong's and Macy's to benefit the Hawaii Plantation Village. The hook here is the participation of chefs who have worked with Alan Wong over the years and are considered part of his 'family tree'. Participating in this event are Elmer Guzman, Randall Ishizu, Jon Matubara and Mark Oyama. Details regarding this event are available here.
Spectacular Structures Raise Canned Goods for the Hawaii Foodbank
In what has to be the most interesting fundraiser of the year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honolulu Chapter, formed 17 teams to construct three-dimensional structures out of canned goods. Visitors to the Pearlridge Center were able to view these truly amazing structures, vote on their favorites and guess the total pounds of canned goods used. The winner, Micah Yuen, guessed 33,000 lbs, just 28 lbs over that actual total of 32,972 lbs. All of that food goes to support the food-insecure households in our Island ohana through the dedicated work of the Hawaii Foodbank. The event also stands as testimony to the ingenuity and engineering and design skills of our local architects. The 'Irashai Kitty' by the In+Form Design, Inc. team won the grand prize and goes on to the nationals while the stunning pineapple constructed by Ferraro Choi and Associates, Inc. from tuna and coconut milk won 'People's Choice and 'Best Use of Labels'.
Southwest Style Dinner - Make Navajo Fry Bread and Impress Yourself
While we're all waiting for the Autumn holidays to begin, why not invite your friends over for an evening of great food that won't cost a fortune and is easy to prepare? Our Southwest Style Dinner calls for the judicious use of store bought items along with dishes made from scratch. The recipe for Navajo Fry Bread is simple and they make the best taco shells ever.
Podcast No. 23 - John Heckathorn plus Crop Report and Fine-Dining Thoughts
This podcast features part one of a two-part interview with John Heckathorn. I confess that even before I moved to Hawaii, I was aware of who John was and when I first arrived I relied heavily on his writing to learn about the dining scene here. Which is all a rather convoluted way of saying that I never imagined that I would someday have the chance to sit down and talk at length with him about the current state of our dining scene. We cover quite a bit of territory. You'll learn what restaurant he misses from the 'old days' and hear his defense of Hawaii Regional Cuisine as it exists today. In part two we'll move on to the influx of Japanese restaurants of all types and discuss why it is we don't have more upscale Chinese bistros. Get the podcast.
