PakePorkChop

(post FINALLY deleted for technology-challenged foodie)

I asked at India Market, 2570 S. Beretenia St., # 105, and they have a supply of fresh curry leaves subject to sales volume. If you want to check before-hand, call 946-2020.

Glossyp, you have really been pressing the boundaries of food history in Hawaii lately! At the risk of compromising my book and the chapter on German/Austrian /Swiss cooking in Hawaii, I will throw out a few suggestions and approximations of names and positions. The Kahala Hilton opened in or around 1964. The Executive Chef was Max Wilhelm. The baker, who probably developed the lavosh recipe, was Hans Wierbel. One of the bakers was Rolf Winkler, who went on to develop Patisserie and recently sold the operation. Martin Wyss, who was to develop his fame and fortune at the Kahala Hilton and later open Swiss Inn, was having visa difficulties and just coming into Hawaii, but once here would be instrumental in the success of the Maile Room. I believe that most of these principals still live in in Hawaii. A treatise on their cooking would be fascinating. I wish that I had the time to do it and will make every effort to do so.

Club New Pattaya was one of the few, if not the only, Thai restaurant mentioned in Honolulu Weekly's Food Issue in March, 2005. This is what they had to say: " It’s a seedy Thai bar that just happens to serve the best Thai food in town." I can only speculate that there may be an ethnic Thai cook in the kiitchen. Other places, such as Krung Thai, may have Chiu Chao (Southern Chinese) cooks from Thailand, or Bangkok Cafe, with Chiu Chao cooks from Laos, or Phuket Thai, with Laotion cooks from Laos. For Larry Geller of the Honolulu Weekly, it may make a difference.

I know that Ms. Meliss says that she found something, but until that site is confirmed I wanted to forward a suggestion that was sent to me. "Aloha Tony and Fellow Foodies: For your information, KCC's Ka'ikena Restaurant at Diamond Head caters to group luncheons from small groups with a private room to a banquet up to 100+ during school semesters. Chef Kusuma Cooray, previously exectuve chef of the Willows and Doris Duke's personal chef is teaching that class with a continental cuisine menu. Prices average from $16 to $25. You can negotiate a special menu with them. The phone number for reservation is 734-9499. They also cater to small group meetings and retreats on weekends, evening functions, and when school is out. Their evening fare is Asian-Pacific cuisine. Aloha, Daniel"

This is a great question and it should develop into a great thread! These are some of the venues chosen of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. These include New Empress Restaurant (private room and a parking garage in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza), Buffet 100 (private room and a parking garage in Ward Warehouse, and Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch and Crab (private room and valet parking on Nimitz Highway), and the aforementioned Maple Garden in Moiliili with a private room and parking lot. Little Village has a parking lot and is next door to a municipal parking lot, and a VIP dining room that should fit 20 people. Then we have the semi-private rooms and parking lots at Kirin in Moiliili, and Fook Yuen in McCully. Costlier restaurants would include Royal Garden at the Ala Moana Hotel and Won Kee at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza

Very good, SK! You have allowed the pleasures of sweet bread to swirl before channeling all that energy into historical recollection. Let me now throw out the question: wasn't Buck's Bakery a better sweet bread than King's Bakery? Why, or why not?

Apparently it's a good idea to telephone ahead if you are having a Thai lunch on Sunday. I placed Mrs. Porkchop in the car yesterday and intended to provide Mother's Day curry to her. As we drove up to Pae Thai, Chiang Mai, and Champa Thai, each was closed. We fortunately found Bangkok Thai on Kapahulu. New, neat and clean, quiet, BYOB (I had a bottle of cold Pinot Gris), polite and hospitable service. Mrs. Porkchop ate more than I believed possible.

Although I don't share your love for ox-tail stew (sorry). Maybe it's cause I was raised on my grandmother's and any other is just not as satisfying. But I would imagine you can get ox-tail stew at many places. I Feel like more people I know prefer the soup instead...hummm now you got me thinking stew...like tripe mmmmm! It can't be as difficult as finding good Mexican maybe someone else will be kind enough to help you out. Happy Hunting! ←

Sorry, but in my life I just have constant cravings (I bought the k.d. lang production just for the title; the genius of the work was a bonus). Three kids in school. Debt over my neck. College and wedding expenses looming. So we could talk about everything under the sun. Bluefin Chu-toro. Hairy crab from Hokkaido. Bison filet. Chiu Chow goose. But I gotta admit that if I had one inquiry, I would ask: is there any regular source of ox-tail stew in Honolulu? The nearest source I know of is the Main Street Casino in Las Vegas, where it is a wonderful feature of their brunch. So there! I've outed myself. Will I find my oxtail stew?

Location, SK, location? Is the kimcheeburger dipped in kalbi sauce before it is topped with kiimchee? Does the W & M burger qualify as an Oahu gravyburger or is the sauce too close to a teriyaki sauce?

Evaluating restaurant food in Hawaii is so much fun because you really need to go behind the restaurant name and uncover the history of the cuisine, the ownership pattern, the kitchen structure, and the coming and going of the cooking staff. Many examples abound. Ramen is a chinese noodle soup that was modified in Japan to suit Japanese tastes. Several regions in Japan, e.g., Hokkaido, Tokyo, and Hakata, developed particular ways of preparing ramen. When ramen came to Hawaii, many Chinese owned or operated ramen shops (it is, after all, a Chinese noodle soup), but the tastes were not necessarily in the classic styles of the Japanese regions. Zaffron is an Indian restaurant owned and operated by a Muslim from Fiji. India Cafe is owned and operated by Indians from Malaysia. As for Thai restaurants, there are several questions that need to be asked. First, is it owned by people from Thailand? Are they from the North, Midlands, or South? Are they Thai, Laotian, or Chinese from Thailand, or some other ethnicity? If not from Thailand, where? Who sets the menu? Are the cooks Thai, Chinese, or Filipino? Let's say the Pae Thai is owned by a guy from Boston who hires Filipino cooks, a not unfamiliar situation in Hawaii. That does not necessarily mean that the food does not taste good. It may not be "authentic", but to you it is "tasty", which is perfectly valid because taste is an individually determined sensation. Sergio Mitronni may decry all of the Vietnamese owned and operated "Italian" restaurants in town, but it would be very interesting to enter the kitchen of Cafe Sistina and count up the number of Paesanos that are actually cooking the food. There's an old saying among lawyers that you should never ask a question when you don't know the answer, because you may not be happy with the response. That may very well apply to questions about Thai food in Honolulu. If you want to explore, however, there have been certain whisperings about "Club New Pattaya" on Nuuanu Avenue.

I know a guy who might be interested. We would need some instruction. Would Loco Moco gravy do, or does the sauce start sliding toward teriyaki glaze? I presume the gravy is not running off the edge, as it would be difficult to eat. The gravy is thicker, perhaps, like a cream sauce? Does the sandwich come with lettuce, tomato, onion, or any other complement? Also, where did it originate? Loco Moco has it's Lincoln Wreckers story. Cow country in Waimea? Olaa Steak House? I'll also mention it to Eddie Flores at L & L. Alohabear, years from now foodies will speak in hushed tones about how you took the gravyburger to Honolulu and the rest of the world. As for Oahu, Neighbor Islanders used to stock up on Manapua before going home. Is there still an absence of Manapua shops on the Neighbor Islands? Hey, the gravyburger manapua! The carnivore's version of the haupia mallassada!

How is the gravy burger eaten? Is there a dollop of gravy on the patty, which is then covered by the bun, or is it eaten open-faced like a hot turkey sandwich?

One quick sidenote to these remarks. First, it was a great visit. VivreMangere is a smoked meat aficianado, and I trust his remarks about Kalua Pork and Lau-lau. One small difference with the short-rib pipikaula. Helen Chock received her Beard award in great part to her preservation of traditional preparation of foods, which in the instance of pipikaula means air-drying and salting beef. Pipikaula is then eaten with poi, and it is this traditional blending of tasteful pounded taro root and salted dried beef that the culinary exploration is found. Pipikaula is not based on the Korean version of marinaded and grilled short-rib, which is eaten with rice. The texture and taste profiles are two entirely separate traditions and sensations. Is one superior to the other? Perhaps, and for many, probably. But to envision the experience of Native Hawaiians in the early stages of post-Western discovery, there are certain dishes that are a vital part of the menu, and air-dried, salted beef is a part of that story. Helen presents that to you. ←

Just a quick note, Sk. What a rare and wonderful thread! A great find, informative posts, enticing images... This must make all your work worthwhile!

A quick sidenote to the subject of "French" cooking in Hawaii. I had once footnoted as follows: 2 Much as fashion trends change, so do our culinary fascinations. Twenty years ago, most of Hawaii's fine restaurants were offering "Continental" menus and there was no "Mediterranean" category to be found. Today, "Continental" restaurants are still a part of the Hawaiian culinary landscape, but most restaurants offering Northern European cooking, including Lyonaise French, have struggled to survive. However, it's been more than a decade since Mediterranean cuisine became such a large part of the American culinary landscape, but its popularity hasn't faded. Indeed, those French chefs that have achieved individual success in Hawaii appear to be oriented to the "Mediterranean" style of cooking. For instance, Yves Garnier, chef de cuisine at the Halekulani Hotel, earned his Michelin stars cooking along the Cote d'Azure and calls his cooking "cuisine du soleil" (cuisine of the sun). Garnier is inspired by the bright flavors of the south of France and makes extensive use of Hawai'i ingredients. George Mavrothalassitis, who preceded Garnier at the Halekulani, is from Marseilles, on the south coast of France. A James Beard award nominee this year, he is a founding member of Hawaii Regional Cuisine Award-winning chef Philippe Padovani offers French Mediterranean cuisine "with an island flair." He is from Provence. Another founder of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Jean-Marie Josselin, is the owner of A Pacific Café. Although he is not from the Mediterranean region, he has a passion for brilliant flavor combinations from that area. For the whole article, go to: http://www.hawaii.rr.com/leisure/reviews/a...4_cmsrenice.htm

Aloha, Kimo! Does the new Chinese place have a name?

These reviews are from Frommer's. I don't think that you will find much disagreement in Honolulu about these places: Alan Wong's Restaurant (Oahu; tel. 808/949-2526): Master strokes at this shrine of Hawaii Regional Cuisine include warm California rolls made with salmon roe, wasabi, and Kona lobster instead of rice; luau lumpia with butterfish and kalua pig; and ginger-crusted fresh onaga. Opihi shooters and day-boat scallops in season are a must, and grilled lamb chops are a perennial special. The menu changes daily, but the flavors never lose their sizzle. Chef Mavro Restaurant (Oahu; tel. 808/944-4714): Honolulu is abuzz over the wine pairings and elegant cuisine of George Mavrothalassitis, the culinary wizard and James Beard award-winner from Provence who turned La Mer (at the Halekulani) and Seasons (at the Four Seasons Resort Wailea) into temples of fine dining. He brought his award-winning signature dishes with him and continues to prove his ingenuity with dazzling a la carte and prix-fixe ($48-$85) menus. Hoku's (Oahu; tel. 808/739-8780): Elegant without being stuffy, and creative without being overwrought, the fine-dining room of the Kahala Mandarin offers elegant lunches and dinners and one of Oahu's best Sunday brunches. This is fusion that really works -- European finesse with an island touch. The ocean view, open kitchen, and astonishing bamboo floor are stellar features. Reflecting the restaurant's cross-cultural influences, the kitchen is equipped with a kiawe grill, an Indian tandoori oven, and Szechuan woks. La Mer (Oahu; tel. 808/923-2311): This romantic, elegant dining room at Waikiki's Halekulani is the only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant in the state. The second-floor, open-sided room, with views of Diamond Head and the sound of trade winds rustling the nearby coconut fronds, is the epitome of fine dining. Michelin-award-winning chef Yves Garnier melds classical French influences with fresh island ingredients. It's pricey but worth it. Men are required to wear jackets (they have a selection if you didn't pack one). Padovani's Restaurant & Wine Bar (Oahu; tel. 808/946-3456): Chef Philippe Padovani's elegant, innovative style is highlighted in everything from the endive salad to the pan-fried moi at this two-tiered restaurant. Downstairs is a swank dining room with Bernardaud china and Frette linens; upstairs is the informal Wine Bar with excellent single-malt Scotches, wines by the glass, and a much more casual, but equally sublime, menu. Roy's Restaurant (Oahu; tel. 808/396-7697): Good food still reigns at this busy, noisy flagship Hawaii Kai dining room with the trademark open kitchen. Roy Yamaguchi's deft way with local ingredients, nostalgic ethnic preparations, and fresh fish makes his menu, which changes daily, a novel experience every time.

I drove by and peeked in today. Hatsuneya has all the appearances of a business that has closed down. My conjecture (as a senior citizen I assume that I am permitted such liberties) is that this demise has much to do with factors that I have previously discussed. Sensei Yamada is not Okinawa-born; he was raised in Taiwan and trained in Japan and New York. He came upon his interest in Okinawan cooking in a very clinical way and focused on some of the higher cuisine presented in the Okinawan Royal Court and similar dishes. In contrast, the vast majority of Okinawan cooks and restaurants in Hawaii followed a difficult road, mostly imbued with peasant origins and traditions and dependent on home cooking traditions. More or less, there was Sensei Yamada and there was everyone else. When Yamada came to Hawaii, he was divorced. He married a local Okinawan girl, and together they built the restaurant Karayushi. Although there was still an underlying schism between his cooking and most other local Okinawan cooks, it could be overlooked to some extent because of his local marital connection. All of this changed when he somehow reconciled with his first wife and renewed his marital relationship with her. I can hardly describe how outraged the local Okinawan community was about the train of events, and as a classmate of Sensei Yamada's local wife, I question his emotion and judgement in this unfortunate episode. As a result, I can well appreciate his decision to move from an Okinawan restaurant to a more generic izakaya. His place in the local Okinawan restaurant community was doomed. As a generic izakaya with Okinawan dishes in a post 9/11 situation, it was only a matter of time before the numbers would catch up with him. Among all of the lessons here: Honolulu until 1969 was a very small town and in the ensuing thirty-five years may have grown to be America's eleventh largest municipality, but just beneath the surface it is a very small town. If you are new to Hawaii, it is a fact well worth remembering.

I'm sorry, I should have provided you a reference or link. Molly's has been visited by no less than SK himself and many of the Alohagullet Ohana. See http://forums.egullet.com/lofiversion/index.php/t40545.html ← Actually, although I post sometimes in the Montreal Forum I live in Massachusetts where we have a few respectable BBQ places which I have described, but I am always happy to expand my BBQ horizons. My preference is for slow cooked, well-wood-smoked meat not dependent on sauce for its taste. PS Sorry I botched the quote initially, but the point is clear. Let us see if this correction works. ←

If, by Middle Eastern, you are speaking of Turkish, Persian, Lebanese, Syrian, and Israeli styles, the closest that I can think of is Zoe's on the North Shore. I do not know whether they remain in operation. If you will accept Egyptian, Algerian, and Moroccan styles, see my article, "Club Med: Spice, Rice, Everything Nice" at: http://www.hawaii.rr.com/leisure/reviews/a...4_cmsrenice.htm

Market City Foodland should have canned Wahoo. Ted's Bakery is somewhere along the North Shore. Excellent sugar balance. Notice that you're from eastern Canada. Don't know if you have barbeque back east. In Wahiawa, there are a couple of joints; try Molly's Texas Barbecue. Also in Wahiawa, Sunnyside Bakery for their signature pie.

Her Greatness, Chicken Alice, has been found. I had been working with Betty Shimabukuro of the Star-Bulletin on this search, but one of the Keeaumoku bar aficionadoes tracked her down. Go to: http://starbulletin.com/2005/02/16/features/story1.html She's provided the recipe for her chicken wings in gratitude to the people of Hawaii. Go Alice!