skchai
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Don't know, but Cheju is pretty close to tropical in climate. The bananas may have to be covered during parts of the winter, but otherwise they grew just fine (though due to cost of land and labor extremely expensive).
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Got to this thread pretty late. Jim, maybe you ought to consider writing a travel guidebook - "The Real Korea". Great post!
I've been to Cheju-do only once myself, on my honeymoon no less. If you go to one of the big hotels there, chances are high that you'll be surrounded by honeymooners. . . The cuisine, as one might expect, is seafood-based, with more pork than beef (the Cheju pigs are famous for their let us say, unsanitary, diets, but perhaps that's changed). There used to be a lot of banana and citrus plantations and such, but I guess that must have suffered since the freeing up of imports from the rest of Asia. One other famous local dish is bingtteok, which is basically a buckwheat pancake wrapped around shredded icicle radish.
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Pray tell, Linda, could you relate to us that experience?
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A Poi Cocktail! Perhaps it's like the Taro-flavored drinks that you can get from bubble-drink shops? Thanks, Lopaka, for the reference!
By the way, I've exercised my moderatory (?) perogoratives and decided that the Keo's discussion deserves a thread of its own. Click here to go to it.
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Dejah,
Poke is a kind of salad made from raw fish and seasoning. Hope that whets your appetite! (?)
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We had a short layover in SFO during a flight from Boston to Honolulu. We picked up a bag of Noah's Bagels, hoping to revive fond memories of our grad student days in the Bay Area. Reached in the bag - squishy, limp supermarket-style product. Aaargh - $13 bucks (remember, this is the airport) down the drain.
What happened to the Noah's we remembered? Checked out the website. Turned out that they've been bought up by the sinister-sounding "New World Restaurant Group". Can anyone provide me with some detail or context about all this?
Thanks!
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Mahalo nui loa, Tana, for explaining the meaning of "Mahalo nui loa".
Jenny, the kids get along pretty well, though they were pretty rambunctious at the restaurant when Alex wasn't chomping down everything in sight. You should see the other pictures from that day - they're both sticking their tongues out in every single one.
Since a lot of people are mentioning the okra - I did happen to take a picture.
Warning: this out-of-focus shot of half-eaten food does not do any kind of justice to the stylish presentation that arrived at our table and remained untouched for about half a second, but it does give you some idea of how crisp and unslimy the okra dish is. It is framed by half of a piece of paneer-stuffed chicken breast and half of a large tandoori prawn!
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You're right, Linda. The original Keo's was not in Waikiki itself, but on Kapahulu Ave. near Waikiki. It moved to Waikiki only in 1997. Sorry! It is now on Kuhio Ave., near the point where Kuhio branches off from Kalakaua Ave. I think this is the place that you're referring to.
By the way, I got some of this corrected info from the Keo's website.
Shoals of Time is an excellent history of Hawai`i. It was written by Gavan Daws, a transplated Aussie. . .
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Willie,
I don't know if poke counts as a snack - it's usually served with a meal as a main or side dish. If you and your wife snack on poke all the time rather than the usual stuff, though, you're probably a pretty healthy family!
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Keo's empire is still going strong, but with a lot of changes. I believe that Mekong was Keo Sananikone's first restaurant. It is on South Beretania near Ke`eaumoku. Irwin, would you happen to remember the name of the sushi and roast beef place that was there before? Quite a while ago he also opened Mekong II, which is on South King between Punahou and McCully.
Keo's (the restaurant) is his more upscale place. The original restaurant was and still is in Waikiki - this is the one that got him all the recognition from the out-of-town press and probably led to his book deal. He also opened a branch of Keo's in the Ward Center (the one that Linda has been going to), but it closed more than a year ago in the aftermath of the post 9-11 tourism downturn. He also has a "Keoni's", which serves American and East-West fusion food, also in Waikiki.
The Mekongs remain solid, good quality Thai places at reasonable prices. We go there all the time, even though the level of competition in Thai food in the island has heated up quite a bit.
Keo's, while good, is quite a bit more pricey. Basically, you are paying for the location and atmosphere. The food is marginally different from that served at Mekong - for instance, in their trademark "Evil Jungle Prince", the shredded cabbage that serves a bed for the basil-coconut stir fry at Mekong is replaced by shredded bamboo shoots at Keo's.
As you mention, Keo was quite instrumental in the popularizing Thai Food in the United States through his restaurants and cookbook, so part of the appeal is its noteriety, which he plays up to the max. There are literally hundreds of pictures of celebrities and not-so-celebrities on the wall of Keo's restaurant in Waikiki.
Whether the food itself overrated or the best Thai in the country - I guess that this is subjective. Since Thai food is still usually found in the cheap to lower mid-range category in the U.S., people may have a hard time stomaching the prices charged at Keo's. I haven't eaten at many high-end Thai places myself, so I don't have a lot of basis for comparison. Singha (also in Waikiki) is probably the main competition in Hawai`i in that price range - it's probably more inventive than Keo's, but a lot of people (not just visiting celebrities) swear by Keo's as well.
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Our Amma experience:
We were only in New York for one night, so I booked a couple weeks in advance. We made the reservation for 5 o'clock (opening time), since our party included our two anarcho-revolutionary kids (4 and 7) and it thus made sense to avoid the crowd that was certain to arrive later. However, we were delayed by the snows (we drove in from Boston via Connecticut), and so we had to call and bump up our arrival to 5:30. In the meantime, we had invited my wife's second cousin, who lives in Fort Lee, and her daughter as well (as well as possibly her boyfriend), increasing the size of our party to six (or seven). The staff accepted all these changes quite graciously.
After finally all collecting ourselves there, we got to meet Suvir. He was very kind and patient in welcoming us and in explaining all the dishes, as well as asking about our trip. He mentioned rather that for the longest time on egullet he thought that I was a woman! O.K. - I'm not uptight about that kind of thing, but maybe I've got to get suitably masculine avatar - any suggestions?
I ordered a non-veg tasting menu, and my second niece ordered a veg-tasting menu. Suvir kept returning after each course, describing personally what each dish was about. He was remarkably accepting of what turned out to be a very chaotic ordering pattern on our part (I'll spare you the details), and of the general chaos that characterized our table thanks to the kids and the scatterbrained parents. In the end, my wife's second cousin even insisted on paying the bill
By 6:30 or so, the place was completely full, and the managers had to constantly turn away patrons who had arrived without a reservation.
The food? After reading what seems like a dozen glowing descriptions here and in the newspapers of the spinach tikki, the bhelpuri, the fried spinach with mung beans, the crispy okra, the Malabar Salmon with the famous tomato chutney, the tandoor-roated lamb chop with great garnish of spiced pears, the deserts, and everything else, I don't feel like I have anything to add that could provide a lot of additional information. Also, while I took some pictures of the food (as I'm trying to do everytime I go out to eat, much to the irritation of my wife), they pale in comparison to the ones Tana Butler put up here earlier. And even before I could frame the shots, opportunistic little fingers would reach with lightning speed to grab a handful of bhelpuri or an entire lamb chop, so I usually ended up taking pictures of half-eaten food.
Needless to say, everything was original and flawless, as expected. Perhaps the biggest surprises were these:
- My son actually ate vegetables, and did so ravenously. This is a guy who will often shout in indignation if he finds a scrap of green onion or cilantro in his fried rice. However, he couldn't keep his hands off the fried spinach with mung bean sprouts, or the crispy okra. After eating the portion I gave him, he would surreptitiously try to steal some extra spinach from my plate. Thanks, Suvir, for showing him the light!
- Suvir provided us with an incredible number of extra dishes, gratis (again, I'll spare you the details, so you won't feel jealous!), which made us feel very special. However, one thing that stood out was what happened when my son expressed slight disappointment at the pea filling in the samosa that he had grabbed off my plate. "I thought it would have potatoes", he said in front of Suvir. Very soon, as if by magic, out came a plate containing two large potato samosas, which we had not ordered. Needless to say, my son was very happy and devoured nearly the whole thing, though sharing some of the crust with his sister.
- The Cauliflower Manchurian was a true surprise for someone who had never tried Chinese-Indian food before. A sauce containing a large amount of garlic and fresh chilies surrounding a crisp center - it reminded me of some of an extremely well-made fresh Korean side dish.
- The Crispy Okra was not only free from slime of any kind, it had an incredible savoriness that seemed to come from chaat masala or black salt (kala namak), one of the components of chaat masala. A great compbination.
Anyway, as I mentioned, the food pictures I took didn't really turn out, but here are some group poses:
Suvir and my family
Suvir and me
Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and it was worth it to drive down to New York for this alone. Many thanks and Mahalo Nui Loa, Suvir!
- My son actually ate vegetables, and did so ravenously. This is a guy who will often shout in indignation if he finds a scrap of green onion or cilantro in his fried rice. However, he couldn't keep his hands off the fried spinach with mung bean sprouts, or the crispy okra. After eating the portion I gave him, he would surreptitiously try to steal some extra spinach from my plate. Thanks, Suvir, for showing him the light!
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Oh, I already need to amend that list. Another book is forthcoming from Ten Speed Press:
Interesting that Kodama is the first of the non-HRC Inc. chefs to get his own nationally-distributed cookbook deal. HRC Inc. was the group of twelve chefs who originally got together to promote Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, making a name for themselves and alienating some other people in the process.
Keo Sananikone, author of Keo's Thai Cuisine, is another local chef with a national deal (Ten Speed again!) but of course his restaurant does not purport to serve Hawai`i cuisine.
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Been gone again for a couple weeks, so here's another double-header:
Star-Bulletin:
A holiday cookie collection, by Betty Shimabukuro
M is for Makaha Sons (and Sam)
"A Hawaiian Luau with Sam Choy and the Makaha Sons" (Mutual Publishing, 2003, $29.95) is a cookbook-and-CD combo that provides recipes for the luau table and music to play during the party. The music is a collection of Makaha Son's favorites, such as "Round in Waikiki" and "Hopoe," as well as the luau standards "Lahaina Luna" and "Blue Hawai'i".HAWAII'S KITCHEN: Sear shrimp for tasty, quick dish, prepared by James Gillespie of The Plaza Club
Also, the cookbook for this show has come out:
"The Hawaii's Kitchen Cookbook -- Chef's Edition" (Watermark, 2003, $10) features 100 recipes from Alan Wong, George Mavrothalassitis, Chai Chaowasaree, Glenn Chu, Hiroshi Fukui, Beverly Gannon, D.K. Kodama, Colin Nishida, Russell Siu and Linda Yamada.THE ELECTRIC KITCHEN: Caramel apple takes the cake, prepared by Patricia Rodriguez
BY REQUEST: Party kebabs fill menu from start to finish, by Betty Shimabukuro
Teriyaki Sticks, Pineapple Teri-Bobs (?) . . .
KEY INGREDIENT: Chocolate Chips, by Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
BY THE GLASS: Health benefits worth toasting, in moderation, by Ryan Shiinoki
Nothing says "ho, ho, ho" better than a cake soaked in rum, by Betty Shimabukuro
T is for tea, by Betty Shimabukuro
Tea Chest, 500 Alakawa St. (behind the new Costco gas station in Iwilei). . . L'Epicer in Ala Moana Center, the first American outlet in a chain with 70 tea shops in Japan.HAWAII'S KITCHEN: Cajun flavors spice up ahi, by Jean-Pierre Maharibatcha of John Dominis
BY REQUEST: Won ton soup is a flavorful bowl of warmth, by Betty Shimabukuro
KEY INGREDIENT: Apple Cider, by Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga
Advertiser:
QUICK BITES: Top Island chefs will teach classes, by Wanda A. Adams
Gourmet Cooking Hawaii includes chefs Donato Loperfido (Donato's, pictured) Goran Streng (Hawaii Prince), Mariano Lalica (Meritage) and Pierre Padovani (Padovani's). Other participating restaurants include Chef Mavro, Tiki's Grill & Bar and Sam Choy's.FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Chef credits family, 'Boys' for sushi success, by Wanda A. Adams
Dave "D.K." Kodama's of Sansei restaurant releases a new book: "D.K.'s Sushi Chronicles from Hawai'i" (Ten Speed Press).
QUICK BITES: Kona Brewing Co. comes to Hawai'i Kai, by Wanda Adams
Opening up at the Koko Marina Center.
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Here is a list of some popular Hawai`i snack foods. Which ones do you remember from your youth? Are there any you care to add to the list?
crack seed (Chinese-style preserved fruits)
- li hing mui (dried Chinese salted plum / apricot with anise flavoring)
- sweet whole seed (like li hing mui, but wet and less salt)
- wet mango
- lemon peel
crisps / chips
- maui potato chips - original Kobayashi brand now overshadowed?
- won ton chips - Maeda factory burned down
- nibbits - Yick Lung's one holdover
- taro chips
crackers
- saloon pilots: hardtack - now in ginger and coconut flavors
- kakimochi / arare - like the Japanese kinds but in huge quantities
mochi (ricecakes)
- butter mochi
- taro mochi
- chichidango
shave ice
- shave ice with azuki
- bing su - Korean style
- halohalo - filipino style
Will try to post more detailed descriptions / pictures on aspects of this endless topic when I have time. . .
- li hing mui (dried Chinese salted plum / apricot with anise flavoring)
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Kua`aina in Hawai`i is always listed near the top of local places when it comes to upscale-type burgers. Remember being shocked at seeing a branch in Shibuya last year - couldn't believe it was actually associated with the operation in Hawai`i, but I guess from the article that it is. . .
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A long time ago I promised that I would post a list of Hawai`i-related cookbooks. Of course, as the earlier posts on this thread show, a lot has been published, but given that most of them are not readily available outside the state, I thought I could restrict myself to those that might be found in bookstores nationally or internationally. . .
Other than Rachel's The Food of Paradise (University of Hawaii Press, 1996), which we all know and love, there are as far as I know currently a total of only seven (!) cookbooks about Hawai`i cuisine that are in print and distributed nationally within the United States. Four of the seven are from the same publisher (SF's Ten Speed Press). They are (in order of publication, with links to Amazon.com):
Jean-Marie Josselin, Taste of Hawaii (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 1992)
Roy Yamaguchi, Roy's Feasts from Hawaii (10 Speed Press, 1995)
Sam Choy, Sam Choy's Island Flavors (Hyperion, 1999)
Alan Wong's New Wave Luau: Recipes from Honolulu's Award-Winning Chef (10 Speed Press, 2001)
All of the above-mentioned books, with the exception of Rachel's, cover one aspect of Hawai`i's food, Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. Each is written or co-written by a celebrity chef in the HRC movement. There may be others that are available that I'm not aware of, of course.
It does seem that much of Booklines Hawai`i's selection of non-nationally distributed cookbooks is also available on Amazon - in their role as a subretailer or whatever it's called. However, if you want to see their whole list, it's still probably easier to go directly to the Booklines site listed in my previous post.
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I guess so - I read that they spent two years researching the book, but somehow they decided not to include actual reviews. They do have lists of specialties, description of seating arrangements, etc. And it's the only published guide to okazuya out there. . .
Sweet Willie, would love to make it for lunch on one of those days, but it looks like I'll have family obligations . . . will let you know if things change.
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Jason, Sweet Willie, sorry for not giving more context!
The article that you provided from the UAL flight mag gives a very good intro - indeed, it's by Donovan Dela Cruz, one of the authors of the book that I cited earlier.
As mentioned Okazuya in Japanese refers to a shop where side-dishes for box lunches (bento) are sold. However, in Japan itself, you would be hard put to find any stores that label themselves "okazuya", at least outside of the most rustic rural neighborhoods. In the towns and cities, they are overshadowed by fast-food bento emporiums, upscale department store basement food courts, and convenience stores. Moreover, even where they exist, their menu is quite a bit different from the okazuya you find in Hawai`i.
In Hawai`i, okazuya have become something close to the local version of the New York deli or appetizing store. A number of pre-prepared foods are put on display behind a counter, and you pick and choose the ones you'd like to consume. Indeed, many of the local okazuya refer to themselves as "delicatessens".
Most of the foods sold in local okazuya have Japanese-Hawaiian origins in one way or another, such as the usual teriyaki, musubi (rice balls), katsu (breaded fried meats, poultry, fish), nishime (braised vegetables), kimpira (stir-fried shredded vegetables), but a lot of other elements enter the mix. Filipino adobo (pork or chicken cooked in sour, garlicky sauce), Chinese roast pork, and Hawaiian-Hawaiian dishes such as poke (raw fish salad) and laulau (taro leaf-wrapped pork and saltfish) may make their appearance at various places. The general tendency is to pick a little bit of each, then pile it all on a paper plate or clamshell box. The Japanese-style bento box, even the disposable plastic kind, is rarely used. I'll try to file a pictoral report from one of them sometime. . .
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Great question, rlivings!
Even though the word is Japanese, local-style Okazuya are really a unique Hawai`i tradition.
Don't have time to give a detailed answer now, but two very celebrated ones (and deservedly so) are Fukuya (2710 S. King St. 946-2073, mauka side, half block DH of University Ave.) and Gulick Delicatessen (1512 Gulick Ave. 847-1461, ewa side, about one block makai of School St.).
Also, you might want to check out the The Okazu Guide : Oh, 'Cause You Hungry! by Donovan Dela Cruz and Jodi Endo Chai (no relation, I think).
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Irwin,
M's Ranch is no longer in business, I believe. I'm not sure if they were a Spencecliff restaurant - the only Spencecliff I remember was the local Coco's. The Spencecliff empire was bought up from the Weaver family in 1986 by the Japanese Nittaku company, who sold off a lot of the properties.
One set of locally published cookbooks that has become very popular recently is the "Hawai`i Best" series by Jean Watanabe Hee, out of Mutual Publishing. She has volumes on Mochi, Desserts, and Main Dishes. They are all spiral bound, in the community cookbook tradition.
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Really neat. I won't feel jealous though, only because all of the local Korean joints near me have UNLIMITED panchan, and usually about 10-15 types.
Its pretty difficult to photograph Korean BBQ in my experience. Good job.
JHLurie, we also have those kind of more "authentic" Korean bulgogi / kalbi joints in Honolulu too. They are typically sit-down places with real plates and chopsticks - slightly more expensive, unlimited and greater array of panchan, and do-it-yourself table cooking. Gina's is a fast food place, and its offerings have been Hawaiianized to fit the plate lunch paradigm. The panchan are not unlimited, but it would take a pretty sturdy person to eat the whole thing anyway. So I guess it's a different genre . . .
Where are you located, JHLurie? Is it near one of the Korean enclaves like in Flushing or Fort Lee?
looks GREAT, will try in a few weeks for sure.Please do, Sweet Willie - I'd like to know what your reaction is. Also, please tell us a little bit more about yourself. Are you a local resident, or are you travelling through the islands?
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Lopaka, seems like you were one of a number of people who were brought into Egullet by the "Restaurant" show thread. I think people here managed to put the show in its place, regardless of what the general public might have thought.
Anyway, glad to hear from someone who remembers the good old days in Hawai`i restaurants. Perhaps the only one of those restaurants that I had a chance to go to as a kid was M's Ranch, which I believe eventually became a branch of Flamingo Chuckwagon. Michel's is still open, while Canlis' restaurant survives in his hometown of Seattle even though the Honolulu branch (which was actually the original one) closed down long ago.
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Here's the address:
Champion Malasadas
1926 South Beretania St. @McCully Street
Phone: 947-8778
It's on the mauka (north) - ewa (west) side of the street, in a nondescript rectangular building. . .
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This is already being discussed on the New York Board, but AMMA has received yet another glowing, this time more lengthy, review in the New York Times:
The Food of India, From Top to Bottom
Congratulations again, Suvir!
Local Snack Foods
in Hawaii: Cooking & Baking
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Great combination! Especially the M&Ms.