Cultures converge on Monsarrat at Cafe Morey’s

The last time I interviewed chef Mamoru Tatemori was just before last year’s Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, when he was contemplating opening a yakitori restaurant here.

The Japan-born chef has been busy since then, becoming an American citizen and recently opening the casual Cafe Morey’s on Monsarrat Avenue — ahead of the yakiniku project, which he estimates may take another six months to materialize.

By now the chef has spent half a lifetime trying to figure out the quirks separating Western and Japa­nese tastes and trying to bridge the gap between them. It wasn’t easy the first time he tried to do so, in 2003 at Tokyo Tokyo at the Kahala Hotel (then the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel), where he ended up creating different dishes for the two markets.

The two different palates — each defined by cultural norms and culinary experiences — are no closer today than when he returned to Japan in 2010. But he is a patient and determined man, and Morey’s is a hybrid that works.

His first success has been making Morey’s (a riff off the last two syllables of his last name) seem like an old friend. When someone suggested we visit the cafe, knowing I am always in search of the new, my reply was, “Aw, hasn’t that been here for years?” Now, when I tell other people about it, they react the same way — “Hasn’t that been around forever?”

You can tell the cafe isn’t entirely local by the Japanese-style burger ($11 to $14), with the softness of panko as filler. The burger started out beefy to suit the local palate, but the cafe’s Japanese clientele complained about the weightiness, so today’s burger is a compromise between the two ends of the spectrum. I prefer the texture of a denser, meatier burger, but I liked the balance of ketchup and mustard that gives it the retro, nostalgic flavor of Hawaii’s old-school drive-in burgers.

In another instance, Cafe Morey’s started with hard scrambled eggs favored in the West. Again, his Japanese constituency complained, which resulted in the current choice of hard or soft scrambled eggs.

“Oooh,” I said, practically swooning when presented with the rare, more time-consuming and laborious soft option. I love the creamy, velvety nature of a soft scramble and here you can get those eggs Italian style with tomato, basil and cheese ($13) folded in; with mushrooms and cheese ($13); or with smoked salmon and spinach ($14). The simple scramble is one of my favorite dishes.

Recent specials covered a crab and avocado scramble, or crab and avocado on eggs Benedict.

BREAKFAST ITEMS are big here. You can also get waffles ($7.50 to $12.50) and fluffy pancakes ($7.50 to $12.50) any time from morning to closing.

The restaurant is in the bright open spot formerly occupied by Happy Valley Pasta and Pizza. Light streaming into the restaurant is beautiful but if you’re the type who sunburns easily, beware. The sun’s intensity has the power to redden the skin of those sitting near the windows.

If your first goal is to cool off, there’s fresh lemonade, from the classic ($4 small, $5 large) to those blended with ginger or basil ($4.25/$5.25). There’s also a short menu of beers, whiskeys, flavored margaritas, wine and Bloody Marys. Tropical mimosas ($8) are always a welcome selection as well, perfect for a self-styled brunch any day of the week.

Place your order at the counter and they’ll buzz you when your drink is ready. Food is delivered to your table, but if you’re the type who needs your meal to flow from appetizer to mains, forget it. Dishes arrive at random, with the last few trickling in just when you’re feeling stuffed and ready to leave. Food delivery is slow here, even when only a few diners are in the cafe. I would try to avoid peak dining times, aiming for an early or late lunch at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. Be prepared to bus your own table at the end of your meal.

A poke bowl of shoyu ahi and salmon ($13) is delicious and, knowing it’s no fun when all the fish is gone, the kitchen provides extra sauce to give any leftover plain rice some flavor.

Salads are available for the green crowd, with mixed greens ($9), Caesar ($10) and kale ($12) options. If ordering kale, be prepared to chew, and chew. As much as I wanted to get my day’s share of greens, I got tired of chewing after a while.

Acai bowls ($9 to $12.50) also await those in search of a light meal.

The special plates will get people most excited. This is where you’ll find rib-eye steak ($15), kalbi ($15), garlic ahi steak ($14) and mixed plates (BBQ or Surf & Turf, $16.50).

I TRIED the fried garlic chicken wings ($13) that arrived with enough chicken to feed two. Again, this seemed tailored to Japanese tastes, with a light brush of garlic sauce and not enough of the intensity I crave, particularly after spending the past few weeks eating lots of Korean food, which isn’t timid when it comes to garlic and spice.

Garlic Cajun shrimp ($14.50) fared better, but because the Cajun spice is sprinkled onto the shell, you’ll get the most intense flavor eating the shell and all. All the plates come with macaroni salad and choice of rice or bread.

If you need more rice, kim chee fried rice ($10.50) has all the spice and flavor you dream of. For $3 more, you can get that same rice topped with three pieces of shoyu-style grilled kalbi.

More fine-tuning is likely over time, but even as is, the varied menu plus inviting dining room make Morey’s a great addition to this neighborhood.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.