Cafe Asia, opening Friday in Niu Valley, will merge the flavors of Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea in a shabu shabu dining experience.
Husband-wife owners Chen Pan and Kylee Lin have compiled an extensive menu starting with broths that include butter miso, mushroom jambalaya, spicy crab and ma la (traditional Chinese pork bone broth).
Aside from the hot pots, the menu offers dishes such as Side Street Clams (stir-fried in garlic and black bean sauce) and Furikake Bang Bang Shrimp (deep-fried, with Sriracha aioli).
Cafe Asia is in the Niu Valley Center, 5724 Kalanianaole Highway, serving lunch and dinner daily. Call 762-7514.
Hurray for Tofu Day
Aloha Tofu Factory is celebrating Tuesday as Tofu Day with a six-course meal at Kaka‘ako Kitchen in Ward Centre.
Chef Russell Siu’s menu showcases various preparations of tofu and other soy products, including shrimp and scallop mousse wrapped in yuba; summer roll of marinated tofu, crab and cucumbers; sesame-crusted tofu; okara-crusted ahi cake; and an Aloha Tofu Ono Pop.
The meal starts at 5 p.m. Seats are $55 and the event is BYOB with no corkage fee. Reserve a space: Call 845-2669, email kakaakokitchen@gmail.com or sales@alohatofu.com, or visit eventbrite.com.
Sample culture and cuisine
Prefer Italian fare to dim sum? Desserts to savory bites? Plan ahead and create your own tasting menu for the Taste of Chinatown Festival & Lantern Festival, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Visit tasteofchinatownhonolulu.com to make your choices from a list of dishes from area restaurants. Each plate is $5.
On Saturday, stop by the festival booth at Smith Beretania Park to pick up your tickets, then chow down while checking out unique lanterns at each venue created by students and artists. Call 589-9927.
Beer and sausage make pair
Dave Campbell of Aloha Beer Co. and Chuck Wakeman of Butcher and Bird take the helm at Slow Food O‘ahu’s Butcher and Brew event on Sunday.
A tour and tasting will be held at Aloha Beer from 4 to 6 p.m., with Campbell delving into various styles of beer. Wakeman will discuss products, such as his popular sausages, made from local venison, pork and beef.
Cost: $45, $35 for Slow Food O‘ahu members. The beer company is at 700 Queen St. For tickets, go to 808ne.ws/butcherbird.
Best of the best on the menu
Graze on the onolicious cuisine of more than a dozen isle restaurants at the Best of Hawaii’s Best Kitchens at 7 p.m. Saturday on the pool deck of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa.
On the roster: Arancino at the Kahala, Brilliant Ox, Burgers on Bishop, Chingu Hawaii, Paris Hawaii, Senia, StripSteak by Michael Mina and much more. Tickets are $49.50; $85 VIP.
Visit universe.com/hawaiisbestkitchens2018.
Hawaii’s Best Kitchens is an Instagram site that showcases cuisine from local restaurants and has garnered a following of more than 131,000 viewers.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
