Chefs Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka of Honolulu’s MW Restaurant extend their reach to San Francisco on Wednesday with the grand opening of the Trailblazer Tavern, offering a sophisticated spin on iconic Hawaii favorites, like Spam musubi and shave ice.
The husband-wife team has partnered with restaurateur Michael Mina to open the upscale tavern on the second floor of Salesforce East, a 30-story tower on Mission Street. The top floor is actually called the Ohana Floor, open to community groups.
Karr-Ueoka said she has considered the City by the Bay to be a second home since she did a stint at The French Laundry restaurant in nearby Yountville.
The menu showcases foods that “tell a story about what we love about Hawaii,” Karr-Ueoka said, and will also incorporate seasonal produce from the Bay Area.
The tavern will honor Hawaii’s plantation culture and the way that it evolved, with different ethnic groups sharing their backgrounds as they pooled their foods during work breaks. One of their dishes down the road will be called Kau Kau Tin.
The Mina Group approached the chef duo with the idea of serving upscale bar food.
After dining at MW, Mina said in a statement, “I was completely inspired by everything they were doing and wanted to bring their authentic Hawaiian experience and ohana spirit to San Francisco.”
On Ueoka’s dinner menu for the Trailblazer are standbys like barbecued chicken and pulehu rib-eye, but with a gourmet flourish. For instance, Porchetta Lau Lau ($31) adds crispy paiai (a thicker version of poi) to kalua pork and lomi tomato.
The “Spam Musubi” ($18, under the pupu and dim sum section) is a version of a favorite from the MW menu, a mochi- crusted smoked pork arabiki (sausage) meatloaf. There’s even oxtail stew and rice, bibimbap, and kim chee fried rice.
Pastry chef Karr-Ueoka has created several desserts infused with tropical flavors. A highlight is the Coffee and Cream, with layers of textures and flavors reminiscent of an affogato. Elements include vanilla-tapioca panna cotta flavored with Ko Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum, coffee gelee, mochi ice cream and coffee shave ice.
The chef duo previously partnered with the Mina Group in Waikiki’s Burger Hale, which imbues American hamburgers with diverse local flavors. It’s one of 10 stalls at The Street, a food hall opened by Mina in the updated International Market Place.
