In years past I’ve talked about being bored by the monotony of seeing virtually the same dishes at every category of restaurant while waiting for someone to show some imagination and introduce something new to the dining scene. In the past few years we relied on restaurateurs from Japan for creativity.
Well, this year was anything but boring, as hard economic times are forcing dozens off traditional paths and into experimental mode, giving diners a jolt as we try to keep up with homegrown newcomers introducing fresh ideas at runaway speed. You need Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep up with who’s where these days.
Here is a glimpse of the way we ate in 2012:
>> Crab city, indeed: When Kickin’ Kajun opened its doors on Makaloa Street in early summer, I was excited. Finally, something truly new on Oahu’s dining scene. As it turns out, there was synchronicity among a handful of like-minded restaurateurs who thought the idea of feasting on a West Coast-style crab, shellfish and fry basket meal would be fun for groups of friends and families. And it was! It was also messy as buckets were poured over butcher paper and we picked over claws and shells to get at the meaty bits. Within a few weeks there were lines out the door at KK as well as Raging Crab, which opened just around the corner at the Samsung Plaza. Next to arrive was Chef J.J. Luangkhot’s Crab City on Waialae, and by the end of summer, Karai Crab had opened at The Willows, with its cleaner, spicier, mannered approach. The Honolulu market is saturated at this point, but there’s probably room for more on the Leeward side, and I would definitely welcome someone coming in with a Southeast-style crab boil.
>> Rich in pork belly: Once limited to the Chinese and Okinawan tables, the pork belly has become the new short rib, usurping last year’s meat of choice. You could find pork belly everywhere, from fine restaurants to sushi bars. It was wrapped around asparagus and pan-seared at Sushi ii, steamed in adobo sauce at Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas, layered over ramen at Lucky Belly, braised and served with Dijon pork jus and cherry compote at REAL A Gastropub, and accompanied by shrimp and tomato-honey sauce as part of an Oscar Night dinner at Halekulani. Ironically, the rise of the pork belly at the table led to its demise as a stock market commodity after a 50-year run. What was once subject to cyclical demand had become commonplace, available year-round, eliminating the need for a futures market in frozen bellies now that fresh pork bellies are preferred.
>> Macho, macho, men: Chefdom has long been the domain of men, and now that’s even more true with a new generation of chefs who are not content to just buy cuts of meat, but find justification and sustainability in meat-eating only if one is willing to butcher an animal oneself. Chefs like Ed Kenney of Town, Robert McGee of Whole Ox Deli and Mark “Gooch” Noguchi of Pili Hawaii have done so and continue to embrace the nose-to-tail philosophy of letting no part of an animal go to waste. With meat on our minds, charcuterie continues to be a draw from Honolulu to Maui.
>> Welcome to the Cave: We saw the cryptic ads before we saw the enormity of Vintage Cave Honolulu and realized its mission: no less than to offer respite from the rush of contemporary society through this underground cocoon. The Cave delivers fine food and fine art by Picasso, Michelangelo and more. Chef Christopher Kajioka, who honed his skills in the kitchens of Roy’s, New York’s Per Se and San Francisco’s Aziza, stepped in to create meals of a couple of dozen dishes served up in 16 courses that come with a price tag of $395 per person. That rate does not begin to support an entity of this size and scope. In that way, the Cave is a gift to Honolulu from Shirokiya as a destination for culinary tourism. Not bad for a former storage and office space.
>> Raw vegan hits mainstream: Among the many trend stories is the important message that we also must eat for our health and well-being. Sylvia Thompson has long been an advocate of the raw vegan lifestyle, quietly building up a community of believers through Licious Dishes, a take-home food purveyor. This year she made the leap in introducing raw vegan meals as an elegant dining option with the opening of Greens & Vines at 909 Kapiolani Blvd., pairing wines with her meat-free dishes. After all, a little bit of vino is also said to be good for one’s health.
>> Return to the sea: When John Dominis closed two years ago, we wondered what would take its place. It would have been a shame if Hawaii diners lost its beautiful Point Panic vantage. With $16 million in renovations that led to a new Las Vegas-y chapel and restaurant business, 53 by the Sea opened in late summer with a menu of seafood and shellfish that pays homage to its predecessor, as well as Italian and steakhouse specialties. Walking into the bright, marbled room with grand staircase is breathtaking, and so is the bull’s-eye view of Diamond Head. In case you ever forget why you choose to live in Hawaii, this place offers all the reminders you need.
>> Pop-up concept springs roots: Food truck and grass-roots business advocate Poni Askew advanced her mission of giving young chefs an entree to the business world by joining with Pili Hawaii’s Noguchi and Amanda Corby in opening a brick-and-mortar space that rotates a roster of food purveyors. The concept allows purveyors to call the space their own for a few hours a day each week, for a few months at a time. Taste opened at 667 Auahi St. in late October and set about naming the days in a way people could remember: Taqueria Tuesdays, Crepe Wednesdays, Musubi Thursdays and Fresh-baked Fridays. Keeping pace with the eatery requires some technological savvy (www.tastetable.com) on the part of diners who want to know who’s coming and going.
>> All hail the noodle: Our affection for noodles dates to plantation times, when the Chinese introduced saimin to their fellow workers. As an inexpensive, pliant comfort food that blends well with myriad sauces and ingredients, the noodle has never gone away, but is hitting new stride as the mom-and-pop noodle factories step out of the shadows and into the limelight. The 70-year-old Chun Wah Kam Noodle Factory made its presence felt when it opened in a high-profile spot at 537 Pensacola St., with plate-lunch meals showcasing its various pi and eight kinds of noodles. Meanwhile, Sun Noodle gave Honolulu foodies a taste of what it’s been up to during a Ramen Lab pop-up last month at Lucky Belly. The company is a major player on the national ramen scene, having established its Ramen Lab in New Jersey, where executive chef Shigetoshi Nakamura helps wannabe ramen-ya owners develop restaurant concepts and menus — using Sun Noodles, of course.
Happy dining in 2013!
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Nadine Kam’s restaurant columns appear Wednesdays in the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@star advertiser.com.
