Paul Uyehara never intended to get into the restaurant biz. He has more than enough work as president of Aloha Tofu, the company founded in 1950 by his grandparents Kamesaburo and Tsuruko Uyehara. Business is booming to the point where a second location at Dole Cannery was meant to house the company’s deep-frying operation.
But there were some delays in setting up the factory, so they decided to get some momentum going and open the storefront to showcase Aloha Tofu products and demonstrate tofu’s versatility in the kitchen. Uyehara said he is frequently asked how to cook with tofu, because a majority of people do no more than eat it cold, drizzled with shoyu and topped with green onions and ginger.
After more than 60 years of business, prepared food became part of the company’s repertoire only after it marked its 60th year with "Aloha Tofu Cookbook" by Peko Nishimura and Misa Uyehara ($16, Mutual Publishing), and a tofu cheesecake from the book sparked the public’s imagination.
Eventually, Uyehara met Misaki Takahashi, a professional pastry chef from Japan who was a fan of Aloha’s tofu and used it to create amazing desserts.
He persuaded her to join the company about three years ago, and her creations are a line of tofu mousse desserts now packed to go in single-serve cups ($2.80 each) at the original factory and the new location. About three flavors are available every day, from staples of chocolate, strawberry and pineapple to green tea, coffee caramel and blueberry.
One of the biggest hits is a cream puff that incorporates okara, the pulp that remains after soybeans are processed for tofu. Two decades ago the only ones interested in the okara were pig farmers who used it as feed. These days there’s interest from fish and chicken farmers, and apparently it works well in pastry so light and delicate you’d never know how different it is from its wheat-flour counterparts. A carton of four runs $4.
As for the entrees, at this point the menu is limited to one main tofu dish a day, a few okazu and desserts.
Mind you, although tofu is generally considered a healthier alternative to meat, Aloha Tofu Town is not currently focused on vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free meals, although they are taking customers’ requests into account for future menu additions. The aim is to demonstrate the myriad ways tofu can be used to stretch meals and dollars.
Entrees are available by weekday as follows, at $5.50 small and $8 regular, except Fridays:
» Mondays: Tofu curry rice
» Tuesdays: Tofu loco moco
» Wednesdays: Tofu beef bowl
» Thursdays: Shrimp tofu with chili sauce
» Fridays: Aloha Friday bento ($7 small, $10 regular), available via preorder by calling 845-2669. The count helps them gauge demand so they can minimize waste, while allowing diners to ask what’s on the menu. Last week it was a combination of ham-wrapped tofu "katsu" and about a 4-ounce serving of grilled mackerel over rice, with potato salad, hijiki salad and broccoli.
For me, Aloha Tofu Town represents a nice break from all the meat and rich foods I usually consume. I love the delicacy of Japanese-style sauces and sides. Not everyone appreciates the texture of tofu, but it’s made more palatable with Monday’s curry stew format and Tuesday’s loco moco gravy.
Among okazu items ($4.50 each) are nishime; tofu poke ($3) with ogo, kamaboko, green onions and goma that allows you to measure out Hiroshima’s Kawanaka shoyu to taste; and yakisoba topped with strips of egg, carrots, kamaboko, white and green onion. And I love the potato salad, stirred with thin slivers of onion, surimi and mayo.
And you can feel relatively righteous enjoying the dessert mousse, with its base of soft tofu that runs 40 calories per 3 ounces, with 2 ounces of fat. Even though there is some cream cheese in the mix, the mousse is near weightless compared with other desserts on the market.
The reception has been far greater than Uyehara anticipated, and he said his kitchen staff is already pushing to roll out more dishes, including breakfast items. With each day, this longtime kamaaina factory inches closer and closer to operating a full-fledged restaurant.
Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.
BITE SIZE
Eggs ‘n Things location serving up Spam fries
French fries may be a woman thing. Whenever I go out with girlfriends, there’s always a platter of french fries at the center of the table, while the men around us caution, "Those will kill you."
Sure enough, scientists warned in 2002 that acrylamide, a chemical formed when potatoes are fried at high temperatures, is a carcinogen in rats.
Out went potatoes and in came alternatives like sweet potato and zucchini fries. But the acrylamide-and-cancer correlation has not yet been proven in humans, and over at Eggs ‘n Things the pendulum is swinging back to decadence with the addition of Spam fries — one for the guys — to the specials board at the Ala Moana Center location.
According to one of the managers, Ian Leong, the breakfast specialist introduced Spam fries in May at the Spam Jam in Waikiki, where they were a best-seller. Now those hungry for a taste of the salty, crispy strips of Hawaii’s favorite pork loaf can find them every evening from 4 p.m. to closing (10 p.m. weekdays and Sundays, and midnight Fridays and Saturdays).
The Spam fries ($7.95) are dusted with cornstarch before hitting the deep fryer and come out crisp and airy. They’re served with house-made guava ketchup, but I’d go easy with the dipping because the ketchup tends to drown out the porkiness of the fries.
Give it a try if you’re so inclined.
The Ala Moana Center restaurant is at 451 Piikoi St. Call 538-EGGS (3447).
"Bite Size" celebrates the new, the small, the unsung.
