Ladies and gentlemen, the time has finally come: Senia, perhaps the most anticipated restaurant of the year, opens today in Chinatown.
Senia is the brainchild of chefs Chris Kajioka and Anthony Rush. While the two bristle at defining their cuisine, they’ve come to decide upon the descriptor of Regional American, and their menu is tantalizing.
From Poke Cracker “snacks” to char siu-glazed bone-in pork belly to foie gras terrine, their ideas have local foodies, familiar with Kajioka’s boundless creativity and beautiful presentation, champing at the bit for a view and a taste.
Dinners are in the $60 range; lunches, set to begin in early 2017, will be about $30. Dining options include a Chefs’ Counter experience, set to start in a few weeks, featuring an elevated, multicourse tasting menu ($185, an additional $95 with wine pairings and $160 with reserve wine pairings).
Local boy Kajioka made friends with Rush, who hails from England, while working side by side at Per Se, the Michelin three-star restaurant owned by Thomas Keller.
The Senia team includes sous-chef Patrick Collins, pastry chef Mimi Mendoza and wine director Chris Ramelb, with Katherine Nomura, Rush’s wife, taking the helm as general manager.
Senia is at 75 N. King St. Hours: 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays (lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., begins in early 2017). Call 200-5412. Visit restaurantsenia.com.
Food truck fellows find fame as figurines
If TV food competitions are your favorite spectator sport, this special set of Funko dolls — you know the ones: giant-headed vinyl versions of popular TV and movie characters — might be a fit for your display shelf.
The figurines depict the crew of the Aloha Plate food truck, champs of the Great Food Truck Race in Season 4: chef Adam Tabura, his brother Lanai and their partner Shawn Felipe, plus the bonus of a cute hula girl. The set, released as part of the Pop! Asia line, is packed in a box that replicates the colorful food truck.
Find the vinyl gang for $19.95 at Razor Concepts in Pearlridge Uptown; that’s the Razor store nearest to T.J. Maxx. Autographed sets are also available. Call 486-3003.
Gifts of good taste
Familiar foodstuffs have been given a bit of seasonal flair by way of special packaging for holiday gift-giving. Consider theses island favorites:
>> Honolulu Cookie Co.’s 2016 Holiday Collection: The pineapple-shaped shortbread cookies come in seasonal flavors of peppermint, ginger spice and white chocolate pumpkin, in festive boxes and gift sets. The company has 14 shops statewide, including at Ward Warehouse and in the Makai Market Food Court at Ala Moana Center. Go to honolulucookie.com for a full list or call 845-1517.
>> Diamond Bakery: Holiday tins of Candy Bead, chocolate chip or coconut cookies, or Royal Creem or animal crackers are $6.99 for 13 ounces. Also available are pumpkin crunch graham crackers, $4.99 for a 9.5-ounce tray, and “best of the best” gift baskets filled with cookies and crackers, $49.99. Diamond Bakery products are carried by dozens of retailers, though not all retailers carry the whole product line. Visit diamondbakery.com.
>> Kaiulani Spices: These popular local spice mixes come in trio packs perfect for gift-giving. One set includes Kona coffee rub, curry spice and Hawaiian Spice blend of salt and herbs; another features spicy Pele’s Fire, salt- and sugar-free Lani’s Herb Garden and alaea (red clay) seasoning made with Kauai sea salt. Find the packs at Don Quijote, Whole Foods and the Navy Exchange. Prices run $24 to $29. Visit kaispices.com.
