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RESTAURANT OWNERS PARTNER FOR COLLAB MEAL
The owners of three westside Latin restaurants join forces on Leap Day in a collaboration dinner called Sabor. The word is Spanish for flavor and the menu merges Mexican, Argentinian, Salvadoran, Puerto Rican and other Latin cuisines.
The dinner, at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29, is set for Sweet Land Farm, a goat farm and creamery in Waialua.
It brings together chefs Miriam Olivas of Barrio Cafe in Wahiawa and Stevina Kiyabu of Coquito’s Latin Cuisine in Waianae. Gladys Najera of La Casita, a new Central American restaurant in Waipahu is providing pupusas revuelta (Salvadoran corn flatbread stuffed with pork, cheese and black beans).
A sampling from the menu: appetizers of coconut shrimp ceviche and empanadillas stuffed with pastele stew; entrees of chimichurri skirt steak over arroz con gandules (rice and pigeon peas) and enmoladas (corn tortillas in mole); and desserts of coconut bread pudding and Mexican cookies.
Tickets are $55, available at Barrio Cafe or online at sabor2020.eventbrite.com.
NEW AGU RESTORES RAMEN MENU
Agu a Ramen Bistro was a bustling network of restaurants, but collapsed in financial chaos last year. The last bistro closed in September.
But Agu is back, under new ownership, in the St. Louis Clubhouse building on Isenberg Street, which is where the original Agu opened six years ago.
Now at the helm is Rika Takahashi, manager for Agu Plus, which has taken over the company. Takahashi said she lost her job with Agu last year, but is back because she believes strongly in the new Agu.
She was born and raised in Japan, but said Agu’s ramen is distinctive. “We didn’t have have ramen like this in Japan. Our ramen is special.”
Takahashi is splitting her time between Hawaii and Texas, where Agu has locations in Houston, Sugar Land and Dallas.
She said the company is focused on its single Oahu location, but might consider more outlets after the first year.
Agu is at 925 Isenberg St. Hours are 11 a.m .to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. daily. The restaurant is currently cash-only.
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