Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
says Merriman. As it is with things au courant, it is easy to make a claim but another thing
to live up to it. As Merriman points out, HRC was never solely about technique; it is equally
about ingredients and the chef's creativity and integrity. “We continue to get local inspira-
tion,” says Merriman. “We've never restricted ourselves.” If there is a fabulous French or Thai
dish, chefs like Merriman will prepare it with local ingredients and add a creative edge that
makes it distinctively Hawaii regional.
Here's a sampling of what you can expect to find on a Hawaii regional menu: seared
Hawaiian fish with lilikoi (passion fruit) shrimp butter; taro-crab cakes; Pahoa corn cakes; Mo-
lokai sweet-potato or breadfruit vichyssoise; Ka'u orange sauce and Kahua Ranch lamb; fern
shoots from Waipio Valley; Maui onion soup and Hawaiian bouillabaisse, with fresh snap-
per, Kona crab, and fresh aquacultured shrimp; blackened ahi summer rolls; herb-crusted on-
aga (snapper); and gourmet Waimanalo greens, picked that day. You may also encounter loc-
ally made cheeses, squash and taro risottos, Polynesian imu-baked foods (in an underground
oven), and guava-smoked meats. If there's pasta or risotto or rack of lamb on the menu, it
could be nori (red algae) linguine with opihi (limpet) sauce, or risotto with local seafood
served in taro cups, or rack of lamb in cabernet and hoisin sauce (fermented soybean, garlic,
and spices). Watch for ponzu sauce, too; it's lemony and zesty, much more flavorful than the
soy sauce it resembles.
Plate Lunches & More
At the other end of the spectrum is the vast and endearing world of “local food.” By that we
mean plate lunches and poke, shave ice and saimin, bento lunches and manapua—cultural
hybrids all.
Reflecting a polyglot population of many styles and ethnicities, Hawaii's idiosyncratic din-
ing scene is eminently inclusive. Consider surfer chic: Barefoot in the sand, in a swimsuit, you
chow down on a
platelunch
ordered from a lunch wagon, consisting of fried mahimahi, “two
scoops rice,” macaroni salad, and a few leaves of green, typically julienned cabbage. (Gen-
erally, teriyaki beef and shoyu chicken are options.) Heavy gravy is often the condiment of
choice, accompanied by a soft drink in a paper cup or straight out of the can. Like
saimin
—the
local version of noodles in broth topped with scrambled eggs, green onions, and sometimes
pork—the plate lunch is Hawaii's version of high camp.
