Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [36]
THE ISLAND DIET
Hawaii is a US state, so Americans will find the familiar: fast-food chains, supermarkets stocked with national brands, and conventional menus of pancakes and Caesar salads. But if you plunge in and go local, you’ll find that the food gives real insight into the people, the history and the land. (What a fantastic excuse to eat up!)
Actually, you’ll find many parallels between Hawaii favorites and Western classics. If you like hamburgers, try a juicy teriyaki burger in Hawaii. If you like beef-barley stew, try local-style beef stew with rice. If you like tuna sandwiches, try a seared-ahi wrap instead. You get the picture.
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TOP PICKS – FOODIE TRENDS
gelato and sorbetto made with local (often organic) fruits
evolved plate lunches with two-scoop brown rice and steamed veggies or tossed greens instead of mayo-laden macaroni salad
izakaya (Japanese pubs serving tapas-style food), which are now ubiquitous across Honolulu and Waikiki
big-name chefs, such as DK Kodama and Peter Merriman, expanding their empires to Neighbor Islands
locally grown, caught and raised produce, fish and meats
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Still, there are three notable characteristics of iconic local food. First, the primary starch is sticky, medium-grain, white rice. Jasmine rice is tolerated with Thai food, but flaky rice is considered haole (Caucasian) food (and instant rice is inedible).
Second, the top condiment is soy sauce (ubiquitously called by its Japanese name, shōyu), which combines well with sharp Asian flavors such as ginger, green onion and garlic.
Third, meat, chicken or fish is often integral to a dish. For quick, cheap eating, locals devour anything tasty, from Portuguese sausage to hamburger steak to corned beef. But the dinner-table highlight is always seafood, especially succulent, fresh-caught ahi.
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Pick up a free copy of Edible Hawaiian Islands (www.ediblehawaiianislands.com), a colorful quarterly magazine focusing on Hawaii’s locavore movement and other foodie trends.
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Finally, don’t bother with nonlocal classics (such as pizza and bagels), which are usually disappointing. Also bear in mind the idiosyncratic local definitions: In Hawaii, ‘barbecue’ typically means teriyaki-marinated.
Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Almost two decades old, Hawaii Regional Cuisine (HRC) is entering a new, 21st-century phase. The birth of Hawaii’s now-iconic cuisine is well documented: in the late 1980s, a dozen or so of Hawaii’s top chefs partnered with local farmers, ranchers and fishers to gather the freshest ingredients, which they fashioned into island- and Asian-influenced creations. Gone was the same-old continental cuisine of the past. Suddenly macadamia-crusted mahimahi, seared ahi, miso glaze and liliko′i (passion fruit) anything were all the rage.
Back then HRC was rather exclusive, found at destination restaurants and created by celebrity chefs. Its hallmark was elaborate fusion preparation. By the 2000s the focus began shifting toward the ingredients, which ideally are locally grown, organic, seasonal and handpicked. Today, individual farms are lauded like designer brands. (The single-estate trend in premium coffee has spread to the tomatoes and arugula in your locavore salad.)
The upshot? Hawaii Regional Cuisine is now more encompassing. The top restaurants are still its mainstay, but that little bistro or even plate-lunch stand might fall under the HRC umbrella if it satisfies locavore requirements.
When deciding on a main course, remember that almost all meats, poultry and shellfish are imported. If they’re local, they’ll probably be labeled as such. To experience the crux of Hawaii’s finest cuisine, you should partake in ingredients that start and end here.
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TOP PICKS – HAWAII REGIONAL CUISINE
Hawai′i
Merriman’s (Click here)
Daniel Thiebaut (Click here)
Hilo Bay Café (Click here)
Kaua′i
Bar Acuda Tapas & Wine (Click here)
Beach House Restaurant (Click here)
Hukilau Lanai (Click here)
Maui