Taste of Marukai draws 1,000 to sample Japanese fare

Nadine Kam photos
After a kagami biraki ceremony, Mr. Takemura, president of Tsukasabotan Brewing Co., of Japan, shared a toast with 3660 On the Rise chef Russell Siu, Marukai Corp. executive vice president Richard Matsu, and Gov. Neil Abercrombie.

Marukai Wholesale Mart welcomed food and sake fans to enjoy dozens of dishes along with a variety of sake, shochu and Japanese beer during its annual Taste of Marukai event that took place April 11 at Marukai's Dillingham store at 2310 Kamehameha Highway, which packed in its 1,000 guests easily.

Sure there were lines for sashimi, sushi from Gokujo Sushi and edibles cooked up by 3660 On the Rise chef Russell Siu, but there was plenty to go around, so much so that chances are, most people probably got full before they could sample every offering.

Although there is less emphasis on outside chefs than in past years, in favor of showcasing fresh seafood and products carried by Marukai, crowd pleasers from past events were back, including fresh grilled abalone, platefuls of sashimi, made-to-order handrolls, tempura, yakitori, and more.

The event opened with the traditional Kagami Biraki sake barrel opening ceremony, with Marukai Corp. executive vice president Richard Matsu welcoming chef Siu, the president of Tsukasabotan Brewing Co., and Gov. Neil Abercrombie to crack open the barrel and share a toast.

Elsewhere in the store, highlights included a soba-making demonstration, amezaiku Japanese candy art, and a fish-cutting demo. People seem to be fascinated by the process because a video I made three years ago continues to draw hits and comments.

Guests started lining up early for Taste of Marukai for a bite of Japanese specialties.

Marukai executive vice-president Richard Matsu with his wife Jo, right, and Kori Higa.

Matsu presented a check for $30,000 to representatives from four beneficiaries of the fundraising event: Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the Hawaii United Okinawa Association.

Diners in line passed a sashimi boat, below, and ahi en route to sashimi plates.

Plates full of the big three of sashimi: hamachi, maguro and sake; the fade in the photos is due to refrigeration mist.

Pan-seared, shichimi-scented mahimahi topped with cucumber crab salad, in a dashi-ginger nage, from 3660 on the Rise. Chef Russell Siu was also serving hoisin-glazed shortribs with jasmine rice.

An event goer shares her wishes with a sushi chef from Gokujo Sushi, which provided made-to-order nigiri and handroll sushi.

Nathan and Chika Tanaka of Candy Art Hawaii were there, demonstrating the traditional Japanese art of amezaiku, shaping hot melted sugar and starch syrup into whimsical lollipop shapes.

Le Guignol to close at end of April

Fans of Le Guignol have only a few weeks more to enjoy the French restaurant.

The restaurant announced via email to friends and family today that its last day of service will be the evening of April 30, 2013.

In the email signed Chef Ala & Family, the chef announced, "After over 14 years of serving our loyal guests, my family and I have decided it is time to turn the page. We are closing one chapter of our life and looking forward to new adventures. There are many exciting opportunities that lie ahead.

"We have always considered Le Guignol as an extension of our home and family. The relationships and friendships we have made over the past 14 years will remain a cherished foundation of our past and integral part of our future.

"We have so many loyal guests and friends to thank. We are so honored and humbled you chose to spend your most special moments with us throughout the years. Each and every visit was special, whether it was graduation time, party time, a romantic dinner for two, a reunion with family and friends, a celebration of a milestone, your child’s birthday bash, or just a much needed solace away from the storm.

"We are grateful to all of our loyal and devoted staff who have worked with us over the years. They will always be a part of our Le Guignol family. The love and Aloha that Auntie Leilani brought to Le Guignol will never be forgotten.

"We are eternally grateful to those that have graced our tables and supported us. You ARE what made Le Guignol. Thank you all for the journey.

"We hope to see you the month of April to experience Le Guignol one last time. Please keep in mind that we are booked the following dates for a concert and the opera: April 13th, 26th, 28th, and 30th."

The closure will leave Honolulu with, I believe, just one dedicated French restaurant, Michel's at the Colony Surf.
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Le Guignol is at 1010 S. King St. #108. Call 591-1809.

Y. Hata looks forward to next 100 years

Nadine Kam photos

A dessert flan bears the Y. Hata & Co. logo in white chocolate. The company is marking its centennial.

Y. Hata & Co. is marking its 100th anniversary as a wholesaler of dry, chilled and frozen food products, supplying Hawaii's food industry. As they put it, "Every time you quench your thirst at Jamba Juice of sit down to a meal at Zippy's, a burger at Teddy's or a sumptuous spread at Aulani, you're enjoying Y. Hata products."

Additionally, Y. Hata also supplies schools and military personnel daily.

To mark the occasion and in looking forward to the next 100 years, Y. Hata has undergone a 100th birthday renovation and refresh, with restyling by Cathy Lee Style, and held an open house April 3 with pau hana pupu and drinks showcasing some of the company's products.

Included in the revamp is third-generation chairman and CEO Russel Hata's gift to the company's 200 employees, a Google-inspired employee lounge constructed from a pair of shipping containers, and furnished with flat-screen television, game table, dart board and foosball table.

A peek into the new Lounge @ Y. Hata, an employee lounge constructed from two shipping containers and styled by Cathy Lee Designs.

Also foremost in the renovation is the prominent display of the company's core values: Partners first, continuous improvement, ohana empowerment, ohana pride, candid communications, and live aloha, give aloha.

It was nice to see a business with a philosophy of putting people first, and I'm sure a lot of companies could learn from the example. Quite a few guests, after getting the workplace tour, were ready to fill out job applications!

Y. Hata & Co. had humble Hilo origins, starting in Yoichi and Naeko Hata's garage, after the couple immigrated from Japan. The company continues to be run by family. Russell is the son of chairman emeritus Frank Hata, the youngest of Yoichi and Naeko's 10 children.

And the company continues to look forward in ways beneficial to the aina and community, as a supporter of Kapiolani Culinary Institute of the Pacific, sponsor of culinary scholarships and CIP's national teams, and as home to a green, rooftop photovoltaic system.

Also of interest to many people will be the fact that they operate a retail store where anyone can shop for bulk food items, catering-size pans for parties and events, professional knives and cookware.

Among the most popular items are bags of McCormick chicken seasoning ($11.99) for deep-fry chicken and pork, and marinated kalbi, great considerations for your next big back-yard celebration. The shop is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays to Fridays, and 7:30 a.m. to noon Saturdays at 285 Sand Island Access Road.

Congratulations on 100 years of success and the next 100 years to come!

Y. Hata's third-generation chairman and CEO Russell Hata, with interior designer Cathy Lee.

Cathy said both genders were thrilled with the lounge, with the female employees immediately seeing it as a place for bridal and baby showers, and the men looking at it as a place to enjoy the Superbowl and other televised sports.

A table for lunch or board games. All areas reflect Y. Hata corporate colors.

Employees can take a break for darts and board games, but they are never far from posters reflecting the company's mission and core values.

A dry erase board in the lounge provides a place for messages and brainstorming ideas. Outlets provide a place to plug in computers and other personal electronic devices.

Set your own price at Fatboy's

Fatboy photo
Fatboy’s Ali’i Fried Rice is a take on the Loco Moco, featuring fried rice topped with homemade corned beef hash, hamburger patty and eggs. How much would you pay for this baby? Well, for two days, you can set your own price.

Fatboy’s restaurants islandwide are erasing all prices from their menus March 26 and 31, and are letting customers set their own prices on the two days. Stores are located in Kailua, Kalihi, Keeaumoku, Waipahu and at Pali Golf Course.

The “No Prices for Hawaii’s Keiki” promotion is a fundraiser for the Kapi‘olani Health Foundation in support of its Campaign for Hawai‘i’s Children, to rebuild Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children. All proceeds over cost will be matched by Fatboy’s and donated directly to the foundation.

The promotion is the brainchild of Fatboy’s owner Carroll Ung and his wife Rariyo, whose daughter Leah was born at Kapi‘olani. Shortly after her birth, a blood test showed that Leah’s platelet count was critically low at only 10,000 (normal is 150,000).

Leah is now a thriving 2 year old and her first few weeks are a distant memory, but the care the family received at Kapi‘olani inspired Ung to create the “No Prices” fundraiser.

Carroll and his father founded the first Fatboy’s—Caroll's childhood nickname—in Kalihi in 1999 with a goal to serve a higher-end plate lunch with fresh local ingredients and gourmet sauces. They have since expanded to five restaurants on Oahu.

'Great Chefs Fight Hunger' at Hawaii Foodbank

Nadine Kam photos
Roy's Ko Olina executive chef Darryl Shinogi, right, and sous chef Randy Bangloy show their pipikaula-style Shinsato pork belly served in a cone over chirashi rice, with lomi Ho Farms tomatoes. Just one of the many dishes served up at The Hawaii Foodbank's "Great Chefs Fight Hunger" event.

The Hawaii Foodbank was host to "Great Chefs Fight Hunger," an event that brought together 33 restaurant and beverage companies, and hundreds of foodies to raise funds to feed the hungry.

The event took place March 23 at the Hawaii Foodbank Warehouse at 2611 Kilihau St., where guests got to see where the work of preventing more than 183,000 of Hawaii's population from going hungry continues throughout the year.

In addition to providing food for the event, 12 of the food and beverage purveyors, along with businesses and organizations including Bishop Museum, Hilo Hattie, Maui Divers Jewelry, Paul Brown Salon and Reyn Spooner, also donated culinary experiences during a silent auction that added to Hawaii Foodbank's coffers.

In addition volunteers were selling $15 keys (or 10 for $100) to unlock The Cellar Door, containing 60 fine wines contributed by Fujioka's Wine Times, JMD Beverages, Southern Wine and Spirits, and Young's Market Co.

Here's a look at some of the dishes presented during the event:

A closeup look at Darryl Shinogi's Shinsato pork belly.

We can usually expect a fish dish from Morimoto but a Korean-style pork belly lettuce wrap from Andy Reagan was a nice departure. With papaya and cabbage kim chee, apple mustard relish and fried gobo.

Gohan Da Hawaii Rice Guy greeted guests to the Hawaii Foodbank's Mapunapuna warehouse.

Hilton Hawaiian Village executive chef Jeffrey Vigilla always dresses up his booth.

With all the meat in evidence, Vigilla's offering was a refreshingly light furikake seared ahi taco with edamame hummus, pineapple Asian slaw and spicy chili pepper aioli. Very yum. And the lamp is an eco-friendly halved orange.

Guests swooned over Halekulani executive chef Vikram Garg's lobster bisque.

Independents like the Whole Ox and Pili Hawaii were right there with the big institutions. This is Whole Ox chef Robert McGee's bacon braunschweiger with whole grain aioli and house pickles.

Mark "Gooch" Noguchi of Pili Hawaii presented a soft egg with Ma'o greens, topped with pipikaula macadamia nut vinaigrette.

Pili Hawaii's display of whole mac nuts and the toasted ground nuts that went into the salad dressing.

Chef Rodney Uyehara of HASR Bistro with one of his fans, Kat Oshima.

Uyehara's contribution to the event, Harris Ranch Steak #11, over stroganoff egg noodles with brandy cream sauce. In this grab-and-go setting, he was trying to accommodate requests for doneness. Here, a perfect medium.

First Course: Chai's open on Kapiolani

Nadine Kam photos
Restaurateur Chai Chaowasaree at the bar of his new restaurant with some of his crew, from left, Cody Kalua, Kevin Malama and Anthony Murata.

Chai Chaowasaree marked the grand opening of his new restaurant, Chef Chai, with a celebration that took place March 9 at Pacifica Honolulu, 1009 Kapiolani Boulevard.

The restaurant has elegant, sophisticated appeal, and though it looks just as spacious as his former Chai's Island Bistro digs at Aloha Tower, he said it's an illusion. The new restaurant seats 100, but appears larger because of its horizontal layout.

There's also a private dining room that seats about 16 to 18, though if you have a couple more guests, where there's a will there's a way I always say.

The menu makes a more healthful departure from his previous menu, as the chef acknowledges Honolulu's graying population. I grew up with the original "name" chefs who got their start in the late '80s, so we're all in the same boat and looking for food that tastes great, with less salt, sugar and fat than the typical restaurant menu.

That doesn't mean there's any lack of flavor, and anyone walking in cold would not miss a thing, as the dishes he served that night proved.

This particular stretch of Kapiolani is rapidly becoming Health Row, with the raw vegan Greens & Vines leading the charge at 909 Kapiolani, and organic-oriented Blue Tree Cafe also in the Pacifica building.

Space heaters outside keep diners toasty when the mercury dips. Below, tables outside.

Gorgeous interior.

The private dining room.

Gravlax salmon roulade with cream cheese and crab meat on cucumber.

Ahi tartare in mini waffle cones.

Escargot in pastry cups.

Chicken satay.

Oysters with lemongrass-garlic mignonette.

Doraku + Blue Tree = double happiness at Pacifica

Nadine Kam photos
Doraku Kaka'ako by day.

By Nadine Kam

If not for one small detail, I would not have recognized the kinship between Doraku Kaka'ako and next door neighbor Blue Tree Cafe, in the new Pacifica condominium building at 1009 Kapiolani Boulevard.

The former caters to the happy hour, pau hana and party crowd. The latter offers the fix for the aftermath, with healthful libations and many a vegetarian and vegan food offering.

But I put two and two together when I saw the small photograph of Benihana of Tokyo founder Rocky Aoki and his first wife Chizuru, on a table at Blue Tree while reviewing the two eateries last month. (Aoki also translates as "Blue Tree.") The two are the parents of the restaurants' founder, Kevin Aoki, who hosted a casual media tasting Feb. 25 to introduce the two concepts.

For Aoki, raised with the Benihana tradition, Japan-style specialities with a twist seems to come naturally, so I was more intrigued by his organic and vegetarian direction, which he chalked up to a matter of getting older and recognizing the need to guard his health in light of raising a young family while undergoing the daily stress of overseeing a growing empire that will soon see another teppanyaki concept, Aoki, opening in Miami soon.

Introducing a delicious fruit "life-changing" elixirs, very verde smoothie and kombucha, the probiotic fermented tea, is in line with what he does at home to stay healthy.

I applaud the effort believe that all restaurateurs should consider ways to keep their clientele alive. I would have opened a french fry and aioli shop in downtown Honolulu two decades ago if I didn't care that to do so essentially amounts to killing people.

Lilikoi kombucha and a very verde smoothie sit in front of a portrait of Rocky and Chizuru Aoki at Blue Tree Cafe.

Coral Reef roll with salmon, avocado, crab and won ton chips.

Doraku's Kaka'ako's "New Style" tuna tataki with julienne radish and onions, kaiware sprouts, crisp garlic chips, garlic aioli and ponzu sauce.

Doraku's Kaka'ako's Double Happiness roll of crab rolled in nori, thin-sliced cucumber and finished with tobiko, garlic aioli and ponzu sauce. This was so refreshing and a perfect option for the gluten-free crowd.

Chef Hide Yoshimoto’s panko-crusted hamachi with mango salsa, king oyster mushrooms, asparagus, mango puree, and lemon-butter ponzu sauce.

The Red Dragon Roll is an unagi-topped variation of the Dragon Roll, or California roll.

Love the upscale-casual vibe at Blue Tree.

At Blue Tree Cafe, we sampled delicate zucchini "pasta" topped with pesto and sun-dried tomato ...

... And mac 'n cheese comprising quinoa shells and mashed pea "cheese." I like the quinoa macaroni just fine, but not being vegan, I still prefer milk cheeses.