Ambitious 'Localicious' at NM

Nadine Kam photos
Soft-shell crab katsu over Waialua asparagus risotto with prosciutto, bagna cauda butter and katsu sauce, was an impressive offering on Mariposa's Localicious menu last week. New entrées are being introduced weekly through the end of the month for the statewide sustainability and agricultural education campaign.

BY NADINE KAM

We're in the third week of the Localicious Hawai'i campaign, a statewide fundraiser for the Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation's education programs.

Nearly 70 Oahu restaurants, and nearly 50 more from the Big Island to Kauai, are participating in the monthlong event during which $1 from each "Localicious" dish sold will go directly toward funding nutrition and sustainability education in our schools.

You can find the full list of participating restaurants at LocaliciousHawaii.com.

Each restaurant has come up with one or two special dishes highlighting locally grown or raised produce and products.

Over at Neiman Marcus, executive chef Marc Anthony Freiberg was ambitious in coming up with new Localicious dishes each week, for each of the restaurant's dining facilities.

Last week, I was lucky to try a delicious shrimp and Kahuku corn salad and soft-shell crab katsu.

This shrimp and Kahuku corn salad with arugula, frisee, carrots, avocado, sunflower seeds and white balsamic vinaigrette was on the Espresso Bar menu last week. So yum!.

Here's the menu for the rest of the month:

TODAY THROUGH MARCH 20

Mariposa
Lunch: Mahimahi with spring pea risotto, citrus-caper butter, fennel confit and micro green salad; $26.
Dinner: Pan-roasted onaga with curry crab, haricot vert and jasmine brown rice; $36.
Dessert: Pineapple upside-down cake with Koloa rum caramel and Big Island macadamia nut ice cream; $8.

Mermaid Bar, Level 2 (closed Sundays)
Lunch: Hamakua mushroom pizza with smoked bacon, onions, sun-dried tomato pesto and goat cheese; $18.

Espresso Bar, Level 1
Tiger shrimp orzo salad with Ho Farms cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, watercress, red onions, cilantro-lime vinaigrette and feta; $18.

The one Localicious dish I tried that you can still get through the end of the month at Mariposa is this juicy pineapple upside-down cake, served with Koloa rum caramel and Big Island macadamia nut ice cream. Well worth a dietary splurge.

MARCH 21 THROUGH 27

Mariposa
Lunch: Grilled opah with squid-ink linguini, rock shrimp, pancetta and lobster bisque; $26.
Dinner: Dungeness crab chitarra with Ho Farms heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, capers, garlic olive oil sauce and parsley breadcrumbs; $34.
Dessert: Pineapple upside-down cake with Koloa rum caramel and Big Island macadamia nut ice cream; $8.

Mermaid Bar, Level 2 (closed Sunday)s
Hawaiian plate of laulau, lomi lomi salmon, Kauai poi or white rice, mac salad and haupia; $18.

Espresso Bar, Level 1
Cheeseburger wrap with Big Island beef, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and tomatoes; $18.

MARCH 28 THROUGH 31

Mariposa
Lunch: Ahi steak frites with Big Island mushrooms, spinach, porchini fries, fennel jus and saffron-potato aioli; $30.
Dinner: Stuffed pork chops with salumi, fontina, Big Island mushroom faro "risotto" and fennel jus.
Dessert: Pineapple upside-down cake with Koloa rum caramel and Big Island macadamia nut ice cream; $8.

Mermaid Bar, Level 2 (closed Sunday)s
Pork Milanese with Ho Farms cherry tomato and arugula salad, fresh mozzareall and balsamic dressing; $18.

Espresso Bar, Level 1
Portobello mushroom burger with Big Island tomato, eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella and basil pesto; $18.
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Nadine Kam is Style Editor and staff restaurant critic at the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; her coverage is in print on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Contact her via email at nkam@staradvertiser.com and follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Rebel Mouse.

Mariposa reopens in time for the holidays

Nadine Kam photos
Mariposa at Neiman Marcus has a new look, but some things haven't changed, like informal lunch time fashion shows.

Mariposa restaurant was temporarily closed beginning early October to refresh its look, and reopened on Nov. 11, just in time for holiday shoppers who need midday or evening respite from the laborious task.

I took a peek over lunch Nov. 16, to find new carpet in springtime green, and lighter chairs to match. Otherwise, artwork and ceiling fans are still in place to keep breezes flowing around the room.

I was reminded that the restaurant hasn't had a facelift since the store opened 15 years ago, in September 1998, so it was due. Time sure flies!

Here's a look at a few of the new lunch dishes. Otherwise, the menu hasn't changed much, so you'll still find all your old favorites, from the Mariposa corn chowder, to composed salad, and Laksa seafood curry.

Grilled shrimp "cocktail" with avocado, fennel, orange slices and seaweed salad in Maui pineapple-golden tomato gazpacho is a tasty starter, and only 190 calories.

By popular request, Mariposa poke has been added to the menu, with hamachi, king salmon and ahi over brown rice. It's a starter that can also double as a meal for the fashionable who want to maintain their figures. It's 280 calories.

Rosemary and garlic-roasted pork chop is also one of the new menu additions. It's topped with pistachio gremolata, and served over risotto Milanese, $20.