Celebrating Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine in Waikiki

Twenty years ago Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine (HRC) began othe island of Maui with the collaboration of twelve of Hawai‘i’s most talented chefs. Together in an informal setting they shared ideas about leading Hawai‘i’s dining scene in a brand new direction. At that time, many of Hawai‘i’s restaurants were solely dependent upon imported goods, and the chefs wanted to change that. They aimed to combine fresh local products with their individual cooking styles, with the goal of raising awareness and support for sustainable agriculture here in the islands.

Inspired by their shared vision, the twelve chefs reached out to local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen to grow, raise, and catch the ingredients needed to embark on this new concept. HRC had both risks and rewards. The local farmers had superior quality products, although at a higher cost, than goods imported from overseas. Determined, the chefs believed in the value and potential longevity of Hawai‘i’s resources.

Island restaurants began featuring Hawaiian waters seafood, farm-fresh produce and free range livestock, all prepared with a dash of Hawai‘i’s cultural diversity. Visitors and kama‘aina delighted in these exotic and distinctively Hawaiian dishes. It wasn’t long before Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine became synonymous with fine dining in the islands, and launched the original twelve chefs to celebrity status. They promoted HRC around the world through cooking demonstrations, opening new restaurants, authoring cookbooks, appearing on national television, and hosting local cooking programs of their own.

As we honor the 20th anniversary of Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, we celebrate its history and the bright future that lies ahead. HRC can be found throughout Hawai‘i in restaurants, farmer’s markets, and island kitchens, supporting sustainable local agriculture, while inspiring the next generation of chefs to experiment with new fusions of flavors and ingredients. The best place to taste the evolution of HRC is right here in the vibrant restaurants of Waikiki. With so much talent and variety in such a concentrated area, tracing a chef’s “culinary family tree” is bound to intersect with at least one of the founding chefs of HRC.

Chef Roy Yamaguchi

According to Chef/Owner Roy Yamaguchi, founding member of HRC and the only member currently in Waikiki, “Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine is blending Hawai‘i’s diverse flavors and island ingredients, with cuisine from around the world.” Chef Yamaguchi perfected this at his original Roy’s Restaurant in Hawai‘i Kai and has brought the concept with him to Roy’s Waikiki. “I think my role and my restaurant’s role are one in the same… to represent Hawai‘i, its farmers, fishermen, and ranchers as best we can and to deliver a quality product to our guests.” Enjoying great success, Chef Yamaguchi has opened twenty-three restaurants across the mainland U.S., six locations in Hawai‘i, as well as locations in Guam and Japan.

Misoyaki Butterfish
Black cod filets are marinated for four days in a house-made shiro miso sweet sake and served with a wassabi burre blanc, scalion oil, soy mustard, and a kabayaki sauce. Served with Chinese black rice and honeyed carrots, and topped with lomi tomatoes and furikake garnish.

The James Beard Award winning chef has one piece of advice for food-savvy visitors, “Experience something new, explore all that Waikiki has to offer.”

Roy's Waikiki See Menu

Chef Khamtan Tanhchaleun

Chef Khamtan Tanhchaleun arrived in Hawai‘i by way of Laos. He spoke seven languages and began his career as a dishwasher at Michel’s at the Colony Surf in 1972. A man of many talents, it didn’t take long for Tanhchaleun to work his way up to becoming the restaurant sous chef and sommelier. After extensive worldly travels and training, he eventually opened the Hawai‘i Prince Hotel and Golf Club in 1990 as sous chef under friend and mentor, Gary Strehl, one of the founding twelve chefs of HRC. Today as the Executive Chef, Tanhchaleun and his creations at the Prince Court Restaurant are a celebrated tradition with kama'aina and visitors alike. His buffet and ala cart menus offer some of the most impressively diverse selections, or "regional Eurasian cuisine", fusioned with as many fresh local ingredients as possible.

Blackened Medallions of Big Island Strip Loin
Seared Cajun crusted Big Island strip loin, wrapped with crispy bacon and baby romaine served on a bed of miso Hamakua shiitake mushroom risotto, topped with crispy Maui onions accompanied with a ginger Madagascar sauce, Waimanalo edamame and Big Island baby beets.

Grilled Kahuku Prawn Salad
Served with Nalo mixed greens, Big Island hearts of palm, fern shoots, Hau‘ula tomatoes, Puna papaya and avocado drizzled with a homemade creamy herb dressing and topped with micro greens.

Prince Court See Menu

Pepper Seared Rare Ahi Tuna
Seared rare ahi served with Hirabara farms greens, Edamame beans, pickled ginger and dressed in a wasabi Ponzu vinaigrette.

Chef Jeffery Vigilla

Executive Chef Jeffery Vigilla of the Hilton Hawaiian Village knows that the success of HRC starts with responsibility and awareness. He believes his role as a chef is “to be in touch with our food suppliers, farmers and local community leaders and support their effort to keep the local food source and supply abundant and not over used.” When drawing on inspiration for new dishes at both Bali Steak & Seafood and Tropics Bar & Grill, Chef Vigilla stays local. “Here in Hawai‘i it is the local cuisine, people and many different flavor profiles and products that really excite me to cook literally from the farm to the table.” Born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, he naturally understands the bigger picture of sustainability. “We all have a social, economic and local responsibility to sustain our local resources and we all will benefit in the long run by continuing to support, eat and share HRC.”

Chef Darren Demaya

Sheraton Waikiki’s Kai Market is the island’s “fresh from the farm” buffet, and Executive Chef Darren Demaya enjoys the opportunity to share Hawai‘i’s cuisine with visitors from around the world. He says, “I want people to be talking about how they enjoyed Kai Market’s local-style food prepared by local chefs with products from local farmers.” Over 60% of the ingredients at Kai Market are local, and their goal is to reach 80%. Chef Demaya sharpened his skills under founding HRC Chef Alan Wong.

Steamed Snapper
Local snapper steamed “Chinese style” Portuguese sausage and mushrooms, topped with cilantro and green onion.

When asked about Wong’s culinary influence, Chef Demaya recognizes, “Alan Wong played a big part in my career. He’s a big part of why local farmers and HRC are where they are today.” As HRC moves forward Demaya understands that sustainability is a win-win situation for everyone involved. “I think a lot has changed in Waikiki, hotels and restaurants are using the ‘farm to table’ concept, which really gives our guests a real taste of Hawai‘i.”

Kai Market See Menu

Chef George Lemson

New to the island, SHOR is a steak and seafood restaurant concept by Hyatt. In addition to the local beef and produce, SHOR features a wide selection of fresh fish and shellfish. Executive Chef George Lemson is proud to say, "we adhere to guidelines from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's list of sustainable seafood to ensure a wide variety of seafood for future generations." Chef Lemson has been with Hyatt for twenty-three years and couldn't be happier with the new concept and with his part in developing the local menu. "As the selection of Hawai'i-produced food and products expands, it is my role to utilize these products in my restaurant and provide our diners with a variety of options." He encourages diners to "support restaurants that buy locally and use sustainable products offered by Hawai'i's farmers, fishermen, and ranchers."

	Pan Roasted Manchong With a Moloka'i sweet potato, lemon, and chive puree, and Waialua asparagus salad. This dish is composed of all locally farmed and harvested ingredients.
Shor See Menu

Chef Paul Rivera

In 1992 one of the most influential founders of the HRC movement, Chef Peter Merriman, partnered with TS Restaurants to create a new restaurant concept on Maui. Hula Grill Ka'anapali promoted the values intrinsic to HRC and in 2004 that same vision came to O'ahu with the opening of Hula Grill Waikiki. Executive Chef at the Waikiki location, Paul Rivera, knows how important HRC is to the entire concept of this restaurant. "Our role at Hula Grill is to showcase the freshness, quality and variety of products here on our island." Chef Rivera views the many culinary influences of the islands as an opportunity for local chefs, "(We) are not limited to one region of cooking. We get to take the best from others and use our local flavors to make it our own."

	Polynesian Ceviche Fresh fish in lime and coconut milk, with local mango, pineapple, and Maui onion. Served with taro and Okinawan sweet potato chips.
Hula Grill See Menu

Chef Jon Matsubara

After training at the French Culinary Institute in New York, guidance at Michelin three-star restaurants, and notable local experience, Honolulu-born Chef Jon Matsubara knows that "chefs are only as good as their ingredients." He explains, "using the freshest fish from our oceans, free range cattle and pork, and produce from our fertile islands…this is a chef's dream." Well, dreams are realities at Azure Restaurant where Chef Matsubara combines his fresh perspective with contemporary style and offers some of the most sophisticated local cuisine on Waikiki Beach. According to Chef Matsubara, his role is to "use the freshest ingredients that are in our back yard and make them shine."

	Roasted Kona Lobster Roasted Kona Lobster with Anchovy & Marrow Butter, Fresh Mozzarella, Ho Farms Tomato and Nalo Baby Rocket. This simple dish uses all local ingredients except for the butter.
Azure See Menu

Chef Ronnie Nasuti

At Tiki's Grill & Bar, find innovative local fusions on their lunch, dinner, and lanai menus thanks to new Executive Chef, Ronnie Nasuti. "As an aspiring chef twenty years ago, much of my inspiration came from the chefs that conceived HRC and the movement of forward thinking in food, here in Hawai'i." Spending the last eleven years as Executive Chef at Roy's Restaurant in Hawai'i Kai, Nasuti credits his experience at Roy's as his biggest culinary influence. "I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to witness first hand the evolution of this cuisine and work with some of its masters. I hope people see how it reflects on our cuisine here at Tiki's, and enjoy eating it as much as I do cooking it." For Chef Nasuti, "…the opportunity to share HRC with others; family, friends, visitors and new aspiring chefs, is one of the best things about being a chef in Hawai'i."

Grilled Island Opah Escabeche
Grilled opah over Nalo Farms arugula and Ho Farms currant tomato raisins, served with an escabeche of bell peppers, Kula onions, Kamuela tomatoes, white wine, garlic, shallots, capers, cilantro, oregano, basil, parsley, patis, and yuzu.

Tiki's Grill & Bar See Menu

Chef Bo Pathammavong

Chef/Owner Bo Pathammavong embraces diversity in everything, on and off the menu, at his popular local restaurant and bar, Uncle Bo's. He explains, "My business partner Ho Suk Lee is Korean-American, I'm Laotian American, and my Sous-Chef Franklin Corpuz is Filipino-American, and each of us grew up and were raised in the islands… Our menu represents our culture, our childhood, and our life in Hawai'i. We hope to promote the idea of being proud of who you are and where you come from… I think this is the beauty of HRC." Along with pride in his island home, Bo's personal belief is to protect it into the future, "Sustainability is so relevant today. I think more than what diners and restaurants do, it comes down to what we personally decide is important. If we value longevity, we must be responsible stewards of our resources." Chef Pathammavong's advice for traveling foodies is to "be adventurous, try it once. Then if you like it, tell a friend, come back, and enjoy it again!"

Thai-style Steamer Clams
Sweet Manila clams simmered in a mild chili, garlic, oyster sauce with fresh local tomatoes and choy sum.

Uncle Bo's See Menu

Chef D.K. Kodama

Chef D.K Kodama

A champion for culinary education, Chef/ Owner Dave "D.K" Kodama and his team from Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar and D.K Steak House visit local farms regularly to learn, experience, and gather new ideas. Highlights from these visits are made available on Sansei's Homegrown Menu and D.K Steak House's Farm 2 Table Menu. These popular four course meals present locally grown produce, fish, and steak at a very reasonable price, and are only offered once a week (make reservations as they do sell out). Besides the set menus, these restaurants always serve what's fresh, from new-wave sushi to vintage natural beef. To Chef Kodama HRC is more than just cooking, "I love the camaraderie HRC has created… with the chefs, the farmers, the fishermen, and the students. It adds some of the aloha spirit to our food." When asked how everyone in Hawai'i can support sustainability, he offers this challenge, "We are hoping to convince everyone to buy 10% more local. If we spend three to four billion dollars a year importing food, can you imagine what a difference that would make?"

	Ahi Tartare Fresh ahi with Mililani jicama tossed in a yuzu-kochujang vinaigrette, and drizzled Nalo Farms cilantro pesto. Topped with Nalo Farms micro shiso topped and marinated cucumber from Fat Law Farms, finished with tobiko.
	Maui Cattle Co. Beef "Pho" Roll Marianted Maui Cattle Co. New York steak, somen noodles, Nalo Farms Thai basil, cilantro, & Nalo greens rolled in rice paper accompanied with a hoisin-siracha sauce. BLT Contemporary "Hawaiian Style" Salad Served with Nalo Farms spicy greens, julienne Mililani jicama, and topped with crispy Procuitto, with a light umeboshi vinaigrette.
	Cajun Crusted Maui Cattle Co. New York Steak (No Antibotics, No growth hormones, All Vegan Fed, All Natural, from Maui no ka oi!) Served with potato risotto and sauteed Nalo Swiss Chard, topped with a Ho Farms cherry vine ripened tomato-shiso relish. Accompanied with Nalo argula tossed in an umeboshi vinaigrette.
D.K. Steak House See Menu