What started in 1991 with Hawaii’s who’s who of local
celebrity chefs elevated the status of dining in the 50th with a
movement that’s now spanned over 20 years. It propelled Roy Yamaguchi’s namesake
restaurant empire into 28 locations worldwide and counting. And the basic
philosophy made sense, local products prepared with European technique mixing
traditional Asian flavors. Soy wasabi beurre blanc. Grilled local fish topped
with mango and litchi salsa. Beef braised in soju and ko-cho-jung served over
five spice and lemongrass infused rice. Brilliant idea, great flavors and
another selling point to a trip to Hawaii. We’re more than just beaches. We
also have great food.
But since creating delectable culinary dishes is as much
of an art as painting, music or writing, there’s a point where even creating a
masterpiece gets old. Imagine if Leonardo da Vinci only painted portraits of
women with enigmatic smiles. Or if John Coltrane only played 14 minute ballads
on the soprano sax of Rogers and Hammerstein classics. Yes, it gets old fast
for both the artist and the patron. That’s why the younger generation of chefs
in the 50th started their own signature styles that hardly would be
recognized as Hawaii Regional Cuisine. Andrew Le of The Pig and the Lady who
uses traditional fresh Vietnamese herbs mixed with Southern barbecue,
Vietnamese pho, Italian and French classics with a touch of his own unique
imagination. But in the end, the flavors all work. Or Mark “Gooch” Noguchi of
the Pili Group and Mission House who embraces the local farm to table approach
with a twist on local classics like luau stew, wing bean with smoky soy
vinaigrette or ulu cakes topped with the classic smoked meat. Then there’s Ed Kenney
of town, the Kaimuki Superette and Mud Hen Water providing diners with the
ultimate in sustainability by utilizing invasive “pests” like gorilla ogo,
feral pig and strawberry guava with the mantra, “If you can’t beat ‘um, eat
‘um”.
And then there’s Pah Ke’s Chinese Restaurant in Kaneohe
run by siblings Raymond and Barry Siu along with their spouses and occasionally
their children. Both brothers run the kitchen with the spouses running the
front of the house though Raymond always makes time to work the floor
acknowledging “regulars” or explaining new dishes to patrons. It was over 10
years ago that I first met Raymond and initially he only offered traditional
Chinese cuisine. But before opening Pah Ke’s, Raymond worked at both Roy’s and
the Halekulani where he was exposed to that fledgling Hawaii Regional Cuisine
movement that just started. So after a couple of years, we noticed specials
like filet mignon wrapped asparagus or seared diver scallops with a garlic
chili glaze and deep fried spinach leaves. Soon after, a full dessert menu
appeared and it was more than dan tat and rice cake but desserts that you would
expect in the finest restaurants in Waikiki like soymilk custard with fresh
local fruit or lilikoi cake with a fresh berry sauce or even local chocolate
flourless cake.
About this time, we were responsible for arranging a wine
dinner for about a dozen guests so I asked Raymond if he was interested in
preparing a special menu for about $50 per person. He agreed so about a week
before our scheduled dinner, I sent the menu to everyone but most diners didn’t
even look at it. Their initial thought was “a wine dinner at a Chinese
restaurant… really Ryan?” But once the courses started to appear, all doubts
were out the window. Seared scallops with Kahuku corn. Steamed pork hash on
crispy skin onaga on a truffled beurre blanc. Lamb chops on taro mash with
hoisin sauce. And then the dessert plate emerged. Twelve diners who were
believers for life. Enjoying Chinese Hawaii Regional cuisine.
So about 3 years ago, I once again asked Raymond if he
was interested in creating a multi-course meal that we would pair with our own
wines. And the answer once again was "Yes"! All he needed was the
budget, head count and any dietary restrictions. Because Pah Ke's Chinese
Restaurant is in the middle of Kaneohe, I only included those from the Windward
side as driving to Kaneohe apparently seems like flying to the neighbor islands
to non-Windward residents. Yes, you know who you are. "Kaneohe?... that's
like driving to Waianae...". Of course, Raymond didn't disappoint the new
group of diners with his take on Chinese nachos with roast duck, taro and
avocado guacamole and assorted freshly fried chips or local baby tomatoes with
fresh local herbs and goat cheese drizzled with new harvest olive oil or
Chinese Philly cheese steak with Brie and tenderloin nestled in traditional steamed
bao with candied walnuts. Another set of believers created.
So last month, Raymond once again rose to the occasion
for a new set of diners including several of the Vino servers whom we've always
wanted to dine with but since most of our dining is on weekends when they
usually work, were never able to arrange any get together. But since Vino is
renovating their new location, it was the perfect opportunity to sit with them
instead of being waited on by them. Raymond's recent dinner menu looked like
this:
Chinese Shrimp Won
Ton Taco
with Kahuku Prawns
, Taro Mashed Potatoes
and Black Bean
Relish and
Ginger Chili
Guacamole
These were the largest prawns I've seen since working at
the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center and they were perfectly cooked with a
succulent interior. The taro mash also kept the fried won ton shell from
crumbling as you devoured the dish.
Peking Duck Salad
with Waimanalo
Greens & Sunny Side Duck Eggs,
Balsamic Hoisin
Ginger Vinaigrette
Because I LOVE runny egg yolks, this was my favorite
dish! The rich yolk perfectly complemented the sweet, salty and sour flavors of
the vinaigrette with the heat of the egg wilting the greens just a touch. I'm
not sure if the duck egg yolk actually tasted richer than the usual chicken egg
yolk because it actually was richer or simply because it was a lot larger than
any chicken egg yolk. But I need to find Raymond’s source for duck eggs!
Roasted Lamb Chop
With Szechwan
Vegetables, with Yin Yang Sauces
( Kau Yuk 5 spice
gravy & Fresh Mint Sauce )
The hit of this dish was the duo of sauces, each great on
its own with the lamb but also terrific when mixed - the mint made the kau yuk
sauce taste fresher while the five spice gave an additional dimension to the
mint.
Pah Ke's Style Sea
Food Paella
With Saffron Rice,
Lap Cheung, Boneless Chicken
and Grilled Fresh
Hawaiian Mon Chong Fillet
Once again, those monstrous prawns with the traditional
saffron flavored rice with additional sweetness from the lap cheung. At this
point, both the Mrs and I boxed a significant portion because you didn't want
to miss the dessert course...
Pah Ke's Style
Sampling Desserts
Lilikoi cake, mango mousse
cake, red velvet cake, chocolate bomb and banana ice cream in a crispy cone was
served family style to the group and had everyone is gustatory bliss. Though
the savory courses were specially created for our meal, most of the desserts
are available daily depending on the season of the fruit. And though Chef Raymond
created several special meals for yours truly, he will do the same for you.
Just remember that you are financially obligated for your total head count even
if some diners don't show up as he purchases ingredients specifically just for
your meal. He also provides stemware as Pah Ke's is a BYOB establishment though
most of our wine group carts their own glasses and he explains the rationale
and procurement of each dish he's created so while basic Hawaii Regional
Cuisine may not be as exciting today, Pah Ke's Chinese Hawaii Regional Cuisine
is as exciting as when I first sampled it over 15 years ago. And with the H-3,
Kaneohe is only a 45 minute drive from most neighborhoods on Oahu…
Pah Ke's Chinese Restaurant
46-1018 Kamehameha Hwy
Kaneohe, HI 96744
(808) 235-4505
Open Daily: 10:30am - 9:00pm
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