We just returned from a short vacation on the Big Island in Hawaii. We stayed on the Hilo side for 5 days. We like it because it’s greener and our friends have a home that fronts on the ocean so I can snorkel by just jumping off the back yard deck! I saw a large sea turtle while snorkeling…pretty cool.
When we travel to Hawaii, we always stay a night or two in Honolulu to partake of Alan Wong’s Pineapple Room (inside Macy’s in the Ala Moana Shopping Center) and to eat at Pah Ke’s in a small town, Kaneohe, about 25 miles from Honolulu. I missed out on my shrimp truck splurge this time but did get some at Pah Ke’s.
The advantage of “LOCAL KNOWLEDGE” is that you find restaurants that are off the beaten path (i.e. Waikiki Beach) that are delicious and less expensive. What I always order at the Pineapple Room is their Garlic Mac Chicken Sandwich….I’ve tried to replicate it at home but to no avail. This time I may be able to get it because we ordered it “to go” to eat on the airplane. They packed it in pieces that we assembled in our hotel room before leaving for the airport the next morning. I now know how they get their chicken flavors done and how the Garlic Mac part tastes like by itself. If I get it right, I’ll publish my version of it on our blog.
We called our friends, Raymond and Suzanne Siu who own Pah Ke’s Chinese Restaurant to let them know we were returning to their restaurant. It is basically a Hong Kong Chinese restaurant but Raymond was a chef at several gourmet restaurants (Alan Wong’s, Roy’s) in Honolulu so he has specials in his restaurant that are more Pacific Rim in style. What we learned to do, is to dine at their restaurant on a Monday or Tuesday. We can then just let Raymond know how much we want to pay and he’ll put together a dinner for us...which he did last Monday!
Our appetizer was called Chinese Nachos: fried won ton skins, topped with duck and ginger guacamole and a tiny sprig of green onion. It was served with fried taro, plantains, noodles, and sweet potatoes embedded in a nest of mashed taro root. Nothing was greasy but crisp and each thing was full flavored without being overwhelming. As you can see from these photos, the portions were rather large for just two people but I think Raymond was being generous with us!
Next came Hawaiian Hauula Tomato Salad. The tomato was parboiled, skinned and served with coins of Japanese cucumbers in a vinaigrette of peeled, seeded and pureed tomatoes flavored with rice vinegar and a dried Chinese fruit that brings a sweet, salty tang to the dressing. The presentation was stunning with the bright green of the cucumbers against the bright red of the tomato vinaigrette. The flavors brought out the natural sweetness of the tomatoes that were accented with the bright crispy crunch of the cucumbers.
Our next entre was Vegetarian “Won Ton” Soup. The “won ton” was an egg white crepe that was filled with sliced shitaki mushrooms, water chestnuts, & wood ear mushrooms. It was bundled and tied with a green onion and nestled in a chicken broth, served in antique Chinese tea cups. So pretty and so delicious! I really enjoyed this dish and his presentations are always appealing.
Next came my favorite dish…well, actually I’d have to say one of my favorite dishes…Lenard Wong’s Kahuku Prawns! As you already know, I l-o-v-e these prawn and come to Oahu just to eat them, usually at the shrimp trucks. Raymond steams them and served them with salt & pepper, ginger, green onions, soy sauce and sesame seed oil sauce. OMG! The shrimp were so-o-o sweet and so-o-o tender and the sauce was perfect. I should also mention that Raymond cooks without adding sugar, MSG, or any artificial seasonings. He uses soy sauce and salt sparingly. If he needs sweetening, he’ll use pineapples, oranges, or other fruits.
He also teaches cooking at the local VA Hospital, helping disabled vets to cook healthy foods and teaches them about nutrition, cooking with real foods vs “fast food.” He brings this focus on nutrition and local foods to his restaurant.
To this point, he served a Filet Mignon that had been marinated in soy sauce, pineapple, ginger, & garlic (no "sugah!"). The sauce is reduced and then he adds truffle butter to the sauce. It is all served on a bed of Chinese greens and garnished with deep fried green onions that just melted on our tongues.
Next and lastly, came another one of my favorite dishes! Steamed Kumu Fish (a type of goat fish) that was steamed with shitaki mushrooms. It was served in reduced fish stock infused with truffle butter and baby bok choy. If you EVER have a chance to try Kumu fish, which is pretty rare (and expensive) and not often found on menus, make sure you order it. It is deee-vine!
Our dessert was a Raymond creation called “Chinese Chocolate Crunch.” A delightful concoction of layered macadamia nuts, caramel brittle, Belgian chocolate sitting on a strips of vanilla, raspberry & chocolate sauces. It melts in your mouth with an accented crunch of the bits of nuts and brittle. I am not a fan of chocolate but I really liked this dessert. And, for once, Bill thought this dessert was “chocolatey” enough to satisfy his addiction to chocolate!Raymond does not serve wine at his restaurant so you can bring your own for a small corkage of $7 per bottle. We did not know this and did not bring any wine to have with dinner...bummer.
So the moral of the story is, get Local Knowledge and you’ll find the best restaurant treasures! To make reservations at Pah Ke’s call, 808/235-4505. He doesn’t have a website but if you google him, you’ll see rave reviews for his Chinese food. The next time we eat there, we may just have to eat off his menu because while we were enjoying our dinner, I was watching all those delicious Chinese serving platters piled high with yummy looking food go by. . . now only a foodie would be salivating over other foods while eating a feast!
Happy Thanksgiving!
