For release at will hawai'i regional cuisine 2 0 boutique farmers

Nathan Kam

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• Publié par: oeufdepaques
• Nombre de lectures: 98
• Langue: Français

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FOR RELEASE AT WILL

HAWAI‘I REGIONAL CUISINE 2.0: BOUTIQUE FARMERS, CREATIVE CHEFS STEP UP PUSH FOR FRESH FARE WITH LOCAL FLAIR

HONOLULU (April 2007)– Dine at a Waikïkï restaurant these days, and youre likely to find at least a few place names on the menu describing the origins of the food: fresh mushrooms and vine-ripened tomatoes from Hämäkua, grass-fed beef from O‘ahus North Shore, greens from Waimänalo, and Maui Gold Pineapple. Its a trademark of O‘ahus culinary scene: an interest in freshness and the story of an ® ingredients origins. And its a far cry from the days of canned pineapple and Spam.  Tobe sure, part of whats new in Waikïkï are the restaurants themselves. New places seem to be constantly popping up throughout and its environs – from Kaimukï to Chinatown. Ed KenneysrestaurantTown, for instance, draws locals and tourists for its fare th built on the freshest ingredients he can find. Also in Kaimukï,Grill12 Avenueserves classic American comfort food with an island twist, including kim chee steak and a smoked ‘ahi Nicoise salad.  InChinatown, theres the HavanaesqueSoul de CubaandDu Vin, a doppelganger for a French brasserie.Chef Roy Yamaguchiis poised to open a branch TM ofRoysat theOutrigger Waikiki Beach Walk. Likewise, around the corner from the Beach Walk,Chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisais planning to open Hawai‘is first upscale restaurantNobuWaikikiat theWaikiki Parc Hotel.  Butas much as any single new restaurant, what defines Waikïkïs culinary scene these days is the exploding emphasis on food provenance and local flavors.  “Youshould take a picture of what was happening here 19 years ago and what is happening now,” saysChef George “Mavro” Mavrothalassitis, proprietor of the award-winningChef Mavroon King Street and the newCassis Honolulu, which is scheduled to open in the spring. Two decades ago, Mavrothalassitis says, perhaps 15 percent of the ingredients restaurateurs used were grown locally, and the rest were imported. Now, he says, the ratio has inverted; about 85 percent of what top chefs use is grown in the islands. -more-