A Culinary Journey Through Kaimuki
WHILE DOWNTOWN HONOLULU ADVANCES ITS BOHEMIAN TRANSFORMATION IN FASHION AND THE ARTS, THE QUAINT SUBURB OF KAIMUKĪ IS EXPERIENCING A CULINARY REVOLUTION. The once-reticent neighborhood is a dynamically burgeoning confluence of old and new, with a few hidden treasures.
The evolution seems apropos, considering Kaimukī’s esculent etymology stems from a locale where Menehunes’ earth ovens once cooked the sweet root of the Cordyline, or tī. While the plethora of bakehouses befitting an Axl Rose bakery meme have faded into obscurity, a number of hallowed establishments continue to bridge the geography to its nostalgic past. Fort Ruger Market, Duk Kee, Happy Days, St. Louis Drive In, Hale Vietnam, Okata Bento, Kim Chee II and 3660 On the Rise showcase the familiar gamut of Hawaiian and immigrant Asian flavors of pork lau lau, sari sari, pork hash with salted egg, sizzling steak with black pepper sauce, beef fondue, char siu chicken, kalbi and ‘ahi katsu.
Building upon the bedrock of Kaimukī’s locally inspired food culture are a few celebrity chefs who kickstarted the small town’s gradual renaissance. Ed Kenney’s expansions with Kaimukī Superette and Mud Hen Water as well as Bravo TV’s “Top Chef” Lee Anne Wong’s principal Hawai‘i endeavor, Koko Head Café, have a profound impact beyond the appeal of their tender he‘e (octopus) roll and crackling cornflake French toast; the international recognition they garnered is what sparked an influx of visitors and ever-growing local patronage that helps fuel those who opened amidst the roster of challenges in 2020.
The silver lining in this pandemic-stricken cloud is that many deliberated flexible business models and orchestrated concepts to weather the storm. Chris Kajioka’s Miro Kaimuki refreshes a cherished Café Miro with an ever-changing five-course French prix fixe for $65. Luis and Karla Martinez bring their brand of Latin cuisine with El Mexicano, featuring piquant shrimp aguachile and trendy beef quesabirria begging for a sip of a racy jalapeno margarita or
a floral yet fruity teetotaling Jamaica. Coco Bloom Kitchen infuses Japanese sensibilities in its salads, sandwiches and smoothies, with selections such as its egg sando, photogenic organic strawberry sando, menchi katsu burger, fresh rainbow bloom salad and the deceptively quaffable But First Green smoothie.
The adjacent Higoto Japanese Eatery offers hearty bento bowls, cup sushi and musubi for take away. Noods transports inventive ramen that initially brought this noodle house notoriety as a pop-up within Osoyami Bar & Grill. Brick Fire Tavern crafts authentic Vera Pizza Napolitana-certified pizzas with its margherita featuring San Marzano dell’Agro tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala campana, but also contemporary, provincially inspired incarnations as “Da Shrimp Truck,” punctuated by roasted garlic notes on a strata of creamy besciamella. Cowcow’s Tea quenches with chewy boba milk teas, ambrosial fresh fruit teas, smoothies laced with cream cheese foam and luscious organic drinking yogurts with curiously gratifying purple rice.
12th Avenue Grill’s Deli Café within the recently reopened dining room represents a strategic business pivot that offers more casual fare—sandwiches, salads and plates engineered by Chef Mauro Gramuglia whose culinary preeminence is demonstrated by his vegetable muffaletta, house-pulled burrata caprese and humble—yet ethereally crisp—French fries.
Kaimukī’s contemporary allure does not end with its novel constituents. Rather, another facet of its attraction is the hidden elements that keep foodies captivated through secret menu selections or off-the-beaten path venues.
Goro Obara of Maguro-ya draws in regulars with his congenial approach to sushi, ranging from the orthodox uni and amaebi to the more coveted engawa aburi (torched fluke fin tail muscle). Teishoku such as the misoyaki butterfish, karei karaage (deep-fried flounder), and more procurable suzuki karaage (deep-fried Japanese sea bass) are rewarding selections, but the maguro steak and ribs beguile as beef substitutes. Though the restaurant is plain sight, there are a few secret menu items to ponder, including chicken nanban, nasu (eggplant) and konyaku (konjac) dengaku and a wide gamut of vegetable nigiri sushi selections. North Shore Grinds is an informal eatery in a seemingly anachoristic commercial structure ensconced in the cozy neighborhood 1/3-mile north of Wai‘alae Avenue. It technically fringes half a block shy of the Kaimukī boundary, but chef Wayne Takushi’s elevated approach to plate lunches justifies the trek through the locality. Drawing from his fond memories and experience working in the kitchen at the erstwhile Turtle Bay Hilton Resort, Takushi delivers familiar flavors with his Hawaiian presentations, local comforts as char siu pork with teri chicken, and inspired creations including a tender garlic calamari with roasted pepper cream and slightly sweet yet herbaceous seared ahi with cilantro pesto.
Next door, Mirage Art & Coffee encapsulates owner Jasmin El-Gohary’s efforts to cultivate experiences reminiscent of her youth growing up in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Besides the more mainstream offerings of smoothies, global coffees, pastries and healthy sandwiches, she prides herself on Saudi (Gulf) coffee served with Zahidi dates and Turkish coffee with pulverized cardamom to go with a modest menu of Middle Eastern bites, including a za’atar-dusted flatbread, uber-smoky housemade baba ghanoush, and ful medames of warm seasoned fava beans topped with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. Outdoor seating is available for those who simply want to pass the time sipping on her signature honey rose latte with perfumed notes or Moroccan mint tea scented with freshly muddled spearmint sprigs.
Sumo wrestler-turned-chef Takashi Ando sears cuts of protein over the intense heat of binchotan (Japanese oak) charcoal in his humble Yakitori Ando tucked away in a signless building on Center Street. After a few bowls of Japanese osozai (side dishes) such as hijiki (black seaweed salad), kinpira gobo (braised burdock root) or kiriboshi daikon (dried shredded white radish), Ando serves a changing selection of grilled plates and skewers as chicken wings, thighs, gizzards, or hearts, tsukune (chicken meatballs) as well as bacon wrapped quail eggs or mochi, Kaua‘i prawns, lamb, or beef on his $50-60 omakase. Be sure to ask for some yuzu kosho (pasty Japanese condiment of chiles and citrus), which goes with just about everything, including the motsu nabe (hot pot with beef offals) or chicken nabe finale. Even the most squeamish of friends relish the extracted broth enriched by the innards as it is incorporated into the zosui (rice porridge), udon or Okinawan soba noodles in soup.
Owners Thomas Ray and Hideo Simon of Square Barrels teamed up with chef Aaron Lopez to forge Heiho House, an izakaya (Japanese pub) whose name incorporates a play on the Japanese mathematical reference to square. With no indicator beyond a red quadrilateral emblazoned above tinted doors, the concealed gastropub adorns its ceilings with suspended handmade lanterns to establish an atmospheric charm that is Japanese in its essence, paralleling the inspirations of the cuisine. Pickling and preservation is at the centroid of Heiho’s gastronomy, with Lopez fermenting some ingredients for months before incorporating them into compositions such as vegan dumplings in preserved fruit-steeped dashi, spareribs lacquered with a barbecue glaze incorporating soy inoculated in-house, or a fish katsu with cured accents. A varied selection of draft beer, whiskeys and creative mixology pair well with the cuisine that is designed to astonish with its out-of-the-box contemplations.
It is virtually impossible to fully depict the dynamic ethos of Kaimuki and my fondness for its multi-faceted foodscape. This portrayal lacks details on the myriad eateries showcasing healthy options and bread-centric lunch offerings as Bread Shop, Sprout, Earl Sandwich, No Name BBQ Sandwich, Kaimukī Superette, Juicy Brew, The Curb Kaimukī, Jewel or Juice and Leahi Grill ... Asian-inspired dining rooms as Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu, XO Restaurant, Kikue Restaurant, Himalayan Kitchen, Japanese Restaurant Aki, Broken Rice, Super Pho Restaurant, Saigon’s Restaurant, Hokkaido Ramen and To Thai For ... evening bites designed around libations with Mud Hen Water, Surfing Pig, and Brew’d Craft Pub ... family-friendly eateries including Angelo Pietro, Big City Diner, Moke’s Bread & Breakfast, Kuhio Grille Kaimuki, Verbano Ristoranto Italiano, Azteca Mexican Restaurant, Jose’s Mexican Café & Cantina and Oahu Grill ... and indulgent sweet shops as Pipeline Bakery, Sconees Bakery, Otto Cake, Via Gelato and Chocolate and Vanilla Bakery ... all worthy of mention as they contribute to the rich pastiche of Kaimukī’s culinary exploits. So, whether one wishes to reflect back on tradition or gaze forward onto innovation, this suburban slice of Honolulu offers a beautiful cross-section of Hawai‘i’s succulent chronology.