Club Med.
The Odyssey is a poetic tale that depicts Odysseus on a ten-year journey home. The epic poem written by Homer in 700 BCE serves as a key descriptor when encapsulating the theme of MARA. “I always refer to it like The Odyssey, if Odysseus passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and ended up in Hawai‘i... What would he cook?” says Chef Michael Ocampo, Director of Culinary.
Nestled in the heart of Honolulu, in an urban oasis located on the ground level of the brand-new Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa, MARA Restaurant & Bar brilliantly blends Mediterranean influences with local ingredients. “Just pulling from a lot of Greek influence, we pull from Lebanon as well as Spain and Portugal, anything from the Mediterranean,” Ocampo adds. A contemporary Aegean experience highlights coastal favorites including must-try mezze spreads, hearth-baked naan, fire-roasted vegetables, premium seafood and mouth-watering meats.
“I have pulled from some of my favorite restaurants that I’ve eaten at. We really want to show people the applications can be with local ingredients but also bring a level of authenticity.” Like The Odyssey, the journey to and within MARA is like that of taking a short respite to the Mediterranean. The décor of the restaurant is bright, vibrant, colorful and exciting, meanwhile, the open kitchen lends itself to the hustle and bustle of the waitstaff performing a lively passage from the kitchen to the table with joyful hospitality.
The menu boasts some familiar favorites and new surprises. As expected, you’ll find hummus and tzatziki in the spreads section, but the dishes take a surprising turn with bursts of flavors and unique ingredient combinations. The hummus is accented by pickled golden raisins which provide an explosion of sweet and sour that cuts through the richness. Bocconcino Stracciatella blends roasted beets with pomegranate molasses and is served with supremely fresh mozzarella cheese. The sweetness of the beets is complemented by the rich depth of the molasses (more on that later) and the silky, creamy cheese delights the taste buds.
“I love using local products including mozzarella from Bocconcino, which is made half a mile from the restaurant. So, it is going to be the freshest product available, and I think it translates to the plate. The hummus is really about bringing in more flavors, elevating the dish with garnishes. It’s about completing the flavor profiles you want — salt, acid, fat and heat so the hummus is going to have a good amount of fat from the chickpeas and olive oil, acid from the pickled raisins brings sweetness,” adds Ocampo.
The focus on freshness is apparent as you peruse the menu and see options of global harvests from the mountains and the sea. Salads highlight grilled papaya fattoush that showcases locally grown papayas, Japanese cucumber, and little gem lettuce. “Market salads are a great pairing of bringing fresh elements from the markets, the fattoush is a salad you’ll find in North Africa or along the Eastern Mediterranean.” The Beet & Citrus salad twirls on your palate as the sweet beets are lightly pickled and enhanced by whipped Manouri Cheese and a savory kalamata vinaigrette. The subtle sprinkles of textures and robust flavors are a welcomed delight.
The journey mauka to makai doesn’t stop on this voyage as MARA incorporates Hawai‘i ingredients with those of Japan for several of the main dishes. Local Kona kampachi, Hokkaido sea urchin and scallops are also featured alongside fried calamari and Mediterranean octopus.
The restaurant also boasts its simply prepared Tomahawk steak and triple-seared A5 Wagyu strip steak basted with green chermoula and za’atar. “It’s really melding these very similar ingredients with something authentic.”
Blending ingredients and cultures, the Pomegranate Glazed Lamb Shank served with brown butter couscous, sesame, carrots and almonds is fall-off-the-bone tender and incorporates a tender blend of flavors and textures. Notably, the pomegranate serves to enhance the lamb flavor with subtle surprising deep notes. “If you go to Lebanon or Greece, the street vendors take pomegranates and juice them and they leave the juice out in the sun making pomegranate molasses, which makes a rich umami flavor that is acidic and bright — it really counteracts the richness and fattiness from the lamb shank. So, we wanted to incorporate that ingredient to complement that dish. We also pick up some carrots from MA‘O farms, roast them, and serve them whole blended with our hummus.” A true representation of the blending of cultures and flavors.
Incorporating Mediterranean cuisine into a location that sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean would seem to be somewhat of a challenging task, but for Ocampo, it has been a voyage of discovery. “I am going to the market every Saturday and picking up produce. I have found that talking to the farmers I am learning a lot about the local products, that’s how I found out that breadfruit tastes a lot like artichoke when it’s young. It’s always been ingrained in me as a chef and as a cook that you should use the freshest ingredients possible.”
While paying respect to the foundation of the cuisine, a beautiful marriage of Mediterranean dishes enhanced by local products and local ingredients has been born. With that synergy comes fruitful relationships with Hawai‘i farmers and local people. “Paying homage to the area from which we were inspired, but also paying homage to the ‘aina that we are currently on. The people at MA‘O farms have been incredible; they were two of the first people to dine at the restaurant before it opened. Fox Farms microgreens from La‘ie, we engaged him with a list of seeds we were looking for and he started growing them. We have these beautiful greens like micro dill and micro chrysanthemum and Greek basil that is exclusive to our restaurant.”
The desserts on the dinner menu are as bright and memorable as the savory dishes. It is enjoyable to find a classic Kunefe, which is a crunchy, salty, chewy, yet sweet dessert made with farmer’s cheese, pistachio, orange blossom, honey and spun pastry. Additionally, the lemon cream pavlova is light, airy, and highlights sweet, yet tart local Kula strawberries.
MARA hosts breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, happy hour (Monday-Friday), and dinner. It is a great spot to be swept away for a casual encounter, contemporary Mediterranean cuisine in a friendly atmosphere with full-flavored and bold shareable dishes. “We really hope that guests will say it was one of the best meals they’ve had and can’t believe how fresh the ingredients were. And how lively the environment is and how refreshing it is to eat there. I want them to feel like it was fresh and delicious. If they have a meat dish, I want them to feel like it was hearty and filling.”
MARA, 1390 Kapi‘olani Blvd.,
(808) 450-3036, marahonolulu.com