628238 Mon Jun 15 18:59:34 -0700 2009 5 25 Elsewhere In America 0 4776078 this past saturday chef roy wong, formerly of e&o trading company was the guest chef at cafe hula girl in waikiki. the food was truly superb, and at $22.00 (not including alcoholic beverages) for a four course meal (the 5th - post dessert course) somehow never materialized, and truly wasn't missed. this was the first in the guest chef series, and while there were some rough spots in some of the timing and serving, nothing that actually detracted from the meal. here is the menu with my comments added: First Course: Sesame seared sashimi with shallot/tobiko-wasabi Black & white sesame crusted ahi, seared and sliced thinly. Served over a sweet-soy-chili sauce and topped off with tobiko and finely chopped shallots in a wasabi mix this was a delectable treat, 4 or 5 thin slices of the ahi with just enough of the sauce and topping to set off the perfect texture and flavor of the ahi wiithout overwhelming it. Second Course: Seafood Ceviche Salald in Kalamansi Vinaigrette Shrimp, Scallops and Fish (Ono) cooked in the natural juices of the Kalamansi fruit tossed with garlic, cilantro, onions and peppers. Served in a vinaigrette over mesculin greens I am not a huge fan of ceviche in general, nor are scallops one of my favorite foods, but this salad made me a convert. The kalamansi juice cured/cooked the fish to perfection and had a wonderful but subtle tang to it. The course was served in a tall margarita glass, and was more than generous. Third Course: Seared Asian-Rubbed Steak Swirling Asian flavors seared into a rubbed steak. Served with Okinawan sweet potato mash and topped with citrus namasu. Topped with a slaw of daikon, cucumber & carrot. OMG, after the fantastic sashimi and ceviche courses I thought the steak would be not a letdown but certainly less interesting. Wrong Wrong Wrong. The steak, again 4 or 5 slices, was just past seared, wonderfully pink in the center with the seared dry rub spices making an incredible coating that while intense, did not overwhelm the taste of the meat. The Okinawan sweet potato mash was cooked to perfection and the namasu slaw was a perfect couterpoint to the richness of the potatoes (actually a sweet potato/russet blend.) Fourth Course: Star Anise infused cheese cake Anise-infused cheese cake, graham cracker crust, topped with a sake mandarin orange glaze with mint highlights about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 of an inch tall, this was a fantastic finish to the meal. the anise flavor was detectable but subtle, and the sake and mandarin orange glaze complimented it incredibly well. Fifth Course: 100% Kona Coffee or Noni Sweet Tea, Sweets As I mentioned somehow this course never quite appeared, although they did offer us coffee at some point while we were enjoying our after dinner drinks. We teased them a little about the missing course - and while none of us really needed any more to eat, some chocolates magically appeared on our table. Mind you we had no shortage of beverages during the meal. While it was not a "paired menu", they had a very nice pinot noir offered as a special, or a pinot griggio for those who preferred a white wine. In addition there were several other drinks offered, and we managed to sample several types of martini-genre drinks at various points before, during and after the meal (my friends like to indulge now and then.) All in all an incredible meal, at a ridiculously low price, it came to about $40 each by the time we included the drinks. This was the first time they have done a guest chef, and while they are in the process of planning some others, no dates have been set yet. This place is fairly new and they are still finding their niche, but if they continue the way they have been, my guess is that it is going to become a very popular place. And just to be clear, I have no financial interest in the business, the owners just happen to be friends. The website is: <http://cafehulagirl.com> Mon Jun 15 18:59:34 -0700 2009 57890 KaimukiMan 1 4776181 Great post, and a big mahalo for posting it. Sounds like great fun! Hunt Mon Jun 15 19:33:56 -0700 2009 4776078 11329 Bill Hunt 1 4782315 I hope they do this again! Kind of sad I missed out.. Sounds like it was wonderful Wed Jun 17 14:37:36 -0700 2009 4776078 227117 haolebaby 1 4783364 Oh, yum! The poke bowl on their website looks fabulous. I'll have to check them out the next time I'm in Hawaii. Wed Jun 17 21:40:41 -0700 2009 4776078 156153 akq 1 4835567 they are having another guest chef, this time it is Chef Merle Mariano formerly of the Wynn Las Vegas and more recently the Four Seasons Hualalai. the menu this time is sweet kahuku corn chowder salad of baby greens pan seared scallops filet of beef chocolate mousse $35 Saturday July 11, 2009 for a more complete description go to "guest chefs" link on the website http://cafehulagirl.com/ again, i have no financial interest in Cafe Hula Girl Tue Jul 07 01:45:22 -0700 2009 4776078 57890 KaimukiMan 2 4838401 Dang! We seem to always miss the great chefs' special dinners. That is what I get for living on the Mainland. Mahalo, Hunt Tue Jul 07 21:18:10 -0700 2009 4835567 11329 Bill Hunt