From Grounds to Grindz — Day 4: Reservations About Dinner

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Is it possible to Eat Local if you’re not keeping an eye on every single ingredient yourself?

Korina and I have already learned this week about the pitfalls and challenges of staying 100 percent local — confusing branding on coffee and sugar, the limits of local oil and butter, and the lack of local spices and grains. Maybe the professionals would have a better handle on things.

Kanu Hawaii, the local organization promoting the challenge, took steps to make it easier for folks to participate. On their website, Kanu links to Eat Local promotions at about 25 different restaurants across the state.

Some of them — for example, Chef Mavro — are considerably more high-end than others — for example, Zippy’s. But because eating local, healthy food should be everyone’s goal, regardless of economic status, it’s important to have a range of restaurant options.

While I was happy to see so much buy-in from the community, I’ve been really trying to stick to 100 percent local and wanted a restaurant who would support me in that quest. So I called each of the Honolulu restaurants on the list — leaving out neighbor islands or rural Oahu — to see where I’d be eating dinner Wednesday night and possibly lunch Thursday.

Here’s what I found:

Apartm3nt

  • Kanu says: “Apartm3nt will be offering at least one local dish and one local cocktail for the entire week.”
  • What’s on the menu? No answer at listed telephone number as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
  • 100 percent local? Don’t know.

Azure

  • Kanu says: “Azure will be offering a Kona lobster chermoula salad with Kahuku corn and Waialua asparagus.”
  • What’s on the menu? The hostess was unfamiliar with the Eat Local program.
  • 100 percent local? Don’t know.

Big City Diner

  • Kanu says: “Big City Diner will be offering a special all-local dish during the Eat Local Challenge at all of their restaurant locations.”
  • What’s on the menu? Fresh catch with an oyster cream sauce that includes oyster mushrooms, bok choy, and tomato, the Kaimuki location told us. I was told it would be the same special at all locations Monday through Friday of this week.
  • 100 percent local? NO. After conferring with the chef, the host told us that Savory Oil — a liquid butter alternative — is used, not local butter or macadamia nut oil.

Cafe Anasia

  • Kanu says: “Pineapple infused Kukui Brand Portugese Sausage, Kim Chee or chicken sausage w/ peppers & onions on a sizzling platter.”
  • What’s on the menu? The hostess asked us to call back to talk to the chef about specifics.
  • 100 percent local? Don’t know.

Chef Mavro

  • Kanu says: “With a menu that showcases all-local ingredients 85%+ of the time, it is no surprise that Chef Mavro is one of our Eat Local partners.”
  • What’s on the menu? A meli-melo of summer vegetables from Mao Organic Farms in Waianae, Oahu.
  • 100 percent local? NO. The dish includes black garlic — not local — and while 85 percent of the menu is locally grown, there is no single dish that can claim to be 100 percent local.

Downtown at the Hawaii State Art Museum

  • Kanu says: “Downtown @ the HiSAM … will be offering a 100% local lunch item every day during the Eat Local Challenge.”
  • What’s on the menu? On Wednesday, it was opah with root vegetables or a Kulana strip loin with Hawaiian salt and green peppercorns, tomatoes and watercress.
  • 100 percent local? YES. Even the peppercorns are locally sourced, I was told. The host who I spoke with said “everything but the plate” is pure island-grown.

Honolulu Burger Co.

  • Kanu says: “Honolulu Burger Co. uses 100% Big Island grass fed, free range beef, 100% local bakery and uses as much locally farmed produce when available including green leaf lettuce, tomatoes, onions, etc.”
  • What’s on the menu? Hamakua Alii/Shimeji Mushroom burger.
  • 100 percent local? NO. Not only are the buns not locally sourced (though they are locally baked), but the potatoes used in the hand-cut fries are from the mainland and the black truffle mushroom spread isn’t grown here.

Peace Cafe

  • Kanu says: “The Peace Cafe will be offering a sandwich with locally grown ingredients and locally made products during the Eat Local Challenge.”
  • What’s on the menu? Avo-veggie sandwich.
  • 100 percent local? NO. The contents of the sandwich might be spot-on, but no bread in the state, to my knowledge, is made from locally grown ingredients.

Tango Cafe Hawaii

  • Kanu says: “Please join Chef Goran (Streng) at Tango Contemporary Café and support his continued dedication to local ingredients and sustainable eating in Hawaii.”
  • What’s on the menu? A three-course menu featuring Hamakua mushrooms with garlic herb sauce; grilled Big Island veal tenderloin with mashed potatoes and a Big Island poha berry demiglaze sauce; and Nalo Farms lemon creme brulee.
  • 100 percent local? NO. It’s unclear if the potatoes are locally sourced, and the garlic is still unknown. The host told me that not everything is going to be 100 percent local, but it would be very close.

The Counter

  • Kanu says: “The Counter Kahala will offer a Japanese style Ahi Burger featuring locally sourced ahi, mixed greens, carrots, daikon radish, scallions, teriyaki drizzle and a wasabi aioli sauce all served on a locally baked taro bun.”
  • What’s on the menu? The ahi is not a filet but is ground up like a patty.
  • 100 percent local? NO. The bun includes local taro, but also includes non-local flour, the hostess told me. The carrots come from a distributor and cannot be sourced to a local farm. And the sauces are made in house, but it’s not clear if the ingredients are locally grown.

The Lotus Cafe

  • Kanu says: “Know you are eating local, organic and the healthiest Asian fare prepared anywhere when you eat at Lotus.”
  • What’s on the menu? Lots of things — I can just ask them to make it local and they’ll oblige, I’m told.
  • 100 percent local? Don’t know. It’s a nice offer and all, but my experience this week tells me that eating 100 percent local requires forethought and planning. Changing a menu item on the spot seems unlikely, and I’m not going to risk it.

Town Restaurant

  • Kanu says: “Town Restaurant … will offer a 100% local salad, appetizer, entree, and dessert each night during the Eat Local Challenge.”
  • What’s on the menu? On Wednesday night, it was butter lettuce salad; flatiron steak with paiai and wild tomatoes; mahi mahi with veggies and citrus butter; and sorbet.
  • 100 percent local? YES. Korina and I eventually made a reservation and then ate at Town successfully Wednesday. There were even 100 percent local alcoholic drinks.

Zenshu

  • Kanu says: “Please join Zenshu and help them to support sustainable eating in the islands and the farmers and various food providers that can make this dream a reality.”
  • What’s on the menu? Per a special menu published on the restaurant’s website: Kahuku Farm’s eggplant tempura stuffed with ahi hash served with dashi sauce and daikon oroshi; Pan-fried Big Island hirame with Kahuku corn, Hamakua mushroom and bacon ragout with roasted Maui onion new potatoes; Kahuku Farm’s apple banana flambeed with dark rum with Bubbies vanilla mochi ice cream and apple banana chip garnish.
  • 100 percent local? NO. The new potatoes are locally sourced, a hostess told me — that’s a serious accomplishment if true. But the dark rum and daikon radish are not local. Close, but no cigar.

Zippy’s

  • Kanu says: “Zippy’s recently made the shift to locally-sourced beef in their restaurants.”
  • What’s on the menu? Local Loco Moco made with local beef, island fresh eggs, and Nalo greens is selling at $7.25 at all Zippy’s locations.
  • 100 percent local? NO. A manager at the Kaimuki location confirmed for me that the loco moco still contains rice and hamburger with gravy and egg on top. The rice is shipped in from elsewhere, and the contents of the gravy are unknown to the public. “All of our recipes are secret,” I was told, and directed to the marketing department.

The Final tally: Two are 100 percent local — the sister restaurants of Town and Downtown; eight are known to be less than 100 percent local; and four are still unknown. For those Honolulu readers out there who are starting to wade into the Eat Local pool, the restaurants are offering local menu items this week and should be considered and commended.

But if you’re like me and are hoping to maintain complete and total purity through Saturday, your options for dining out are limited.

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