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Top Chefs O‘ahu
Hawai‘i’s natural bounty and rich multicultural legacy inspire a new
Chris Katchioka
Jesse Cruz
O‘ahu native Chris Katchioka is the culinary mastermind of Vintage
Cave, a new eatery. While his cooking is rooted in French technique
with a Japanese sensibility, Katchioka is focused on sourcing the best
products and letting theme shine in his signature seafood and vegetable
dishes. Hirabara Farms on Hawai‘i, the Big Island, provides caraflex
cabbage and ultra tender, very young baby greens; an O‘ahu based
forager supplies wild shoots, flowers, and greens; and a friend at
Honolulu Fish Auction recommends the best daily catch. On weekends,
Katchioka and his wife hike O‘ahu’s spectacular trails.
generation of chefs who are perpetuating O‘ahu’s reputation as the
Culinary Capital of the Pacific. Five gifted O‘ahu chefs define their cooking and share how they spend their free time in The Heart of Hawai‘i.
In the summer of 2012, Jesse Cruz opened Lucky Belly, a neighborhood
ramen-focused restaurant in Chinatown, an area rich in history and
culture. Lucky Belly cooking also represents the diversity of Hawaiian
cultures and cuisines Cruz was exposed to growing up in O‘ahu. Lucky
Belly’s oxtail dumpling, for instance, is inspired by Chinese cuisine but
served with a Japanese soy glaze. The menu reflects what’s available
seasonally and integrates produce from Nalo Farms, pork from Shinsato
Farms, and seafood from Honolulu Fish Auction. Cruz spends free time
with family grilling and relaxing at the beach.
Kevin Hanney
Upstate New York native Kevin Hanney arrived in O‘ahu in 1992 at the
beginning of Hawai‘i’s farm to table revolution and
partnered with local farmers eager to connect
with island chefs. Today, Hanney presides
over three popular Kaimuki eateries: 12th
Avenue Grill (modern American cooking),
Salt Kitchen & Tasting Bar (sophisticated
bar food), and the new Luke’s Scratch
Kitchen & Brunch House (homemade
breakfast fare). While all unique,
Hanney’s restaurants share a commitment to nose to tail cookery (O‘ahu
raised pigs and beef from the
Big Island and Maui) and making
everything in house. The
prolific chef spends his time
off bike riding, going to the
beach with his family, and
exploring Chinatown.
Chef Kevin Hanney
Göran Streng
Streng stopped in O‘ahu on a round the world journey in 1984 and
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never left. At Tango Contemporary Café, a Euro bistro, the cooking
reflects his Finnish roots and European traditions while incorporating
fresh local produce and fish from private island purveyors. Streng’s
cookery is simple, pure, and close to nature much like Scandinavian
design. Recently, Streng has been making his own ketchup, mayonnaise,
and jams, as part of a commitment to using even fewer processed foods.
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While Streng spends most of his time at Tango Contemporary Café and
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nearby Tango Market (famous for Friday night barbecues), he recommends that visitors venture outside Waikïkï to eat where the locals do.
Andrew Le
O‘ahu native Andrew Le opened The Pig & The Lady in Chinatown in
November after building a loyal following who came for the Southeast
Asian and Vietnamese street food he served at farmer’s markets and pop
ups. While the new restaurant serves favorites like the Pho French Dip
Banh Mi sandwich, Andrew is experimenting, trying new food
variations, and finding inspiration and ingredients from Chinatown
markets and noodle factories and O‘ahu’s farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. Future plans calls for collaborative pop