MAUI DISHES SPOTLIGHT LOCAL FOOD AND FUSION
Fresh products and sustainability the core of Hawaii Regional Cuisine
Maui is a feast for all of the senses, but I have to admit, my taste buds get the best deal. Of course I love this tropical paradise’s sandy beaches, captivating culture, bountiful marine life and breathtaking sunsets, but man, oh man, the food.
Maui — and its fellow Hawaiian islands — has been stepping up its foodie game, especially in the past decade. Hawaii Regional Cuisine refers to using locally grown food and preparing it to reflect not only Indigenous Hawaiian culture, but also ethnic influences you find in Hawaii, including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and, more recently, Korean and Vietnamese.
It’s still relatively young compared to Italian or French cuisine, having only been established in 1991 by 12 Hawaiian chefs. After all, it wasn’t that long ago when simply adding a piece of pineapple rendered a dish “Hawaiian.” The founding 12 wanted to demonstrate that Hawaii goes far beyond the pineapple, and in fact, has some of the most innovative flavours and ingredients in the world.
These days, you don’t have to look very hard to find a restaurant showcasing Maui’s diverse and delicious offerings. Many of the major hotels’ restaurants do so, like the Westin Nanea Ocean Villas’ restaurant Mauka Makai, which features fresh local seafood and island specialties like taro and breadfruit, and the Hyatt Regency’s Japengo, noted as one of the best restaurants in Maui, serves Asian-inspired cuisine with Hawaiian flavour.
Even tucked away in the food court at Whaler’s Village, you’ll find Joey’s Kitchen, an unexpected source of delicious Asian fusion fare with a focus on Filipino favourites. Chef Joey Macadangdang, who hails from the Philippines, also has a newly renovated location in Napili featuring to-die-for garlic shrimp and braised short ribs along with amazing fried brussels sprouts that my seven-yearold daughter pronounced her favourite thing on the menu.
“It’s all about bringing out the diversity and flavours of the Pacific Rim,” says Macadangdang. “Hawaii Regional Cuisine has helped the recognition of Filipino foods. People are more interested in trying new fusion flavours.” His passion and warmth are palpable as he whips up delicious dish after delicious dish, and you genuinely feel like you’re in Joey ’s actual kitchen.
I caught up with chef Peter Merriman, one of the 12 founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, at the gorgeous oceanside Kapalua location of his namesake restaurant, Merriman’s. He continues to uphold the tenets of Hawaii Regional Cuisine — using the freshest products, at least 90 per cent of which are locally grown or caught, using only sustainable methods.
From his early days in Hawaii in the 1980s, Merriman wanted to cook regional cuisine, but he had to lay the groundwork, building partnerships with farmers, ranchers and fishermen to have local product readily available. “It was all sugar cane and pineapple until a few years ago,” he says. “I let local producers know I wanted whatever they had. It seemed like I was the one being nice by buying from local farmers; but really, they were being nice to me by providing me with fresh ingredients. Things taste better when they’re fresh.”
Now, there’s plenty of local quality product available in Hawaii, such as cattle raised on the pastures of Hawaii Island, fruits and vegetables grown from rich volcanic soil in upcountry Maui, and some of the best fish in the world. “But customers are more sophisticated, too,” says Merriman. “We focus on getting the best ingredients and showing them off in a minimalist fashion. Let the food be the star.”
At Merriman’s and Monkeypod Kitchen — his latest restaurant venture that recently opened a second location on Maui — you can see the ingredients shine, whether it’s wok-charred Ahi yellowfin tuna, taro cakes or one of Merriman’s personal favourites, the housemade ice cream.
Upcountry, at Hali’imaile General Store, a similar philosophy is at work. That’s because the restaurant is owned by another of the founding 12 — chef Bev Gannon, and has featured fresh local ingredients in island-inspired menus for the past 30 years. “Any good chef will always be committed to sourcing local products,” she affirms.
Gannon points out that Hawaii Regional Cuisine has evolved into a style of cooking the world not only recognizes but demands. “We are seeing restaurants popping up all over the world that call themselves Hawaii Regional Cuisine restaurants — poke bars in Paris, Kalua pig in Prague and loco moco on breakfast menus throughout the country. Hawaii Regional Cuisine is now being recognized and emulated all over the world. Who would have thought, 30 years later, we would have left our mark on the food world?”
The farm-to-table concept has taken off on Maui, and it benefits the producers, the chefs, and of course, the customers. Now, you can go pretty much anywhere on the island and find fresh local food. Pop into Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop off the Honoapi’ilani Hwy for a heavenly macnut choc or coconut cream pie teamed up with a seared ahi sandwich. Or indulge in the weekly Maui Chef ’s Table at the Mill House at the Maui Tropical Plantation, where you can enjoy multiple courses made with Maui’s seasonal ingredients, inspired by the chefs’ personal stories.
At the end of the day, Maui’s culinary awakening must also be tied to sustainability.
“We go through a few 100 pounds of fish every day,” says Merriman. “So we’ll cut the portions to double the supply and instead of just serving a big slab of fish or meat, we’ll add shrimp from Kauai. We want the diner to be satisfied, but we also want to keep the fishing sustainable.”
Satisfying and sustainable — two noble pillars to live by. As Hawaii Regional Cuisine continues to encourage growing food on-island in environmentally responsible and viable ways, it also helps Maui growers to bring their products to market. This positive symbiosis ensures that islanders, visitors and diners the world over can continue to enjoy the distinctive and delectable flavours of Maui.