Gastronome
I ‘m not one for making New Year’s resolutions — lofty goals that initially are met with verve before the novelty of it wears off and all you’re left with is a sense of guilt and little accomplishment. No, thank you.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not a person of reflection (sometimes). Mostly, I like to think about all the great things that happened throughout the year, food included. And so, with 2016 nearing, I present to you Jaimie’s 2015 Favorites — the Jaimies, if you will. (P.S. You can check out more about each of the featured restaurants at metrohnl.com.)
KA ‘IKENA LAUA‘E RESTAURANT
Kapiolani Community College, 4303 Diamond Head Road
(808) 734-9499; culinary.kapiolani.hawaii.edu
I wish I could point you to a specific dish to order should you head over to Kapiolani Community College and stop in at Ka ‘Ikena Laua‘e Restaurant, but I can’t. It’s for a good reason, though — an exciting one, really. Since Ka ‘Ikena is run by students, menu items constantly are changing to give future chefs and food and beverage hopefuls the opportunity to get well-rounded and real-life experience.
I will say, though, that the items I got to taste in April — like the Duck Confit on Baby Greens — were an impressive display of talent. Ka ‘Ikena opens again Jan. 26 for a limited time, and you can check out its lunch and dinner menus online.
STAGE RESTAURANT
Honolulu Design Center, 1250 Kapiolani Blvd.
(808) 237-5429; stagerestauranthawaii.com
I’ve found myself at Honolulu Design Center a lot since November — for my birthday party, for Christmas parties, for wine. I like the ambiance more than anything, but there is one item I hope to return for soon: Deconstructed S’mores.
More than many things in this world, I love sweets. Biting into the Deconstructed S’mores at the end of the night felt as playful and flavorful as making it at home, but obviously much prettier and sophisticated, so really, what more could you want?
ARTIZEN BY MW RESTAURANT
Hawaii State Art Museum, 250 S. Hotel St.
(808) 524-0499; artizenbymw.com
Admittedly, there’s not much to reflect on when it comes to Artizen by MW Restaurant, since I did just write about it a couple of weeks ago. But I cannot express how much I enjoyed the baked goods Artizen had for sale.
So consider this a friendly reminder to stop by for lunch one day, and to heed my advice and pick up a bag (or more — definitely more) of the furikake bagel chips. I made the mistake of only grabbing one while I was there, and have been rationing it out (and hiding it from everyone) since then.
LA CUCINA RISTORANTE ITALIANO
725 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite C112
(808) 593-2626; lacucinaristoranteitaliano.com
It’s been a few months since I first stopped in at La Cucina Ristorante Italiano, and I have to say, my feelings for it have not waned. I still think the pasta I had there was exceptional, so much so that La Cucina has become the bar to which I now hold all Italian food.
As much as I am looking forward to returning to La Cucina to sample other items on the menu — like Frutti di Mare and Tagliano Aragosta — I can’t stop thinking about the Fettucine Scampi Limone. Rich and buttery, but balanced thanks to lemon and capers, it was the best scampi I have ever had.
RECIPE OF THE YEAR
One of my favorite moments of the year was when Fendu Boulangerie owner and chef Niel Koep shared his recipe for Marble Pound Cake. (Fendu happens to be a personal favorite of mine.) I’ve made it several times since, and it seems to be a hit with family and friends. So just in case you still have holiday parties to attend and want something simple but tasty to make — plus, it makes a great story — here’s the recipe once more.
This recipe yields seven 11-ounce loaves.
INGREDIENTS
10 oz. butter
2 lb. sugar
8 eggs
16 oz. sour cream
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. 7 oz. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1.25 oz. cocoa powder
1 oz. vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, then add sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest.
2. Sift together flour and baking soda and then add to the mix. Mix until well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder and vegetable oil to make a smooth paste.
4. Divide cake batter in two separate bowls, add cocoa powder mixture to one half and mix well.
5. Fill whatever mold you’re using about halfway with batter. (I then use a chopstick to create fun patterns.)
6. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick, when inserted into the middle of the cake, comes out clean.
FENDU BOULANGERIE
Manoa Marketplace 2752 Woodlawn Dr. #5-119
(808) 988-4310
