Destinations / GO
Spanning three islands and three weekends this year,
the seventh annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival
is continuing to deliver the gastronomical magic to
the tune of cooking demos, dining adventures, wine
tastings and food from more than 100 top culinary talents. Here,
some of the Honolulu participants reveal their favorite things on
Oahu, including the sunset cocktail spot that is not to be missed.
The Hawaii Food and Wine Festival takes place October 20
through November 5. hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com
WHO ROY YAMAGUCHI
WHERE ROY’S RESTAURANTS
Specialty Dish It’s more about the classics we created for Roy’s like the miso-yaki butterfish, Szechuan
baby back pork ribs and hibachi salmon, and for Eating
House, the plantation paella, Hapa Burger, Shrimp Piri-Piri with rice pilaf and the plantation ramen.
Favorite Sunset Cocktail I enjoy having a sunset
cocktail and listening to live Hawaiian music at the
House Without A Key at the Halekulani Hotel.
Favorite Local Food I like Helena’s Hawaiian Food
and Papa Ole’s Kitchen.
Favorite Special Occasion Alan Wong’s, for over
20 years.
WHO ALAN WONG
WHERE ALAN WONG’S RESTAURANTS
Specialty Dish Ginger Crusted Onaga, Soup and
Sandwich, The Coconut, and Da Bag. No matter how
much I change and provide variations, people still
want to order these dishes.
Favorite Sunset Cocktail House Without A Key res-
taurant, at the Halekulani hotel overlooking Waikiki
Beach with Hawaiian music; the hula dancing is magi-
cal. I imagine some couple saving up money their
entire lifetime so that they can sit on this beach. We
locals sometimes take it for granted because we live
here, so to come into Waikiki, relax and experience
this is not only nostalgic but really unique.
Favorite Local Food Ono Hawaiian Foods in Kapahulu
has been around for decades and serves great
authentic Hawaiian food. We bring our staff there and
out-of-town visitors so that they start to understand
that traditional Hawaiian is its own ethnicity with its
own food, versus the food of modern-day Hawaii.
Favorite Special Occasion It depends on the occasion of course, but it’s where the people I want to be
with for the occasion are. We make our own fun.
WHO KEITH PAJINAG
WHERE THE MODERN HONOLULU
Specialty Dish So I get asked the specialty question
a lot, and it changes from time to time. Right now my
personal specialty dish is making any kind of fresh
pasta while I am braising some sort of meat, preferably lamb. I love combining braised lamb shanks with
fresh pasta. My favorite.
Favorite Sunset Cocktail I probably shouldn’t say this
because I work here, but honestly here at Ravish is the
best place I have had a sunset drink. The drinks are
awesome and you just can’t beat the view from here.
Favorite Local Food My favorite place to eat local
food here on Oahu would be just grabbing a mini mix
plate at Alicia’s Market. Then pulling over at a beach
park and eating eat it outside. I always order the
roast pork and sweet tako poke. It comes with rice,
mac salad and kimchee.
Favorite Special Occasion Well, since it appeals for
a variety of occasions, I like to do my little triangle
restaurant/bar hop in the middle of Chinatown:
Livestock Tavern and on to Tchin Tchin and then
Lucky Belly. And yes eat something at every one of
those places. You might get full, so pace yourself,
because the drinks go down easy.
WHO GEORGE MAVROTHALASSITIS
WHERE CHEF MAVRO
Specialty Dish Salt-crusted onaga with ogo-vierge
sauce; spicy ahi aioli; island snapper Chinatown
style; Yukon-potato-crusted shutome; Keahole lobster Indochine; kumu en papillote — these dishes
reflect my 29 years working from the local market.
The onago earned a spot on GQ magazine’s Top Ten
Dishes, was featured prominently in The New York
Times and is a consistent guest favorite. The salt
crust is just to protect the fish while baking and is
opened tableside.
Favorite Sunset Cocktail There’s only one place:
House Without A Key at the Halekulani. It never
gets old.
Favorite Local Food Tripe stew at Helena’s
Hawaiian Food.
Favorite Special Occasion Nobu terrace bar
(recently moved to Auahi Street in Ward Village).
There’s one small booth for two in the middle.
WHO ED KENNEY
WHERE MUD HEN WATER
Specialty Dish At Mud Hen Water, don’t miss the
he’e lu’au with inamona dukkah. It’s our version of a
The Organizers
The Organizers
