Alan Wong

By blending various ethnic cooking techniques with the best quality island-grown ingredients, Chef Alan Wong sky-rocketed his name to international fame, creating a concoction of local cuisine and adding a contemporary twist.  As one of the founders of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine Chefs, Chef Ala Wong was able to acquire the James Beard award for Best Chef-Northwest which was given to him in 1996.  Also in the same year, he was included in the Wedgewood Awards list of 10 chef nominees vying for the title of World Master of Culinary Arts, as well as having his restaurant inducted in the Restaurant News Hall of Fame.

Chef Wong has been part of Bon Appetit Magazine’s culinary legends, being tagged as the “Master of Hawaii Regional Cuisine.”  His restaurant has been featured two times already in Gourmet Magazine’s rankings as the only restaurant in Honolulu to be classified as the top ten among the 50 best restaurants in the USA.

It was also Chef Wong, who authored the book New Wave Luau, who received numerous awards such as the Hale ‘Aina (10 times), and the Llima Awards in Hawaii, including “Best Restaurant” and “Restaurant of the Year”.  Being the owner and chef of both Alan Wong’s Restaurant and Honolulu’s Pineapple Room, he also managed to open up a branch in Disneyland, Tokyo, Japan.

Peter Merriman

“My passion is to serve great meals. The best way to do that is through the showcasing of Hawaii’s farms and ranches and the food they produce. ‘Fresh’ and ‘local’ are the two words which guide every decision we make at Merriman’s.” –Peter Merriman

Being a culinary pioneer, it has always been chef and businessman Peter Merriman’s goal to liven up the culinary industry in Hawaii.  He arrived in Hawaii in the year 1983, secured a job as a cook in the luxurious Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, where he eventually became promoted as the executive chef of the Gallery Restaurant.

Mauna Lani became the setting for chef Merriman’s vision of pioneering the Hawaiian Regional Cuisine.  He usually takes his work a step further in order to make sure of the quality and taste of his dishes.  For example, he would climb high coconut tress to personally select the best coconuts for his spicy fish sauce.  There was a time when he convinced a laundry truck driver to travel to the farthest side of the island, fetch him some “number 10” corn, which is a rare species but really very sweet.

Chef Merriman was the pioneer of popular Hawaiian dishes such as Poached Opakapaka with Snow Pea Puree and Ginger Lime Sauce, as well as Ono with Mango Sauce.  He always sees to it that his ingredients all come from local sources.  And because of this, his culinary expertise became very well respected and soared to higher levels.

Peter Merriman, along with his wife Vicky, then decided to open their own brand of upcountry restaurant, which became known as The Merriman’s Waimea.  The famous Hawaiian airlines magazine, Hana Hou, has labelled the restaurant as “A gourmet in cowboy country.”

As his restaurant grew, he was able to strengthen his ties with local ranchers and farmers, thereby convincing them to new species of fruits and vegetables, as well as range-raised meats.  This was so he can be able to directly purchase his ingredients from the farmers and ranchers, thereby ensuring their quality and freshness all the time.   It didn’t take long before Waimea became known as the culinary crossroads for Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

For Peter, an authentic Hawaiian Cuisine can truly be experienced in his signature restaurant.  He expressed that the way their meals are cooked enable the natural flavours of the food to come out.  Using excessive flavourings disguises the food and causes confusion in your taste buds.  Peter wanted the farmer’s products to be the center of attraction and not the elaborate food preparation.  He wanted his guests to truly experience the genuine flavours of organic produce such as the Lokelani Farms vine-ripened tomatoes and the Hirabara Greens.  Chef Peter has standardized the way meals are prepared in Hawaii, particularly in using at least 90% of locally produced products in their dishes, as well as using organically grown products.

Besides Merriman’s Waimea, Chef Peter was able to open up a restaurant named Hula Grill Maui in 1992 with the help of TS Restaurants.  Up until this day, Peter still works as an operating partner of the said restaurant.  November 2003 saw the opening of another restaurant brand named Merriman’s Market Cafe located at Waikoloa Beach Resort King’s shops on Hawaii’s Big Island.  The cafe primarily offers coffee products in a casual and indoor/outdoor setting, as well as Mediterranean cuisine, which ranges from freshly made hummus in warm pitas to Moroccan tagine-roasted fresh island catch.

Sam Choy

It was Sam Choy’s parents who introduced him, along with his siblings, to a great array of foods while they were young.  Each member of the family was assigned their own cooking tasks, both in their home and in their restaurant, which was owned and managed by his father.  During weekends, all of us are very busy in preparation of traditional Hawaiian luaus, for tourists that can easily accumulate to 800!

Sam Choy, who born by a Hawaiian-German mother named Clairemoana, was sent to the local Kapiolani Community College in the hopes of getting him jive with books and ultimately finding something that suits his interests.  It was not too long when Sam realized that it was with culinary arts that his heart belongs, that it was while cooking that he was at his happiest.  .

Sam initially worked in many establishments, particularly in kitchens of premier Hawaiian hotels.  After earning enough capital, he was able to open his debut restaurant in 1981, which was located on the big island of Hawaii.  He is now operating 2 restaurants in Honolulu, with 1 branch each on Japan and Guam.  Sam knows that with the achievements he reached in his life, his dad Hung Sam Choy would have been really proud of him.

Sam quotes that his success can be attributed to the variety of flavours and cultures that is uniquely Hawaii.  The old saying that “Lucky you live in Hawaii” has really lived up to the hype.

Besides this, Sam also notes that there aren’t many places in the world which is comparable to the beauty that is Hawaii.  It is here that you can find seemingly endless supply of fresh cuisine – be it seafood, fruits and vegetables, beef and poultry.  The way people cook their food in Hawaii is truly one of a kind, something that has made it truly distinct and renowned not only in the region, but also around the globe.  This is the meaning of Island Cuisine…Sam Choy style.

Mark Ellman Chef Owner of Maui Tacos

For 22 long years while residing at Maui, a simple chef named Mark Ellman and his beautiful wife Judy, along with their daughters Michelle, Ariana and Tina, have opened up a chain of restaurants in Hawaii.  The restaurants Mala Ocean Tavern, Maui Tacos, and Penne Pasta Cafe are all the fruits of the family’s hard work and dedication.

Before all the success, Mark was originally working in a Calabasas-based Mexican restaurant as a cook, while Judy was a bartender.  It was love that brought them together, and from this love their pioneer restaurant in Sherman Oaks known as Cuisine Cuisine was born.  Italian cuisine was their main offerings, with their homemade pasta gaining them both great friends and reputation.  Not too long after that, they needed to move to Colorado in order to get better environment, but they found the place too cold, which is why they decided to finally move to Hawaii in 1985.  It was in Maui that they found a place they can call home.

Two years after arriving at Maui, the couple did not waste any time and opened up the now famous Avalon Restaurant and Bar located at downtown Lahaina.  It was in this time that Mark created a chain of Pacific Rim Cuisine, in which eleven skilled chefs joined him to assemble what is now known as the Hawaii Regional Cuisine Movement.  It was in this revolutionary body that granted each chef their own chapter and a delectable array of recipes.

After quite some time, they were feeling the cravings for Mexican food from their place in Los Angeles, which is why in 1993 they started opening up small taco stands named Maui Tacos.  They were able to add eight more taco stands all over the three islands of Hawaii, with a concoction of Mexican and Maui cuisines.  All their meals were so affordable, that no meal was beyond $8.95.  Seeing the success of their Maui Tacos, they decided to focus here more and ultimately decided to close down Avalon.

Mark Ellman did not want his Italian heritage to go down the drain, and in 2001, Penne Pasta Cafe came to life.  It is here in Penne Pasta, which is now in its 6^th year, where Mark and his customers get to enjoy savoury roast chicken, fresh island fish, lamb osso bucco, salads, and of course, what is Italian cuisine without those paper-thin pizzas and “al dente” pastas?  Mala Ocean Tavern was not too far behind, opening up in 2005, and is mainly offering Pacific Rim and Mediterranean cuisine – even a few Latin-themed dishes.

One of the secrets of Mala Ocean Tavern was in the standards of Mark and Judy in hiring their employees – this is also very evident even in Penne Pasta and Maui Tacos.  The couple’s business partners, Sergio and Pepe, have worked well as a team in providing excellent management in their food chains.  The restaurants would also not be what it is today if not for GM Lisa Chappel and Master Chef Gregory Denton, who are both considered the restaurant rock stars.

Lisa’s charms and savvy has brought about exceptional personnel and customer relations, while chef Denton’s dedication and love for cooking has given life and unique taste to all his dishes, especially his soups and sauces.  He is a very aggressive guy, always bringing new ideas to the table and ready for any challenge.  It is for this reason that the couple wants to help him open up his own place too, where they know he can be far more successful.   It has been the couple’s objective to always make people happy with their great food, which is made only from the freshest and healthy organic ingredients.

The couple also enjoys sitting by the Mala Wharf – a well known pier, especially to sailors, famous for its view of the whaling town Lahaina.  In Hawaii, Mala means garden and simply gazing at the breathtaking views of the ocean and the Molokai and Lanai islands can easily blow you away.  It is from this place that the couple got the name for one of their restaurant, which is Mala – a place they consider to be their own little heaven on Earth.  There is so much to enjoy – the inspiring stories, the sumptuous dishes and the warm and relaxing ambiance of Maui.

Hawaii Real Estate Market

Though the market has seen some real struggles over the past couple of years, signs of optimism seem to be just beyond the horizon. According to a March article in the Honolulu Star Bulletin, there were 972 foreclosure filings in the month of February, a more than 25% drop from January and an improvement of 81% year-over-year.

The Hawaii foreclosure average bested the national rate as well: In Hawaii, the average accounted for one foreclosure for every 528 properties; the national average was one foreclosure for every 418 homes.

Hawaii homes for sale show a general trend of rising as well. The Star Bulletin reported that prices for single-family homes rose almost 22% year-over-year on Oahu, with condo sales up 0.3% from the same time last year but up in volume by nearly 50%. And according to Hawaii News Now, the most recent Case-Schiller home prices report showed that median prices in most American cities have risen year-over-year but are still below their highest medians; In Honolulu, on the contrary, prices are stronger, economist Paul Brewbaker said.

Discovering the Hawaiian Islands

NCL America, Norwegian Cruise Line’s American brand operates a single ship, the Pride of America, exclusively on inter-island cruises.  The brand was created in 2005 to provide 7-day cruises that start in Honolulu and visit Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kahului, Maui; Hilo, Hawaii; and Kona, Hawaii.  To this day, the Pride of America is the only ship offering 7-day cruises in Hawaii without a foreign port of call, a large competitive advantage over other cruise lines that begin voyages in California and include Mexico in the itinerary.  For travelers with only a short time in Hawaii, the inter-island cruise is perhaps the best way to be exposed to all of the state’s major islands.

Not only will tourists be able to travel by night and sightsee by day, they will also be able to experience the extraordinary food, delectable food, and exquisite pampering the cruise ship passengers have come to expect.  The cruise line also operates several shore excursions while in port.  These trips, while sometimes a bit pricey, are pre-planned half- or day-long journeys throughout the island’ spectacular sights and attractions.  Travelers who go on an excursion in each port will surely get a flavor of all Hawaii has to offer.