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May 20, 2009
Wednesday
“Loca-vore”
•Prix Fixe:
$75 per person
•Seating:
5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
For reservations, call
(808) 949-2526
[SEE MENU]
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This is a dinner held quarterly at the King Street Restaurant. The main goal is to bring the farmers into the restaurant to be available to meet our guests and talk about their products. A by-product is that our staff learn from them through questions and sessions whereby they become more aware of who grows it, how it grows, why it is a certain way, and the philosophy behind the farmer. What I do know is that besides the product they grow, there is a spirit, an attitude, and a way of thinking behind all of it. You will hear about passion, about loving what you do, from them; all of the good ones have that. What makes them unique is this personal story of theirs. Our staff can now better tell you, the customer, their story.
When I visit the farms in person, I get to walk among the goats. I get to roam between tomato vines and pick and eat at will. I get to talk with the growers and discuss the product. I get to see the “terroir”---which to me means “taste the land”---and feel the soil, the moisture, the climate, the environment, in which it grows. That is the best. The second best, is to have the actual farmer come to your table and 'talk story' a little with you about what you are about to eat. On an everyday basis, our staff needs to get trained and educated by these farmers and us, so that we can do justice to the fruits of their labor, the hard work, the passion that goes into doing what they do on an everyday basis.
One of our goals is to give our guests a taste of Hawaii. There are many ways to do that. One sure way is to serve locally grown produce and products. When you read our menu, you will see products from all parts of Hawaii. I don’t like overly written menus, however, our guests want to know where their food comes from, who grows it, how it's grown. Our servers are trained to tell the story if asked, and be able to identify and explain every ingredient on your plate.
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 There are many ways to define the term “loca-vore.” At its core, a loca-vore dinner is one that utilizes local products. To what degree you define "local products" determines what you can or cannot use on your menu.
I chose to use only products that have been grown and produced in the islands. Everything from the seasoning of the food all the way down to the pantry basics like salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, and sugar had to be local. But I did not go as far as restricting products based on the origins of seeds, fertilizers, and feed because I would not have been left with many products to meet that criteria.
Tonight’s menu was not an easy one to create and it became apparent that there are still holes that need to be filled. As you’ll notice, there is no bread, tofu, or soy sauce on tonight’s menu because simple things like flour and soy beans are not grown and produced in Hawaii. Right now, 66% of the products used in our restaurants is are locally produced and sourced.
I hope to bring awareness that there are still so many products that farmers can grow. For Hawaii to become sustainable as an island state, we need to be self-sufficient in our food sources. We need people to grow the basics to fill in the gaps.
I am happy to feature Monique Van der Stroom and Sabrina St. Martin of Naked Cow Dairy. In spite of the struggling dairy industry in Hawaii these ladies have still managed to produce the 100% local butter, cheese, and cream on tonight’s menu. —Alan Wong
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