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April 23, 2008
Wednesday
featuring the
farmers of the
Leeward side
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•Prix Fixe: $75
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•with Wine Pairings: $105
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THE FARMERS
•Ma’o Organic Farm
Gary and Kuku'i
Maunakea-Forth
[website]
•North Shore
Cattle Company
Calvin “Doc” Lum
[website]
•Nozawa Farms
Clare Nozawa
{more]
•Twin Bridge Farms
Milton Agader
[more]
•Dole Food
Company Hawaii
Mike Conway
[more]
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For reservations, call
(808) 949-2526
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Upcoming
Dinners
•May 21
•July 23
•September 23
•November 12
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This is a dinner held every two months 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 slice of Hawaii. While that has many meanings, one slice is to serve locally grown produce and products. Another goal is that you take a short tour of Hawaii when you read the menu. 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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MA'O Organic Farms
Most of what we eat, whether organic or non-organic, travels thousands of miles to get to our plate. At the feet of our kupuna (elders), we remember the lo'i kalo (taro patches) and the backyard gardens that fed us. These gardens were organic and the fundamental value was — and is today — aloha 'aina. We were nourished from these gardens, they sustained our communities, and are at the 'root' of our understanding of organic.
Shown the unique richness of the Lualualei vertisol soils of Wai'anae, research revealed a massive void in local organic production and a growing desire for local consumers and restaurants to use locally-grown organic foods.
These days, 'fresh' seems to mean fresh off the plane from California; and 'local' cannot guarantee that a Hawai'i farmer is using sustainable farm methods. When we say fresh, local and organic we meant it. We were certified organic by the Hawai'i Organic Farmer's Association in 2003. We hand-pick our vegetables first thing in the morning, and whether you buy our products at local natural foods stores or farmer's markets, or experience them dining out, our produce will have been harvested within 48-hours.
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