Bring Home Some Hawaii

Here’s what is driving the Hawaiian food scene.

- Fabiana Santana

Contrary to popular belief, adding pineapple to a dish doesn’t make it Hawaiian. Fresh flavours, local traditions, and culinary innovation are the forces driving the blossoming Hawaiian food scene today. And some of the best of it can be found on Oahu, where the state’s most ambitious chefs set up shops to showcase what they can do. Local cuisine here is all about farm-to-table—or in Oahu’s case, line-to-table.

Tuna is the main fish of Hawaiian cuisine, and ahi the most popular. At Fish House, the seafood-focused beachfront restaurant at the Four Seasons O’ahu at Ko Olina, chefs work directly with island fishermen and farmers along the Waianae coast to source quality ingredients mere miles from the resort. Chef Ray German, a 15-year Four Seasons’ vet, serves up ahi poke bowls, elaborate seafood towers, buckets of iced fresh catch, Hawaiian-style lobster and clam-bakes, impressive whole fish, and steak specials. Wash it down with a local draft beer. On Sundays, a three-hourlong food extravaganza features inspired dishes like lilikoi pancakes and lobster chilaquiles. Moreover, the Fish House Bloody Mary is enhanced with spicy grilled shellfish and pickled vegetables.