The recipe for Hawaiian Regional Cuisine includes imaginative and enthusiastic chefs, the influences of Hawaii's diverse ethnic heritage, and the abundant sunshine, rich volcanic soil and magnanimous ocean that provide exotic fruits and vegetables and some of the most succulent seafood on the planet.
Combining the classical cuisines of Europe, the savvy style and sophistication of American Regional Cuisine and the exotic cuisines of the Pacific Rim, Hawaii's premier chefs have invented Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. The key is freshness, which can translate as homegrown, "caught this morning," or "produced in Hawaii."
Hawaii's culinary revolution started about a decade ago when 12 of Hawaii's most accomplished chefs created Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Inc. They encouraged the local farmers to grow specialty vegetables and raise lamb and beef. They explored ethnic markets and were first at the fish auctions in the morning. Hawaii's tropical fruits were already in a league of their own. And then the chefs discovered that some of America's finest chocolate is made from cocoa beans grown on the Big Island.
Many fine restaurants throughout the islands feature some form of Hawaiian or Pacific Regional cuisine. Watch for names like Alan Wong's, Sam Choy's, Roy's, Chef Chai and Chef Mavro.
