Kapolei Uncorked

Hawaii Food & Wine in Paradise was last week, and I was lucky enough to attend Kapolei Uncorked at the last minute (I had to change plans for a birthday trip to a new Korean Spa with my friend Mary, but she came with me, so it all worked out). The dinner was about 8 courses from some of Hawaii's most innovative chefs, and the dish pictured above was my favorite. Kona lobster tail and squid ink pasta with locally grown long beans in a light cream sauce. Even the shiso on the plate didn't bother me, and I really don't like that stuff.

Shabu Shabu: Not Just a Fun Name For Food

Shabu shabu and nabe are two styles of Japanese cooking that don't get enough play as they should. Both are broth-based meals in a pot, full of meat and vegetables and eaten with rice and noodles. It's yummy and healthy and surprisingly light. Shabu shabu uses a mostly water base for cooking (with a little konbu thrown in for flavor), and includes vegetables and anything from seafood to Kobe beef to Berkshire pork. Nabe is a seasoned broth and comes with pork seafood, a chicken sausage/meatball (shown above in the bamboo contraption) along with vegetables. You cook everything yourself. My shabu shabu/nabe experience happened at Ichiriki on Piikoi, but I hear good things about Shabu Shabu House on Kapiolani from my friend Mary...but then I found out that a waitress there asked her if she was a model, so she may be biased.