Table Talk Hawaii

Da Falafel King -New Location

admin — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:24:54 +0000

Sometimes fabulous food is found in the most unlikely locations. A falafel cart in the entrance to the Waikiki Trade Center may not be the first place you’d think to go when headed to Waikiki but its home to freshly made kebabs, chicken and lamb sandwiches, hummus, salads and the single best serving of falafel in the city.Much like street carts found in New York, this falafel cart serves fresh, hot and cold entrees with home made flair. And while the initial aim of owner Yanir Josef was to appeal to the hungry tourist market, it turns out that locals love falafel too.“ We originally thought that we would just serve visitors to Hawaii,” says the softly spoken Israeli native who runs the business with his wife, Aviv, “but what’s amazing is that so much of our business is from local people.” Many work in the Waikiki area, others make a special trip – the trip seems understandable once you’ve tasted Josef’s fresh take on a simple concept.

Those familiar with falafel know that a perfect garbanzo ball should be soft and somewhat moist on the inside, golden and crisp on the outside.The problem with most is that they are cooked too long – resulting in a dry interior and burnt extrerior – or they fall apart when touched, denying the diner the unique pleasure of hot, crisp crust and warm flavorful interior.Josef’s falafel is perfect. Firm, moist and with a delicate blend of onion, cilantro and spices imported from Israel, the ball of beans is packed with flavor and can be eaten alone- with a variety of house made sauces, within a soft, pita sandwich or as an accompaniment to the small variety of dishes offered on the menu.The secret comes with a balance of soaking, cooking, blending and serving at the right time. “A falafel takes two days to make and has to be cooked at the time of eating,” says Yanir. “It’s most important that the ingredients are fresh and that the falafel is made to order.”Going for the first time then try the falafel, as well as shwarama – a lamb and beef sandwich wrapped in fresh, warm pita – kebabs, baba ganoush, tabouleh and hummus. Perhaps the most addicitive part of a trip to the cart comes in the form of crunchy pita chips. Sliced from the top of pita bread, the thin strips are tossed in Israeli seasoning, quickly deep fried and served on the side with an equally addictive home made dip.

“We didn’t want to throw away all of the top pieces of the pita bread,” says Yanir, “so we came up with the idea of the chips and seasoned them.”Falafel and fried pita chips? Definitely on my list for top ten dishes of the year. And for those unwilling to make the trip to Waikiki – especially during this historic APEC week – then there’s more good news. Look for a falafel food truck coming to a neighborhood near you.

“We’re so happy that local people like our food,” says Yanir, “we want to take it to as many people as we can.” Opening hours at The Waikiki Trade Center (main lobby) are 10 am – 4 am with a short day on Monday when the cart is only open until 2 am. Don’t expect anything fancy in terms of seating – it’s pretty much grab and go – but do expect something great to eat. And breaking news….there’s a falafel cart by Down To Earth that’s open daily from 11 am – 3pm.

Wines for the Holiday Table

admin — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 18:21:31 +0000

Beaujolais Nouveau is perhaps the easiest go-to bottle for the holidays, and certainly there are few wines better suited to the fruity, sweet, salty, flavors of a thanksgiving table. But when Master Sommelier Roberto Viernes, Director of Wine Education for Southern Wines and Spirits joined us for a pre-thanksgiving glass, he also recommended Conundrum Chardonnay . “It’s a fruity, fun combination of flavors that everyone can enjoy,” he said, of the unpretentious chard. And he recommended Garnet Pinot Noir – an inexpensive pinot that’s an all-round great value. You’ll find these wines, and a huge selection of other holiday picks at Tamura’s Fine Wine Stores and other great wine shops around the islands.

Duc’s Recipe for Success

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:41:05 +0000

Sometimes it can be refreshing to return to restaurants that have been around a decade or two. They are generally comfortable in their own skin, have lost most of the pretentiousness of youth and seem, to me, to have a strong sense of place.
Duc’s Bistro is one such place. With a beautifully balanced menu of Vietnamese and French food, Duc’s remains something of a secret after all these years.
Jo chatted with Duc 1 Nguyen about his restaurant philosophy, and what makes his customers keep on returning.

Win Signed Copy of ‘Plum Gorgeous’

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 01:09:51 +0000

Nani Steele, author of the gorgeous cookalogue “My Nepenthe’ joined us to chat about life at her family’s famous Big Sur restaurant, Nepenthe.
Her new book, Plum Gorgeous, has just been published and tells the meandering tale of a year spent living in an orchard. Complete with stunning photos and sultry recipes for summer and beyond, Plum Gorgeous is a must for any foodie who loves to cook, read and appreciate art.
You can win a copy of Nani’s book by tuning in to Table Talk in August or sending us an email here .
Listen to Nani chat with Jo here.
More details on the author here

Hawaiian Vodka

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:00:48 +0000

Dave Flintstone , owner of Hawaiian Vodka is joining on the show Saturday to talk about his entirely made-in-Hawaii vodka. Dave uses sugar cane and distills in small copper stills using pure, filtered Hawaii water.

Join us to hear more – and then find the interview here.

You can find out details of HAwaiian Vodka – and their new Coconut vodka if you go to www.hawaiianvodka.com/

Breakfast at The Pier

admin — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:26:03 +0000

We’ve been waiting for the new Hawaii food movement. Hungry for the next thing to take us through the inevitable turn towards sustainability, ainaibility, taking care of our own food and the land….and it’s arrived, aptly dressed in the humble trappings of a decades old and almost neglected general store and deli.
Hard to believe? Give it a year and you’ll see He’eia Pier become a hot spot for local foodies, Kaneohe long timers – and a favorite of food and magazine writers as they visit Hawaii.
Here’s Gooch talking about the journey, and a few images of a morning at the pier.

Secrets of a Restaurant Chef on Table Talk

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 17:25:17 +0000

When Anne Burrell came to Honolulu, she cooked at Ko’Olina and then took some time to share secrets of her top Food Network shows with Table Talk listeners.
When we asked about how bad some of the contestants on America’s Worst Cook really are, she laughed and told Jo that they are as bad as you see on TV – and in some cases, worse.
Listen to ANNE BURRELL chatting here. And check out her upcoming shows here.

Kai Vodka Finds Asian Inspiriation

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 02:25:36 +0000

Kai Vodka, best known for its slightly sweet, mellow, fragrant lychee vodka is about to debut a tropically inspired vodka, and a brand new shochu.
Kai Shochu CEO of Kai chats with Jo about the Kai journey. You can read more about the new flavors at www.kaivodka.com

Lobster Dog Days at Hanks

admin — Sat, 14 May 2011 02:16:59 +0000

Any excuse is a good one to head over to Hanks Haute Dogs on Coral Street, but if it’s Friday it means only one thing – long lines and lots of hungry gourmands headed for a lobster dog. Packed into a home made sausage then deep fried and topped with the kind of relish only Hank can create, the dog is a thing of beauty – and just a little decadence. Here’s HAnk chatting with Jo about his best selling dogs. And here’s where you can check out what’s on the menu the rest of the week. www.hankshautedogs.com

Say Cheese! Brasserie Du Vin Shares Some Sweet Secrets.

admin — Fri, 06 May 2011 01:21:11 +0000

When Brasserie Du Vin’s pastry chef, Beth Iwata joined us on the show to talk sweet treats, the phones rang off the hook at the first mention of cheesecake.
And though we’d planned to talk to Beth about all aspects of her training and her areas of particular ease, callers piled on the questions.
What kind of crust is best ? Which fruits to use? Should we swirl blended fruits or add them to the top? What makes it so creamy….you get the picture.
So Beth shared with us her Cheesecake recipe and agreed to come back soon to talk some more about the art of making perfect pastries.
Here’s the recipe, along with photos of the actual version we had in studio.
You can taste Beth’s incredible desserts daily at Du Vin – and on special occasions. Sign up for Du Vin’s newsletter to find out when.
Oh, and to the caller who asked about a cheesecake made with Kai Lychee Vodka? We’re on it!
Happy eating.

Brasserie Du Vin
Pastry Chef Beth Iwata

Strawberry-Passion Fruit Cheesecake
Makes one 9-inch cheesecake, serves 10

Cheesecake Batter
1 ½ lbs. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 lb. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 ½ Tbsp. cornstarch
5 eggs, at room temperature
¼ cup passion fruit puree (or the juice from three passion fruits, if available)

Strawberry Filling and Topping
8 strawberries, sliced into sixths
½ cup sugar, water

Almond Graham Cracker Crust
¼ cup shelled, unsalted pistachios
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. coarse salt
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (finely ground in a food processor)
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil for a water bath. Cover the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch collapsible cake pan tightly with foil to ensure that water will not seep into the pan. Butter or spray the bottom and sides of the pan; set aside.
2. To make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the almonds with the sugar and salt until coarsely ground. Transfer to a large bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs and butter, and mix to combine. Press the graham cracker mixture over the bottom of the buttered pan. Set aside.
3. To make the strawberry filling and topping: On medium-high heat, simmer the strawberries with the sugar and about two tablespoons of water until strawberries are soft. Set aside to cool.
4. To make the cheesecake batter: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, sugar and salt together at medium-low speed. Add the cornstarch; continue to beat at low speed, while scraping the bowl, until completely smooth. Do not exceed 5 minutes or mascarpone may start to break.
5. At low speed, add in the eggs one at a time, until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Transfer the batter to two bowls, dividing it into two equal parts.
6. Add the passion fruit puree to one portion of batter, blending well. Pour it into the prepared pan.
7. Pour half of the cooked strawberries into the second bowl of batter. Slowly stir it in, leaving it “swirled” in appearance. Pour it on top of the passion fruit layer.
8. Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour in the hot water to come about ½ inch up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, until the filling is set, but still jiggles slightly in the center. Remove from the water bath, remove the foil and let cool to room temperature. Chill for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, in the cake pan.
9. To serve, heat the sides of the pan with a gas torch to loosen the cheesecake (or run an offset spatula around the sides). Remove the pan collar. Loosen the crust with a flat metal spatula and transfer the cheesecake to a 9-inch cake circle or large plate. Cut into ten slices. Garnish each slice with the remaining strawberries.