Cross-Cultural and Other Food Trends
What’s hot in San Francisco? I asked popular chefs who were serving up extraordinarily delectable small plates at the Hawai’i Chamber of Commerce of Northern California’s Five Star Aloha gala Thursday evening. The event honored chef Roy Yamaguchi, one of the founders of the Hawai’i Regional Cuisine movement.
Ty Mahler, executive chef of Roy’s San Francisco said that right now, he’s crazy about abalone from New Zealand, tasty morsels that are ready to cook, no tenderizing needed. As a seasoning, he’s enamored of purple Iranian peppercorns that have a chocolately, leathery taste. Ty’s abalone was incredibly tender and delicious. And he spooned me a sample of the pepper so I could taste in isolation — it was very fragrant, intriguing and complex.
Kelly Degala, executive chef/operating partner of Pres a Vi is seeing a heightened interest in more exotic flavors. He said kimchi, Korean fermented pickles, is really taking off, with chefs now making kimchi in-house, much as they took to making charcuterie and salumi. Kelly also loves spot prawns called amaebi. He turns them into salt and pepper prawns (deep fried and seasoned with sichuan pepper, sugar and sea salt).
Rodolfo Costellanos Reyes, chef de cuisine of La Mar said he’s doing traditional Peruvian, especially seviche. But Peruvian cuisine already is an amalgam of food influences from many countries, so Peruvian cusine crosses cultures naturally. Soy sauce and Japanese cooking techniques fit right in.
Scott Nishiyama, chef de cuisine of Yoshi’s, is making fabulous duck tataki. Duck breast is seared and cooked slowy in a Japanese broth of soy sauce, spices, sake, mirin and dashi. Here’s the twist: the duck is grilled in magnolia leaves to infuse herbal flavors.
Even the Hukilau, known for its Hawaiian plate lunch, has new loco moco combinations on the menu, according to manager Mike Mather. Loco moco, originally a concoction of hamburger patty, a fried egg and gravy over rice (an only-in-Hawai’i concoction invented in Hilo in 1949), now is available in cross-cultural iterations, such as south-of-the-border loco moco with salsa, chile and cheese.
You never know what you’ll learn at a benefit event when talented chefs participate. Especially when Hawai’i, America’s original culinary melting pot, is involved.
Or the friends you’ll run into. I met two former Hilo High School classmates who live on the Big Island. One owns the wildly successful Big Island Candies, producing macadamia nut cookies and confections, made right in Hilo, my home town.
All together, a lovely evening was had by all. A hui hou.
