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North Shore: Teaching Food as Medicine

By on February 18, 2019 in Culinary Tour, From Seed, Kauai Lifestyles, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Launches, Travel Tips, Uncategorized

North Shore Kauai: Food As Medicine Tour

 

Traditional Diet

Traditional Hawaiian diets are considered to be some of the healthiest in the world. Living on a protein, vitamin and mineral rich diet that consisted mainly of poi (pounded taro root), fresh fish along with fruits and vegetables such as banana, coconut, breadfruit and sweet potato made for a clean and nourishing foundation. Even Hawaiian sea salt that was harvested in large amounts held minerals and rich health benefits. We aim to teach you about a variety of the beautiful canoe crops that the Polynesians brought to the Hawaiian islands over 1,000 years ago and how they are still being used today. 

Modern Food Practices

Fast forward to modern day Hawaii – you do not see this traditional health based diet by any means. Yes, you can still find fresh poi and poke with a variety of local fish, but much of the vegetable and fruit base has changed to fried food, rice and less healthy starches than taro or breadfruit. Of course, with modern influences come imports of all kinds of foods. We do have a beautiful and intricate cuisine here that has been influenced through the Plantation Era by Chinese, Japanese, Okinawan and Filipino food culture. Through all of these cultural influences, we want to share with you the foods with the best health benefits for your body, mind and spirit.

Balance the Ancient with the Modern

Here at Tasting Kauai we want to honor the healthy traditional foods and practices, while also sharing with you the modern health foods and techniques that locals are using to make new traditions here on our beautiful island. Come with us to a medicinal herb farm, visit a local juice company to try fresh fruits in a new way and to learn about and try for yourself some of the traditional Polynesian foods still being utilized in modern Hawaii. Let us share the education and fresh flavors of Kauai with you on our Food as Medicine Tour! And don’t worry, we still sneak in a few decadent tastings for all of your hard work learning.  We can promise that you will not leave hungry 🙂 Life is after all, about balance. 

Tropical Dreaming on Kauai

By on February 7, 2019 in Culture, Kauai Life, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Travel Tips

Author: Tour Guide Sabrina Petrov

Tropical Dreams on Kauai

Welcome to Tropical Dreams, an establishment with a name that lives up to the experience! As soon as you enter you’re greeted by friendly faces and an expansive, colorful array of ice cream flavors. Good vibes only in here, and of course everyone gets extra feels when ice cream is involved. Located in the heart of Kapaa, next to Safeway, Tropical Dreams is known for its high quality and expansive array of unique ice cream flavors. This hidden gem of a shop has been in operation close to 8 years. Currently run by Erik, it is a family owned and operated local style spot with its own flavor and style.

Locally Sourced

Every week Erik picks up the freshly made to order ice cream from The Big Island for Tropical Dreams. The ice creams and sorbets are made with Hawaiian fruit and cane sugar, keeping the ingredients as island focused as possible! This super premium ice cream shop is the only one in state that boasts the Hawaii Agriculture Seal of Quality. In addition to decadent ice cream, Erik also prides himself in offering sorbets and other dairy-free, vegan options. You can also find locally made Ono pops here, our favorite farm to stick pops, so good!

The goods

Customers are allowed to taste test before they choose, so I of course took full advantage. I sampled the oreo cheesecake + graham crackers, the lilikoi cheesecake, and the chocolate peanut butter brownie. Lilikoi, often considered the sweetheart of fruits in Hawaii, won out. Lilikoi or passion fruit has a delicious tart and slightly acidic finish that makes it the perfect complement to any sweets, baked goods or cocktails.  This is a perfect stop for those of you with a discerning sweet tooth. Finish off your next nice, sunny beach day on the East Side here, you won’t regret it!
Let us know if you enjoy this spot as much as us! You can check out more about Tropical Dreams on their website: https://tropicaldreamsicecream.com/about-us/our-company

Hualani’s at Timbers Kauai – A Multi Sensory Experience

By on November 4, 2018 in Culture, From Seed, Kauai Life, Kauai Lifestyles, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Launches, Menus, Travel Tips

The Spot

We here at Tasting Kauai are always delighted when a new spot opens up for us to explore and taste test. This is especially true when it is a breathtaking oceanfront dining location with fabulous food. I have been hearing from friends all over the island for weeks, that we must go and try out Kauai’s newest spot. Eventually, we made it and we were not disappointed!

The Cuisine

My husband and I recently had the chance to visit Hualani’s on a Sunday evening. We arrived in time to catch sunset and enjoy the beautiful view. Ha’upu Mountain Range & Kauai’s southeast coast with historic Ninini Lighthouse (built 1906!) bookend your splendid view. Even as island locals, we were feeling 100% on vacation here.

Executive Chef Jafet Tellez has a different take on how to use local ingredients.  Before coming to the island of Kauai to head up the team at Hualani’s, he was working in Dubai and calls Mexico City home. You see these touches pop up in their hyper local, farm driven menu. This makes for some exciting and exotic flavor profiles you won’t find at just any Kauai joint. Menu items are still focused on embodying Hawaii regional cuisine, just with a little added flair!

Sunday nights they are offering a fun special for visitors and locals alike – Pineapple Marinated Fried Chicken with Chili-koi (yes that’s spicy AND lilikoi) sauce and jalapeno, bacon and cheddar waffles for just $7. For a price that wouldn’t even buy you a beer in a lot of Hawaii locales you get a full plate of food to grind on. Go with a friend or spouse and you can have one chicken plate and one beautiful seafood or local meat entrée to share and have the perfect, affordable oceanfront meal! We had the delicate Hamachi sashimi and a local shrimp salad with watermelon, napa cabbage and house ‘fire and ice’ dressing to start. For entrees we tried the Sunday Special (of course!) as well as the Catch of the Day with avocado poblano puree and yucca frites. Yum!

Farm Fresh

Hokuala has a farm on site that is still a young project, but will most certainly continue to crank out more food in the coming months and years. Farmer Cody who runs the food growth magic going on over there is working alongside the protected bird species there, working with the land and the animals who call the natural habitat home. Permaculture style growing is utilized and every week brings new crops and exciting projects. As we focus on island food production and sustainability through Tasting Kauai we are very stoked this is all going on here. Be sure not to miss out on their Thursday Farm Dinner menu – $40 for multiple courses of fresh, local garden to table food either from their farm, or nearby farms on the island!

All of the staff here takes such great care of you, with the true spirit of effortless Aloha. Delicious farm fresh food, beautiful Pacific Ocean and historic lighthouse views and wildlife conservation area are just a few of the reasons you should not miss out on Kauai’s newest, relaxed fine dining locale. Next time you are passing through Lihue, make a pit stop to see the crew at Hualani’s, you will not regret it!

Check out their website for monthly specials and book your reservation here

Thank you to the Timbers team for a couple of high res photos above, as mine did not do your space full justice!

Will Drive for Pastry – Midnight Bear Breads Perfects Artisan Baking

By on October 26, 2018 in Culinary Tour, Kauai Life, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Travel Tips

Hanapepe Town

Walking down the quiet, dusty main street of Hanapepe town can take you back in time. You could just as easily be sauntering through 1926 as 2018, simply ignore the few modern cars that dot the lane. Visitors and island locals alike often fall in love with the town for the feelings of Old Hawaii that it evokes. The Western Plantation style architecture remains the same as it was 100 years ago, and things move slow. Halfway through the town, you may have the urge to start following your nose. There seem to be cartoon-worthy smells wafting through the screen doors of a small, artisan bakeshop. You have arrived at Midnight Bear.

Pastry Heaven

Midnight Bear Breads

Owners Evan & Ursa have been operating since 2012 and are committed to bringing you the best local product that they can. Everything in the shop is done from scratch, no shortcuts. Midnight Bear brings a touch of modernity to Hanapepe while still maintaining connections with the lush valley surrounding the town. Farms in the valley grow anything from taro and sweet potato to apple bananas and cacao. We were lucky enough to visit Evan in preparation for the Coffee & Chocolate Festival that happens every Fall, and he shared with us the cacao he was utilizing. The cacao came from his local farmer, and he was doing all of the work to break it down, ferment it, roast and stone grind it there in the shop. Getting to try fresh harvested, roasted cacao nibs is an experience everyone should strive to have at least once in their life.

In the shop you will find their famous artisan breads, real deal layered croissants and delectable surprises each week. Using the croissant dough they create danishes filled with things like West side mango, homemade papaya jam from the back garden and vibrant dragon fruit. Only Hawaiian coffee is served in house, if you get there early enough in the morning you will be rewarded with a cup of their slow brew low acidity coffee, fresh warm bread and pastries.

Our Tasting Kauai team is very excited to have Midnight Bear as one of our tasting stops for our Hanapepe tour, book your tour to get to try some of the mouthwatering items described above here: Hanapepe Tour . Whether you can join us on our tour or not this trip, be sure not to miss out on your way out to the West side of the island. Visit Midnight Bear’s website for shop hours and to learn more about what they do here: Midnight Bear Breads

 

Hanapepe Walking Tour Launching In October!

By on September 21, 2018 in Culinary Tour, Culture, Kauai Life, Kauai Restaurant Guide, Launches, Pau Hana Friday, Travel Tips

The Tour

We here at Tasting Kauai are excited to share with you that our newest tour of Hanapepe town will be launching officially Friday, October 19th.  Come join us for an afternoon strolling the quiet streets of historic Hanapepe to learn about the town’s past, present and future through its food. We have curated tastings with the town’s best chefs who will help us paint the picture of Hanapepe’s plantation era roots, including traditional Hawaiian foods, Japanese cuisine, locally sourced organic baked goods, Portuguese style street food and culturally steeped Hawaiian sea salt focused demos.

The History

Hanapepe has a rich cultural past when it comes to food. Long before Captain Cook made landfall in Waimea, Hawaiians were farming this fertile valley. Kalo (taro), sweet potato, sugar cane, and bananas were all staples in this area. This was also one of the main areas for sea salt production, which later became Hawaiian’s first source of trade with seafaring voyagers. During the tour, you will learn about not only the traditional roots of the area but also the history of the Plantation Era beginning in the 1830s that brought contract laborers from Japan, Portugal, China, and the Philippines. The 20th century brought a U.S. Naval port up the road, changing the fervor and volume of business in the self-made town.

The Food

With all of these cultures (Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese) the flavors and landscape of food changed. We will get to try many of these styles of food, and learn about their roots. The tour will include generous tastings, as well as chef demos and recipes and treats to take home with you.

Hanapepe Town

Once the tour is over – don’t despair! Hanapepe Town has a weekly Friday Art Night starting at 5 p.m. so once all the delectable tastings have wrapped up you can walk the streets and experience more of the culture of Kauai’s Biggest Little Town. With over 16 art galleries open to the public, you will get the chance to meet Kauai artists and enjoy local music on the street. So come join us on the West Side for a full afternoon of all the cultural richness that Kauai has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you here in Hanapepe!

 

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