Chili Pepper Shrimp Scampi ($31 large/$25 small) with Kaua’i Shrimp and Kauai Kunana Dairy goat cheese polenta. Daniel Lane photo.
Last December, when I had the pleasure of covering Merriman’s Fish House for MidWeek Kauai, I learned how dedicated Peter Merriman is to fresh, local food. I was so impressed, I called the article, “Where Farmers Are Rock Stars.” Peter is a mighty force that encourages the livelihood of his sources, nurturing their success and the local economy.
My education was further enhanced when Dan and I videotaped the restaurant’s executive chef Mark Arriola for the Kauai County Farm Bureau’s Kauai Grown campaign. The website is up now, and next Monday’s post will showcase Kauai Grown. If you’d like to learn more about Merriman’s, and watch Mark prepare a signature salad that’s on the menu, click here to watch the video.
Hibiscus and Palm trees at Kukuiula Shopping Village in Poipu. Daniel Lane photo.
Merriman’s Fish House is in Poipu’s upscale Kukuiula Shopping Village. I love to walk the lush outdoor mall, where towering palm trees sway one hundred feet into the air, and hibiscus flowers are as big as a salad plate.
In the early 1980s, Peter Merriman began working directly with farmers, ranchers and fishermen to present fresh, locally sourced meals to diners. In 1991, he was one of 12 premiere chefs to pioneer Hawaii Regional Cuisine. This style combines European techniques with Asian flavors while using hyper-local produce, fish and meat.
Lunch is served in the downstairs café, and the menu features small plates like Kalua pork quesadillas. Main dishes include fish and chips, Aakukui Ranch beef burgers, fish tacos and Caesar salad with grilled chicken or fish and flatbread. There’s also organic wheat crust pizza, pasta and cocktails. Yesterday, I tried a zesty Dark and Stormy made with dark Koloa Rum and house-made ginger beer.
Executive chef Mark Arriola of Merriman's Fish House Kauai. Daniel Lane photo.
Upstairs, shiny hardwood floors and high-ceilings with lazy fans project elegant Island-style living. Open windows offer long views of the South shore, and framed black and white prints of Kauai`s farmers line the wall. This is where executive chef Arriola and his team serve fabulous dinners.
Chef Mark breaks down whole Kona Kampachi. Daniel Lane photo.
We are here for an upcoming article in MidWeek Kauai, and we get to hang out with Mark in his kitchen. Fresh fish is delivered daily, and as it happens, some is being delivered right now; fish that was swimming in Kona waters last night. Mark grabs a whole one, weighing about 15 pounds, from a well-chilled box and begins to break it down.
The fish he is working with is native to Hawaii, and is known as Hawaiian yellowtail or Almaco jack. They are a premium farmed fish raised under the brand name Kona Kampachi. It’s buttery smooth, mild tasting and so luscious, most chefs prepare it raw. With 30 percent fat, the Omega-3 content is right up there with some of the best wild salmon.
Harvested from the wild, the odds of Hawaiian yellowtail having a poisonous reef toxin or worms, is high. A sustainable minded company called Kona Blue eliminates this problem by growing the fish in large cages, submerged in 200 feet of ocean. The fish are not given antibiotics or medications, and are fed fishmeal and oil from sustainable wild fisheries, and organic wheat.
Mark deftly cuts the head off, and runs his knife along the fish’s belly. The guts go in the trash. The knife glides thorough the glistening flesh as he carefully trims it into a neat filet about 15 inches long and 2 inches wide. With a steely focus and steady hand, he cuts the filet it into eighth-inch slices.
As we watch Mark prepare the fish, Duane Shimogawa of Aakukui Ranch delivers fresh beef from his 1800-acre ranch just eight miles away. Sous chefs quickly relieve him, and hustle the meat into the back of the kitchen.
Kona Kampachi sashimi at Merriman's Kauai. Daniel Lane photo.
On a rectangular white dish, Mark lays the slices out and drizzles a spoonful of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lime juice over the fish. Toasted and crumbled coriander seeds, fennel fronds, fresh ground black pepper and sea salt is sprinkled over the top.
Viola! The Kona Kampachi sashimi is complete. The raw fish tastes clean. It’s mouthfeel is rich and comforting, like you’re eating something indulgent but you’re consoled by the fact that it’s really good for you.
Being in the kitchen with Mark, I witness the integrity of Merriman’s Fish House. I watch, fascinated, as he takes high-quality ingredients, and expertly crafts them into mouth-watering dishes. I feel good too, because I know these locally sourced ingredients sustain families who work hard at providing a superior, and supremely fresh product.
That fish looks absolutely beautiful! As Thomas Keller says, “It’s all about finesse.”
I hope your Dark & Stormy celebrated a bright and sunshiney day on Kauai… 😉
It was the most sublime fish dish I’ve ever had! I didn’t get more than a sip of the Dark and Stormy because I was working. I didn’t actually order it, Jeanne from Koloa Rum did, so we could all try it. It was yummy, and yes, it was sunny.