Back to cooking homemade meals

   Been a busy two months--work has picked up and really has been difficult to find the time to blog.  I decided to use the foamer and made my take on the classic caprese salad. This time I took goat cheese and infused it with thyme and made a foam. I served it on homemade baguette with garden fresh tomatoes, and basil. It was good, however, the foam was too light in flavor.

  The main course was sous vide medium rare sirloin over roast potatoes with a salsa verde and a side of haricot vert. The meat was splendid. The meat was evenly cooked, and the salsa verde was tangy and enhanced the meat. The haicot vert was balanced and finished in butter and walnuts.

Lunch at the Alan Wong's Pineapple Room

     My family and I were walking through Ala Moana Shopping center--I tell you it has my high-end shops than Rodeo Drive. We wanted to have lunch and decided to go to Alan Wong's Pineapple Room in Macys. For those who don't know, Alan Wong is one of the founders of the Hawaiian Regional Cuisine Movement which is a culinary  movement that inventively blends Hawaii’s diverse, ethnic flavors with the cuisine of the world.  Lately, we have been doing mainly French/Spanish cuisine--so this was a good choice. 


     They were also were having a fund raiser for the Japanese Tsunami if you ordered the locally grown tasting menu.   Menu is shown:




The first course was a locally grown tomato and beet salad with locally made goat cheese. I love this type of salad--the creaminess of the goat cheese blends well with the acidity of the tomatoes, and vinaigrette. 

     The next course was crab-stuffed monchong. Monchong is a white flaky fish that has ugly look.The fish taste great, though. The sauce was outstanding. I love the flavors of South East Asia. The Laksa sauce was tangy with that great south east Asia flavor. It was spicy and good.

     The next course was a Lobster Congee--who doesn't like lobster, but as a whole the dish was ok. 

     The next course was Maui Beef striploin with Hamakua Mushrooms. A classic combination. Mushrooms on anything is great. Loved the pairing with Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir--fruity contrast with earthly mushrooms.

Lastly, was the dessert. A Wailua (Oahu North Shore) chocolate tart. It was crunchy and not overly sweet. I dislike desserts that are too sweet.

     All in all a great meal that reminds me of the wonderful mix of flavors in Hawaii. The availability of locally sourced food has increased so much over the last 10 years. If you are in Ala Mona shopping center and like a good meal with local flavors, head to the Pineapple Room.