Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/215016
CUISINE SCENE Island Flavor's saimin, a broth-based dish unique to Hawaiian cuisine. Ninth Island DON'T BE SURPRISED BY VEGAS'S MANY HAWAIIAN OPTIONS: THE CITY IS AN HONORARY EXTENSION OF THE 50TH STATE. BY CATHAY CHE 88 PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEVERLY POPPE L as Vegas—the "ninth Hawaiian island," visited annually by as many as a quarter-million people from Hawaii each year and at one time home to 80,000 former residents of the state—is ground zero for the burgeoning phenomenon of Hawaiian-style dining. Dozens of Hawaiian restaurants are bringing the bold hybrid dishes of Hawaiian Pacific cuisine, as well as a taste of island hospitality, to the desert. I'm a native of Hawaii myself, and our family's tradition of the Vegas vacation began with my Japanese grandmother, who loved to play the slots. The last trip of her life, in a wheelchair, was to the California Hotel & Casino—her favorite because it served familiar comfort foods like eggs, rice, and Portuguese sausage that could be doused with the ever-present bottle of Kikkoman. Aloha Specialties (12 E. Ogden Ave., 702-385-1222; thecal.com) continues to deliver on the hotel's old "Aloha spoken here" slogan with salty, savory dishes you would find locals eating in Hawaii, like chicken adobo or kalua pig and cabbage. Oahu-based chef Chai Chaowasaree, of Chef Chai at Pacifica Honolulu, says that when he visits Las Vegas, he enjoys fare like chicken katsu loco moco and lau lau (steamed taro leaves wrapped around chunks of fish and pork) at Island Flavor (8090 S. Durango Dr., Ste. 103, 702-876-2024; island flavor808.com). Another go-to for Chai, who is also the executive chef for Hawaiian Airlines: the oxtail soup at Kauai Cafe (10140 W. Tropicana Ave., Ste. 122; 702-754-3559). Roy Yamaguchi, the longtime ambassador of Hawaiian-style eating, offers a foodie-friendly version of local cuisine, including misoyaki cod and his own signature blackened ahi, at Roy's (620 E. Flamingo Road, 702-691-2053; roysrestaurant.com). His other favorite spots for a taste of home are Bachi Burger (two locations; bachiburger.com), owned by Lorin Watada, and Island Sushi & Grill (9400 S. Eastern Ave., 702-221-1600; islandsushiandgrill.com), where he can "talk story" with former Roy's Las Vegas chef Brandon Konishi. Also highly rated—the Hawaiian answer to Chipotle—is Braddah's Island Style (2330 S. Rainbow Blvd., 702-222-0767; braddahstacos.com), which churns out burritos, tacos, and bowls with fillings such as pulehu steak and huli huli chicken. If you like sushi, note that Hawaiians express their devotion to raw fish through the staple known as poke—marinated raw tuna and other seafood, served over rice, over salad greens, or by itself —available at Hawaiian Style Poke (3524 Wynn Road, 702-202-0729). And no Hawaiian would skimp on dessert. Sno Shack Hawaiian Shave Ice (1717 S. Decatur Blvd., 702-321-6466; snoshackshaveice.com) serves up finely shaved snow cones—with delicate fruit syrups, condensed cream, or ice cream—that are as refreshing in the desert as they are on the beach. V VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 088_V_ST_NinthIsland_Dec13.indd 88 11/20/13 5:52 PM