What "ohana" really means: Uncle Clay's, Kona Brewery & Sansei

   

The Chew		The View
Uncle Clay's lychee Icee		Koko Marina

Yes, this entry is all in hindsight, as I look out the window and see a chilly, barren, 50-degree L.A. landscape. But writing this is cathartic in a way, letting me get the last bits of warm, aloha sentiment out of my system...ok I don't think I could ever get Hawaii out of my system.

But it does get me warm and fuzzy just thinking about the Pure Aloha at Uncle Clay's Doe Fang in the Aina Haina Shopping Center on the east oahu. My aloha buddy Bronson brought me out here to introduce me to his very own Uncle Clay!

Feeling the aloha with his personal greetings and introduction to his ohana or family--the other lucky guests in his shop. I was presented with walls of mui and other preserved plum Asian treats. Right behind the counter, however, are the infamous Icee machines where Uncle Clay creates his greatest concoctions.

After seriously considering the Azuki Banzai, and then realizing I had had 3 shave ice in the past week, I decided to go with the favorite: Hawaiian Superman.

AND it comes with an island blessing from Uncle Clay's heart to yours. Good choice.

You get a choice of base flavors (Blue Vanilla, Melon, Strawberry, Pepsi) and then the creative mixture of Li Hing seed+powder is layered with the "creamy sauce" that's akin to a condensed milk. Purely fresh and refreshing. Pure aloha.

Mind you, I came here twice in my 9 day trip, sampling the KooKoo For Coconuts and Lychee-licious. The Coconuts was accented with real dried coconut, making it a really fun drink to get to the bottom of.

This second visit followed our ritualistic meal at Kona Brewery in the Kokohead Marina on the eastside. This island chain is known for their unique beer concotions, some flavored with hints of passionfruit and chocolate! But I stuck with their Hawaiian inspired menu, which has consistently presented me with winners.

I had the Tofu Stack, a sandwich that was stacked with sesame-encrusted tofu, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and a creamy hummus base. The awesome side was of a Papaya Slaw that my mom and I both had the pleasure of savoring. Instead of the creamy American cole slaws that I tend to despise, this reinvention had a citrus base with the light, flavorful slices of green papaya. A good side in between bites of that mega-amazing sandwich.

And the view was nothing to balk at.

We then drove up the eastside towards Sandy Beach, Obama's favorite beach (though I hear that the Secret Service hates when he goes there. They have to go all Navy and patrol on jetskis when he's out in the ocean).

Just south of Sandy is this protected cove, where adventurous-but-not-too-adventurous tourists can get a taste of cliff-diving...from a 3-foot face. Adrenaline is adrenaline, I guess.

Fast-forward to our final dinner. The Last Supper should always be a memorable one. If not for the food, then for the company. Luckily, I got both.

Sansei is a fabfabfab Japanese fusion restaurant, with its homebase in Maui and an outcropping in Waikiki. Actually RIGHT NEXT DOOR to our hotel, which we didn't find out until the end.

AND if you go before 6pm on Tues-Sat, you get 25% off (Sun-Mon is 50% off!).

We started with a calamari salad, which was served in a wonton bowl on a bed of greens. The toasted sesame seeds garnished a well-seasoned gaggle of calamari. The mango and crab roll was a perfectly light way to get you in the mood for sushi. I feared the overpowering tang of sweet mango, but the blend was a perfect match. The crab (the only type of seafood I actually enjoy) was creamy and, dare I say, refreshing. And the chili-lime vinaigrette was a good way to provide moisture without too much sauce.

The Kapalua "butterfry" roll is another Sansei favorite, with smoked salmon and blue crab. The battered, crunchy exterior complemented the soft interior nicely. The salmon, however, was rather pronounced.

See that guy on the table chilling with the butterfry? That's D.K. Kodoma, the third-generation Japanese (hence the name "sansei") who is the mastermind behind this culinary institution. Worship is in order.

Overall, a trip to Oahu is a trip fit for a foodie. The heritage of the food is just as rich and complex as that of the islanders--with waves of Asian immigrants coming to Hawaii to work on sugar and pineapple plantations, enriching island communities. These Asian influences are represented in the varied Japanese, Chinese, Philipino, and Thai populations, who brought their best cuisine with them.

The immigrants who came to Hawaii were given new opportunities and new lives by the island itself. Hawaii bestowed them with her own aloha. So it is in that spirit of ancestral giving that the locals of Hawaii bestow their island and their cuisine on travelers like myself, all in the hopes of furthering a community that they love so.

In that sense, it's fitting to have ended my trip with a surf session with my friend Bronson, a visit to Uncle Clay's, and drinks at the Moana Surfrider with fellow traveler Danny and family. So much aloha, I'm full :)

As we welcome a new decade, I can only hope that you live your life in this tradition of fostering love and being open to new relationships. I wish pure aloha to you all in the coming year.

Cheers,

The Chew