10.13.26 | Back By Popular Demand

It's that time again. Tiki Week is back by popular demand. Not only do we get to have fun with our flavors, but we get to do it for a good cause. Proceeds go towards the RARA Pet Pantry to help feed our furry little friends. Jellybean is sitting right next to me as I write this, watching out the window ready to bark at any squirrel chipmunk or mailman that dares cross her path. 

So I thought I would write up some quick descriptions of the dishes we plan on serving for our Halloween Tiki Week. 

Spam Masubi is a classic Hawaiian dish, the epitome of tiki. Spam was brought to Hawaii by U.S. troops. (The canned and salted pork product that fuelled the war effort to defeat the Nazis.) Served over rice, wrapped in nori and glazed in a sweet sticky glaze, it’s highly influenced by Japanese cuisine. With multiple influences from all over, somehow it is uniquely Hawaiian.

Filipino Style Adobo Short Ribs are classic rib-sticking comfort food. Just put the beef in a pot with soy sauce, looootttsss of vinegar, bay leaves and onions and simmer until it falls apart. Don't let the name fool you, this dish is all Filipino, but when Ferdinand Magellan showed up, he changed the name to "Adobo" and it just sorta stuck, what a dick. Growing up I ate a lot of food influenced from all over. In the mornings my mother and sister would make fried bananas in lumpia wrappers. We ate Indian curries, Thai curries and also the classic American dinner: taco night. 

I remember my first time tasting adobo. I was working in a Filipino friend of mine's sandwich shop. One day he said "try this" as he dropped a piece of pork belly into the deep fryer until it was crunchy, then dropped it from on high on to the griddle where it turned into a juicy, crispy pork belly explosion, and from there covered it in a thickened adobo braising liquid and pressed it with a weight until the liquid glazed all around the charred crispy pork. From there it got scooped onto some ciabatta, a little more glaze and some quick pickled shallots. Mmmh! Thanks Andrew!

I should move on. The last item on our benefit Tiki Week menu is more Halloween than tiki, but it's the spooky season so we're going to have some fun with it: Candy Corn Cheesecake. Well really it's a candy corn-inspired cheesecake mousse. Well really it's just inspired by the colors of the candy corn and the seasonal flavors of autumn with just a touch of tiki whimsy. Three layers, brown butter, cinnamon and coconut all placed on a graham cracker tuile with a light mirror glaze. None of the waxy overly sweet artificial wackadoo flavors of a candy corn, but a light delicate mousse made with whipped cream, cream cheese and lots and lots of brown butter.

Put on your best aloha shirt and grass skirt. You're not the only hungry animals around here, so feed yourself while feeding some local pets as well.

—Chef Matt