Hawaii 5 Oh, Yeah: A Tasty, Trip-Topping Tour

An sample of "appetizing" Honolulu.

When I go on a vacation, I plan my trip around golf and a lot of great food. Is there anything better than that? Well, perhaps so, but the romantic stuff is reserved for my wife and me.

Enter Matthew Gray, former professional chef and restaurant reviewer for The Honolulu Advertiser. About two years ago, Gray started Hawaii Food Tours (HawaiiFoodTours.com) — three different “guided restaurant tours” in and around Honolulu.

In his native Los Angeles, Gray was private chef for Heather Locklear, Tommy Lee, Dan Aykroyd and Don Simpson (producer of Flashdance, Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop) and worked with The Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Linda Ronstadt and Pink Floyd. Gray and his girlfriend Keira host all the tours personally.

For the Hole-in-the-Wall Tour, we were picked up and taken all over Honolulu, away from the touristy areas, to five different local and exotic hideaways. First stop was a little place called Sugoi (Japanese for “awesome” or “excellent”) for their signature dish of garlic chicken with teriyaki beef, macaroni-potato salad (that’s only done in Hawaii), and two scoops of rice. Our group of eight then went to get a Hawaii-famous pastry called the Coco Puff, an éclair shell filled with a rich, deliciously creamy and sexy chocolate filling, topped with a Chantilly frosting.

Next was a baked manapua shop for the delicious Chinese-style baked buns filled with Kalua pork, the smoky-tender specialty of Hawaii. After that, a sit-down Indian food buffet made for an exotic experience. The owner took us into his kitchen for a fascinating Indian naan bread demonstration made in the traditional, ceramic tandoor oven.

Our last stop was for another sweet treat, the Portuguese Malasada, similar to a hole-less doughnut puff, which came out hot and fresh, lighter than air, then rolled in sugar to help gild the lily to the `Nth’ degree.

The Gourmet Trilogy Tour for food- and-wine lovers took us to three different upscale fine-dining restaurants in one night. Each restaurant serves a different course, and each course is matched with a different wine.

First stop was for a “duet of sushi” — miso-glazed salmon, sea-sweet and oh-so-tender, along with soft shell crab, crunchy and addictive for a seafood lover. My wife had the Oahu-grown tomato salad dressed with an umi-shiso vinaigrette and topped with a marinated shrimp.

Entrées included seafood alfredo, fresh catch of the day (opakapaka — Hawaiian pink snapper) in a white wine, butter and caper sauce, or steak Diane — prime beef fillet sautéed in a mushroom, wine and butter sauce and served with garlic mashed potatoes and Asian-flavored veggies.

For dessert, we were whisked away to a romantic restaurant called The Bistro — dark wood, a blazing fireplace, tuxedoed waiters, and tableside flambéed desserts if you’re so inclined. Our special menu included crème brulee, tiramisu, cheesecake and flambé, a theatrical and extraordinary way to enjoy dessert, topped with an orange Muscat wine called Quady Electra.

The Hawaii Food Tours are a perfect way to see the city, meet great people and enjoy the fruits of paradise. FG