Chapter 27
Chapter 27
Located in Downtown Hilo at 217 Kamehameha Ave., Chapter 27 is a lounge where one can relax and enjoy some libations and tapas or pupu.
Their tapa menu is meant to be shared with three to four people for communal dining. It includes Caesar salad, caprese salad, warabi salad, ahi salad, poke, sashimi, shrimp and steamed clams. If you are hungry, you also can order a steak.
Chapter 27 is open from 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m with the food being served till midnight.
There is entertainment on Friday night, with Jennie Goya Kaneshiro and her group.
Chapter 27 is a great place to plan a party or get-together. Call Gary at 640-0154 for reservations to make arrangements.
Thai Thai Bistro &Bar
Formerly Thai Thai Restaurant in Volcano Village, its menu has changed as well as its name.
Chef (Jun) Amarin Sribura, who has 30 years of experience cooking at Mama’s Fish House, an award-winning restaurant on Maui, is now the chef at Thai Thai Bistro &Bar.
Changes in the menu include specials of the day such as ahi poke, spicy ono lumpia, shrimp Alfredo pasta and New York clam chowder. On the menu, besides Thai dishes, are steamed clams, ahi sandwich with french fries, and fresh fish of the day.
The food is well-presented and very tasty. It is nice to have a choice of Thai as well as fresh seafood prepared in the Polynesian style of Mama’s Fish House.
Thai Thai Bistro &Bar is open from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
Walk-ins are welcome as the restaurant has a seating capacity of more than 100.
Le Magic Pan
Owner Luisa Savoroff has brought her brother, Manuel Carbrera, who was a chef in New York City for many years, to add fresh pasta to Le Magic Pan’s menu.
Le Magic Pan is located at 64 Keawe St., but Luisa told me she recently purchased a storefront in Downtown Hilo and will be moving when renovations are complete.
Besides the French crepes that Luisa is known for, chef Manuel makes fresh linguine with either pesto, Alfredo, pomodoro (tomato) or Bolognese sauce.
At the writing, Manuel had to go back to the mainland till the end of July, so fresh pasta will be served only for dinner. When he returns, pasta also will be served at lunch.
Le Magic Pan is open from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and reopens for dinner from 5-9 p.m.
Park Café and Delicatessen
Park Café and Delicatessen, located across the street from Lincoln Park and the Central Fire Station, is a new venture of Rhonda Nichols of Hilo Burger Joint. Chef Tyler Kangas worked on cruise ships in Alaska before coming to Hilo and realized this is the place to raise his family. Open 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with Saturday brunch from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., they make great gluten-free bread made from cassava flour. Gluten-free muffins, cookies and crepes also are available.
Dean, Ariana and I went just before 10 a.m. and were able to order breakfast. From 10 a.m., the lunch menu is featured. We ordered eggs Benedict, one with a croissant and the other with the gluten-free bread. The fillings were turkey slices, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. We also ordered the savory crepe and the crepes with prosciutto, spinach and manchego cheese.
The regular items on the menu include cold deli sandwiches for less than $10 and can be ordered in small or large sizes. The salads include Greek, spinach, and nicoise. In addition, there are daily specials.
The day we were there, the house-made soups were chicken matzo soup and curried beef and rice soup. The crepes of the day specials were strawberry cheesecake and Mediterranean with ham and olives, and the salad special was an ono salad.
Tropical Dreams ice cream is available with a wide variety of flavors.
Foodie bites
Makers of tatami mats in Kumamoto, Japan, have created edible chopsticks made of rush, the material to make traditional Japanese mats, in a cooperative agreement with a confectionery maker. With the decrease in sales because of cheaper tatami mats coming out of China and mats made from synthetic fibers, Marushige Inc., based in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, is making these chopsticks that can be eaten after you are done with your meal. The chopsticks have a mildly sweet and bitter taste with a subtle rush flavor.
The rush is turned into powder, mixed with wheat and eggs and baked slowly at a low temperature, making the chopsticks have the texture similar to hardtack (a Saloon Pilot cracker).
Even when soaked in soup, it does not soften.
Rush has antibacterial properties and as much dietary fiber as a serving of salad.
A set of 10 edible chopsticks sold online is about $20.
Next week, I will feature the food trucks parked from 11 a.m-3 p.m. every Friday at Prince Kuhio Plaza.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.