In Hawaii, blessed with a rich sea, land, and favorable climate, there is a growing movement to reevaluate local ingredients. This trend is also connected to issues of food sustainability. We visited a popular restaurant with a farm-to-table theme.

Rediscovering the New Flavors of Hawaii: A Joint Effort

Chef Makoto Ono and pastry chef Amanda Chen, after their success in Canada, have opened a new restaurant in Honolulu. They reinterpret traditional Hawaiian flavors in a modern way.

Last autumn, a new farm-to-table restaurant opened in Honolulu, creating quite a buzz. “Arden Waikiki” is helmed by two award-winning chefs who built their reputations in Vancouver, Canada. Located on the second floor of “Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head,” overlooking the greenery of Kapiolani Park, the restaurant is a venture by Chef Makoto Ono, whose parents moved from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, to Canada and opened a sushi restaurant. Ono pursued culinary school and honed his skills under the world-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in London before meeting Amanda Chen in Hong Kong. Today, Chen serves as the pastry chef at “Arden Waikiki” and is also Ono’s wife. After their marriage, they opened restaurants in Vancouver and embarked on a new chapter in Hawaii.

When asked about the concept of “Arden Waikiki,” they describe it as highlighting the flavors of Hawaiian ingredients using contemporary techniques. “Most of our menu incorporates local  ngredients. Especially for seafood, we emphasize wild-caught rather than farmed. For vegetables, we carefully select our producers—lettuce and purple daikon from Hirabara Farm on Oahu,  atercress from Sumida Farm, and so on.” “Not only ingredients but also seasonings are sourced locally and creatively incorporated. For example, the dressing used for tomatoes features a li hing mui vinaigrette—a sweet and sour traditional Hawaiian flavor reminiscent of dried Japanese plums.” In Chen’s baked cakes, they use Kauai Island rum for fragrance. Despite being open for only six months, the pair demonstrate a deep understanding of Hawaii’s culinary culture and dining scene. Their future reviews are eagerly anticipated.

The restaurant also employs mixologist Jabia Munotsu, who creates fresh cocktails using herbs and fruits.

One of Munotsu’s creations, the “Olena” cocktail, is based on Suntory Whisky Toki, infused with vanilla beans, honey from bees that favor lehua flowers, lime, turmeric, cinnamon, and other locally sourced flavors. Lehua is Hawaii’s island flower, making this cocktail a true reflection of Hawaii’s essence.

Private rooms are also available. Reservations are required in advance.

text / YOSHIAKI NIMURA, Photographs / AKIRA KUMAGAI, Coordinator / HISAKO SANJO