Recipes with a Twist

Twist at Hanohano’s executive chef Ryan Loo participated in the Made in Hawaii Festival cooking demonstrations this past Sunday, August 23rd at 12:00 p.m. Chef Ryan and his staff at the restaurant demoed not just one, but two delicious dishes in a soup & salad combination with a Kona lobster and hearts of palm bisque and a Lehua honey glazed Waimanalo beet salad.

Twist is a new concept for the Hanohano Room, fueled by the creativity and energy of chef Ryan, who has Hale Aina Award roots working in perrenial winner Hoku’s. To see more about chef Ryan, see below. Twist at Hanohano was also one of the featured host restaurants at last year’s Hale Aina Awards.

Here are the two recipes he featured at the festival:

Kona lobster and hearts of palm bisque

Ingredients (Serves 4-6 people)
Lobster stock-
Kona lobster shells, or shrimp 2#
Round onion 4 oz
Carrot 2 oz
Celery 2 oz
Bay leaves 4 pc
Fennel 2 oz
Brandy 4 oz
Tomato paste 2 oz
Water 2 gal

Hearts of palm 12 oz
Heavy cream 8 oz

Preparation

• Roast shells with vegetables until lightly brown, approx. 20 min, 375 degree oven.
• Place in pot, add brandy and flame, add remainder of ingredients and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Strain and reduce liquid for 30 minutes or by 1/3.
• Add hearts of palm and heavy cream, cook for 15 minutes, puree in blender until smooth. Thicken if desired.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Garnished with cooked lobster morsels, hearts of palm, shaved black truffles, meyer lemon zest and chives

Lehua honey glazed Waimanalo beet salad

Ingredients Serves 4-6 people
Beets, local baby 8 oz
Lehua honey 2 oz
Balsamic vinegar 2 oz
Maui surfing goat cheese
Baby arugala
Ka’u oranges
Peppered mac nuts

Preparation
Steam beets, peel and marinate overnight with vinegar and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Vinaigrette

Sherry vinegar 2 oz
Olive oil 6 oz
Shallots 1 oz
Sugar ½ oz
Thyme, fresh ¼ oz
Lavender, dried ½ oz
Dijon mustard 1 oz

Preparation
Combine and blend all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Peppered mac nuts

Ingredients
Mac nuts 4 oz
Sugar 3 oz
Black pepper ¼ oz
Water 2 oz
Kosher salt ½ oz

Preparation
Combine water with macnuts, toss to coat. Combine remainder of ingredients. Fry in oil, 375 degrees and cook till golden brown. Cool on parchment paper.

Completeing the salad
Dress arugala with dressing, season with salt and pepper. Segment oranges, garnish with beets and nuts
 

Chef Ryan Loo. Photo: courtesy of Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Executive Chef Ryan Loo has brought Twist at Hanohano to new culinary heights with his innovative cooking concepts of bringing the farm to the table. A native Hawaiian, Loo was honored in 2002 as the regional recipient of the Commis de Cuisine award in the Chaine des Rotisseurs professional cooking competition in Hawaii.

Loo’s career with Starwood began in 1999 at The Royal Hawaiian hotel. Loo also worked with Hoku’s at The Kahala and held an apprenticeship at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. In 2007, he joined Hanohano Room as sous chef, which lead to his ascent as executive chef at Twist.

The Made in Hawaii Festival Cooking Demonstrations are coordinated by HONOLULU Magazine and are sponsored in part by the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Buy Fresh Buy Local program. All of the recipes featured include farm fresh Made in Hawaii local produce or seafood resources.

The 14th Annual Made in Hawaii Festival took place on Friday, August 21 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, August 22 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, August 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is produced by the Made in Hawaii Association and is presented by First Hawaiian Bank.