Sneak Peek at Foodland’s New Restaurant and Kahala Store

We ate everything we could at Et Al Restaurant, opening in Foodland’s Kahala Mkt. on Nov. 18.

Foodland has done it again. After opening its first restaurant, the poke-centric Redfish at Kaka’ako, and its second, Mahi‘ai Table inside Foodland Farms in Kapolei, it’s just opened a third: Et Al restaurant inside the local grocery chain’s Kahala Mkt, both opening on Nov. 18.

SEE ALSO: Sneak peek at Foodland’s first in-store restaurant

Et al, which means and “others” in Latin, has a contemporary American menu with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Think upscale casual in a chic, sunlit space — in a grocery store. Fresh baked pastries, sweet and savory toasts and heartier dishes like loco moco and smoked meat benedict with meat from Foodland-owned HI Steaks for breakfast. Lunch choices like short rib arancini, ahi tartare, lobster roll, an amazing burger and pizzas. Dinner of seasonal oysters, Ora King salmon, Hawaii Meats striploin and bone-in pork chop.

We tried a bunch of lunch and dinner dishes at a media preview last Friday. Here’s a rundown of our favorites. Definitely start with the short rib arancini with gruyere and truffle aioli. These fried morsels are rich and creamy with lots of tender, shredded meat and truffle aioli. We loved the lobster roll, whose 4 to 5 ounces of lobster claw and knuckle meat are tossed with curry aioli and brown butter in a toasted bun. The lobster is treated simply, without much filler, and the curry aioli gives it an added oomph. The bone-in pork chops are unbelievably tender, and the burger made with a Hawaii Meats beef patty and HI Steaks bacon is a must (Et Al’s chef Colin Sato, formerly of Beachhouse at the Moana, had his own bright yellow Momo Burger food truck before that). Save room for dessert — Chocolate PB Textures is like an elevated Snickers ice cream bar with chocolate brownie bits and peanut butter ganache, and the Bananamisu with coffee syrup and roasted marshmallows is a fun, fruity twist on tiramisu.

SEE ALSO: 5 must-try local dishes at Mahiai Table

The store it’s in, Kahala Mkt, is smaller than other Foodland stores and a fraction of the size of Foodland Farms. It also sits across Waialae Avenue from Whole Foods and Times Supermarket. Here’s what you’ll see:

• A new kabayaki ahi poke flavor at the poke counter, where, like Redfish, only fresh ahi will be sold
• A gourmet handmade pizza counter selling Naples-style, thin-crust 12-inch whole and half pizzas, along with cauliflower crust pizzas
• Huge selection of wines, many exclusive to this store, sourced by R. Field Wine Company
• Create-your-own-plate station with main entrees and sides for takeout. You’ll find dishes from Foodland Farms’ old hot bar stations, including white miso glazed cod, roasted pork loin with cranberry chutney, roasted chicken with lemon and herbs, Szechuan cauliflower and more
• Grocery items emphasizing local products and purveyors

Kahala Mkt and Et Al restaurant will grand-open to the public on Nov. 18  at 10 a.m. From Nov. 18 until Nov. 22, you’ll need to reserve a shopping time at kahalamkt.com to guarantee priority entry. Walk-ins will be allowed as store space permits, but booking online is recommended. You’ll need to wear a face mask and practice social distancing, and the limit is two people per group.

Kahala Mkt and Et Al restaurant
Kuono Marketplace at Kahala
4230 Waialae Ave.
(808) 732-2440
Daily 6 a.m.-9 p.m.
Breakfast 6-11 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon-Fri, dinner 4-8 p.m. daily, brunch 6-11 a.m. Sat-Sun
@etalhawaii