The Greening of Kahala

The Green Door Cafe goes from downtown to uptown

BEEF BOWL: The Green Door Cafe's Malacca Beef, served on bamboo skewers, is a tart, citrus bomb of a dish.

Kahala has zillion-dollar homes; secluded, tranquil beaches; a country club; a high-end hotel; and a comfortable shopping mall. But as far as dining goes, the upscale neighborhood is
definitely no Kaimuki.

Whole Foods’ takeover of Kahala Mall last year shut down one of the area’s two Chinese restaurants (Panda doesn’t count) and one of its two bakeries (Zippy’s doesn’t count). Nearly all of Kahala’s remaining eating establishments are chain restaurants. The few that aren’t mostly serve food that can be eaten standing up.

THE GREEN DOOR CAFE 411 KILAUEA AVE. Open every day, 5p.m. to 10 p.m. 808-533-0606

So the arrival of the Green Door Café late last year was a cause for celebration. Several years ago, the Singaporean/Malaysian restaurant and its vibrant cuisine made a big splash with foodies around town. The fact that the closet-size Chinatown space could only seat 12 probably enhanced its reputation as a must-go restaurant.

The Green Door’s new space, located next door to the popular Olive Tree Café, is gargantuan in comparison. It features a small front dining area, room for nearly 10 tables, a bar with a dozen stools, a back dining area with a pair of long tables and a lanai with room for another handful of diners.

But the spacious uptown setting hasn’t changed the Green Door’s downtown and down-home way of doing business. The restaurant’s menu is written in colored ink on an erasable white board, and taking orders at the counter is owner Betty Pang, who offers advice and commentary on your selections in a direct and abrupt manner that seems abrasive at first but actually implies familiarity, maybe even affection — kind of like a bartender at the corner bar.

There aren’t too many items on the Green Door’s menu, but that doesn’t make the task of ordering any easier. I decided on the Fresh Basil Organic Mushroom Chicken ($8.75), Malacca Beef ($7.25), Oyster Mushroom Tofu ($13.75) and an order of Coconut Rice ($2.75).

The star of the night was undoubtedly the chicken. I’m not sure if it was the basil, mushrooms or chicken that was the organic ingredient, but I do know that they all contributed to a very exciting dish. The other players were baby carrots, chunks of tomato, long beans, cucumbers, cabbage and onions. They all swam in a velvety orange sauce that was as flavorful as it was colorful. It was slightly tangy, a little sweet, with heat provided by garlic, chilies and maybe some ginger. I was impressed not only with the dish’s wide variety of textures and flavors but also by their complexity. This wasn’t just a chop suey mix. A new taste was revealed one layer at a time and one forkful at a time.

The subdued oyster mushroom tofu turned out to be a nice contrast to the party-in-the mouth chicken. The dish featured slices of fried tofu, stir fried with whole mushrooms, chunks of caramelized onion and covered with a peppery brown sauce. The tofu and mushrooms, beefy and buttery, reminded me of steak and probably make a good meat substitute.

The Malacca beef, served on bamboo skewers on a bed of shredded cabbage, is a tart, citrus bomb of a dish. It reminded me of kelaguen, the Chamorro side dish that features beef, chicken or seafood marinated in lemon juice, coconut and chilies. Like kelaguen, the Malacca beef was soft, tender and powerful. But, unlike kelaguen, it was lightly grilled, just enough to form a nice, brown crust. Good.

All in all, a tasty, affordable and satisfying meal. Look out Kaimuki, Kahala has finally arrived!   

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