Premium Pick | Fete
Don’t try to fit Fete into a box. You might describe the cuisine as “bistro fare,” which would cover, say, the steak frites with field greens, or the perfectly grilled rack of lamb with sunchokes, but not the Mexican lasagna with goat cheese bechamel or the kalbi-marinated flank steak.
Better not to try to classify and just show up with an appetite, which chef Robynne Ma‘i will more than satisfy.
Start with the grilled pulpo (octopus), a full tentacle, oh so tender and full of smoke, or the coconut-lime prawns, subtle and sophisticated. Move on to one of the aforementioned entrees, or perhaps the pork chop with spicy coconut ragout.
Fete has the warm, red-brick look that seems the standard in new, hip Chinatown, with an attentive staff and a fabulous, innovative menu.
If I had to pick one word for it, I’d say “smart.”
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2 N. Hotel St., Chinatown; 369-1390. Lunch, dinner (closed Sundays). $$$-$$$$
Barrio Cafe
Miriam Olivas named her restaurant “barrio,” or neighborhood, then invited everyone to come on by. It would be hard to find another person who so clearly finds joy in feeding others. It’s in the blood: Her mother, Armida Duarte, opened Wahiawa’s El Palenque in 1992, when Olivas was 18, old enough wait tables. Barrio opened in 2016.
Barrio Cafe’s menu actually represents several neighborhoods — Wahiawa, Olivas’ current home, as well as communities in Mexico, El Paso and California that she’s lived in or visited.
Come for a Mexican brunch — machaca (beef, tomato and jalapeno scramble) and chilaquiles (eggs over lightly fried tortillas) are traditional favorites, or try a breakfast quesadilla, burrito or loco moco (with green chili pork). And for dessert (you do eat dessert after breakfast, right?), have the Churro French Toast.
For later in the day, plates of tacos, tostadas and such rate far above the usual Mexican plates, given Olivas’ stylish presentation and attention to vibrant, authentic flavors. Whatever you order, be sure to include a Barrio Salad served on a plate-size slab of puffed wheat, based on a street food of Juarez, Mexico.
You can taste the joy.
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672 Kilani Ave, Wahiawa; 622-3003. Breakfast, lunch (closed Sundays). $$
Foodland Farms Ala Moana Center
Yes, it’s a grocery store, and yes, we’ve seen big deli spreads before (Whole Foods comes to mind), but at Foodland Farms the package is most vibrant and complete, locally focused and — if you control yourself — economical.
Plus, there’s a wine bar.
The complex turned a year old in September, introducing some new grab-and-go items, including made-to-order bao, premium sandwiches and fried saimin. And that wine bar? More seating, more antipasti, even burgers.
It’s fun to eat this way, to stroll the stations and choose a little here, a little there, but it can be overwhelming. So, some suggestions: As your anchor dish, a plate from Hi Steaks, or the new steak saimin (a substantial bowl, with veggies); then cruise the hot/cold bar for a few sides (roasted veggies and curried cauliflower are my favorites); fill in with a shiso musubi from the sushi bar; then add the new bao filled with tender pork belly (just because). For dessert: a little chocolate pot de creme or an ice cream sandwich made with two hearty cookies and a choice of ice cream flavors.
Dining in? Settle in at the R. Field Wine Co. bar for a series of small pours and small bites (top pick: caprese with charred tomatoes and smoked mozzarella). Or carry over your picks from elsewhere in the store.
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Ala Moana Center; 949-5044. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. $-$$
