Very few chefs maintain the ability to surprise diners 10 years after their debuts, much less 30-plus years, yet Chai Chaowasaree defies all norms.

Starting with Singha Thai in 1988, Chaowasaree became known for elevated presentations of Thai cuisine with a hint of local fusion, and with that restaurant’s success, he might have stayed in that comfort zone forever. But, he surprised me when he walked away from Thai cuisine and opened Chai’s Island Bistro with an emphasis on Hawaii Regional Cuisine, and later, Chef Chai, offering modern American cuisine.

Never one to be complacent, Chaowasaree proved himself to be a culinary chameleon, branching into catering and airline meals, and during COVID, quick ly pivoted to boxed family feasts. Now, emerging from the pandemic, he’s made yet another bold move.

When I heard he’d opened a Hawaiian restaurant my response was, “What!?” It reflected a mix of shock and the need to jump in my car to immediately check out KALO: Hawaiian Food by Chai’s.

The project had come together in two months, but Chaowasaree had already spent years longing to serve up Hawaiian food and was waiting for the right opportunity when he was approached by the Japan owner of Spada Bar & Restaurant, who had taken over the site in Courtyard by Marriott Waikiki Beach just before the pandemic. With all ideas for surviving the new dining landscape and economy on the table, the owner gave the greenlight to start the first dedicated, standalone Hawaiian food restaurant in Waikiki.

Now in these politically fraught times, the idea of a Japanese restaurant owner and Thai chef serving Hawaiian food might raise cries of cultural appropriation.

But Hawaiian food evokes reverence for the land, hospitality and community, and Chaowasaree has proven his love for Hawaii — people, food, culture — and has long been recognized for his aloha spirit.

If the food tastes familiar, Chaowasaree is the first to give a shoutout to Helena’s Hawaiian Kitchen — where he’s been a longtime regular customer — which shaped his taste for Hawaiian food and inspired his recipes.

Over the years, Chaowasaree has recognized how adventurous diners had become, and knew he had to stretch and grow himself to stay ahead of his audience. Now, in a pandemic-changed world, his move to more traditional Hawaiian fare reflects diners’ desire for comfort and reassurance via food from heart and soul.

Considering Hawaiian food to be humble fare, I feel sticker shock whenever I walk into a Hawaiian restaurant where the cost of a combo plate approaches $30. The cost reflects, in part, the time-consuming nature of this food and such basic, yet rarefied components as kalo, luau leaves and ti leaves for wrapping laulau.

Those new to this food might try the Hawaiian signature sampler ($45), which could conceivably feed two with a couple of side dishes. It includes all the essentials: pipikaula ($22 a la carte), kalua pork ($15), ahi poke ($15), chicken long rice ($9), lomi salmon ($8), fresh poi ($8) and steamed rice ($3).

Every item hits the spot and, given the brevity of the menu, I tried most of it and didn’t find any bad dish. Given that my opu can hold only so much, I would tend to gravitate toward my personal favorite foods here.

My essential picks would start with the thick cuts of house signature pipikaula, with its dried but still tender, fatty quality. On an initial visit, I was supposed to share two orders of the six pieces with four other people. I ended up eating an entire portion by myself.

I would add a helping of Chai-style poke ($18), ahi spiced with Korean chile, sesame oil and Maui onions, as well as garlic noodles with scallions ($8), a bowl of fried saimin with intense garlic flavor. For greens, there is chicken luau ($11) sweetened with coconut milk.

I loved the clean flavors of the food such as the kalua pork that’s not saturated with salt, and a light barbecue sauce coating an entrée of Hawaiian-style chicken ($35), among a handful of Chef Chai signature dishes once you’ve had your fill of Hawaiian food. Generally, I would never order the dish that I assume to be the most boring on the menu. But, I appreciated the delicacy of the sauce combined with pineapple relish and coconut-ginger rice.

Other signature plates include grilled rib-eye steak ($52), melt-in-your-mouth miso seabass with lobster reduction and mashed Yukon gold potatoes ($45), and pineapple lobster curry ($59), a yellow coconut curry dish with Maui onions, carrots and potatoes, or ulu when the chef can find it.

For dessert, I love the dense haupia ($7), free from the watery, gelatin-filled nature of many commercial versions of the coconut pudding. The only thing better would be to pair it with a sweet, creamy and silky coffee pot de creme ($12). Their textures work well together.

It was truly genius to bring Hawaiian food to our visitors who shouldn’t leave the state without trying it.

KALO: Hawaiian Food by Chai’s
Courtyard by
Marriott Waikiki Beach
400 Royal Hawaiian Ave.
Food: ****
Service: ***½
Ambiance: ****
Value: >***½
Call: 808-931-6222
Hours: 4:30-10 P.M. daily; Breakfast 6:30-10 A.M.
Starting july 1 prices: about $75-$100 for two without drinks

Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).