During his childhood, owner Jeremy Quenga remembers his grandparents always having him in the kitchen. Through family gatherings, good memories and lessons learned, it was always food that brought his family together.
When Quenga moved to Hawaii from California in 2002, he found an appreciation for the local food — this is what the “fusion” in Jeramiahs Island Fusion refers to.
He says the dishes represent his journey from his culture of Guam to the culture he grew to love in California, then “flared with island love.” Various dishes are Chamorro-style or use a finadene sauce comprising shoyu, vinegar, onions, garlic and other spices.
“I wanted to take that with me throughout this life and pass that on to our kids,” he says. “We are fortunate to always be making a living off of what Tata and Nana taught us.”
One of the biz’s most popular dishes is the Cali Burrito ($20), which includes delicious marinated meat on a cheese skirt and is packed with flavor. Diners can choose from steak, chicken or shrimp. The burrito comes with Spanish rice and esquites (Mexican-style street corn).
The previous No. 1 dish was the Trust Me plate ($20), which features Chamorro-style marinated chicken, ribs and steak alongside red rice and esquites.
For a more traditional Chamorro dish, try the sides of half-pound or one-pound chicken ($8) and shrimp kelaguen ($11), which are noted for their fresh lemon, lime or calamansi seasoning.
Quenga will occasionally set up an assembly line to make Chamorro-style empanadas ($20 for half a dozen; $42 for a dozen).
Jeramiahs Island Fusion will soon introduce calamansi-grilled pork steak ($20) and cheesesteak fries ($20) to its menu, so keep an eye out for those.
Quenga says, “We thank God for allowing us to still be in business; our grandparents for teaching us (about) our cultural foods; our many customers still rocking with us years later; the influencers who come out (from) time to time and give us their honest opinion on our grindz; and Crave for showcasing our small family business. Mahalo nui!”
Jeramiahs Island Fusion
Instagram: @jeramiahs.island.fusion
Phone: 808-800-7158
How to order: Email, phone and through Instagram
How to pay: Cash, card, Apple Pay, Venmo
