Show 197, November 12, 2016: Restaurateur, Chef and “Top Chef” Alum Brooke Williamson, Da Kikokiko, Hudson House, The Tripel and Playa Provisions

Brooke Williamson of Hudson House and TripelBravo’s “Top Chef” Season 10 alum, Brooke Williamson and her husband/co-chef Nick Roberts have just debuted their 4th restaurant in Playa Vista on the Runway. It’s the fast-casual, Hawaiian-themed, street-food oriented Da Kikokiko. It’s Family-friendly, too.

“When brainstorming ideas a few years ago for our next restaurant, we knew we wanted to open a Hawaiian spot, since we love Asian flavors and felt there was a need for good, authentic Hawaiian cuisine in Los Angeles that went beyond poké,” says Brooke and Nick. “It’s why Da Kikokiko also offers musubi and shave ice, since it gives guests variety and lets us have a bit more fun in the kitchen. There’s also a casualness, yet approachability to Hawaiian food, which we strive for at all of our restaurants, and the cuisine has loads of flavor but is still fresh.”

Created by Brooke and Nick, the menu lends itself to authentic island flavors with Asian influences, and makes for an ideal lunch, dinner, or beach trip snack. Celebrating one of Hawaii’s most popular street foods, Da Kikokiko offers musubi made traditionally with grilled SPAM on top of a block of rice, and wrapped with dried nori seaweed, plus innovative twists with contemporary protein and vegetable options like teriyaki chicken, yuzu kosho salmon, and sesame miso zucchini.

Customizable poké bowls are available with a variety of base mixes, proteins, sauces, and toppings to select from.

To cap off the Hawaiian experience, guests can enjoy refreshing shave ice with housemade organic syrups like hibiscus-currant, mango-jasmine, yuzu, matcha, Kona coffee, and pineapple, along with toppings such as li hing mui (salty dried plum) powder and condensed milk. Making it extra indulgent, guests can also add a scoop of housemade vanilla and coconut ice cream, or lilikoi sorbet, from Brooke and Nick’s artisanal ice cream shop Small Batch, located inside nearby Playa Provisions.

For “Top Chef” fans please know Chef Brooke returns as an encore “Cheftestant” for Season 14 starting in early December.

Chef Brooke joins us to share the aloha spirit.

Show 30, June 1, 2013: Celebrity Chef Sam Choy, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, The Big Island, Hawaii

Sam ChoyThe Big Island’s Sam Choy is known as Hawaii’s culinary ambassador to the world. He has a new hilltop restaurant on The Big Island, Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai, with a 180-degree view of the Pacific Ocean. He’s also known as the “Godfather of Poke” which is his signature dish. Chef Sam is the author of 16 cookbooks and is a regular culinary celebrity chef aboard Crystal Cruises.

Poke is a specialty at Sam Choy’s. It actually means “cubed” in Hawaiian. At the restaurant you can get Shoyu Poke, or Fried Poke (Sam’s Original) either seared or cooked.

Poke from Sam Choy's Kai LanaiSam is far along with his next book. It will be his first memoir but also include recipes. A new restaurant is in the works for Maui.

Chef Sam recently battled his way to 3rd place (with a lot of heart,) on Food Network’s “Chopped – Grill Masters” before being chopped.

Chef Sam also originated the Pineapple Express Hawaiian food truck serving a touch of authentic aloha for friends who now operate it on the streets of Los Angeles. They specialize in bringing the luau to you.