By Kekoa Catherine Enomoto
Star-BulletinFRESH fish poke redolent of Maui onions. Succulent sushi rolled with smoked salmon, rich cream cheese and crunchy Maui onions. A tower of tempera stacked with crispy carrot morsels and Maui onion circles, some arrayed like the Olympic rings.
These are Maui onion specialties that Valley Isle chef D.K. Kodama whips up at his award-winning Sansei Seafood & Sushi Restaurant. "Sansei" reflects the chef's third-generation, Japanese-American an-cestry and his casual-chic take on Japanese cuisine.
The personable restaurateur laughed often during a phone interview. "When the servers bring the tower out, people go, 'Whoa,' because it is so massive. You've eaten tempura before, but it's been small. Not ours."
The 2-1/2-year-old Sansei stunned isle foodies by capturing the highest food rating of 28 out of 30 in the 1998 "Zagat Survey" of Hawaii restaurants, based on scores of more than 1,800 volunteer reviewers.
Kodama is accelerating from fast lane to jet stream. Next weekend he joins entertainers Keali'i Reichel, Dennis Pavao, Darren Benitez and Tony Conjugacion at the Celebration of Aloha in Santa Rosa, Calif.
Thus, Sansei chefs will be rolling Maui onion-laced sushi on two sides of the Pacific. At next weekend's Maui Onion Festival, sushi chef One (pronounced "own") Vannarom de-monstrates signature Sansei Special Roll, a variation of California roll filled with a spicy mix of crab, fish roe and chile-garlic paste.
Kodama said he adds Maui onions to the roll and many other dishes because diners expect it -- the sweet globes are synonymous with Maui cuisine.He recommends bigger Maui onions, which are flatly round like squashed globes. "I tend to use a medium to large onion. I think they are sweeter than smaller onions; maybe they have more time to grow and ripen."
Since March 1996 when he opened his restaurant, Kodama's Sansei Special Roll has won best-appetizer honors at the 1996 Taste of Lahaina; he is two-time reigning champ of the 'Ulupalakua Thing's elegant-picnic contest.
Now he is eyeing Honolulu. "We're going on our third year and the restaurant is doing really well. We are looking to come to Oahu, hopefully within a year. I am negotiating with a couple of places right now."
The Aiea native majored in civil engineering at the University of Hawaii; worked in a Seattle restaurant for three years; and learned to roll sushi while managing nightclubs for 10 years in Aspen, Colo.
"Because of Aspen, I do like resort life. When people come to a resort, they're on vacation. They're a having good time. There's no 9-to-5 worries. They're all smiles when they come to a place to eat. It's the same thing here in Kapalua."
Sushi -- the word conjures Japanese food, fun, local gatherings and delectable morsels rolled into colorful surprise packages. These elements sum up the Sansei experience.
"A lot of locals really enjoy our Thursday and Friday 'Late Night,' which is geared toward locals and starts at 10 p.m. People start coming at 9:30, and by 10 or 10:30 it's a half-hour to 45-minute wait. Seating is first-come, first-served and the crowd is 95 to almost 99 percent locals, because tourists are in bed; they're still on mainland time. They get up early and they go to sleep early."
Kodama's 120-seat establishment offers steaks, chicken, pastas and loads of appetizers -- Asian tapas, he laughed.
"It's the kind of dining I like to have when I go out and eat. I order a bunch of different things and everyone shares. A lot of locals eat that way instead of one big steak or piece of fish."
Kodama said his passion is good food prepared just right. "I'm the kind of person who would fly somewhere to eat. I mean, that's what I do. When I go to Los Angeles, I definitely see Nobu (Matsuhisa), he's a friend. I check out as many restaurants as I can there. There's a lot of research involved -- and pleasure, I guess." More laughter.
Kodama said his mentor is Nobu Matsuhisa, the genius behind two celeb-studded, nouvelle Japanese establishments, Nobu in New York and Matsuhisa in Los Angeles. The latter is the Zagat top-rated L.A. restaurant.
"Nobu is pretty much the guru of this type of restaurant, although he's high end and someone can't afford to eat there night after night. Whereas, at our restaurant, people can eat every night and still walk away with their pants on."
Recipes follow from the Sansei repertoire. Two feature Maui onions -- lomilomi-salmon salsa poured over crispy won-ton chips, and the avocado-filled Sansei Special Roll. Plus, there is Kodama's popular version of crab cake -- Asian rock shrimp cake sauced with a ginger-lime chile butter and a cilantro-macadamia pesto.
Sansei Special Roll
Slightly rounded 1/3 cup sushi rice (recipe follows)Spread sushi rice evenly over nori, about 2 grains high. Sprinkle furikake over rice. Arrange crab, cucumber, onion, avocado and sprouts on lower one-third of rice.
1/2 sheet nori (Japanese pressed, dried seaweed)
Dash furikake (Japanese seasoned seaweed-sesame mix)
Slightly rounded 1/3 cup spicy crab mixture (recipe follows)
1 stick cucumber, Japanese cucumber preferred
1 tablespoon Maui onion, thinly sliced
1 slice avocado
1/2 cup kaiware (daikon) sprouts
2 tablespoons sweet Thai chile sauceRoll nori, enclosing the ingredients. Shape into a triangular roll. Slice in 6 pieces. Serve on a plate with sweet Thai chile sauce.
Approximate nutritional analysis per piece, based on 1/8 avocado added: 70 calories, 3 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium. Per piece, using all crab mixture: 80 calories, 3.5 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium.*
Sushi rice
10 ounces sticky-cooked riceMix rice and vinegar to coat.
2 tablespoons sushi vinegar
Spicy crab mixture
Rounded 1/3 cup snow crabMix all ingredients.
1 tablespoon masago (smelt roe)
3/4 to 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
Dash sambal (Asian chile sauce)
Asian rock shrimp cake
Shichimi pepper (7-pepper spice, available at Asian grocery stores or in Asian food section of supermarket) for garnishCombine all shrimp-cake ingredients and form 10 cakes. Coat cakes with Chinese cake noodles or fresh angel-hair pasta. Fry until golden brown.
3 cups raw rock shrimp (or any shrimp)
2 cups panko flakes (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup chopped bamboo shoots
1 egg
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash Tabasco sauce
Dash black pepper
1 teaspoon minced shallots
1/4 cup white wine
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon roux (cooked flour/butter mixture)
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Salt to taste, optional
1/4 cup sweet Thai chile sauce
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped ginger
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
Dash salt
Dash white pepperTo prepare ginger-lime chile butter: Saute shallots. Add wine, lime juice and ginger; reduce by half. Add roux, then heavy cream; reduce by half again. Whip in butter. If desired, add salt to taste. Strain.Mix in sweet Thai chile sauce to taste.
To prepare cilantro pesto: Machine blend all ingredients at high speed until smooth.
To serve: Coat an appetizer-size plate with ginger-lime chile sauce.
Dot with cilantro pesto. Sprinkle a garnish of shichimi pepper. Top with 2 shrimp cakes. Makes 5 servings.
Pacific Rim lomilomi salmon
with won-ton chips20 won-ton wrappersCombine lomilomi-salmon mixture ingredients. Adjust seasoning to taste. Chill.
1 quart vegetable oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 ounces fresh salmon fillet, cut in chunks 1/2- by 1/2- by 1/4-inch
1-1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
6 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Maui onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic-chile pasteFry won-ton chips in oil until golden brown, dry and cool.
Add fresh cilantro to lomilomi-salmon mixture, then spoon onto wonton chips and eat immediately.
If serving guests, place mixture in a bowl and serve with chips. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
