By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Chef Wayne Hirabayashi of Hoku's displays
shellfish featured in his seafood fest.

Days of love
and lobsters

By Betty Shimabukuro
Star-Bulletin

Something about lobster makes it the ultimate in a romantic dinner for two, maybe it's that color red, whatever, there's a lot of lobster on restaurant menus in February.

David Paul's Diamond Head Grill has lover's lobster with champagne risotto on the Valentine's Day menu; at the Hilton Hawaiian Village there's lobster-stuffed chicken breast at Rainbow Lanai and lobster lasagna at Bali by the Sea.

Also for Valentine's Day: Parc Cafe has lobster lumpia and a lobster chowder; Chez Michel offers lobster imperial as an entree choice on a prix fixe menu ... And that's only part of it. Lobster also features prominently on Chinese restaurant menus as the new year approaches.

For the Hoku's celebration, Wayne Hirabayashi, executive sous chef, is serving up Hawaiian slipper lobster and something called Kona lobster, which is really a Maine lobster that has taken a respite on the Big Island.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Hoku's sous chef Warren Uchida with
lobsters flown in that day.

The slipper is an unattractive little thing, with a tail about the size of a large shrimp, Hirabayashi says. "It looks like a rubber zori, it's really ugly. The shell is really like sandpaper, but the meat is real sweet. Compared to the Maine, it's sweeter."

Stu Simmons, president of Seafood Connection, is supplying Hoku's with the slipper lobsters, which he says are found around the main Hawaiian islands, but mostly the northwest islands from Kauai to Midway.

Simmons buys them from fishermen who trap the lobsters at depths down to 200 feet. The lobsters are "de-tailed" at sea, cleaned and blast frozen at minus-40 degrees, he says. This allows them to be stored for the weeks that the boats are at sea.

"In my opinion the Hawaiian slipper is one of the best-kept secrets of the lobster world," Simmons says. "As far as flavor goes, it compares with the best lobsters in the world."

The Maine lobster, on the other hand, is famous and, unlike the little slipper, quite hearty-looking.

Hoku's supply comes from Kona Cold Lobster, which brings them in from the East Coast and holds them for a few weeks, allowing them to eat and repair the damage done in the long journey across country.

Hirabayashi likes his lobster cooked on a kiawe grill in the shell with a little garlic lemon herb butter. "Let everything speak for itself," he says.

That doesn't stop him from reaching for fancier treatments during the Hoku's Shellfish Festival, which runs through Friday. Here's a sample:

Thai-Flavored Shellfish Broth
with Lobster and Opihi

Hoku's at Kahala Mandarin Oriental

Broth:
4 lobster heads
1/3 pound shrimp shells
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 ounce fresh ginger
2 ounces lemongrass
1 red chile pepper
3 quarts clam juice
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 ounce lime juice
3 lime leaves
2-1/2 cups water
3 ounces cilantro stems
6 black peppercorns, whole

Broth filling
1 ounce rice noodles
1 slipper lobster tail or 4 ounces lobster meat
4-5 opihi, with shell
2 ounces tomatoes, cubed
1 ounce green papaya, cubed
1 ounce cooking greens

To make broth: Saute lobster heads and shrimp shells with garlic, ginger, half of the lemongrass and chile pepper, until fragrant. Add clam juice, fish sauce, lime juice and leaves and water. Simmer 1/2 hour; skim impurities.

Add cilantro, peppercorns and rest of lemongrass. Simmer 10 minutes; strain. Yields 1/2 gallon.

To complete dish: Blanch rice noodles in advance. When ready to serve, blanch shellfish and vegetables in about 6 ounces of broth. Add rice noodles. Place in bowl and garnish with Thai basil, cilantro and lemongrass. Filling serves 1, makes enough broth for 10 servings.

Nutritional analysis unavailable.

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