Crunchy wok fired Shrimp served in a Szechuan three peppercorn mix with Cilantro over fried brown rice. This is the traditional style preparation with the HEAD & SHELLS ON. The entire shrimp is edible, not for the faint of heart, but you can peel & eat them if you have to! www.tikisgrill.com
Mahalo to the KITV morning show for supporting “Plate Up Niu Valley” a major fundraising event for Niu the Valley Middle School, organized by parents
Where Hawaii’s top chefs donate their time and expertise to mentor 48 interested students, and bring awareness and knowledge in the food industry. Hosted at the Hyatt, FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 6:00pm
Chef Ronnie has already had the students from his team over to Tiki's to learn about the dish he is featuring.More info at http://www.friendsofniuvalley.com/
Tiki’s Three Course Pre Fixe Menu for Restaurant Week
CHOICE OF ONE APPETIZER:
Prime Rib Poke - A special poke for meat lovers – flash seared prime rib cubes topped with our housemade pipikaula aioli on a bed of locally grown baby greens from Nalo Farms.
$30 per person (tax and tip not included)
Restaurant Week Hawaii is a seven day celebration of the cuisine scene in Hawaii. Participating restaurants will feature special menu items, promotions and discounts.
Restaurant Week is a reminder that Hawaii is a culinary destination with top chefs, farm to table dining, wonderful wine and a lot more to discover and explore.
The goal of Restaurant Week Hawai`i is to realize a vision of an advanced culinary campus—the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head. Graduates of Hawai`i's first four-year culinary program will go on to serve Hawai`i's restaurant and hospitality industry and ultimately the greater community.
A portion of the proceeds from Restaurant Week Hawaii will support the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head.
http://www.restaurantweekhawaii.com/
www.tikisgrill.com
http://culinary.kcc.hawaii.edu/
Chef Demo: Organic Kahalu'u "Smoke Meat", Avocado wood smoked, Hawaiian grown organic pork With caramelized Island sweet onions. Glazed with Guava Jelly Kauai's Oyama Farms homegrown Poha Berries.
It's no secret that eating local tastes better and is good for the environment, but did you know that you can do your part by dining out during Yelp Eats Local from September 19-25?! Yelp Eats Local week is a perfect way for Honolulu yelpers to experience tasty local cuisine while supporting the movement to a more sustainable food system in Hawaii.
Here's how you can participate in Yelp Eats Local week:
+Dine out during lunch or dinner at one of our participating 11 Yelp Eats Local restaurants from September 19-25. Each participating restaurant will be featuring an assortment of menu items which are made from locally sourced food. +Let the restaurant know that you are part of the Yelp Eats Local promotion either at the time of their reservation or when entering the restaurant. +For every *$15-30 spent per diner at 11 participating restaurants during Yelp Eats Week, the restaurant will donate *$5-10 to non-profit Kanu Hawaii! +To have your meal count towards a donation, make sure you drop your receipt in the Yelp Eats Local receipt box before you leave!
Yelp Eats Local participating restaurants:
(Reservations not required, but highly recommended. When you call to make reservations, identify yourself as eating as part of the Yelp Eats Local promotion)
Tiki's Eat Local Menu for Sept 19-25 2011 $39
First Course:
NALO SHISO SEARED TOFU SALAD MRS. CHENGS ISLAND MADE TOFU LACED WITH NALO FARMS SHISO. TENDER BABY GREENS, HO FARMS GRAPE TOMATOES, KULA ONION SOY VINAIGRETTE.
Second Course:
GRILLED HAWAIIAN OPAH & ISLAND PALU SAMI, HAU'ULA TOMATO CONFITThird Course:
OKINAWAN SWEET POTATO MACADAMIA NUT TART
Chef Ronnie and his crew from Tiki's Grill & Bar participated in this years Mangoes at the Moana event.
Ronnie shared with us the dish was inspired by the ethnic diversity found in the kitchen at Tiki's. Marlin with mango coconut sticky rice, Mango Calamansi-chili pepper compote. Mari Taketa and Melissa Chang from NONSTOP Honolulu were on hand to cover the event. to see photos and more go to:
Chef Ronnie Nasuti Changes Courses
At Tiki’s Bar and GrillWhile leaving the Executive Chef position of the reigning Hale-Aina Awards Restaurant of the Year might not seem like an obvious career move for a brilliant chef, it is exactly what Chef Ronnie Nasuti has done. After ten years of guiding the flagship Roy’s in Hawaii Kai to a multitude of awards and praises, Chef Nasuti will now bring his knowledge and culinary passion to Tiki’s Grill and Bar.
Pan Seared Opah over Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi and a sautee of spinach, macadamia nuts, and raisins. Finished with a Carrot-Citrus Beurre Blanc.
Chef Nasuti has a sort of panache that is quite endearing for a man of his talents. His down-to-earth mentality and matter-of-fact sensibility give you the idea that he really loves what he does. Taking the Executive Chef position at Tiki’s is a whole new challenge that he has met head on with the goal of, “getting locals to come back to Waikiki.” With the open-air patio, breath-taking views of the Waikiki sunset, and an evolution of the menu that has Chef Nasuti’s stamp on it, it would seem that they are headed in the right direction.
However, getting locals back to Waikiki is no easy task. This is why Chef Nasuti is making changes such as sourcing local produce and meat, which is something he believes locals place value in. The local-organic and farm-to-table movements are, “something every young chef has been taught over the last twenty years.” Chef Nasuti also explained to us that “buying local is an experience,” that connects people to each other and to the land.
Seared Coconut Scallops accompanied by Nalo Baby Bok Choy and a reduction of Moloka’i Sweet Potato.
He further delved into his culinary philosophy by detailing the importance of teaching your children “how to make something from scratch…I taught my kid how to make meatballs, like my father taught me. Nowadays, in the current economy when two parents work, Old World values don’t have to be thrown out the window.”
With big hopes, a new menu, and an iron will, Chef Nasuti will lead Tiki’s Grill & Bar into a new year that is looking brighter and brighter by the day.
Story by: Keola Warren
Photos by: Malie Moran
Former Roy’s Hawaii Kai Executive Chef of 10 Years to Revamp Tiki’s Grill & Bar Menu
Ronnie Nasuti
Well-respected culinary star Ronnie Nasuti has joined Tiki’s Grill & Bar in Waikiki as its new Executive Chef (November 6). Since he moved to Hawaii 21 years ago, he has cooked at many of the state’s best restaurants. For 10 years, Nasuti served as the Executive Chef of Roy’s Restaurant in Hawaii Kai. Prior to this, he helped open Roy’s Poipu on Kauai, and worked at Chez Michel’s and Roy’s Park Bistro in Waikiki. He also worked in the kitchen of Kincaid’s.
“We’re so excited to have someone of Ronnie’s talent revamp our lunch, dinner, late night and brunch menus and take us from good to great,” said Tiki’s Grill & Bar owner and general manager Bill Tobin. “Ronnie has the skills to take us to another level. Roy’s just won the Hale Aina awards for the past two years and they give credit to Ronnie for the honor. I’ve known him for 15 years and he is one of the hardest working chefs and he consistently delivers the highest quality,” Tobin continued. “You can tell he loves what he does.”
“Bill just made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Nasuti. “I enjoyed working at Roy’s and learned so much from everyone there. I’m excited to create food that local diners enjoy and would give them a reason to return to Tiki’s. Give me a couple of months and I’ll want everyone to try the new menu. I’m committed to cooking with locally grown produce and I’m looking at sourcing as much as possible locally. There are many popular dishes that need to remain, but Bill is letting me use all my creativity here at Tiki’s.”
The 41-year-old Nasuti was born in Franklin, Massachusetts into an Italian-American family and knew from age 13 that he wanted to be a chef. He studied culinary arts and apprenticed in Massachusetts for the organization Les Dames D’escoffier Society, before working in restaurants in Copley Place Hotel in Boston and then moving to Hawaii after a fellow chef recommended it.
The retro South Pacific-style Tiki’s Grill & Bar opened in October 2002 and was popular from the start. Located on the second floor of the ASTON Waikiki Beach Hotel and with breathtaking views of Waikiki Beach and its spectacular sunsets. The 272-seat restaurant serves lunch, dinner, a late night menu and weekend brunches.
Tiki’s Grill & Bar is located at 2570 Kalakaua Avenue. Free validated valet parking is available. For more information, visit www.tikisgrill.com or call (808) 923-TIKI (8454).
