Aloha 'āina Pop-Up Dinners at Hatsune, Sep 9-10
Aloha ʻĀina, which literally means "love of the land", is a concept that goes back to mythical times to emphasize the deep connection between the land and Hawaiian people.
From the Big Island of Hawai'i to San Francisco to China, Chef Jordan Keao is the Executive Chef and Owner of āina, a modern Hawaiian eatery based in San Francisco, California who will be bringing an authentic taste of the tropical flavors of Hawaii filled with aloha vibes to Beijing and Shanghai this September!
'āina started as a brunch pop-up in late 2014 that attracted long lines of foodies that came from near and far, which led to a permanent restaurant opening in 2016 in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco serving both brunch and dinner. In just a few short years, ‘āina has already received immense success as they were named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Thrillist, one of the Top Restaurant Openings of 2016 by Zagat, one of the Best Restaurants of 2016 by SF Weekly, Best Brunch and Bay Area's 50 Top New Dishes by San Francisco Magazine, featured in the New York Times, and were also awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
With Chef Jordan Keao's roots in Hawaii, ‘āina is inspired by authentic Hawaiian cuisine and its local traditions and customs. A homage to his love for Hawaii and to show the world the complexity and depth of his homeland's cuisine, he explains his philosophy behind ‘āina:
"Aloha! ‘āina is a modern Hawaiian food concept that serves food with a distinct Hawaiian influence with a breath of the classics. Everything we serve is from the land and rooted in what the land has given to us. We cook with the seasons and with love, using fine dining techniques and local ingredients from the Bay Area as well as specially imported ingredients from Hawai'i. The ‘āina concept strives to be a love letter to the islands, by merging the attraction of Hawaiian-inspired cuisine, the warmth and hospitality of the island spirit with a refined sensibility and great service in a casual and welcoming atmosphere."
From what started as a pop-up in San Francisco, we are delighted to team up with the amazing ‘āina team for their first ever international pop-up event.
In his own words, ‘āina's Executive Chef and Owner Jordan Keao will be in Beijing and Shanghai to "introduce our Hawaiian flavors, in the form of pop-ups at the restaurants of the Hatsune Restaurant Group, offering a taste of three of our most popular dishes. We are excited to work together with Alan Wong and the Hatsune team to bring our Hawaiian cuisine to China!"
1. Ahi Limu Poke' with Inamona
In order to honor and represent the traditional version of Poke that was created by the Hawaiian people, our poke utilizes the limu (seaweed) and ahi (tuna) which is offered from the ocean, and the ti leaf and inamona (kukui nut) which is offered from the land.
2. Kalua Pork Belly, with Okinawan Sweet Potato and Kimchi
This dish represents the traditional flavor of cooking a pig in an imu (an underground oven), creating a distinct flavor of banana leaf and mesquite kiawe wood. Cooking in an imu used to be the primary cooking technique for the Hawaiian people.
3. Haupia and Olena Ginger Tart with Fresh Fruit and Guava Puree
Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian dessert highlighting coconut, and we also want to highlight Olena ginger, which is a Hawaiian ginger very similar to turmeric. Guava is also a commonly used fruit in Hawaii, and one of Chef Jordan's favorite fruits.
Alongside these three dishes by ‘āina, Alan Wong and our talented sushi chefs will be presenting a tropical welcome cocktail, a truffled edamame starter, and our own Hawaii-inspired sushi roll.
A big MAHALO to Chef Jordan and his team for bringing a true taste of thoughtful and delicious Hawaiian cuisine to our foodies in both Beijing and Shanghai!
We look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming pop-up dinners!
Aloha ʻĀina Pop-Up Dinner Dates:
Saturday, September 9 @Hatsune Taikoo Li, Beijing
Sunday, September 10 @ HANA by Hatsune (China World Mall), Beijing
Thursday, September 14 @ Hatsune iAPM Mall, Shanghai
Time: 6-10pm
RMB 380 per person includes five-course set menu and welcome Hawaiian cocktail
Limited seating, advanced reservations required
Phone reservations: 186 1004 6093 (EN), 188 1094 2130 (CN)
Email reservations: Kristen@hatsunesushi.com (EN), yoona@hatsunegroup.com (CN)
This post is provided by the Hatsune Group
Photos by @joeywan, @allieeats, Kwek Ju-Kay, Molly DeCoudreaux, @BayAreaFoodCritics, and Daniel Chang @this.is.chang