I've long envied the life of my good friend Dave Choo. A multi-talented writer and editor who works at local magazine shop Pacific Basin Communications, Choo is an encyclopedia of local food insights. Dave has just published a bunch of his reviews in book format, covering a variety of restaurants from mom-and-pops to polished hotel joints. Here is the third excerpt

Hanagasa Inn
1343 River St./ Map / 808-531-5988
M-F, 11 AM to 2PM and 4:30 PM to midnight, Sat., 4PM to midnight

Bright, clean flavors. That’s the thought that popped into my mind after I popped another piece of Nakami Iricha ($8.95) into my mouth. The chewy but tender slices of pig’s stomach (yep, that’s right) were infused with a sweet yet full-flavored shoyu sauce. Bell peppers, inions, konnyaku and shiitake mushrooms added crispness, chewiness and even more bursts of flavor. The whole thing went great with a bowl of rice. I was enjoying my Okinawan lunch at Hanagasa Inn, a homey hole-in-the-wall on the edge of downtown Honolulu and Nuuanu Stream, near Vineyard Boulevard. I found the Hanagasa Inn after I ran into one of its owners, Grant Murata, along River Street. I was looking for a good Chinese noodle shop in the area, and Murata was on his way to the fish market. He and I were best buddies in 1st and 2nd grade, after which he transferred to another school, and I didn’t see him again for more than 30 years. Anyway, Murata pointed out the Hanagasa Inn to me, and while he did his shopping, I slipped into the restaurant and into one of its comfortable booths. The Inn looks more like a private club than a public eatery. There is a small bar at one end and an even smaller performing stage next to it. Both are surrounded by a tiny sea of about 15 or 16 booths.

Almost immediately after sitting down, a waitress appeared at my table, ready to take my order. When I asked her for recommendations, she just giggled and then helped me leaf through Hanagasa’s six-page menu. There are Japanese favorites such as Ahi Tempura ($7.95), Chicken Katsu ($7.95) and Ten Don ($8.50); local favorites including Oxtail Soup ($8.95), Hamburger Steak ($7.95) and Ribeye Steak ($12.95); and Japanese Noodles, which include Nabe Yaki Udon ($12) and Tempura Udon ($8.50)> Of course, there are also Okinawan specials such as Pig’s Feet Soup ($8.95) and Rafute ($11.95) a slow-cooked belly pork. Lately there has been a spotlight shining on the low-fat, low-calorie Okinawan diet. But these people not only eat better than us, they eat less. Forty percent fewer calories than Americans and 17 percent fewer than the Japanese.

I know what you’re thinking: “If I had pig’s stomach on the menu, I’d eat less too.” But as far as I’m concerned, I’d order the stuff again in a heartbeat, healthy or not. The organ meat doesn’t have the otherworldly honeycombed texture of tripe. It also doesn’t have its musty flavor. The sliced pig’s stomach, which is cleaned thoroughly and boiled twice, looked and tasted like lightly cooked calamari or, better yet, abalone. It was delicious and filling. The meat and vegetables were quickly stir-fried with a simple sauce of garlic, shoyu, dashi and sugar along with a tiny bit of water, which binds the ingredients together. The quick sauce is then absorbed into or adheres to the pork and veggies. The result is a virtually fat-free flavor fest. My bowl of rice was gone in no time.

After he returned from the fish market, Murata slid into the open seat of my booth. He explained to me that while Oahu only has a handful of Okinawan restaurants, the Islands’ take on the cuisine in many ways is more authentic than that found back in the motherland. The food there has gotten even lighter and healthier. Murata wondered why traditional Okinawan food has never caught the Islands’ fancy like many other of Hawaii’s ethnic cuisines. I’m not sure myself. Someday, people will come around. The food is fresh, the flavors and textures are outstanding, and the dishes are low fat and relatively low calorie. Of course, you have to deal with all those pig parts. But if you just think a little about your heart and your health and you think a lot about abalone, you’ll be fine.

—Alex, 04/16/07