Fusion cuisine is king at Bangkok's first Hawaiian-Japanese fusion restaurant chain
You don't have to say "aloha" or wear a lei to gain admission to Mokuola Hawaii nor will you find Lau lau, the traditional dish of steamed fish and pork wrapped in taro leaves and a ti leaf. That's because the menu at this chain of Hawaiian-Japanese f
Founded in 2001, Mokuola Hawaii is the brainchild of Dexee Diner and has seven branches in Tokyo. The successful Japanese company opened it first overseas outlet in Thailand almost two years ago and has since expanded to South Korea and Taiwan.
Located in Siam Paragon's Food Passage zone, the restaurant is operated by Dexee subsidiary AD Emotion and boasts a Hawaiian holiday design concept. The name means "healing island" in Hawaiian and this idea is promoted through a healthy and light menu.
"The first Thai branch opened in 2014 at Mercury Ville with the Siam Paragon outlet following a few months later. We offer a wide range of easy-to-eat fusion food and desserts based on Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine and we have also created a selection of dishes to appeal to Thais," says Supakanya Chanthawilart, director and marketing manager.
"Most of the dishes come in large portions but because Thais prefer to share, the chef has added appetisers, cafe-style plates as well as smaller dishes featuring rice and a main dish.
The kitchen is in hands of a Japanese team and they use yellow curry and beef from Japan to ensure authentic flavours. They also offer a traditional Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco Combo (Bt260), which features hamburger patties topped with a fried egg over Japanese rice, served with salad, French fries and clear soup plus a selection of sauces ranging from barbecue, shio, original pepper to gravy and demi-glace.
Supakanya says the Garlic Chicken Plate (Bt190), which comes with shoyu-flavoured rice, a boiled egg, soup, sliced tofu and a refreshing yoghurt fruit salad, is particularly popular with local office workers after a quick lunch.
Popular desserts include Berry Blossom Pancake (Bt190), a soft yet crispy pancake paired with fresh sliced strawberries, blueberries, white chocolate chip and low-fat berry whipped cream, and the Japanese-style Pancake (Bt210), with red bean, sticky mochi, orange brulee and plain whipped cream smothered with green tea matcha sauce.
"Our chef has developed a special flour to make the pancakes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The texture is very enjoyable even when the pancakes are eaten cold," Supakanya says.
In addition to coffee and tea, the restaurant also offers a wide range of smoothies, mocktails and colourful cocktails, among them the Pele, a mixture of orange, strawberry and mango, and Blue Lemon Squash, a blend of blue lemon, honey, soda and lemon juice.
Mokuola Hawaii also has branches at Mercury Ville and EmQuartier too.
RELATED