Best Bites: Merriman’s is a Flavorful Homage to Locavore Living
(Partner Content) With a menu that goes hard on farm-to-table, Peter Merriman’s namesake restaurant is a celebration of Island tastes and sustainability.
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As one of the 12 founding chefs of Hawai‘i regional cuisine, Peter Merriman hardly needs an introduction. Same goes for his eponymous O‘ahu restaurant at Ward Village, whose effortlessly chic plantation-style space and farm-to-table menu puts Merriman’s love for the Islands front and center. Local sourcing is a big deal here, and you’ll find the dishes shine with the fresh flavor of ingredients that have been grown, raised or fished right here in Hawai‘i.
To start, we opt for the tako and country bread ($26) and Szechuan green beans ($14). Prepared á la escargot and served bite-size in a classic ceramic escargot plate, the pieces of tako are tender—no hint of overcooked rubbery texture here—and seasoned with garlic, parsley, cognac and pools of butter just begging to be sopped up by house-made bread. Szechuan green beans might seem comparatively simple, but don’t pass on them. The spicy Szechuan sauce is a complex flavor firecracker that adds zip and zing to snappy stir-fried green beans—a refreshing and welcome respite from tako and copious amounts of butter.
The taro falafel ($22) features deep-fried balls of mashed kalo on a bed of hearty tomato-braised black lentils. Topped with a cucumber, tomato and red onion relish and served with cilantro crème fraiche, this Island take has all the brightness of the traditional Greek dish. Another dish not to be dismissed is the lobster “pot pie” ($69), a limited-availability menu item that is an absolute must-try if you’re able to order it. This dish features equal parts Keāhole lobster and diver scallops plus potatoes and Waimānalo mushrooms, stewed in creamy velouté and baked under a flaky puff pastry crust. It’s pure love and comfort in food form, and, at nearly seven Hamiltons, a treat-yourself splurge worthy of birthday and anniversary celebrations.
Speaking of comfort food, save room for the bread pudding ($14), made with Maui Gold pineapple, chopped macadamia nuts, salted caramel and a scoop of made-in-house Tahitian vanilla ice cream. Sweet, but not overly so, it’s enough to share after a big meal, though you might find yourselves fighting over the last bite.
Merriman’s Honolulu, 1108 Auahi St. Suite 170, (808) 215-0022, @merrimanshonolulu
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