BY LINDSEY MURAOKA / Special to the Star-Advertiser
Last week I attended a preview of the new Good Eats Café at The Hawaiian Mission Houses, located at 553 S. King St. This is the second location of Good Eats; the first is located on South St. and both are owned by sisters Keri Denney and Jamie Ho.
The atmosphere is peaceful and cozy, which makes it a great place to relax while on a lunch break from work. It’s also nice to walk around and learn about the history of missionaries in Hawaii. Interesting fact: The Mission Houses is where the written Hawaiian language was developed.
The event started with a blessing ceremony by Kahu Curt from Kawaiahao Church.
Then it was time to eat! Good Eats specializes in delicious, yet healthy, sandwiches and salads made with locally grown ingredients. They have 18 different types of sandwiches to choose from, or you can customize your own. Today we got to try four of their signature sandwiches.
The Classic Ruben (Pastrami, sauerkraut, thousand island, and Swiss on toasted rye bread).
Jamie’s Favorite (Rotisserie chicken, avocado, mayo, arugula, sweet onion, tomato, and roasted red peppers on a ciabatta roll).
Rosie’s Roast Beast (Roast beef, bacon, provolone, pesto, mayo, sweet onion, spinach, red peppers, cracked black pepper, onion on ciabatta bread).
Shroom Delight (Grilled portebello mushroom with melted swiss, onion, olive oil, mayo, and arugula toasted on ciabatta bread).
If I had to choose a favorite, I would say it was Rosie’s Roast Beast because there are lots of delicious and vibrant flavors going on in that sandwich. (I also have weakness for crispy bacon and pesto.) The Shroom Delight is hearty, savory, and makes for a great vegetarian meal.
I’m not a big fan of beets, but these were cooked well and tasted sweet, like an earthy fruit punch. They contrasted nicely with the tangy goat cheese and arugula.
This Lentil Soup (vegetable broth, carrots, celery, and lentils) has a light and comforting flavor so it complements well with the savory sandwiches.
For dessert, a Key Lime Pie made with a secret recipe by Keri. The pie had a creamy custard texture with bright flavors that alternate between lip smacking tart and sweet.
For more information on The Hawaiian Mission Houses, find them on Facebook or Twitter.
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Lindsey Muraoka blogs about food and drink for the Pulse. Contact her on Twitter or via email at foodlalablog@gmail.com.