A visit to Keoki’s Paradise in Po‘ipu is worth the trip. Since 1986, Keoki’s Paradise has been serving up fresh, island dishes that are both unique and scrumptious.
When I made my way to Keoki’s, I was greeted by Beverage Manager Maile Shklov. She welcomed me inside and gave me a brief history about Keoki’s and its charitable services to the community.
“Keoki’s opened up in 1986,” Shklov said. “Besides serving up good food, we also do a lot to help the community.”
Shklov gave a brief description of Keoki’s Legacy shirts. Shklov said that proceeds from the shirts are donated to various charities throughout the island.
“We started Legacy shirts on our 25th anniversary,” she said. “Our General Manager Derek Kessler feels it is important to get involved with the community.”
After Shklov gave me the spiel of Keoki’s charity work, she introduced me to Keoki’s Sous Chef Grant Carnes.
Carnes received his education from Scottsdale Culinary Institute. He began his career in Hawai‘i as an intern at Duke’s Waikiki, then he moved to Kaua‘i and worked at Duke’s Nawiliwili and later he opened up a Duke’s in Maui. Carnes moved back to Kaua‘i and has been cooking up onolcious entrees with Keoki’s for the past two years.
Carnes concentrates on using local ingredients for his dishes. He wants the flavors of his food to be uniquely Kaua‘i.
“We got some great items on the menu,” Carnes said. “We concentrate on using local ingredients from local farmers. We try to incorporate the flavors that originate on Kaua‘i, or, at least, throughout the islands.”
Carnes and his team prepared three dishes for Kaua‘i Times: Ahi Poke Tostadas, $10.95; Chinese Chicken Salad, $12.95; and Holua Sliders, $12.95.
Carnes brought a sampling of Keoki’s famous Ahi Poke Tostadas. These fun snacks are traditional ahi poke on crisp wontons and lightly sauced in edamame puree and wasabi drizzle. It’s a light pupu that is a perfect startup to any meal.
After the poke tostadas, Carnes served the Chinese Chicken salad. The salad has an abundance of delicious and healthy morsels. It consists of cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, edamame, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, orange sesame dressing, mandarin oranges, somen noodles and grilled chicken.
The last dish served was the Holua Sliders. The sliders are a combo of three sandwiches: cheeseburger, barbecue Kalua Pork and crab cake. If you’re looking for a dish with variety, good portions and scrumptious flavors, then the Holua Sliders is just the dish for you.
If you loved the lunch menu, you’re going to love the dinner menu. After Carnes described the dinner menu with precision detail, I was ready to make reservations and bring the ‘ohana to dinner the next chance I get.
“Since we are a steak and seafood house, we always offer four different types of fish,” Carnes said, “We purchase all of our fish from local fishermen. We don’t bring anything in that aren’t from Hawaiian waters. … Our most traditional fresh fish dish is our Keoki’s style. … It’s a sweet basil and garlic glaze.”
Carnes said that their most popular fresh fish entree is the Panko and Mac Nut Crust — it’s sautéed with Panko, parmesan and macadamia nut, and served with lemon caper beurre blanc.
Carnes also spoke about a new dish that has been on the menu for six months — the Seafood Risotto priced at $28.95.
“The Risotto is one of our most popular dishes right now,” Carnes said. “It has lobster, shrimp, scallop, fresh fish, mushrooms and chardonnay herb risotto.”
Carnes described the unique Tristan lobster that is part of the Seafood Risotto.
“Tristan is an island located off the southern tip of Africa,” Carnes said. “The Tristan lobster is offered in only four markets throughout the world — Tokyo, Paris, New York City and Hawai’i.”
Carnes said that the incorporation of the Tristan lobster within the menu is a very exciting time for the restaurant. As an entree, the Tristan Da Cunha Lobster tail is a half- pound lobster glazed in Keoki’s style and baked to perfection.
It wouldn’t be Keoki’s without its prime rib. Carnes explained that the prime rib is another hot seller. For $27.95 you get a slow roasted Double R Ranch signature served with horseradish cream and au jus. “We put the prime rib in a slow roast oven around noon every day,” Carnes said,” and it comes out at around 4:30 p.m. — right before we open.”
Keoki’s Paradise has many good things to offer. You can’t beat delicious, local ingredients. And not just that, but also knowing that eating at Keoki’s helps to benefit various charities and the community is extra incentive to get your grind on.
Keoki’s Paradise is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Local, live, contemporary Hawaiian music is performed nightly from 7 to 9 p.m., and on the first Friday of every month, local artist Ho’aikane performs. For reservations and more information call 742-7534 and visit www.keokisparadise.com.
