It seems that now is the time to call on Hawaii for menu inspiration. Maybe guests can dream of the tropical locale easier than they can visit it at the moment. (There’s a 14-day mandatory quarantine for tourists who arrive to the islands before the end of July 2020, and after that, a gnarly COVID-19 test prior to travel is required.)
But the flavors and essence of Hawaii always work on the mainland, and especially now for several reasons. Not only does Hawaiian fare breath summer, it can be as simple as pineapple, mango or coconut flavoring with Hawaiian menu wording, like paradise, lava or tropical. A celebration of Hawaii can also easily be achieved without meat, which has to be attractive to operators right about now. And if fish sounds healthier and more refreshing than beef, Hawaii comes through with its popular poke. Speaking of which … upscale New York eatery David Burke Tavern recently added Canned Tuna Poke to the menu. If the pros do it, obviously you are not limited to fresh fish to pull off your own version of the now iconic Hawaiian dish.
But perhaps it’s time to revisit the tropical fruits that make up beverage and dessert opportunities. Dunkin’ offers new Dunkin’ Refreshers—a rejuvenated take on the old Arnold Palmer that combines green tea with fruit concentrates. One of the flavors is dragon fruit. Likely, most folks haven’t tried dragon fruit before, but what a great, inexpensive introduction for tropical adventurists.
Lion’s Choice has a new Hawaiian Delight Sundae. It breaths Hawaii with such few tropical ingredients as pineapple and a cookie featuring coconut and macadamia nuts.
Passion fruit is a rising darling of Hawaiian tropicals. If you aim for authentic Hawaiian, check into the yellow lilikoi version versus the more common purple variety. In Hawaii, usage of the word passion fruit is only for the benefit of tourists. Locals would never call it that. Lilikoi is larger and more tart than its purple cousin. It’s a popular flavor for shave ice, and in that case is often drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.
King’s Hawaiian bread presents another sweet opportunity to highlight the islands, though an under-utilized option. Its pleasant flavor could be part of an island-themed breakfast LTO featuring Hawaiian French toast, as could anything with now-trendy coconut milk.
There are so many ingredients that carry Hawaiian overtones (mango, pineapple, coconut, macadamia nut, tuna, kalua pig, SPAM, etc.) that it isn’t hard to bring the island theme to a promotion. A dish only needs one or two of those ingredients and a reminiscent name. Here are some current menu item names that call upon the lingo:
Burgers
- The Hawaiian Five-o
- Da’ Big Kahuna (Kahuna is a Hawaiian word!)
- Amazing Aloha Yum Burger
Pizza
- Maui Zaui
- The Hilo
- Diamond Head
- Hula Hawaiian
- Pineapple Chicken Luau
A brainstorming session may be about all that’s needed to pull off a Hawaiian-themed promotion of food or drink. Bring the vacation cheer home to your over-sheltered guests—and tell me what you think.
Jody
