Hot-pot restaurant tries out new recipes

Motsu-Nabe ($9.75 split pot, $18.75 full order)

When you pull up to Sweet Home Cafe on South King Street, seeing two signs that bear the restaurant’s name might initially be confusing. No worries, though — this just indicates two different seating areas for the mega-popular Moiliili eatery, so that as many patrons as possible can be accommodated.

Since 2008, Sweet Home Cafe has been a haven for the most comforting Taiwanese-style hot-pot broths and select ingredients.

One of two signs that hang outside Sweet Home Cafe. The Moiliili restaurant offers two eating areas for convenience.

The newest addition to this steamy array of options is Motsu-Nabe ($9.75 split pot, $18.75 full order), made up of all-natural ingredients.

Motsu-Nabe is a Japanese dish that is high in protein and contains unique ingredients such as tripe and offal. At Sweet Home, the meal comes with two options for the soup base: Shoyu or Spicy Miso.

Assorted sauces are available for extra flavor.

“Intestine is popular in Japanese cuisine,” says chef Shunya Akatsu. “Hawaii thinking is so flexible about food, just like Japanese — what’s good for you is good, what’s bad for you is bad. Intestine is so good for the body; it has a lot of collagen and vitamins. And it’s actually not high-calorie.”

The new dish also comes packed with tasty additions (included in the price), such as cabbage, chives, garlic and gobo, or fibrous Japanese root vegetable.

Furthermore, take advantage of the establishment’s happy hour special from 4 to 6 p.m., and add any meat to your broth for just $3. Another thing to note is, according to manager Takuto Yasuda, Fridays between 7 and 8 p.m. usually is a good time to come to avoid longer wait times.

Sweet Home Cafe

2334 South King St.,Moiliili
947-3707
Nightly, 4-10 p.m.