La Hiki Kitchen and La Hiki Steak chef Simeon Hall Jr., left; La Hiki Kitchen and La Hiki Steak executive pastry chef Helen Hong; Anne Lee; Four Seasons Ko Olina executive chef Richard Polhemus; and La Hiki Kitchen and La Hiki Steak general manager Lucy Cao.
ANNE LEE speaks with general manager LUCY CAO
There’s a fun, new experience at Four Seasons Resort Oahu and it can be found at La Hiki Steak — an extension of La Hiki Kitchen that is explained as the “child” of its parent restaurant.
“La Hiki Kitchen is the main kitchen of Four Seasons Ko Olina, we run the buffet, room service, the bar, the poolside menu and the dinner service which is La Hiki Steak,” shares general manager Lucy Cao. “La Hiki Steak has its own identity — it’s our evening concept within La Hiki Kitchen.”
Lechon Kewali ($15)
The idea of La Hiki Steak is to present a casual steak house environment for guests, but also with the exceptional quality of steak house cuisine.
“We want guests to have a kind of new view on a steak house. With La Hiki they can find local hospitality and our products are the best one can buy, all in an open air casual setting,” continues Cao. “Sometimes steak houses tend to be more formal, La Hiki Steak is very relaxed and refined. You can wear shorts — we like shorts. Overall, we are a community restaurant that is approachable and not just for special occasions — approachability is key.”
With Independence Day just around the corner, it will be the perfect chance to kick things off and try out La Hiki Steak’s experience with its Fourth of July special menu. Before you head down, here’s what else Cao has to say about La Hiki Steak’s exciting new adventure:
Cauliflower steak ($12)
AL: Can you explain the concept of La Hiki Steak?
LC: It is a steak house that is influenced by Hawaii and its ingredients — it is as island-to-table as you can make a steak house. We are supporting more than eight local farms with La Hiki Steak, so we definitely engage in a lot of local options as much as we can.
The idea was derived from our weekly steak night, and that was a successful night so we continued to build on it, using it as the special and increasing the days that the steak specials were offered. Eventually, everyone decided that this was the way to go — to offer steak nightly.
AL: What can guests can look forward to?
Bold Fashioned ($26)
LC: We started a butcher block that shows the steak sampling that guests can enjoy and try. We will also do “cuts of the week,” nightly specials that will be very meat-centric, but also making sure we connect with the local produce and vegetables.
Also at the opening we will be having a post service reception where guests can try some pass-around canapes and a cocktail from our menu. Our chefs will be greeting diners with this for the first hour, 5-6 p.m.
Although we are very steak-centric, we are mindful of the vegetarian dishes and the side dishes. When a guest wants to have a steak with their party, but some people in the party do not eat steak, we have them covered as well. We put a lot of emphasis on the sides and non-steak items so everyone is covered.
AL: Can you explain your wine and cocktail program?
The Butcher Block ($290, serves four)
LC: We have a lot of selections. We included a high-end premium world class selection of wines by the glass through our Coravin system, so guests can try a glass without having to buy the whole bottle.
We have amazing classic cocktails incorporating local brands, such as Ko Hana Rum signature cocktails. Our Bold Fashioned is a single barrel Ko Hana Koho Rum, bitters, local cane sugar and kiawe smoke at $26.
Our wait staff is well educated in our wines and are able to recommend pairing suggestions, we offer an extensive red by the glass list. We have tailored the wines to be suitable to complement our steaks. The prisoner blend is spicier, and recommended with the grass fed daily cut of meat.
AL: What are some of your most unique offerings?
LC: The grass fed local beef program is amazing, one of our top sellers that we have on the item, as well as our non-steak items, we also offer a cauliflower steak for $12, it is served with “Gribiche” dressing and crispy garlic.
Our House Bacon “Lechon Kewali” dish for $15, this is prepared tableside and grabs everyone’s attention. You can see it, hear it and smell it as it’s being prepared.
The butcher block is our chef’s selection of all the cuts on the menu, we price it at $290 but it feeds a party of four. It comes with three sides and all of the sauces, at the end of the day it’s a very good value.
AL: Anything else you’d like to share?
LC: It’s amazing! It’s definitely a destination for anyone who wants to have this experience — it’s very approachable and not just for special occasions. We are a family restaurant that everyone can come to and we have something for everyone. We are steak, but offer great beverage and non-steak programs for our guests and we tailor to guests’ requests.
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