{"id":30994,"date":"2013-11-13T00:01:29","date_gmt":"2013-11-13T10:01:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/?p=30994"},"modified":"2013-11-12T16:18:18","modified_gmt":"2013-11-13T02:18:18","slug":"jason-takemura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaii.carpentermediagroup.com\/midweekpro\/jason-takemura\/","title":{"rendered":"Jason Takemura"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jo<\/a>

Jo McGarry photo<\/p><\/div>\n

Where were you born and raised? <\/B><\/I>Here in Hawaii. I went to the Mainland for culinary school and then worked my way back to the Islands.<\/p>\n

What sparked your culinary interest? <\/B><\/I>We always had family dinners and lots of cooking at home, and both of my grandmas were really good cooks, so they influenced me a lot. They definitely started my love of cooking.<\/p>\n

So I know you must have some great memories of dishes from your childhood. <\/B><\/I>Yes, in fact my grandma always made this incredible barbecue sauce, and so I took her recipe and I use it for our barbecue wings at Hukilau and here at Pagoda on our buffet. I adapted it, added chipotles and mango to give it some heat and a local touch, and now we have a house mango chipotle barbecue sauce that’s a family recipe.<\/p>\n

Since your team took over Pagoda, you’ve changed the menu, the dining room, the nighttime scene – while still keeping the buffet that local people love so much. It must have been hard to take an almost institutionalized kind of menu and make it contemporary. <\/B><\/I>Yes, when we came on board, Pagoda only was open for the buffet at night – no breakfast, no lunches. We did a walk-through the first night, and we were shocked that it was such a local place and yet there was no local food on the menu. Today there’s local product – local fish, Big Island beef, local greens, as much local food as possible on our menu – for breakfast, lunch and dinner.<\/p>\n

The restaurant looks completely different at night now. It has more of a bistro feel. Please share some dishes from the evening menu. <\/B><\/I>Right now we have smoked tako ahi, inamona poke, sizzling garlic ahi belly, kalua pig and shrimp spring rolls, boneless kalbi, glazed smoked pork, oysters on the half shell … For dinner, we have a fire-roasted ribeye that’s becoming pretty popular, too.<\/p>\n

Do you cook at home? <\/B><\/I>Not too much. I’m not home that much right now. We’re prepping for our turkey-to-go dinners (laughs). That’s a lot of work!<\/p>\n

What’s always in your fridge? <\/B><\/I>Lots of vegetables and not much else. My wife doesn’t eat meat.<\/p>\n

Favorite restaurants? <\/B><\/I>Lately I’ve been loving Yanagi Sushi … and trying lots of noodle places. I’m on a noodle kick for sure. For special occasions I love to go to d.k Steak House. They do an amazing job.<\/p>\n

With whom would you most like to have dinner at Pagoda? <\/B><\/I> My grandparents – they passed away early in my career and didn’t get to see me advance. It would be fun to cook for them and let them taste our food.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where were you born and raised? Here in Hawaii. 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