Taste

Tonight, Taste will close it’s doors and I just had my last meal there. Taste was always a «project» and I knew it would come to an end, so bittersweet was the feel of the night. So since it is closing in a less than an hour, this is more so of a thank you/​farewell «review»…I can’t believe I have never written a review for them!
TASTE was exactly as it names implies — a place where you can taste some of the most popular food trends, and some of the most underground and undiscovered food, all in the same place. It was the chameleon of eateries– ever changing and always adapting to it’s environment and patrons. One night it’s a vietnamese noodle bar, the next morning it’s a creperie, the next, a catering vendor for your thanksgiving meal, the next — pop-​up home to a closed down, yet wildly popular food truck {read: MELT}, a trial ground for an upscale soon-​to-​be brick and mortar and most of all, a place where you run into friends and family. Taste introduced me to many of my favorite locals chefs, and was the launch pad to several popular brick and mortar eateries today. Here is a list of my all time favorite Taste pop-​ups, most of whom I would have never known had it not been for Taste:
Miso & Ale — pop ups around the island
Wade Ueoka — now MW
Pig & The Lady — now with a beautiful permanent space downtown
Kiba Café — one of my all time FAVES
Lee Anne Wong — soon to open a brick and mortar
Onda Pasta
and of course… Pili Group, «Gooch»…no words needed here!
Going to miss Taste a lot, thanks you guys, for coming up with such a genius idea for bringing local chefs and local eaters together to literally give us a «taste» of the crazy good eats that Oahu has to offer. Taste may no longer exist, but the businesses and chefs that came through that kitchen will continue to feed our hungry bellies, and we had you to thank for introducing us to them. Can’t wait to see what you guys come up with next!

Tried Cocina for the first time today here! It was advertised as Cocina’s last brunch before they closed their location down, so I was super happy to get some of their food in my belly~
Taste is a community kitchen where different businesses set up shop for a few hours a day. I’ve been to taste once before and from that experience and this one, this place is really hit or miss depending on who’s running the kitchen that day!
It’s pretty tiny in here so you might have to wait awhile if its a popular business. There’s also very limited seats, maybe about two tables inside, a few tables outside in the front, and a picnic table and two tables in the back. Don’t be shy to seat with strangers if you see an open spot!
Anyway~ On to the food yes? :)
«Egg Benedict» — Delicious Mexican take on a classic brunch staple. On top of a flaky biscuit was a ground chorizo patty, a oozy slow cooked egg, topped with salsa/​hot sauce (?), crumbled cheese, and a black bean sauce. All of this was nested on top of a black bean spread.
Horchata French Toast — Omg amazing. Soft, pillowy, sweetness T^T! Those are tears of joy and the pain in my stomach as I keep stuffing more food into it haha! I wish I could have this for breakfast all the time… and this is coming from someone who doesn’t care for sweets in the morning.

It was a great run while it lasted.
Mark «Gooch» Noguchi’s permanent pop-​up style eatery in Kaka’ako provided a springboard for so many up and coming chefs and restaurants. Some of the successes that came up through the Taste kitchen include The Pig & The Lady, Miso & Ale, and Cocina. Taste has even served as a temporary home for some out-​of-​towners, like Keizo Shimamoto’s Ramen Burger, and Poi Dog Snack Shop from Philadelphia, who came to Honolulu to spread their culinary wonders.
Due to the ever changing nature of Kaka’ako, the building that Taste is in will eventually be closed out, and transformed into something totally new and exciting. This leaves January as the last month for Taste to keep the kitchen open. That leaves us just one more week enjoy this pop-​up paradise.
I’m just hoping that someone, if not Gooch, continues the permanent pop-​up kitchen concept that Taste has shown Honolulu.

The concept of this place is pretty neat because it allows chefs to experiment with food and gives them a kitchen to prepare it in. A lot of chefs have come in and out of this place and I’m actually sad that it will be closing at the the end of this month.
I’ve never been in the kitchen so I’m not sure how big it is but as for the inside dining area, it’s fairly small and only seats about 12 people. It’s a bit tight. They have an additional dining area in the back that’s outdoors.
I recently found out that you could park in the lot next to the building for free.

I’m sad that I didn’t make it over here until it’s last month of operation, and that the only meal I had here was not of knock your socks off proportion.
The idea of a rotating restaurant in one space is not a new concept to the food world, but it is something that we don’t have here and one that many cities lack. Having a chance to sample the tastings of many different chefs is a wonderful opportunity especially when they’re able to bring in chefs from areas outside Honolulu and we can experience food that is not readily available here. The pop up phenomenon also has helped some chefs get the amount of buzz needed to start their own restaurant which is wonderful.
The space inside is a bit small and cramped, but there is also seating available outside. This is definitely not the place to sit down and spend a few hours over a lovely meal, but more so eat enjoy and leave.
Although I hear there are no current plans to relocate the space, I do hope they find a way to keep this concept growing in the area.

I went yesterday to Taste bcs I saw an Instagram friend post the menu for Good Clean Food Hawaii that was being showcased there… and it was completely PALEO!!!
Ohmygoodness, I got super excited about that!
No soy, grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugar and no crappy vegetable oils!
I quickly looked up Taste on Unilocal and got the directions. My boyfriend and I were shopping at Costco and it was 12:30pm. I told him that we had to make it before 2:30pm bcs that’s when they closed up shop. We hurried at Costco and he rushed at Home Depot and then we were on our way. We got there at 1:50pm but GCF had already ran out of what I had wanted to try, the Braised Beef and their paleo bread. Shucks.
Instead I got their curried short rib and brussel sprout salad along with their paleo brownie. The short ribs were cut up already and looked so good through the plastic clear container cover that I started eating once I got into the car. Thank goodness I wasn’t driving. The meat was nice and tender, flavorful and overall yummy. The salad was a little too acidic for me but still pretty tasty. I don’t usually eat my brussel sprouts raw so it was cool to try it another way.
Now paleo baking is tricky since we use almond, coconut or tapioca flour along with other veggies and such so the texture is not always the same as using regular flour. I wasn’t too crazed about the brownie but it wasn’t bad.
Good Clean Food Hawaii is there every Tuesday for lunch until Taste closes at the ending of Jan.
From GCF Hawaii’s instagram posts they are at the Pearlridge farmers market on Saturdays. Too bad, cuz I have work on Saturdays and I go to Kaka’ako farmers market.
I’m determined to make it next Tuesday to Taste to try GCF’s paleo bread.

This can only be reviewed as a space, not sharing a review with the vendors. In the hub of Kaka’ako next to Bevy, Taste is a community space that allows chefs to provide service for lunch or dinner. Sometimes pop up restaurants will use the space, or chefs who come here to experiment on dishes will take a night or two.
Parking is available on the street, or walk a block away to the eat the street lot. Seating is hard to come by with one table and counter inside and maybe some additional outdoor seating. Unless the vendor has a phone app to take credit card transaction, expect to pay cash.
With all that said, you can’t beat trying something new and unexpected at Taste. There is a level of eliteness felt by being one of the few to try a dish. Go on their website to check who will be there and give it a try. I have yet to be disappointed.

TASTE’s corn pesto ($ 11), by far the best pesto I’ve ever had. Not only is pesto one of my all-​time favorite foods, it’s what I usually order when I go out to eat this type of cuisine. The portion didn’t look like much at first but as I dug in with my fork, it was more than substantial. Homemade fettuccine noodles, bits of bacon and topped with a serving of milled corn. Like, corn? Seriously? DUDE. YES. SERIOUSLY. CORN! The aforementioned profiles alongside that fresh flour/​eggy noodle flavor was freaking dynamite! So good, it made me nut (or better, egg yolk) my pants.
I’ll admit, I was a bit hesitant about trying TASTE. Today, in a room full of yuppies and fit pretty people, on a Friday, during lunch hour. I was like, «man, totally not my scene.» Happens when you hang around with stoners, punk rockers and starving artists. Then again, no one seemed to care or even bothered. They were too busy taking smartphone selfies and food porn, while (pretending to or actually) chowing down. It’s no wonder they all come to this place. The round stocky Filipino dude with the long hair and Italia soccer jersey, for once, fit in.
Only gripe have about TASTE is their coconut water ($ 2). For a place known for their kitchen magic, I was expecting the coconut water it to be fresh and chilled. Instead, the gent taking my order handed me a small juice box, which was kept at room temperature. It also tasted horrible. But obviously, no points docked for that. And next time, I should ask instead of assume.
Thanks again for the lunch recommendation, Brian A. TASTE is the plAcE
5 stars
TASTE in Kaka‘ako

Cam for lunch with a coworker the other Friday so the menu leaned towards Italian. I, ordered the OPAH burger or sandwich. It was delicious, comes with a nice serving of interesting greens and balsamic dressing. Also tried the portabello with gorgonzola cheese — omg perfect with the carmelized onions… although I’m a meat lover I would goe for this one again.
Order at counter, seat yourself, there’s inside tables or a back alley area, which you walk through the kitchen to get to. I am coming back for more and will follow them on Instagram to see which days to come here for what.

Review about Onda Pasta: Dallo Zozzone at TASTE
I LOVE carbs. If carbs were a man, I’d put a ring on him & devour my «dreamboat» finacee before we could walk down the aisle. Since I’m still waiting for carbs to take on a human form, I’ll happily settle for dates with Onda Pasta.
When I received my Taste newsletter this week, I noticed Onda Pasta was doing something a little different with their menu. Onda Pasta decided to shake up their usual pasta menu & tried a new concept: Dallo Zozzone (a Zozzone truck is where one goes for a late night bite in Rome).
Normally, I like to stick with the same entrees because they’re guaranteed to make my heart swoon, but I decided to go with the flow; I ordered «The Tiber Catch» panini & couldn’t resist trying their Carbonara. After reviewing the menu a second time, I realized I overlooked the «Polpette» panini & immediately placed a second order for this meatball sensation.
This was my first time trying brand spanking new entrees with Onda Pasta; my only regret is not being able to completely devour three plates of their Italian food. I’m still daydreaming about their Carbonara; the combination of bacon, egg & Parmigiano Reggiano cheese created a symphony of flavor. Thank you Andrea & Jessica for introducing me to this Italian tradition; I don’t know how I’ve gone my entire life without trying Carbonara before?
On the other end of the spectrum, their «Tiber Catch» panini is the first entrée on the menu for a reason. The panini is made with seared Opah, caramelized onions, salad greens & caper fennel aioli on a Cibatta bun; I love how Andrea incorporated the Hawaiian Opah & Nalo greens into their authentic Italian cooking.
There’s more. The «Polpette» panini is hands-​down the best meatball sandwich I’ve had in my life; you’ll immediately notice the TLC from the fresh pomodoro (tomato) sauce & individually handcrafted meatballs. Onda Pasta goes above & beyond with the quality of their ingredients & never rushes the cooking process, that’s why you can taste love in every bite.
Don’t worry, the leftover «Polpette» & «Tiber Catch» paninis with side salads went to the legendary guys at In4mation Hawaii.
In case you missed out on today’s Dallo Zozzone special, be sure to check Onda Pasta out at Taste next week Friday (09.13.13). Also please stalk Onda Pasta on all of your social networks, their appetizing Italian food will transport you to foodie heaven.

I was really disappointed in the event here… First of all, the place is kind of a dive… crowded, poor layout.
The lobster rolls were a disappointment… lobster was fresh and tasty, but the rolls were waaay to small and dry. Very pricey for what we got. Sorry guys, you have lots of homework to do.
Chips were hard and the wait was waaaaay too long!
Don’t think I’d go to another Taste event again…

T’was a Peruvian night tasting for Mimi’s Restaurant at Taste. I must say, it was quite an experience. Went here with the Unilocal group and it was a nice simple setting with everything cooked authentic compare to what I had back home.
My guest and I ordered the Lomo Saltado, Ceviche De Mahi Mahi and Arroz Con Pollo. The Lomo Saltado was a hit. It seems everyone ordered this dish and it was quite tasty and a hit.
The Ceviche De Mahi Mahi, was prepared just right with the giant corn and yams on the side, onions, and nice soft Mahi Mahi with a dash of lemon for taste. I would highly order this and the Lomo Saltado again.
The Arroz Con Pollo could use more seasonings and it was bland than what I’m normally use to. Normally this dish is seasoned filled with eclectic amounts of flavors.
My wish list for next time:
Alfajores
Aji De Gallina
Over all I would come back to Taste for more food tasting and I would recommend going to Mimi’s Restaurant as well and trying their other dishes.

My first time at «Taste» and I liked it. The whole concept is so creative. I loved it even more because I knew The Pig and the Lady were serving dinner during the «Night Market». Wasn’t too surprised to find Jo Y. and her husband there already.
Venue: Empty restaurant that can be used by chef’s for «pop up’s» and other special events. Indoor and outdoor seating under tents. Menu published and displayed and written on a chalk board. Give your order to the lady, pay the money and find a seat. They will deliver the food to you when it’s ready. Or at least that’s how P and L does it. No frills, but, we were there for the food.
Talked my wife and daughter into coming down to the Night Market. They were willing and were very happy to find something to buy at the Night Market «Pop Up Shopping» area before dinner. They were in a good mood already!
Dinner: Bacon Phở had large thick slices of the most tender bacon flavored pork I have ever experienced. Included the usual noodles and veggies and sprouts. I think it was $ 13 but an amazing taste experience. My wife loved it and I tasted it too. 5 Stars from me… the bacon makes the dish extra special. Daughter had the French Dip Banh Mi. I tasted this one too. It was even better than the Phở! Thick sliced tender beef. A bit messy to eat but the flavor was worth it! I chose the Vegetarian Croquette with curry. Another 5 stars! We were on a roll! Also got the chocolate dessert. Very small portion but such rich chocolate taste! Bigger portion please!
My 5 Stars is due to the fact that I’ve had many P & L meals now and I still want to go back for more. I love the fact that «Taste» exists and gives these guys a venue to provide such excellent food.

It’s simply a matter of Taste.
Having observed check-​ins from various Unilocal friends, I was excited to finally try this place for lunch recently with a few Elites in tow:
Jacob N., Maka K., and Elite hopeful Sandra K.
CONCEPT: I was thankful that Jacob and Maka explained to me that different chefs rotate/​take turns utilizing the kitchen thus producing a varying menu weekly.
Please see
for full details and events.
PARKING: It’s challenging in this part of town. I believe all of us parked in metered stalls, which allow a maximum of 2 hours.
FOOD: Unfortunately (and sadly) I did not take note of which chef/​business was in the kitchen that day. After looking over the menu, I chose the ono fish tacos priced at $ 11. I probably should have ordered something else (to try), but chose not to since I didn’t know what the portion size of the tacos would be like.
Sandra also chose to order the fish tacos, which both found very satisfying, though the portion was a little smaller than I expected.
I appreciated that Maka and Jacob shared some of the «side dishes» and dessert with us. I got to sample the fried avocado, the papas fritas (potatoes), and the bread pudding. All of the other dishes I was able to try were just delicious. After trying the potatoes, I regretted not ordering this side for myself.
SETTING: The seating area is not large. There is a «counter space» but not many stools available, as it seems this was meant as «stand and eat» area so to speak. There are a few tables set up aside from counter space, and other than that there is no outdoor seating at all fyi.
PAY: On this day, cash or credit was accepted. My credit payment was processed thru square technology.
Bottom Line: I absolutely would want to return in the future to try different menus/​food items. I think the concept is fresh and brilliant as there is opportunity to try food items from various chefs.

YAY! REVIEW 100! I saved it for Taste. I could have written this review last month, but I wanted to wait ^_^
Parking:
I feel like this is really the only downside. Parking is pretty much street parking only, unless you work nearby and are walking over, and can sometimes be hard to find. The streets are metered, and parking is free after 6 or 6:30pm.
Concept/​Food:
Taste is essentially a brick and mortar restaurant space for various foodtrucks and/​or mobile food vendors to have pop-​ups in. Every day there’s a different vendor/​chef in the kitchen, so the menu is constantly changing.
The vendors are contracted quarterly, so the same vendors will be setting up on the same day for the same lunch or dinner time for a quarter of the year. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ll serve the same foods every week! For example, even if you go to Taste every Tuesday (which recently has been taken care of by Ono To Go), there’s always something new or something missing compared to the previous week.
The constant change is what I love most! You’ll never get tired of what they offer because day-​to-​day and week-​to-​week, there’s always something different coming out of the kitchens! What also really great, is the food is always really fresh!
If you want to know the schedule for who’ll be in the kitchen, check out their website (
).
Pricing:
So just like the total variety of food, there’s a big variety on price. I’d say that the average price of an entrée across all the vendors thus far has been about $ 10 or so. Personally, because I love the concept of Taste so much and the food quality is always great, I’m willing to suck it up a little on the price, even though there are some times I think it’s a bit pricy. Although, I definitely know some would consider it overpriced simply based on portion sizes.
Seating:
They have a couple of counter seats against the wall and a couple of table inside the restaurant, but there’s normally additional seating outside on the sidewalk and in the alleyway behind the restaurant. I normally don’t find seating to be an issue unless something unusual is going on, like the Honolulu Night Market when the place gets overrun with people.
Conclusion:
LOVE THIS PLACE! The vendors are always so nice, the food is delicious, and it’s in the area that I frequent a lot. I’m definitely a return customer!

I think Taste fills a void in the dining scene. The idea of staging various pop-​up ventures each week had me quite curious.
We visited back in September when Miso & Ale was doing a play on McDonald’s. The concept was catchy, and we were eager to finally step foot into Taste. The cash register was replaced with an iPad. The wait wasn’t too long. I tried the pork belly nuggets, which were good… until I bit into a nugget comprised of pure fat: x Our meals came packaged in old-​school happy meal boxes, complete with an actual happy meal toy. Neat!!! Until I realized how old the things actually were: p
Overall, I felt that the food was expensive. We were no where near full and had to actually grab fast food on the way home. I liked the idea, but the execution left me a bit disappointed.
I haven’t really been tempted to go back to Taste. Their breakfast offerings are limited. The parking in the area is a pain. And seating is rather limited.
The only reason I would ever come back is probably for one of those noodle nights hosted by Pig & the Lady.

I absolutely love the idea about behind this «restaurant». Correct me if I’m wrong, but basically it’s a place where different «chefs» can come and cook and serve their food. So you could potentially have 7 different chefs in a week. That’s kinda cool if you think about it. They just pop-​in and pop-​out. I guess that’s where they get the same pop-​up restaurant.
Anyways, I went when it was Onda Pasta because I saw their sign on the Farmers’ Market. I wanted to check out their other items so I went. I had their vodka sauce gnocchi, which was good… probably only because I love gnocchi. And I got to try some of their clam pasta… which was a bit on the salty side, but still good. What I especially loved was their chocolate moose. WoW that thing was great!
I will have to return to check it out when it’s a different restaurant soon!

Had the Mex Taco’s yesterday. Everything is made fresh.
Different Chef’s visit weekly.

Brilliant! I heard about Taste before they opened but it took me a little while to really understand the idea. I decided the best way to understand was just GO! It is a brick & mortar little spot that opens it’s kitchen to different chefs, like your favorite pop-​up food vendors, each day of the week. So one day you’ll get yummy yummy waffles and the next you’re slurping scrumptious noodles. I follow their posts on Facebook for up-​to-​date info on what’s cookin’ that day.
1^st visit: Special visit by Zaratez Mexicatessen. W.O.W. I’m in loooove. Been looking for some good mexican food on island and I just found it. Had the suadero mulitas (OMGsoFreakin’Delicious!) and carnitas tacos (taaacoooHeaven) with the staple sides. They frequent Tuesday’s so I have set a reminder on my calendar. Just sayin’
2^nd visit: {the very next day mind you} Cause I am a F.R.E.A.K for waffles! Brought the kids with me too and we couldn’t wait to dig our faces into the seasonal special Pumpkin Pie waffle, Belgian Torpedo and Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich. All so tasty but nothing {nothing} can touch the pumpkin waffle. I have dreams about it, it was THAT good!
*CC accepted! But bring change for the parking meter
*Group style seating, so cozy on up to your neighbor at the picnic table inside or out, use the handy wraparound counter or take it to go.
*Depending on who is serving, there are not alot of beverage choices, so BYO

Brilliant concept — one location, rotating chefs. The food and the menu never get old, because it’s always different. They always keep us guessing on who/what’s coming next. And not only do they limit their featured chefs to local chefs — they bringing celebrity chefs from the mainland, like Chef Lee Ann Wong.
The best way to find out what’s coming up at Taste is to check the schedule on their website:
This week they’re bringing Melt back for three days only (11/​27, 28, 29). Better get there early (11 am), as I’m sure there are going to be a lot of people lining up for a «taste» of their legendary grilled cheese sammies.