HONOLULU (HI Now) - If you think a golf course grill means sad hot dogs and lukewarm coffee, Chef Kristen Yanagawa is about to change your whole game. At Puakea Grill, located at one of Kauai’s newer golf courses in Lihue just five to seven minutes from the airport, the food is the main event, and the 18-hole par 72 course is a pretty great bonus.
Chef Kristin, a Kapaa-born-and-raised local girl, came up through Kauai Community College, worked in fine dining, Contemporary Flavors Catering and trained under mentor Chef Mark Oyama, and then sharpened her craft at Jocelyn’s Tapas Bar and Grill before deciding it was time to do things her way. When the course reopened under local ownership in 2022, she knew exactly what she wanted to bring: life, comfort, homestyle food, and a place where people could come together and have a genuinely good time without breaking the bank.
The menu reflects Hawaii’s beautiful cultural mosaic, spanning Asian flavors to continental classics, because the different cultures that came to the island brought their flavors with them. Standouts include coconut and maple syrup stuffed French toast, fluffy mochi pancakes, a Hawaiian-style poke with wasabi aioli and kabayaki drizzle on a won ton chip, the beloved loco moco, and a crispy ginger fried chicken that comes out perfectly consistent every time, thanks to cooking with gas.
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