Remembrances of menus past—Roy's Millennium Jubilee Celebration

From the chapter: Menus—through the past

King David Kalākaua (1836-1891)

December 31, 1999

How did you celebrate the night of the turn of the 21st century? At our original Roy's Restaurant in Honolulu, we decided that this occasion would be the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to Hawaii's legendary King Kalākaua with a modern day replication of his 1886 Jubilee Celebration, which took place in Honolulu's Iolani Palace. We billed the event as a "Homage to Hawaii's Past, Present and Future Regional Cuisine."

A little bit of background: King Kalākaua will always be remembered for ushering in a true "Hawaiian Renaissance" during his reign (1874 to 1891). Among his many legacies was his insatiable interest in social, cultural and political issues, all on an international scale; while he was just as strongly devoted to the traditions of his beloved Hawaii, including the Islands' culinary heritage.

In our studies of Kalākaua's old menus, we found that his numerous state dinners were almost always incredibly expansive—22 courses and over a dozen different alcoholic beverages (including the finest European wines) were par for the course. Most of the dishes were proudly Hawaiian, and the service French in formality. A high priority was placed on maximizing conversation between guests, mingling closely with family and friends coming from near, far and wide.

Reporting on the occasion of the king's fiftieth birthday in 1886, The Daily Bulletin newspaper wrote that the Iolani Palace was set with myriads of fine bone china, silver and native wood calabashes:

The royal table is laid in a beautiful expanse of leaves and flowers... the menu included pig, raw and cooked fish, beef, papai (a kind of crab), limu, opae, dried fish, opelo, awa, chicken, turkey, duck, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas, oranges, Champagne, ale and soda water...

As if fearful of farewells, we read that the king's guests usually proceeded from the dining room to the Iolani Palace ballroom, cleared of everything except lush flowers and ferns; and it was not unusual for them to dance to waltzes, polkas and gavottes until the sun rose over Lē`ahi (Diamond Head crater).

Thus, when researching the king's Jubilee and other events, we couldn't help being struck by the idea that the globally influenced Hawaiian Regional Cuisine movement that we knew did not originate with a group of Island chefs during the early 1990s, but rather during the late 1800s by the "Merrie Monarch" (as Kalākaua was famously known) himself!

Conscious of that fact that we would experience a turn-of-the-century, let alone turn-of-a-millennium, celebration only once in our own lifetime, we endeavored to offer our longtime Roy's guests an event echoing the grandeur and scale of Kalākaua's numerous state dinners; our own celebration adding up to 16 courses and 14 different wines that could be enjoyed over the course of 5 or 6 hours, with music in the dining room and adjoining banquet room serving as our "ballroom" (not quite the 12 or so hours of pageantry of the original King's Jubilee!).

For our December 31, 1999 Millennium "Jubilee" menu, Roy Yamaguchi and his chef/partner Gordon Hopkins devised adaptations of the native Hawaiian delicacies and continental European dishes found in the historic archives of King Kalākaua's menus, going so far as preserving some of the original wording. Also following the nineteenth century fashion, we listed vegetables served with each course in a separate column.

Because of the obvious length of the night and sheer number of courses, wines were selected not just to match the dishes, but also for an overall sense of lightness and freshness in order to avoid tiring the palate (hence, the use of many of Roy's label wines, designed in this fashion primarily for food-versatility). We also selected wines to duplicate the "international" spirit of King Kalākaua's original dinners. Amazingly, as it turned out, all of our guests (numbering about 140) held up just fine from beginning to end, as they danced into the earliest hours of the year 2000.

The proceedings:

6:00 PM — Hawaiian Halau Reception (downstairs on Roy's lanai and grassy knoll)

Music and dance: Hula Kahiko of Ka Pa Lehua led by Kumu Hula Lehua Hulihe'e and Kumu Hula Doreen Doo

Roy’s “Revisionist” Dim Sum Cart:
Steamed Kalua Pork Cabbage Shiu Mai with ‘Opihi Relish
Steamed Black Mussels with Natural Jus Garlic Butter and Chardonnay
Steamed Pipikaula Pots with Chili Pepper Water
Wine: Roy’s “Millennium” Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs 1991 (special commemorative label bottling and cuvée by Iron Horse Vineyards in Green Valley/Sonoma)

Moi, “the fish of kings” in old Hawaii.

7:00 PM — The Millennium Dinner (upstairs around Roy's exhibition kitchen)

Music: The Cantabile Strings' Classical String Quartet

Menu:

Hawaiian Spiny Lobster Mulligatawny
Wine: Domaine Delmas, Crémant de Limoux 1993

Imu Oven Oyster “Lau Lau” with Champagne Sabayon—
Spinach, Baby Artichokes and Sweet Corn Flowers
Wine: Veuve Clicquot Brut 1991

Miso Cured Mullet with Sweet Maui Onion on Rock Salt—
Fried Green Hau’ula Tomatoes and Romaine
Wine: Roy’s, Pfalz “Euro-Asian” Riesling Kabinett 1998 (Deidesheimer Leinhöler by Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan)

Steamed Hawaiian Moi with Lomi Lomi Relish in Sizzling Truffle Oil—
Luau Leaf and Baby Bok Choi
Wine: Roy’s, Oregon Barrel Fermented Pinot Gris 1998 (by Rex Hill Vineyards)

Limu Crab Aborio Risotto—
English Peas and Asparagus
Wine: Roy’s, Santa Barbara Chardonnay 1998 (by Au Bon Climat)

Wood Roasted Pheasant with Foie Gras in Porcini Sparkling Burgundy Sauce—
Porcini and Yellow Wax Beans
Wine: Roy’s, Oregon Pinot Noir 1998 (by Rex Hill Vineyards)

Cassoulet of Wai’anae BoKe’ Farm Escargots with Ham Hocks—
Chanterelles and Basil Ribbons
Wine: Ici La-Bas, “La Détente” Mendocino and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 1997

Lamb Cutlets in Truffle Essence Sauce—
Truffled Potatoes, Haricots Verts and Baby Carrots
Wine: Beaux Frères, Yamhill Pinot Noir 1997

Roy’s Hudson Valley Canard a l’Orange with Grand Marnier—
Sweet Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas
Wine: Treana Red, Paso Robles 1996

Smoked Rack of Veal à la Francaise—
Scalloped Potatoes, Arugula and Morels
Wine: Roy’s, Santa Ynez Valley “Toscana” 1997 (Sangiovese/Syrah by Babcock Vineyards)

Kiawe Grilled Filet Mignon with Bone Marrow Bordelaise Sauce—
Roasted Beets, Fennel and Home Fry Potatoes
Wine: Roy’s, Napa Valley/Sonoma Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 (by Laurel Glen Vineyard)

Hawaiian Breadfruit Soufflé with Exotic Fruit—
Wine: Chambers, Rutherglen Special Tokay (Muscadelle, Australia)

Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate, Kulolo and Kona Coffee Petits Fours
Wine: Ferreira, “Duque de Braganca” 20 Years Old Tawny Port

After 10:30 PM - "Countdown to Ecstasy"

Music and Dance: "Little Big Band" Swing of Shari Lynn & Friends

Wine: Roy's "Millennium" Late Disgorged Blanc de Blanc 1991

Commemorative Gift: Roy's Millennium Hawaiian Wood Poi Bowl

Chant for King Kalākaua: Aloha a'e ana makou I ke ehu wawae o ka lani ("We will fondly remember the footprints of the King")