Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Adventures in Dining | September/October 2003

Adventures in Dining
BY Sophia V. Schweitzer

Kona's Surfside Favorite

Honest fare and a prime location on Kailua Bay have kept Huggo's going strong since the '60s

Back in 1969, when Kailua-Kona was still a sleepy town, Hugo and Shirley von Platen Luder, fun-loving entrepreneurs, opened a little hangout for local fishermen-a place to "talk story" over a pint or two. With decent "grinds," copious amounts of liquor, friendly proprietors and an oceanfront location, Huggo's, as they named it, became wildly popular.

That cozy watering hole of yesteryear has grown into a classy restaurant that sprawls alongside reefs teeming with marine life. Your table might be a few feet away from lapping waves, on a lanai overlooking the Kona Coast. Sailboats may drift lazily in the distance, while the aroma of grilled fish travels the dancing lights of tiki torches. That's rule No. 1: You'll want to be at Huggo's in time to watch a sunset. We are talking romance, ambiance and superb fresh food. Huggo's consistently receives the West Hawai'i Today Readers' Choice Best Dining Atmosphere honors. So when asked to check things out, I said yes, oh yes. And one summer night not long ago, my partner, Rick, and I settled on Huggo's patio, our chairs as if suspended over tidal pools.

Huggo's cuisine does not compromise. Executive chef Cliften "Loetree" Berry's casual blend of Asian-American-local fare is plentiful, honest and unabashed. "You have to try the Asian-style mushrooms," says our waiter, Carl Koomoa. A true professional, Koomoa has been with the restaurant for 16 years. Indeed, heaps of earthy shiitake and button mushrooms arrive sizzling with fragrant spices-cilantro, lemongrass, ginger and garlic are recognizable. Simple, straightforward and unbelievably good. And if it is true that one can rate a Hawai'i restaurant by the quality of its sashimi, Huggo's tops the charts. "We cut about 7 pounds of sashimi every night, and sometimes that is not enough," says Hugo von Platen Luder Jr., the founders' son, who has been operating the company since 1981.

Huggo's entrées include Kona's aquafarm jumbo shrimp as well as a variety of vegetarian meals. Rick almost falls for the certified Angus beef, then chooses Huggo's acclaimed teriyaki steak. Over the years, Huggo's has adapted to modern, lighter tastes, but this original remains. "We tried taking it off the menu about 10 years ago and there was almost a riot," von Platen Luder says.

I opt for Huggo's famous fresh catch-'ahi, ono or mahi- mahi-offered in various preparations, and grilled, seared, blackened, sautéed or steamed to order. Popular is ono in a crab, mozzarella and parmesan crust. My choice? Grilled 'ahi topped with a passion fruit miso sauce, sweet, sour and salty at once, cooked rare. Wasabi and macadamia nut mashed potatoes and a colorful splash of snowpeas tempt me to break away from the fish.

To match its eclectic menu, Huggo's wine list accommodates more than 80 wines-18 of these by the glass. It includes "discoveries" of lesser known libations, such as a summer-svelte Italian pinot grigio from Alto Aldige and a stormy French chateau neuf du pape. But for our hearty appetizers we choose a palate-cleansing wine, a Markham sauvignon blanc from Napa with notes of freshly cut grass. For the teriyaki steak, we select a Rabbit Ridge "Barrel Cuvée" zinfandel. The wine's smokey sage aromas mollify the intense flavors of the meat. A Rodney Strong, Sonoma, pinot noir accompanies the 'ahi. Yes, a red wine. "The idea that whites go with fish, reds with meat, was tossed into the ocean when we created this list," says John Caires, Huggo's general manager.

At Huggo's, you want to save room for dessert. "Pele's Tart," says Caires with authority. "Ginger crème brûlée," declares Koomoa and his helper, Rob. How should a polite guest respond? Imagine, then, dark chocolate ganache under a blanket of red strawberry purée, as dangerous and seductive as the goddess Pele herself, her fire extinguished only by a generous scoop of Tahitian vanilla ice cream.

Ahh, to be in paradise. Behind us, Kailua-Kona's traffic picks up on a busy Friday night. From Huggo's adjacent beachside bar, Huggo's On the Rocks, dance music floats our way. Here we are, with a murmuring ocean at our feet, the balmy air redolent with promise, grateful as the night is beautiful for exquisite surfside dining in an old-time restaurant that's never really lost its popularity.

Huggo's, 75-5828 Kahakai Road, Kailua-Kona, (808) 329-1493, www.huggos.com. Lunch daily from 11:30, dinner nightly 5:30-10, after-dinner dancing. Parking on site or at a public parking lot across the street at Coconut Grove. Major credit cards; reservations recommended.

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