Ludo Bites Pop Up

My friends on the Mainland are always getting to go to these really neat Top Chef events so I was REALLY excited when I read in the paper that not only was Ludo Lefebvre of Top Chef Masters opening up one of his pop up restaurants in Hawai'i, but on the BIG ISLAND. Of course it was on the other side of the island in the resort-y area of Waikoloa (because who's really going to do a fancy pop up in Hilo???). Chris and I promptly headed over to the other side for the day. (Ludo's website: http://www.ludolefebvre.com/ludobites)

The plan was actually to use my snorkel trip I had won at the chocolate festival silent auction, but they were booked up. Then we were going to spend the night and go diving with my new dive camera housing, but then I was coming down with a cold. So most of the day was a minor bust haha. We spent the day at my favorite beach ever - Hapuna and then we did manage to snag a seat at the Ludo Bites Pop Up 9!

LUDO BITES - HUALALAI

We sat down and actually while we were looking at our menu Ludo came out and was chatting up the people in the table right next to us! I was too chicken to go over and talk to him. Plus we had just dragged ourselves out of Hapuna and were sandy and salty...not really fine dining resort restaurant ready!

THE MENU

We ended up ordering the Kampachi-Vietnamese Style, Seared Foie Gras Pina Colada and the Confit Pork Belly. Basically the menu is composed of these little "bites" (duh) not really full entrees. However these were pretty expensive bites...so while most people were ordering the full menu...we could NOT afford that! Nor the $18 specialty cocktails.

The first plate was our Kampachi which was surprisingly refreshing. It had a nice acidic palm sugar vinaigrette and had fried lotus root, green banana, Tahitian limes, (really yummy) pickled Maui unions, and a whole mess of other stuff I had never tried all julienned over the kampachi. It was really good. I liked, but didn't love kampachi...but I'm really not a seafood fan.

"KAMPACHI - VIETNAMESE STYLE"

I had always wanted to try foie gras and here was my chance to have some nice fatty liver :) Ludo had a Seared Foie Gras Pina Colada on his menu. When it came out it was not at all what we were expecting...but once we started eating it - it was like something straight out of a Top Chef episode! It was deconstructed and had a foam :) Everything was cannelled (I may not cook, but I know the techniques!). There was like a coconut ice cream, a pineapple foam and of course the foie gras. The plate was also sprinkled with mac nuts....the verdict? I do not like foie gras...bleghhh. Chris on the other hand LOVES it. I will say that the combination all together was really really good and actually really like a pina colada with foie gras. Needless to say I was pretty good with the foam + ice cream - the foie gras. Still impressive since I hate the flavor of coconut.

"SEARED FOIE GRAS PINA COLADA"

I have also always wanted to try pork belly since everyone always raves about it on the cooking shows. I've also never had risotto which is seemingly the downfall of at least a few Top Chef contestants every season. This was probably my favorite dish. There was a furikake (it's a seaweed/dried fish/etc seasoning) risotto which I absolutely loved. First I LOVE furikake and it's one of my favorite things I've discovered in Hawaii and I loved the risotto. It's not what I expected since I always thought risotto was supposed to be creamy...hmmm perhaps Ludo is guilty of another Top Chef mistake - misnaming a plate item (Actually this is a bigger problem on Chopped)! Needless to say, his "risotto" might have been pretty toothsome, but I loved the texture and the taste. The pork belly is basically fatty pork bacon...I kept thinking of Anthony Bourdain while I ate it (Can you tell I love cooking shows?). It went great with the other elements on the plate. I'm not sure what the green puree was, but it tasted really fresh and I liked it. The squash was good, but I could've done without the Kona coffee "ash."

"CONFIT PORK BELLY"

I didn't get great pictures since I'm not a food stylist and we were hungry. But we left feeling very pleased and pretty full (although I would be hungry by the time we pulled into our driveway) we drove back to Keaau.

Here's some random tester pictures Chris took at Hapuna...it was really choppy so he barely stayed out there...but the casing works! Can't wait to go diving with it and especially since I got some of those great seasickness patches...although I had to go through a pretty kooky Punatic doctor at the walk-in clinic for the prescription.

Here are some random pictures Chris took at Hapuna with the new camera and underwater casing. It was crazy choppy out there so he really didn't stay out long enough, but everything works and we can't wait to go diving with it. Especially since I have those seasickness patches...although I had to go through this crazy kooky Punatic doctor at the Pahoa walk in clinic to get the prescription. (Even the Target pharmacists were agreeing with me how kooky he was!)