Maui Brew Fest Beer Dinner Menu

This year’s Maui Brew Fest Beer Dinner includes the cuisine of the New Americas, created by CACTUS Kailua’s very own Chef-Owner John Memering. The special menu features Chef John’s selections, paired with specialty craft beers from Maui Brewing Company. The dishes and the craft beers feature locally-sourced ingredients.

The event takes place Friday, May 17 from 6-9 PM at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in the Morgado Hall and Lanai. Proceeds benefit the Maui Arts & Cultural Center’s art, educational and cultural programs. Hope you can join us for this exciting event.

It’s been just one year since CACTUS opened in Kailua. Please join us for a weekend celebration of the cuisines and cultures of Mexico,  and our one-year anniversary.

Along with the unique libations, we will be featuring the cuisines, sights and sounds of Mexico all weekend long.

Come celebrate our first anniversary and Mexico’s independence! Call (808) 261-1000 now to reserve a spot; hope to see you again!

Cactus Kailua will host the next installment of its Farmers’ Dinner Series Thursday April 4, 2013.  The menu, developed by owner and Executive Chef John Memering, will feature ingredients from Heʻeia, Oʻahu, provided by Hanohano Heʻeia, a collaborative between Heʻeia organizations Paepae O Heʻeia, KākoʻoʻŌiwi and Papahana Kuaola.

The five-course tasting menu is priced at $65 or $95 with wine and cocktail pairings for each course. The menu can be ordered prix fixe with or without drink pairings or ala carte. View the menu…

Highlights of the evening will include “talk story” sessions with members of the Hanohano Heʻeia collaborative who are working together to restore the ahupua’a of He’eia as ‘Āina Momona, a land of abundance and plenty, through a combination of traditional and contemporary management strategies.

Come and enjoy a sumptuous meal and gain additional perspective on how important Hawaii’s agriculture is to our island’s future.

Seating will begin at 6PM and tables are available throughout the evening by reservation only. For additional information, please call Cactus at 808-261-1000.

About Hanohano He’eia

Hanohano He’eia is a collaborative between Paepae O He’eia, Kāko’o ‘Ōiwi and Papahana Kuaola highlighting the rich agricultural, horticultural and aquaculture resources within the ahupua’a of He’eia, O’ahu. Hanohano He’eia serves as a vehicle for encouraging meaningful discussions of contemporary regional Hawaiian culture-based management. Our three He’eia-based community organizations have distinct missions and areas of focus, however, we all recognize and appreciate the hydrological, ecological and cultural linkages that connect us. Hanohano He’eia has collaborated on events such as the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival and various other food related events and hosts a bi-monthly restaurant and food industry workday within the region.

To learn more about the organizations that comprise Hanohano He’eia, visit:

Paepae O He’eia: www.paepaeoheeia.org

Kāko’o ‘Ōiwi: www.kakoooiwi.org

Papahana Kuaola: www.papahanakuaola.com

Join us beginning February 21 for the cuisines and cultures of Brazil as we celebrate “Carnival.” We will be putting our unique spin on this special celebration with the sights, sounds and especially flavors of Rio De Janeiro’s “Carnival.”

Experience all of the flavors of Carnival from street foods, such as the classic Mortadella torta and coxinha (potato and yucca croquettes with sweet or savory fillings). Sample classic Brazilian dishes like Churrasco style barbequed locally raised beef, pork, seafood and house made sausages. Also try our unique Feijoada with Farofa, Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and Vatapa (shrimp and seafood simmered in a spicy cashew, coconut sauce).

Here’s a few representative dishes available during our Carnival celebration:

Arepa (Brazilian Corn Cake): with Kiawe smoked Hamakua mushrooms and spicy Malagueta chilé salsa

Churrasco Mixto: Kauai lamb loin chop, Shinsato Farm’s pork shoulder and house made linguisa sausage

Along with the cuisine, we will be offering our signature Sangrias, as well as cocktails like the classic Caipirinha made with Cachaca (Brazilian rum made from sugar cane).  With the spirit of carnival in mind, we have created several signature drinks like the Brazilian Sangria with fresh local fruits and an early favorite the “Lilikoi Caipirinha” made with fresh, local passion fruit.

The celebration begins February 21^st and will run through March 3^rd, with lots of food and beverage specials available for both lunch and dinner.

Join us on Valentine’s Day for the cuisines and cultures of Mexico. We will be putting our unique spin on the recipes from Laura Esquirel’s bestselling novel and motion picture “Like Water for Chocolate,” a love story set in Mexico that revolves around the happenings in one family’s kitchen and the power of cooking with love.

Some of the recipes from the book we are featuring that evening:

•  Chilés Nogada: roasted chilés stuffed with Kauai lamb, pomegranates, raisins and almonds in a walnut and Big Isle goat cheese sauce
• Tita’s pan roasted North shore Quail with rose petal Molé: fresh quail stuffed with Pacific spiny lobster, hominy, and house made Chorizo. Molé of fresh rose petals, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, red chilés and Leihua honey
• Cream fritters with Mexican chocolate and Lilikoi sauces

Our regular menu will be offered along with our special Valentine’s Day menu this evening.

Seating will at begin at 5:30 and tables are available throughout the evening by reservation only. Call 808-261-1000 to confirm your spot for a unique and memorable celebration.

November 14, 11 AM to 1 PM

Join us for lunch and our first Meet the Artists of Kailua series event, featuring Rebecca Snow demonstrating “How to Paint a Palm Tree.” The prix fixe luncheon ($40) will offer an entree of your choice (fish tostada, chicken arugula salad, roasted veggie torta, cubano, hamakua mushroom tacos, or al pastor tacos), a non-alcholic drink (hibiscus limeade, frozen lemonade, or ice tea) and a scoop of gelato for dessert. Rebecca’s acrylic and watercolor originals can be seen in Kuloko Gallery in Waikiki and on the walls of CACTUS.

Call 808-261-1000 to reserve your spot; spaces are limited for this exclusive event.

All of us at Cactus are pleased to announce the first of our Farmers’ Dinner Series on Wednesday, November 7. In addition to dinner, we welcome Kimberly D. Clark, Ph D. owner-operator of Just Add Water. Just Add Water is a 16 year old Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program. The program grows and cooperatively markets organic fruits and vegetables for up to a dozen farms throughout the island chain. She is a founding board member of the Hawaii Organic Farmer’s Association and is currentely the co-chair of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation Organic Communitee. Kimberly can also always be found at the Thursday night Kailua Farmer’s Market.

The menu developed by Chef John Memering will focus on ingredients grown by Kimberly or one of her co-op farmers. The evening will feature a five-course menu priced at $90 with wine and cocktail pairings for each course. The menu can be ordered as prix fixe with or without drink pairings or just ordered ala carte. Our regular dinner menu will be available as well. Download the PDF menu…

Some highlights of the evening include chatting with Kimberly along with her assistant Carley Miller, a Food Science major at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Come and enjoy a sumptuous meal and gain additional perspective on how important Hawaii’s agriculture is to our island’s future.

Seating will begin at 6PM and tables are available throughout the evening by reservation only.

CACTUS made the list for “Best New Restaurant” in the 2013 Hale’ Aina Awards, sponsored by Honolulu Mangazine. Voting takes place in August 2012, and the winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on November 11, 2012.

All of us at Cactus are pleased to announce the first of our Winemaker’s and Farmer’s Dinner series. On July 31st we welcome Michael Young, owner, winemaker of Bodegas M and winery manager of L’Aventure winery. Both located on the central coast of California in Paso Robles. Each of the wineries source their fruit from estate owned vineyards and focus on both French and Spanish varietals and techniques.

Five wines will be featured and paired with a six-course degustation menu developed by Chef John Memering, with emphasis on local ingredients and Latino flare.

July 31 Full Menu- Click to view

Some highlights of the evening include:

• Venezuelan arepas (masa corn cakes), topped with Pisco cured, cold smoked Abura Nairagi marlin and a local Haden mango escabeché. Paired with a 2010 L’Aventure Rosé of Granaché.
• Fresh Kahuku corn tamalé with duck carnitas, foie gras and a tomatillo, jalapeno marmalade. Paired with a 2006 Bodegas M Temprinillo.

The evening will start promptly at 6:30 with pinchos and a toast to the winemaker.

Tickets are $115 per person and are available for pre-sale only. Seating is limited.

Kumu Mary Kahealani Kupau-Mikaele led a traditional Hawaiian Blessing of the Cactus Restaurant on Saturday, April 14, 2012. Accompanied by her Dancers, Hi’ilani Kahauolopua and Leiawapuhi Sac, her spellbinding chant and the beat of the drums made this a special blessing that brought forth the great spirit of aloha to all that were present. We all feel very privileged to have been present during the blessing from this very special woman.

Mahalo Kumu Kahealani.