Tango anyone? (video)

June 19, 8:30 PMHonolulu Affordable Travel ExaminerSandi Yara

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Photos by Sandi Yara

No – not the dance (although that might be fun too) ... but Tango Contemporary Café – a ‘new’ restaurant located in the Waikiki-end of the Ward mega-complex.

This bright, contemporary restaurant has a minimalist approach to decor ...  which works well because it’s not a large place. And, although it was quite busy for lunch, with seating pretty cozy, we were able to carry on a nice conversation without much concern about neighbors listening in.  Could it be that the open ceiling helped to absorb the noise (see photo)?

Anyway, Tango has only been around since February 2008 and is the recipient of the 2009 Hale ‘Aina Award for Best New Oahu Restaurant, among others.  Executive Chef / owner Goran Streng is no stranger to accolades and the spotlight.  He has much history with Hawaii cuisine and is a member of the Hawaiian Island Chefs (HIC) group, an offshoot of the celebrated Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement.  In the tradition of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Streng’s menu is creative and committed to using fresh local ingredients.

Lunch is served daily form 11 am – 4:30 pm and it was great.  The menu offers starters, salads, burgers / sandwiches, entrees and daily specials.  With his name on one of the options, two of us had to order ‘Chef Goren’s Signature Open Faced Gravlax Sandwich on Finnish Rye Bread (which, by the way, was excellent and it was a huge serving) and the other ordered the Grilled Mahi Mahi Sandwich on Nori Roll (good too ... the fish was grilled plainly and not battered). Both sandwiches came with a choice of fries or small salad.  Desserts are also available.

Prices for lunch range from $4.75 for Chef’s Daily Soup to $15.50 for the Herb Butter New York Steak. Most of the items hover around the $11 range – just the right price point for those looking for a quick but excellent gourmet meal in an award-winning restaurant.  .

Coffee is to be savored because it is brewed one cup at a time with freshly ground whole beans.

Dinner is served daily from 5 – 9:30 pm with menu prices starting at $6 for the Sweet Caramelized Onion Soup on up to $23.50 for the Mustard Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb.

Located in The Hokua, at 1288 Ala Moana Boulevard, parking is validated.

Following is an excerpt from an interview with Goren Streng ... April 1, 2005 in Midweek by Jo McGarry

... he is a great advocate for local farmers and uses fresh local produce whenever he can. He spent his formative years in Finland, but has formed a strong bond with the Hawaiian Islands that began with his long stay at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. There he learned an appreciation of the “real” Hawaii that has stayed with him ever since.

I asked him what his favorite dishes are and what ingredient he could not live without.

First professional cooking job:  At a restaurant called Hwitträsk outside Helsinki. That’s also where I did my apprenticeship while in culinary school.

Culinary influences: No one in particular, but at the age of 13 I decided it would be a good way to travel and see the world (I’d planned to work on a ship).

Favorite dish at a Hawaii restaurant?  Dim Sum in Chinatown.

What’s always in your refrigerator?  Knäckebröd, a Scandinavian crisp rye bread.

What do you eat when you’ve finished a long shift in the kitchen?  Usually nothing, because you don’t really feel hungry until later, so I sometimes just grab a banana, because I know I’ll be starving by the time I get home.

\What motivates you?  My family.

Who would you most enjoy cooking for (dead or alive)?  Any heads of state.

What ingredient could you not live without?  Mushrooms

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