The Food Company Cafe and Catering

Davis is awesome! Thank you for the great service and the exceptional food! We’ve been to the Food Company a few times and they are always on top of it. Love that they are always offering new and unusual dishes that you don’t get at other places. Everything is super fresh. Last visit we were offered Big Island Deer which is rare treat. Looking forward to going back again soon! FYI: Bring your own wine since they don’t have a liquor license.

Having been in the restaurant/​catering/​event business for many years (can’t mention how many because it would reveal how really old I am lol), I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside many incredible and talented chefs. They are culinary Artists who’s passion is in creating dishes that delight and satisfy your soul. With that being said, last night I had the opportunity to work with Chef Jason Kiyota (from the Food Company Café) at a private party in Portlock for the very first time. At first glance, you would never guess just how talented he is by how he arrived and started preparing the nights cuisine, because he comes across so humble and unassuming. By the time the guests started arriving however, there was no denying his talent as his command of food and originality had come out, much to the amazement of everyone. They were treated from one delicious dish to the next which included (but not limited to) a Smoked Duck Breast and Thai Crispy Rice cradled in lettuce beds, of which I’m a huge Duck fan but have to admit, his Thai Crispy Rice gave the duck part a run for it’s money! Other favorites of the evening were the 11 Spice Pork Belly Bao Buns with Cilantro Scallion Pesto (I’ve already made it one of my life’s mission to get him to devulge what the 11 spices are from him one day lol– he said it was an ancient Chinese secret)…The Nalo Farms Field Greens Salad with this ridiculously yummy White Wine Poached Pear bites, of which guests chose to take a plate home with them (inside note: guests almost never take salad home when given other options at these affairs but this salad is THAT GOOD)… Pan Seared, Head On Kaua’i Prawns with Cognac Butter Emulsion (because EVERYTHING taste better slathered in butter, that’s my motto)…and of course I would be remiss if I didn’t include the Burgundy Braised Short Ribs with it’s truffle demi glaze, of which I almost didn’t get a chance to taste because it was devoured almost the instant it was put out for the guests.
As he calmly prepared dish after dish, I had the opportunity to watch the mastery, pick his brain and got to learn more about this talented individual who had trained at Kapi’olani Community College and at the CIA at Greystone in Napa Valley. He gives a new meaning to «Fresh Cuisine» in the islands.
I don’t remember ever doing an event when almost ALL of the guests personally came into the kitchen to commend, congratulate and thank the Chef at the end of event. And being in what appeared to be true Chef Jason fashion, he blushed and humbly thanked them.
If you are considering hosting an event or even looking for someone to cater your wedding etc, I would highly suggest you checking out Chef Jason from the Food Company Café located in Kailua. I’m going to bet that you will NOT be disappointed. That’s it for me, I’ve become a fan for life. 5 Stars Chef!

I had been intrigued by The Food Company (Market and Café) ever since our friends mentioned they were headed there after running into/​by us at the nearby Saigon Noodle House. Dinner is popular here even during the week. Reservations are highly recommended and necessary. Simple Fresh Local — I dig it. We went with a couple of other friends who know the people and the place. We shared the mission figs appetizer sans the meat to accommodate veggie me. Husband had the gnocchi, which was a surprising and tasty Italian-​Asian fusion. Seemingly weird, but definitely winning! I got the grilled eggplant pasta, which was the standard good. Curious about the mushroom ravioli; it was too soon for us after having some butternut squash ravioli from Costco. Great place for dining! Great service, great food and presentation, great company!

Food was really delicious, reminiscent of Roy’s, I had a dry aged steak and bf had the king crab curry. Both were delicious, my steak was slightly over done to my liking but still delicious. Had to take off one star for the total smoke out in the restaurant not sure if it’s always like that but seems like they need commercial grade hoods. It’s had to enjoy meal when I’m inhaling smoke like I’m at outdoor bbq. Service was excellent was well.

We call this place simple fine dining :0). Great delicious food without having to get dressed up and kid friendly. Friendly and accommodating staff. Never ordered anything we didn’t like. If I ever need catering this is where I’ll call!

Chef Jason catered our small wedding ceremony in Waimanalo Beach. It was intimate, so we decided not to go with full service; we picked up the food in Kailua.
Chef Jason was very patient with us as we put the menu together, selecting dishes from sample menus he provided for us.
The food was simply DELICIOUS! Everyone raved about the menu. There was something for everyone, with plenty of vegetarian and gluten-​free options.
We simply can’t say enough about his demeanor on the phone, his patience, how he put us at ease, and how fantastic the food was for our reception. We would recommend Chef Jason to anyone!

This is my 2^nd time visiting this restaurant. I had the shrimp scampi with nalo greens. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the shrimp was plump and juicy.
For dessert I had the lemon li hing cupcake. This restaurant has good tasting food with fresh ingredients. I would definetly eat here again.

A little surprise in the Enchanted Lakes area. Food that surprisingly flavorful and well-​prepared. They’ve gone to great length to create meal that is very different than all the rest of the choices in the Kailua area. Even the spectrum of food choices is quite surprising. Fresh, vibrant and delicious.
What is disappointing is with prices of $ 16 – 29 (and as high as $ 50) per entrée are the plastic table covers, paper napkins and diner-​quality silverware. It is a family restaurant so expect children to be running around. It is also quite noisy when the restaurant is full since there is nothing to dampen the noise.

By far, the best restaurant in Kailua! This place has a lot going for it; a welcoming atmosphere, great food, friendly staff and BYOB (no corkage fee). It compares very favorably with Roy’s except it doesn’t have his chocolate souflee.
On our last visit, my wife had the braised short rib and I had the pork belly. Both were mouth-​wateringly delicious. We finished the meal off with the nectarine cobbler. That was good, but not chocolate souflee good.
Their deli next door has ono plate lunches, too.

My family and I were visiting from Austin, Texas when we decided to give this restaurant a try. It was hands down the best meal I’ve had in Hawaii! I had the wild mushroom ravioli, which was probably the best ravioli dish I’ve had in years. The service was absolutely top notch. We LOVED the byob option as well. I highly recommend this restaurant, but try to make a reservation if you can.

Food: Thai clams dish was the highlight and is worth stopping in for. Also tried the snapper special thai style and the langostine risotto with wild mushrooms.
Great option is the BYOW with no corkage. Note, you will have to pour your own and suggest bringing own stemware, if bringing nice wine. No sparkling wine or champagne stemware available.
A great place to meet friends for a casual dinner with quality food. Not a fine dining or date night establishment.
Service was friendly, but lacks attention to detail. Example: 3 guests at table, 2 desserts ordered and only 2 dessert spoons brought to table, one with each dish. No worries, with this group, but worthy to note if dining with those that might be affected by little details.
Reservations suggested, restaurant was packed friday night.

I just read KD’s review… and I just had to post a review because I was also at the Thai Pairing Dinner and had such a different experience.
The Wine:
As soon as I sat down, Sommelier Liane Fu came to our table and offered champagne. She would make conversation at each table, and certainly for us it was almost like a private wine class. She would talk to us about why she chose the particular wine – the characteristics she thought would pair with the dish. She would discuss the grape, the vineyard, the region, with detail, enthusiasm, and passion. During each course, she would make her way around the room offering more of the paired wine, in fact by the third course I was actually declining additional wine since I knew I’d be driving across the Pali back to town. For the desert, she offered a wonderful, refreshing Coconut Kaffir Vodka Martini served in a miniature martini glass, garnished with dried mango. Each person at my table was even offered a second mini-​martini.
The Food:
This is the third wine event I’ve attended, and the value is outstanding. The serving size is almost like the portion of a mini-​entrée. By the third course I was actually not even able to eat the entire serving because I was getting full. Unfortunately, this was the filet mignon course! The meat was melt-​in-​your mouth tender, I was sad that my friend got to devour what I couldn’t finish.
I texted the photos to a Chef friend and he said «very nice conversions of classic Thai dishes into modern European plating.» Indeed – that was one of the things that was so unique about this dinner. Chef Jason opened the night by talking about his year studying Thai cookery as Kasetsart University in Bangkok, about his passion for Thai cooking, and he explained the challenges of pairing Thai classics with reds like Pinot Noir and Sirah. Throughout the evening, Chef Jason visited each table, and he even showed each group a display plate he had prepared with the classic aromatics and flavors – galangal, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaf, palm sugar, chili, etc.
The house-​made Coconut sorbet and pandanus sticky rice with mango was a delicate way to end the evening.
The Wait:
The dinner was scheduled to start at 6:30, but at 6:30 only half of the reservations had arrived – staff told us there was a terrible accident on the Pali and many people had called to say they were running late. Understandable. The room was full by about 7 – and by that time Sommelier Liane Fu and waitstaff had come by several times, offering amuse bouche and champagne refills. I was with wonderful company, so enjoyed the time to chit-​chat and catch up. This restaurant is essentially a tiny hole in the wall mom-​n-​pop – the kitchen is smaller than the average residential apartment-​kitchen (you walk right by the kitchen to get to the restroom), and what they do with their limited resources is absolutely amazing. These wine pairing evenings are delightful, educational events. The pace is perfect to savor the company of friends, revel in surprising pairings, and celebrate wine and food. (If you want a quick «in and out» type meal grab a plate lunch or hit up Roundtable Pizza next door.)
The Value:
$ 90 seemed very reasonable given the portion size and the essentially «bottomless» wine presented by Sommelier Liane Fu. When I go out to dinner, I figure that champagne or a mixed drink is at least $ 11, and wine by the glass runs about $ 9 on average. In this pairing, there were three wines, champagne, and martini. And each course was practically a full serving – certainly much more than what you’d expect from a paired prix fixe. I posted photos… two giant prawns? Filet Mignon? Salmon? Amazing value, in my opinion. (as an aside, this IS a BYOB… my friend loves his Thai food with beer, so he went to Safeway next door and picked up a 6-​pack of Red Stripe.)
Bravo to Chef Jason and crew!

It was my first time here… and Wow!!! We made reservations. good thing to do on a weekend night. So we started with a Scallop appetizer and… Mmmm soooo deeeelish! BYOB! …that’s an automatic star. We brought «Hanaialii» from Napa, nice Merlot with a local root. Amy Hanaialii Gilliom’s creation. Very good! Ok back to the food… I had the Onaga, fresh catch! Mmmm… always go with the Chef’s pick! Amazing!!! He had the Osso Bucco. another special which was so flavorful like it was slow cooked in a beef stock red wine bath. Mmmmm!!! Dessert… Apple cobbler with Vanilla ice cream… good… We will be back!

I so very badly wanted to give 5 stars! But the service was so bad, I just couldn’t in good conscience.
Food? Amazing. Wild mushroom gnocchi — delicious. There was a total of about 10 on the plate and I was devastated after inhaling all in one bite. I’m sure the risotto would be just as good… I was between the two when I ordered. Hubby had opah special with veggies and mashed potatoes. It was so tasty! If mine wasn’t so good, I would have wished I ordered the same as my husband. Basically, entrees were perfect. Appetizer focaccia bread… good but served differently than we’re used to. Regular bread to be dipped in oil/​cheese/​green olives+pits. Pretty good but we just thought it would all be baked in. Next time will order scallops :) Flourless chocolate cake with strawberries: ahhhhhmazing. Husband who doesn’t do desserts stole most of my bites. It was hard splitting it since it was such a small little cake.
Also major points given for BYOB and easy parking since it’s located in a strip mall.
Service? Yikes. I assume it was the owner who was manning the host stand. We saw him all night pointing at tables and telling servers what to do. We had reservations Friday night at 7 and didn’t have to wait long at all to be seated… until we got to our table. We saw 3 separate servers throughout the night. We had to ask for menus, wine glasses and a wine opener. Then 3 different people came up to ask if we had placed our food order. When we did manage to place our order, the poor server had no idea how to answer our questions even with her «cheat sheet» notes. She left our table three different times to ask the chef simple questions like «what kinds of fish are in the Fish Pasta?» And «what’s the Specialty Gnocchi?» It was very surprising that she didn’t know considering that the menu doesn’t change daily.
I felt bad for the staff. Those in front and back of the house were running around stressed, scattered and with no designated tables. It seemed like they were just taking cues from people who were bored and approached the table only to find out what they were waiting on. Hopefully this was just a night where they were short staffed and/​or had new staff without trainers.
We will be back, just maybe not on a weekend night.

Enjoyed a great dinner with the wife here this past weekend. I had the shortribs, she had the langoustine risotto. We both shared the smoked mackerel as a starter. Mackerel was very good and the pickled onions that accompanied it were awesome. Shortribs were pretty solid but just a touch dry. Risotto was pretty good but could have used some salt .
We called about an hour before arriving on a Friday and had no trouble getting seated promptly. I would definitely call ahead if you can.
Restaurant suffers from bad acoustics and it got very loud in the crowded dining room.
They do allow you to BYOB, a definite bonus.
As for the service… SPOT ON!!! Probably the best service we’ve received in a long time. Waitress (didn’t catch her name, but she was from TX) was awesome and very personable. Waters were never empty which is awesome since I pound H2O like a college dude slugs back Keystone Light.
We’ll definitely be back.

The wine pairing dinners hosted by Chef Jason Kiyota and Liane Fu (The Wine Stop Sommelier) are world class events with estate wines and champagne and port paired with amuse bouche, prime cuts and fresh catch. This is one of the few places in Hawaii nei still where you can interact with a rising star Chef in his own restaurant. And even when there are wine pairings, you can bring your bottle, just like we like it.

The food at Food Company is excellent, and who doesn’t love BYOB? I’ve eaten here a handful of times and the dishes that stand out most to me are the hamachi and the risotto. Well balanced dishes and perfectly prepared. Don’t expect to get in and out quick since this great food takes time to get just right. Service could be a little faster, though.
The missing star here is for the smokiness coming from the open kitchen. I have sensitive eyes and definitely felt the sting of the smoke after a while. Lacking the option for outdoor seating, a stronger vent hood would be a welcome addition.

If this restaurant is aiming to be the Le Bistro of Kailua then I’m sorry to report that it has totally missed its mark. I rarely give 1-​star reviews and here is my experience of the café dinner:
The table appetizer was an uninspired combo of stale tortilla chips and tuna salad (they called it smoked ahi dip but it was obviously a run of the mill tuna salad). We complained about the chips and the waitress got us new chips. For a restaurant that charges «fine dining» prices at $ 20+ an entrée, you’d think they be more creative, or just stick with the classic bread and butter.
For appetizers, we had Kona Abalone Escargot Style ($ 17), Rosemary Focaccia w/​puglia olives, balsamic, & shaved parmesan ($ 7), foie gras, and grilled octopus. The abalone was the best thing we had all night — it is done exactly the same way as Le Bistro does their famous escargot, down to the plating (they cut up pieces of abalone and stuck them in an escargot dish). Also, why can’t they call it butter and garlic abalone? There’s no escargot here and no such thing as «escargot style.»
They need to research what focaccia bread is because it was not focaccia; it was french bread with some rosemary in it. Who are they fooling? The olive dip was completely disappointing — no zip, nothing special, the olive oil and balsamic had no perk.
The foie itself was good. It had a fruit compote of some sort which could not provide enough acid. The dish was flat and too sweet. The grilled octopus was done Mediterranean style — tomatoes, fava beans, capers, greens. It was very one-​note and the octopus was chewy.
I should note that one of the appetizers had a HAIR in it. It was blonde so it was definitely not from my family (we have black hair). Also, it was SO hot in the restaurant. Once the place filled up, it was suffocating. I was sweating!
The entrees were no better. I had the scallops ($ 24) with mashed potatoes and greens. The scallops were small, they were quite obviously the pre-​frozen variety, and, sadly, overcooked. The cognac butter sauce was completely flat. The greens had some old, yellowing leaves. The mashed potatoes were tasteless and piled on, cafeteria style, with an ice cream scoop — for a «fancy» dish, you’d think they’d at least pipe the potatoes. The kicker? It had ANOTHER HAIR (blonde) in my sauce!
My mother in law had the clam pasta ($ 17) which looked ok albeit quite dry. Strangely it had sausage bits in it which made the dish incongruous (is it a surf and turf?). It’s like they said ok this pasta is boring, let’s throw in sausage!
My husband had the ribeye special which was plated in a very unappetizing way — just a big floppy piece of meat plopped onto a scoop of Okinawan mashed potatoes. He said the steak was ok, not the best.
My father in law had the short ribs ($ 23) which he liked. It looked pretty dry to me but he ate it all up.
The dessert was also sad. They only featured 3 desserts (yet had all these wonderful looking cakes in the fridge section). One was a «seasonal cobbler» which turned out to be apple. Um, news flash it’s not apple season (again, who are they trying to fool?).
My chocolate cake was the tiniest cake in the world at $ 8 (baby’s fist size). Now I don’t mind a small cake as long as it’s packed with flavor and amazing. The cake tasted exactly like a Betty Crocker frozen lava cake that you would just microwave. Totally uninspired and lacking in flavor (just a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and a really sad cut-​up strawberry around it). No sauce, and the strawberry wasn’t even macerated.
The service was also incredibly intrusive. She kept asking us how things were every 5 minutes. Yet we hardly had any water service. We got our appetizers and we didn’t even have a second before she asked how the appetizers were. Then the entrees came and I still had my appetizer plate. She looked at me like I was supposed to do something. Um, maybe you can clear my plate first. She also cleared out plates really quickly otherwise — service felt so rushed like she was trying to get rid of us. Well, we couldn’t wait to leave because we were so hot!
Anyway, sorry for this long review, but in the midst of all these glowing reviews, I had to write about my own extremely lackluster experience. For the prices, I suggest you just eat the gas money and drive yourself to Le Bistro or The Grove instead.

Absolutely excellent! We came in on a Wednesday night without reservations and had no problem being seated. For an appetizer we ordered the beet salad over goat cheese with a drizzle of truffle oil and it was divine. They didn’t skimp on the goat cheese either. My main dish was seriously one of the best dinners I have ever ordered… garlic butter scallops over purple mashed potatoes with a side of greens. Wow, the flavors were incredible! Absolutely fantastic! My husband ordered the curry of the day and was pleased. We split the flourless chocolate cake for dessert and we spooned up every last bite. We should have ordered two.
The service was fantastic. Our server kept our waters full and got our food orders in promptly and the food was out quickly.
Our bill for appetizer, 2 entrees, and dessert was $ 58 including tax. Not a bad price for a nice dinner out.
I highly highly recommend this place! Also if you want beer or wine you can stop by Safeway next door and bring your own.

The Food Company et. al. have really bumped up their game!
My mom wanted to go here for her birthday.
Mom’s always have great taste.
This place had specials out the waazoo.
Since we were dining as a family, we ordered an appetizer and three entrees and had them served family style.
We had alaskan crab in curry sauce served as an appetizer.
We had prawns in a garlic sauce.
We had ribeye with another great sauce which included oyster mushrooms.
We had onaga with TRUFFLE sauce.
We had beet salads with goat cheese.
Since I ate them all on the same plate, the curry sauce, beets, and poi mashed potatoes made a cool looking rainbow pattern when I was pau.
For dessert, we had a choice between flourless chocolate cake, crème brûlée, and apple cobbler. Since we couldn’t decide we ordered all three. All equally delicious with their own twists.
Dinner for 5 cost about as much as dinner for two at Alan Wongs.
This was way better.
Service and everything.
Just don’t confuse this place with the plate lunch diner next door.