— by Cara Russell —
Island raised Kawika McGuire and his wife Meagan have been making Hawaiian sushi for their family for the last five years. At first it began as Meagan’s desire to expose her young children to their father’s half-Japanese, half-Hawaiian culture. Twice a month she would make sushi for family dinner night.
They now plan to open Flyin’ Hawaiian Sushi at 432 North Beach in Eastsound, in a building with a lot of history, on May 16.
“I’ve been making sushi for five years, and we think it’s important to have this piece of Hawaiian culture in our children’s lives,” said Meagan, who had placed many phone calls over the years to Kawika’s grandma, asking for recipes and tips. “Hawaii is a melting pot of cultures, and there are so many parts of the culture that mix,” said Kawika.
“It’s kind of funny,” added Meagan. “Because my mother’s father was a rice farmer in Texas, and Kawika’s family were fishermen in Hawaii.”
Each time they held another sushi dinner, the crowd grew, expanding from family to friends. One night one of the guests picked up a vase, and people filled it with money. “That’s when we realized, there’s something going on here,” said Meagan with a smile.
Flyin Hawaiian soon came to be, opening with minimal advertising, in the Odd Fellow’s basement kitchen in September 2013, with Meagan as the lead chef and general manager.
“On opening night [at Odd Fellows], we already had 40 orders at 5 p.m.,” said Meagan. “The customers had to wait and there was literally nowhere to sit.” Meagan and Kawika realized that they needed to expand, and the available and famous location, on 432 North Beach in Eastsound was a wonderful fit. It has been years since islanders have seen a Monkey Puzzle tree in the yard, but recently the McGuires planted a new one, in a new location where they think it will thrive.
They’ve refurbished the 76 year-old oak floors, and the wrap-around deck has been redone with raw wood bar tops for outdoor seating that can seat 30, while indoors, the restaurant can seat 20.
Meagan will be joined in the kitchen by sushi chef, Eli Brooks, who has been making sushi for 10 years, getting his start preparing traditional Japanese sushi in Vail, Colorado.
Meagan’s favorite item on the menu is the black fish: Tobiko tempura style Ahi tuna with cream cheese and avocado. A special menu includes Poké: raw Ahi tuna seafood salad, cubed and marinated with sesame oil, lime, and spices.
If you are not a sushi fan, there is the option to turn any of the rolls into a rice bowl.
The Ahi is line caught, and flown in from Hawaii. They will use eco products, and as much local and organic ingredients as possible.
They also plan on doing a Hawaiian plate lunch, of teriyaki beef and chicken, and a Kalua pig roast, every Friday or every other Friday during the summer.
Plates cost between $10-20. Currently the restaurant will not be serving alcohol, but will be incorporated into a full bar by the winter. They also plan to offer Wi-Fi to paying customers, and a local discount called a Kama’aina Card (roughly translated to “local” in Hawaiian).
The restaurant will be open year round with Spring Hours from 11am to 6pm, closed Monday and Tuesday, and Summer Hours (starting June 1st) from 11am to 8pm, open seven days a week.
“We did this because we heard from enough people that there was this void in the community. We’re having fun, and hoping to fill that void, and we couldn’t be where we are without the support of this amazing community and all our friends and regulars!” said Meagan.
For more information about Flyin’ Hawaiian Sushi Bar visit their Facebook page.
