Paul and Kay Logsdon call the restaurant’s crab Rangoons the best in town.
One of the latest trends in food is the idea of experiential eating.
Springfield has a new place where experiential eating is demonstrated in tiki figurines, corrugated metal, thatch and a selection of parasols for your drinks. If you thought you had to go to Maui to find out what it feels like to eat in a surfer hut, think again. The Big Island Grill satisfies those who want something just a little different, with menu items that are just as unusual.
For appetizers, the Pu Pu Platter really is kind of fun, although it’s an investment at $8 a person. It comes with a flaming burner so you can cook your ahi poke if you aren’t a raw tuna type. It also comes with crab Rangoon – probably the best in town – nicely charred barbecue ribs, pot stickers and some flavorful edamame.
Our only complaint was that we didn’t get to fully enjoy the experience, since our meals came out just a few minutes after our Pu Pu Platter. So, the Mahi Mahi tacos got a little cold before they could be enjoyed. Good news is management noticed, came by to apologize for a miscommunication in the kitchen and made an adjustment on the check.
As for the main dish, we were big fans of the char-grilled rib eye, a 10-ounce steak marinated in soy sauce, pineapple juice and brown sugar. It is reminiscent of the Hawaiian steak served at the iconic Houston’s restaurant chain but is about half the size and half the price, $19, of Houston’s version. We also liked the jumbo coconut shrimp and the barbecue char siu pork, both of which come with pineapple pico.
Each dish, even at lunch, comes with two sides. Now, the sides are just a bit incongruous but, hey, what do we know about Hawaiian meals? Get the stir-fry mixed vegetables – it goes with anything on the menu and has a lot of flavor. It’s a mix of freshly cut zucchini, carrots, broccoli florets, onions and mushrooms, but the chef will tailor it to you if the restaurant isn’t crowded.
We were told, “We only do one dessert but we do it really well.” So go ahead and say yes to yet another experience: tableside pineapple flambe, which is essentially bananas foster with pineapple instead of bananas. It features a house-made caramel sauce, freshly roasted macadamia nuts and a nice burst of cinnamon sparks during preparation.
If you choose to stay in now that it’s colder, you can sit back and pretend to be in a place where bamboo and thatched huts meet Elvis and “Magnum, P.I.”
This is casual dining that requires you to suspend your grip on the Midwest for long enough to pretend island life is within reach of the Ozarks.
As they said when we left, “Mahalo, folks.”
Paul and Kay Logsdon write restaurant reviews for Springfield Business Journal, calling on their travel and food experience across the country and several continents. Kay works as editor for The Food Channel and frequently speaks to national groups about food trends; Paul is director of public relations for Evangel University.
