Heart of Plum: Join Us at Frolic’s 5-Course Dinner at Little Plum on Oct. 10
From New York to San Francisco to Hawai‘i, get ready for a culinary journey through chef Casey Kusaka’s outstanding food memories.
If you haven’t dined at Little Plum, the new Mānoa restaurant from Hale ‘Aina Restaurateur of the Year Dusty Grable’s Lovers + Fighters, this is the chance you’ve been waiting for. Frolic’s Heart of Plum dinner on Oct. 10 presents five courses as happy vignettes told through food. With all forms of plums at the forefront, chef Casey Kusaka takes us to different of points in his life and career from California to New York and back home to Hawai‘i.
And by plums at the forefront, we aren’t kidding. Ume shiso pesto is topped with uni. Duck breast gets a prune mui chamoy. And dinner finishes with the mochi churros that are already a favorite at Little Plum, only this time with a special kinako plum compote. Everyone gets an exclusive welcome cocktail (or a non-alcoholic version), and there’s also an optional beverage pairing in the works to enhance the plummy flavors of each dish.
SEE ALSO: Dusty Grable’s Little Plum Opens at Mānoa Marketplace
Kusaka is a graduate of both Kapi‘olani Community College’s culinary arts program and the Culinary Institute of America. Before joining Lovers + Fighters, he worked for Grable at Quiora and La Vie at the Ritz-Carlton Residences Waikīkī; and before that, worked at Momofuku Noodle Bar and Lincoln Ristorante in New York, Californios and Nisei in San Francisco, and Zia’s in Kāne‘ohe and 53 by the Sea in Honolulu. The multiplicity of cuisines in his resume explains Heart of Plum’s eclectic spread.
Seatings are staggered starting at 5 p.m. Little Plum is also offering the same menu for a single party of 10 at 5 p.m. on Oct. 10 in The Vault at Uncle Paul’s Corner Store, the gourmet shop next door. If you’re looking for a more private experience of this one-night-only dinner, this option is made for you.
Here’s a course-by-course preview. Scroll on for a link to purchase tickets at the end. Notes are in Kusaka’s own words, edited only for brevity:
Photo: Casey Kusaka
1st: Plum Salad | Grilled Green Plum | Fresh Dino Plum | Whipped Tofu | Ume Vinaigrette | Aged Balsamic | Arugula
“During my time in California, we let the produce take the lead of the dish. The plums are prepared in a few different ways and brought together in a simple but flavorful manner.”
2nd: Chazuke | Cured Kampachi | Umeboshi | Scallion | Bubu Arare | Fumet Tea
“Growing up, we ate pretty simple food, so sometimes all I wanted to eat was tea and rice. For my birthday, Dusty and the team surprised me with a ‘Mystery Basket Cook-Off.’ I made chazuke because of the innate feeling of family and home cooking.”
Photo: Casey Kusaka
3rd: Spaghetti Pesto | Ume Shiso Pesto | Uni | Black Pepper Almonds | Parsley
“Fresh pasta courses bring me back to my days working in Italian restaurants. At Lincoln, we used to make and serve only fresh pastas, and it was some of the best food that I’ve ever had in my life. A pesto pasta is simple yet flavorful and brings out the freshness of the herbs.”
Photo: Casey Kusaka
4th: Duck Breast | Prune Mui Chamoy | Pasilla Mixe | Chile Nuevo Mexico | Cucumber | Scallion | Cilantro
“Roast duck was reserved for special occasions. At Californios in San Francisco, I grew an appreciation for different chiles and flavors that brought back memories of Hawai‘i. The inspiration of Chinese roast duck plus Latin spices brings together some of my fondest and greatest moments of San Francisco.”
5th: Mochi Churro | Kinako and Plum Compote
Ask anyone who’s been to Little Plum, and they’ll immediately tell you to get the churros. We had to make sure a plummy version was making an appearance on this menu, well, because churros!
This is a special menu. No substitutions allowed.
Frolic’s Heart of Plum Dinner at Little Plum
Where: Little Plum, Mānoa Marketplace, 2752 Woodlawn Dr.
When: Thursday, Oct. 10, staggered seatings starting at 5 p.m.
Tickets: $90 a person, includes food, tax and tip but not drinks
Drinks: Full bar plus wines, beer, sake and mocktails and other non-alcoholic options
Beverage pairing: Optional (Price TBD)
Parking: Free at Mānoa Marketplace
