November 5, 2025 Albuquerque to Honolulu Breakfast Lebanon Bologna Bagels. Lunch Rice Vermicelli Bowl. Dinner - Fete in Honolulu.
The food turned out better than I would have imagined today.
I woke up at 4:00 and toasted 4 slices of bagel and spread them with cream cheese and garnished them with slices of red onion, Lebanon Bologna, and Manchego cheese. I also diced the rest of the LebanonBologna because the Lindemuths eat cubes of Lebanon Bologna with cubes of cheddar cheese. I cubed the last part of a brick of Dubliner Irish cheddar cheese last night.
Suzette brought home an assortment of freshly baked cookies we also took on the trip along with a wedge of brie and a few pieces of Parmesan cheese.
I ate a slice of bagel at 5:00 so would be sure to have enough energy to get to the plane. I went back to sleep at 5:00 and slept until 6:30.
We got ready, cleaned the kitchen, and then we uberred to the airport at 8:15 and arrived at the gate around 9:00 for our 10:00 flight, so Suzette bought hot drinks, coffee for her and chai for me.
We flew to Oakland where we bought a rice vermicelli bowl that was very much like a bowl of bun. I asked and was given a small bowl with extra chopped lettuce and herbs and, mung bean sprouts. I turned out to be the perfect lunch that we ate on the 5 1/2 hour flight from Oakland to Honolulu.
When we arrived we taxied to our hotel. We looked for a restaurant near our hotel for dinner and found one named Fete that looked promising, so we made a reservation for 7:30 and rested for a hour and then walked the two blocks to the restaurant. It was full and several restaurants we pasted were empty, so a good sign.
Here is their restaurant description from the Internet:
Fête is a Seasonal New American neighborhood restaurant with local roots and a global outlook—where classic techniques meet island flavors & ingredients at their best. Our culinary point of view showcases the dishes we crave, using cooking methods from many cultures that all lead to simple, delicious cuisine.
We waited a few minutes for a table. The wine list was extensive. I immediately saw a wine I wanted a 1/2 bottle of 2023 Bandol Domaine de Terrebrune for $52.00.
We also decided to split a veal and tuna salad and a Half Roasted chicken with a Mushroom cream sauce and foie gras with sautéed micro greens.
This turned out to be an excellent meal.
Here is the description of the salad we ordered:
Vitello Tonnato≈
-29
Slow-roasted Hawaii Island rose veal, Local I’a ahi
belly aioli, sweet crisp greens, shaved fennel, crispy
capers, butter croutons
The salad greens were tossed in Black pepper and when I told the owner who was helping us with our wine selection that I was allergic to raw black pepper he went to the kitchen and brought us a salad plate filled with a pile of gourmet greens tossed in olive oil and Spanish sherry vinegar that were delicious and fresh.
He first brought a bottle of the house Bandol rose, Domaine des Trois Fillets. But when we told him our first choice had been the Domaine Terrebrune, he said, “We have that. I think the waitress did not know where to look”. He soon returned with the 1/2 bottle of Terrebrune and gave a summary about how the restaurant has an excellent relationship with Kermit Lynch “They give us whatever we want and last week Kermit’s son visited the restaurant”.
The wine lived up to its hype. It was full bodied with a commanding character, yet with a subtle lingering finish. We loved it and did not feel the need to drink anything else with our chicken with foie gras served after our salad.
The salad had lots of thin slices of Aji tuna and veal and with the incredibly fresh salad greens and small slices of Belgium Endive, was a perfect first course. The tender Aji Tuna was a wonderful introduction to Hawaiian seafood. The quality of the food and its prep was evident on the plate and the great Bandol rose was a real treat.
About twenty minutes later a platter was served with a roasted 1/2 chicken garnished with slices of fresh foie gras on a puddle of mushroom cream sauce with a pile of sautéed micro vegetables on the side of the platter.
Here is the menu description: Roasted Koji-Brined Ludivico Chicken served with Mushroom Sourdough Sauce Kupu mixed chives with a Foie gras - option
We had never eaten a Koji brined chicken. Here is the explanation:
Koji brine, most commonly shio koji or shoyu koji, is a seasoned liquid made by fermenting koji (a rice mold) with salt and water. It is used as a marinade or seasoning to tenderize meat, enhance flavor with umami, and preserve food. Koji brine works because the enzymes in koji break down proteins and starches, creating a rich flavor profile.
Ludivico Farm was the local farm where the chicken was raised and Kupu was the farm where the micro greens were raised.
So Fete is a gourmet farm to table restaurant awarded James Beard recognition in 2022. What a find, Suzette!!
We talked to our neighbors who it turned out we’re visiting from NYC for a wedding and came because Fete was among the top 10 restaurants and the man was a TCU graduate in Finance working in finance in NYC. They were drinking Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel red blend with Korean steak and a huge fried chicken burger.
After dinner we shared a glass of Château Roûmieu-Lacoste Sauternes 2022. The bar tender served it in two American champagne glasses to finish the meal on a celebratory note.
We walked back the two blocks to the hotel happy and full but not uncomfortably full and went to sleep at 9:30 Honolulu time, but 12:30 Albuquerque time.
It is rare when everything about a restaurant dinner is fabulous. Congratulations to Robynne Maii - Chef/Owner and Emily Iguchi - Executive Chef on creating a memorable dining experience. They probably deserve Michelin recognition.
The idea to break the trip from Albuquerque to Tokyo into two parts was working wonderfully.
Bon Appetit
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