Feasts Over Fire in Hawaii

Overview

Roger's first visit to the 50th state promises big fires and big feasts. Right off of Nimitz Highway in Honolulu is family-run restaurant Koala Moa, famous for whole chickens roasted over fire. The parking lot is filled with rotisserie trailers. Roger and owner Chris Shimabukuro burn wood pallets and unopened bags of charcoal in a thirty-five foot rotisserie trailer. One hundred and forty seasoned chickens are secured in metal baskets that slowly spin and move across the trailer filled with hot coals for approximately thirty minutes. At Ma'O Organic Farms in Wai-anae, Roger meets local chef Bob McGee who roasts half a cow over a custom-built six-by-six foot metal grill. Various cuts of beef, hamburgers, and sausages are cooked on adjustable grates over metal drawers filled with local kiawe wood.