Colorfully painted buildings with brightly lit windows sit astride North 45th Street in Walling-ford, known to many as a local portal to some of the world's most diverse cuisine.
It is here, among the small but popular ethnic restaurants that line the busy thoroughfare that Karen Law and her business partner Junko Yamamoto have carved out their own culinary niche.
Ethnic flavors
Sandwiched between Guadalajara Mexican Restaurant, H&R Block and the popular Wonder Bar, the once-vacant space at 1719 N. 45th St. is now warmly decorated in tropical blue and passion pink hues that invite you into Hawaiian Breeze.
With a vision to bring new flavors into the area's culinary repertoire, Law and Yamamoto have embarked on a quest to serve and educate people about Hawaiian and pan-Asian food.
"What a lot of people don't realize," said Law, who is Chinese by descent, "is that a lot of Hawaiian food is influenced by the pan-Asian culture, like the Japanese, Filipino, Korean or Chinese, and vice versa."
Yamamoto shares Law's vision and brings with her family recipes and marinades she learned from her childhood on the island of Oahu with her Japanese aunt and native-Hawaiian uncle.
With vision and drive, the pair have developed a fusion of ethnic flavors that focus predominately on Hawaiian barbecue and Japanese cuisine, what the two call a more flavorful and heartfelt taste amidst the sea of never-ending teriyaki restaurants in the area.
A Hawaiian feel
Hawaiian Breeze boasts such items as a Hawaiian Barbecue Mix, which features the 15-ingredient secret marinade, two cuts of beef short ribs and a chicken breast, accompanied by plenty of rice and daily-made macaroni salad for $7.95; and Grilled Mahi Mahi with seasonal vegetables and rice for $8.50.
Also, sushi can be found on the house menu every Friday and Saturday.
"I only wanted to serve the freshest cuts and the best-quality sushi," Yamamoto said. "Our sushi and house menu also make up the bar menu at the Wonder Bar on those days."
While the two owners refuse to divulge the secret ingredients to their marinade, they were more than happy to admit the secret to their dessert menu: "'Auntie' Louise Wong," Yamamoto said, "is the silent dessert partner!"
According to Yamamoto, her aunt supplies the weekly traditional Hawaiian or seasonal pastries that grace their menu. A Wallingford resident since 1979, "Auntie Louise," as she is locally known to many, said her reasons for helping her niece and partner were two-fold.
"First, I want to see them make it, and second I love to bake! Now I can bake all the time and not have to eat it!" she explained, laughing.
According to Yamamoto and Law the goal at Hawaiian Breeze is to provide excellent food quality and customer service in a relaxing environment at a reasonable price.
"We want our customers to enjoy their time here," Law said.
"Even when the weather gets cold," Yamamoto added, smiling, "it should feel like Hawaii - warm!"
A common passion
The two owners found their common passion for food after meeting nearly 10 years ago; however, they only made the transition into business partners recently after mutual friends continuously asked each to recommend restaurants or to cook at gatherings.
While new to owning a restaurant of their own, the two also have realized the importance of coming into the business tempered by years of combined secondhand restaurant experiences.
Yamamoto learned much of what she knows about the industry through her mother, who owned a restaurant in Japan, while Law was witness to the transactions of her ex-husband's Chinese restaurant in Kent.
Taking with them lessons from each, the two cautiously opened their joint venture in Wallingford three months ago without much of the traditional fanfare that accompanies a new restaurant.
"We wanted a soft opening," said Law, who handles much of the restaurant's management operations. "We didn't want to be unprepared for our opening, and that is why we are only now beginning to advertise locally."
Maliah Johnson, a customer at Hawaiian Breeze, noted that she had actually only heard of the restaurant earlier that day while shopping in Wallingford's Hawaii General Store & Gallery.
"I saw the ad posted," Johnson said, "and I thought why not give it a shot?"
Johnson and her mother, Jewel Brooks, say they are always searching for new restaurants, especially ones that serve Hawaiian cuisine because they have several relatives who live there and they love the traditional food.
While off to a slow start the two owners noted that most of their patrons have visited their restaurant more than once, some on a weekly basis, including members of the local Hawaiian population. They attribute their success so far to the authentic heart and flavor that goes into their food.[[In-content Ad]]
