It’s exciting to see an entrepreneur in action. Someone who’s got a vision and the guts to follow it through.
Chef Kimberly Platt’s job evaporated, so she jumped at the chance to attend culinary school. Before long, she'd opened a taco truck named for an immigrant turtle from Mexico that still lives in Indian Rocks Beach. But the goal of a “lei’d back cafe” led her team to buy a bungalow behind Dunedin’s city hall in 2014 and transform it into The Honu, honoring the majestic endangered green sea turtle she had fallen for in Hawaii.
It’s taken a little longer than planned, but the 1936 building is now bright green and covered with turtles. The comfortable outdoor seating may lack a water view and volcano, but a crisp white fence surrounds the crushed shell area topped with umbrella tables that evokes a sense of Hawaii, making for a pleasant place to enjoy al fresco dining.
Starting with pupus (or appetizers), we skip edamame to enjoy a poke (poh-keh). Marinated cubes of fresh pink ahi tuna, accompanied by green onion and sesame seeds, sit on a pretty round cloud of sushi rice. For me, the rice is too soft, but the tuna marinade is balanced and highlights the lushness of the fish, with the onion and sesame providing lovely accents. It’s a nice way to begin.
As is the musubi (moo-soo-be), a Hawaiian specialty — essentially Spam sushi. The state has a special relationship with that mystery meat marvel, which vaulted to fame during the rationing days of World War II; Hawaiian islanders consume more than four million cans per annum. And one of the most popular uses is sautéed, brushed with soy, plopped on sushi rice and wrapped in seaweed. It’s an unexpected treat.
On the menu, the coconut lime soup lists shiitake mushrooms as an ingredient. I have to assume they’re the base for the broth or a forgotten garnish, but there’s no indication of them in the bowl. Nonetheless, the soup is bold. The coconut is delicious and the lime packs a punch — it may even be too much for some. Its bracing acidity enlivens your taste buds and continues to develop on the finish like a fine wine. It’s served with more soft sushi rice (which works best here) breaking the surface at the center of a bowl dotted with herbs.
Honu’s burger is the “paniolo” (Hawaiian cowboy). An appealing house-made brioche bun cradles a generous patty of fresh ground chuck, topped with melted sharp Cheddar, crisp romaine, a thick ripe tomato slice and an ample plop of fiery horseradish sauce. It’s a well-conceived burger that would soar at my requested medium-rare, but hits the table at a disconcerting medium well.
The south island’s Kilauea volcano last belched forth in 2014. The Honu’s tribute entree is a mountain of black rice topped with yummy char siu, thin strips of juicy barbecued pork charred by volcanic heat, with red pepper and carrot lava flowing into a valley of greens. If you want it spicy, you ask for “molten lava.”
The folks at The Honu have a sense of humor about their fish of the day. It’s called “Humunukunukuapuaa (just kidding).” Our fillet is a fresh, moist six ounces of crispy-skinned mahi-mani. The dish is finished with sweet tropical fruit salsa, which also adds a welcome touch of acidity. The big surprise is the mashed potatoes, made from a purple variety and prepared in a rustic, chunky style. One tablemate finds the spuds off-putting, but they’re quite tasty if you banish your white and silky expectations.
The online menu is not yet in sync with what’s available on the ground, especially in the dessert realm. The single option is house-made ice cream; on our visit, it’s macadamia nut and coffee. I’m interested to see the approach to the macadamias, since they’re not very assertive. Apart from a small piece of nut, I’m hard pressed to get past the vanilla, though the scoop is very creamy and satisfying. It’s clearly made by infusing nuts into the custard base before freezing. Adding some macadamia pieces to the final product will drive home the Hawaiian connection.
The coffee “ice cream” is another thing altogether. It offers plenty of coffee flavor, but it’s exceedingly icy; as ice cream, it’s really off the mark.
As things settle in, there’s hope to do some Hawaiian-themed dinners, luau-style, in the evenings; until then, it’s a kid- and dog-friendly lunchtime operation extending to sunset on Friday and Saturday. A wayfinder sign in the courtyard informs inquisitive diners that Dunedin is, conveniently, 4,584 miles from Waikoloa, Hawaii (Kimberly and her wife Lisa's favorite place to go), and Paris, France (where they had their first date).
I guess that places The Honu right in the sweet spot. And a sign on the wall sums it up: “Imagine your dream. Create your happiness. Live your life.”
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
This article appears in Apr 21-28, 2016.