Sharing a Meal at the Roots Cafe’
One of KKV’s hidden gems lies at the back of the Wellness Center on North School Street. For the uninitiated, there is no street signage and, since the start of the pandemic, customers need to order their food at KKV’s loading dock on Ahonui Street. Discovery is well worth the trouble. A recent menu included Pan Fried Jidori Chicken with mango cream sauce, rice and salad; cassava patties with mango coconut sauce, rice and salad; and a green mango and calamansi smoothie. Menus change daily but the food is always excellent and nutritious.
Jesse Lipman, the Community Food Coordinator and Chef, brings out new creations to taste.
At the Roots Café, it’s all about using food to make connections. Food is a reason people come together, to meet up with friends and family, and to talk story, as we share nourishing meals with one another. The ingredients used in the dishes come from the Roots Food Hub, which partners with local organic farmers across O’ahu and sometimes other Hawaiian islands. Menus reflect the rich and diverse food traditions of the staff and interns cooking at Roots. The Café also aims to incorporate Pacific island staple foods like kalo, sweet potato, cassava, banana, and ulu into every meal service.
Pre-COVID, Roots Cafe’ was a training hub for volunteers and interns looking to learn more about the food system. Many of KKV’s current and former staff have contributed to the success of the Cafe’.
Left to right: Bernice Musrasrik, Jesse Lipman, Kasha Ho, Sarah Kunkle, Kea Pooloa, and Betty Bartolome.
Roasted cauliflower and cassava, mango cake, duck and chicken eggs from Roots Cafe and food hub. Photo: Martha Cheng
Returning to Our Roots (Roots) was recently featured in a Honolulu Magazine article Live Your Best Mango and Locavore Life at Kalihi’s Roots Cafe’ - click here:
When you come to the Cafe’, you can connect with local farmers through the Food Hub which sells fresh produce, cultural foods, and a variety of other food products from the Ahonui St. counter. Weekly pick-ups and deliveries from small farms bring a wealth of fresh product from ulu to banana, poi, fresh eggs, greens, and other items. Roots works hard to keep its margins low and all products are SNAP eligible (often with SNAP “double bucks” incentives), ensuring that nutritious and locally-grown foods are accessible to all.
Roots Café and Food Hub are open every Tuesday and Thursday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Come early for the greatest selection as dishes and cultural food products sell out.
