Source: Hawaiian Airlines
“Simple, comforting and hearty.” That’s how Chef Mark Pomaski of Hilo’s Moon & Turtle describes the meals for his newest collaboration with Hawaiian Airlines. His menu creations debuted this month to First Class guests on flights from Hawaiʻi to the continental U.S. as part of the carrier’s acclaimed Featured Chef Series in-flight culinary program.
“I wanted to create something familiar and comforting, so I pulled from homestyle dishes that I make for my staff and family,” shares Pomaski. “I’ve been in a phase where I’m really into Chinese-style steamed dishes, so I created a steamed chicken dish. I marinate chicken and steam it over a chicken broth, and everything that cooks off the chicken drips into the broth and that’s what we use to cook the rice. It’s a very classic meal that’s super flavorful, but also healthy.”
Pomaski’s dishes are centered around Hawai‘i-Pacific flavors, which tend to be saltier. Native Hawaiians often used salt to preserve fish, meats, and other foods for storage and ocean voyages. At high altitudes, where taste bud sensitivity can be significantly reduced, these umami-rich flavors truly shine.
The partnership with Hawaiian is a full-circle moment for Pomaski. Growing up in Hilo on the east side of Hawai‘i Island, stepping onboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight meant the start of an adventure for him. When he became a corporate chef with James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Chef Roy Yamaguchi, he traveled on Hawaiian’s Neighbor Island flights every week to commute to and from work on Oʻahu.
“I’d read Hana Hou! [in-flight magazine] on those flights and there was an article titled, ‘The Moon and The Turtle.’ The concept was that the moon is very high, and the turtle is very low, and in the world of sushi, you have the otoro – the elevated and expensive – and you have things like saba, which is very humble, very every day. But they exist together. And it just seemed so perfect for the [restaurant] space we were trying to create,” explained Pomaski.
In 2013, Pomaski opened Moon and Turtle with his wife, Soni, and his brother, Tedd. They’ve garnered local and national attention, including a 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist placing for Best Chef Northwest and Pacific.
“One word that describes my cooking is heartfelt. My parents cooked for me. To this day, they still cook for me. I grew up eating homecooked food, and it is an expression of love, and that’s what I always keep in mind when cooking for our guests,” Pomaski reflected.
