×
×
homepage logo
LOGIN
SUBSCRIBE

Masters of Pacific comfort food serve up sunshine & smiles

By EMILY VASSAR - The Sunday Telegraph | Jun 27, 2020

How refreshing is it that we get a taste of Hawaii right here in the middle of Southern New Hampshire? Aside from that Pacific breeze across one’s face, or hearing the roar of the waves in person, not much could stand up against slow-roasted pulled pork, chunks of grilled pineapple, and a fresh-made smoothie. As the demand for organic food options has increased over the years, local restaurateurs have found their niche in being able to provide some of the healthiest, tastiest meals while partnering with local farms for a full circle of cleaner, community – centered living. The folks at Big Kahunas Cafe & Grill in Merrimack have been doing exactly that. By building a menu that covers everything from smoothies and breakfast to a burger bar and dinner, Kahunas makes sure that vegan, vegetarian and omnivorous diets are all catered to. Fresh produce and grass-fed beef are sourced from farms in the area, which not only prolongs the lifespan of each dollar within the local economy, but bolsters the strength of the state as a whole. The relationships established between farm and table are paramount contributors in building and maintaining a robust and healthy community.

The smoothies at Kahunas are refreshing and delicious. The Green Bliss is packed with natural vitamins and flavor, and consists of kale, mango, banana, orange and coconut milk. The Oasis is most definitely not an apparition; with an undeniable sweetness along with nutrition, pineapple, banana, mango, strawberry and coconut milk combine for a real treat. If you’re looking for something that tastes like dessert without losing out on the benefits of something healthier, the Cocoa Loco is made with coconut milk, peanut butter, cocoa and banana. Fresh juices are also available, and are made to order. Ingredients like cucumber, carrot, ginger, pineapple and lemon, among many others, are all utilized to make four different juices that revitalize and help you power through your day.

Breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day by some experts, but not many of us have the time to make much beyond a cup of coffee. Big Kahunas has us covered, and they serve it all day long. The King Kong Burrito is a beast, packed with five local eggs, house-smoked bacon, roasted root vegetables, cheese, fresh avocado, and Sriracha, all layered up in a lavash, which is an unleavened flatbread. The Kahunas Breakfast Burrito is a little simpler, but no less delicious. House smoked bacon, local eggs, and cheddar cheese are wrapped up in a flour tortilla for a truly satisfying meal. You can also add veggies for an extra dollar. Bagels are made in-house, and you can have a breakfast sandwich of house-smoked bacon or sausage, egg and cheddar. Schmears of butter, SunButter (a brand of butter made from sunflower seeds for those with nut allergies), peanut butter or cream cheese are available. Muffins are also made on site daily, with flavors inspired by the season, and are grilled to perfection.

Tacos are served “TropiCali Style” at Kahunas, and they are as refreshing as they are nourishing. Three soft tacos are paired with fresh salsa and sour cream, and range in flavor as well as substance. The Point Break is made using plantains and smoked tofu, topped with pineapple salsa and cabbage slaw. The Betty is a shredded beef taco complimented by lettuce, tomato and chipotle aioli. The shrimp in the Baja is marinated in cilantro and lime before being grilled and topped with heaping portions of avocado, mango, cabbage slaw and a zippy sriracha aioli. Shredded chicken is the center of the So-Cal, and citrus-marinated haddock is the focus in the North Shore Fish Taco.

Chicken, beef and pork options are offered as wraps, salads, or bowls for an incredibly easy and accommodating meal of your choice. In addition, a bowl is served over jasmine rice and/or sauteed kale with a side of sweet plantains. Caribbean Pulled Chicken is sweet and spicy with the help of ginger, soy sauce, cane sugar, and Kahunas’ own zippy Caribbean BBQ sauce, served with organic green leaf lettuce. The Kahuna Club is made using slow-braised chicken with lettuce, tomato, herbed mayo and smoked bacon. The Hot N Steamy Steak & Cheese is made with dry rubbed, house-smoked beef that is sliced thin and sauteed with veggies and cheddar cheese. Bodhi’s Beef Curry is a delight, with cucumber and tomato raita (a yogurt-based condiment used to cool the palate), fresh cilantro and roasted red peppers. The (P)BLT is made using pulled pork, fresh pineapple, smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and herbed mayo. The Slaw-py Pulled Pork Sammy may be messy, but that’s all part of the charm and flavor: spicy Caribbean pulled pork is layered with house-made coleslaw and smoked bacon, and then smothered in their homemade BBQ sauce before being topped off with a local, free-range, sunny-side-up egg. These and all other plates containing meat can have their proteins replaced with tofu upon request for a completely vegan meal that is equally wholesome and satisfying.

Remember the emphasis on Kahunas’ insistence on sourcing so many of their ingredients from local farmers? The burgers at this joint just might be the spotlight within this Spotlight for that very reason: the beef for their patties comes from PT Farm in North Haverhill, New Hampshire. We’ve known for a long time that the way animals are treated and how they feel during their time alive directly affects the quality, and therefore flavor, of their meat when we consume it. Grass-fed and clearly blissful in life, they produce meat that is healthier and more ethically rendered than so many options we are limited to at chain grocery stores. The Kahuna Burger might be the more simple option from the menu, but it is hardly basic: it’s topped with smoked bacon, fresh pineapple, melted cheese, crisp green leaf lettuce, tomato, and herbed mayo. The King Kong Burger is powerful but not to be misunderstood, and might require a decisive plan of attack. Two beef patties are layered with spicy Caribbean pulled chicken and topped with sharp cheddar cheese, pineapple, sauteed veggies, lettuce, tomato, avocado, herbed mayo, Kahunas’ BBQ sauce, and of course, that famous bacon. This thing towers over the landscape of the table, and requires your undivided attention. A burger bar is at your disposal, allowing you to build your own amazing creation from an almost daunting array of ingredients. Some examples of the available components are beef and veggie patties, smoked gouda, pepper jack cheese, spicy, herbed and sweet sauces (peanut butter, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce…? Don’t knock it till you try it!), veggies, pineapple, cilantro, free-range eggs, and pulled pork and chicken. The possibilities are endless, it seems, and the opportunity to build your own version of the Kong should not be passed up.

Big Kahunas Cafe & Grill is not just a restaurant, or even just a unique one for this area: these folks truly care about the happiness and well-being of their community, and they practice what they preach. A life that includes sustainability, cleaner eating and awareness of our environmental footprint is a life well-lived, and they want to share their amazing food and outlook with us. If that’s not a wonderful way to show how much you care about your people, what is?

Big Kahunas CafE & Grill

ADDRESS

380 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack

PHONE

603 494 4975

SERVICES

Indoor and outdoor seating available; take-out;

Delivery thru DoorDash and GrubHub

ONLINE

www.nhkahuna.com

https://www.facebook.com/bigkahunascafeandgrill/

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

Interests
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *