Michel’s Restaurant: Hawaii-French Cuisine

Michel Martin (1907-2008) was the original Chef and Owner  was born April 3, 1907, and grew up in Nice, France. He was exposed to many fine foods as a child and that would give him respect for the food and the people behind it, but on the other hand he had also experienced the deprivations of World War I. It would be the beginning of understanding foraging and looking for berries and chestnuts. Bread salad was wartime food and it would really need a good dressing to call it dinner. He would move to the United States and make his way to San Francisco where he would catch a boat to Hawaii where he would end up working at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. That is until World War II began, he went to work for the Army to feed the troops. Michel had lived right, Mauna of Leilehua High School, on Uluwehi street. 

Chez Michel Cafe (Wahiawa), in 1942 he opened up a small place that started as a burger joint on Wilikina drive. He would share cooked dishes with the nearby business owners like Wahiawa Clothiers. Michel would often cook dishes and share with them and overtime he got really popular with locals and military alike. Soldiers from Schofield Barracks were asking for dishes from overseas. They wanted the breads, the soups, the salads, the frogs legs, the bisques, but they really took a liking to the Cheesy Onion Soup. They desired the flavors that would come from France, where people would go to train to become the best of the best in those days as the art of food was brought to heights that seemed no bounds. Bringing the experiences of France would create a very different experience for people working with or even knowing Michel Martin would know that each person would have their place, because each person is in a role that is important to the kitchen. He was smart as he did have a bit of a harsh personality as it was molded by the stainless steel and heat of a kitchen, but he knew when to tone it down for his customers. Customers that would come were the likes of the Castles, the Cookes, and the Dillinghams. Michel said "I sold that for bananas, practically nothing".

The children would have a unique experience there, since any sort of change to the dish would ruin the whole dish and that would be the experience of “The Little Meeker Girl”. It is she who asked for ketchup and chef Michel came storming out of the kitchen, but he was surprised when he saw the frightened look on her face, so he immediately shifted gears and was utterly charming instead of saying what he was going to say about the dish. It is said that culinary education would begin in alternative ways there. There were all sorts of clientele from those who were working class to those who were upscale clientele that would be drawn to the Hawaii countryside for his food and personality. He would be learning about the people and the place and would take a good look around to see how to heighten the ingredients to the level of his own expectations and would continue on this route for 17 years before he would make his way to the Colony Surf. Customers in Wahiawa were devastated when he moved to the Town-side, because he used to sell his special salad dressing, where families bought it and used it on their salads at home.

Michel’s at the Colony Surf (1960), he would not own this location and would go on working for Bob Bockhorn owner of Colony Surf and the building next door where Bobby McGee’s was located. It was always a special place, because it was out of price for most people and a person would have to be lucky or rich to be in attendance…or the once a year outing. And back in the early days of this restaurant not many people had a chance to go- it was the place for what was then called ‘power breakfast’ where you would see Hawaii’s business and political leaders enjoy the Waikiki scenery while having those meetings as they had a thing for French dishes as it was exotic and luxurious. The whole feeling was French and that is why it wouldn’t be strange for French teachers to take their students over to the place and learn a bit about the French dining experience. Some of the most famous actors and artists in the world would dine there as it was a prime place to see the “green flash” at sunset and seen as the most luxurious french food one could get on the island. An open-air restaurant overlooking the ocean view and flaming tiki torches a talented gentleman played beautiful piano music and took requests. Robin Leach of the television series, "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous," named Michel's at the Colony Surf "the most romantic restaurant in the world". That food was made from hardened staff that was similar to a military unit with glaring that happened if disappointment occurred, yelling when in disbelief, and faces turning red if something went really wrong. He would be there for 11 years before once again moving to his next restaurant.

Honolulu was not yet a food destination, so many would come for Michel’s as a status marker with many competitors chasing the dream of luxury dining. It had tableside service that would make it that high level of service with a steak Diane that's sliced, a Caesar Salad Cherries flambe, or a Banana foster that was nothing less than fancy. The whole experience would be important and what people would feel as it was not only a relationship that was spoken but also one of physical performance of the in person serving and show that the people had their hearts dreaming of food. One line cook recalls those higher in management were fighting about everything and everything was a battle in the kitchen. There are many who cooked with him that just couldn’t stand how ridgid he was in how things were so inflexible in the kitchen, so those who were not trying to master the very basics of French cuisine would always be going back and forth with the very heated chef Michel. 

Hawaii’s Luxury Standard, and was considered Old World Hospitality, a high level of cleanliness, tables, chairs, tablecloths, glasses, silverware, napkins, everything concerning the dining experience must sparkle, no excuses. Service personnel are well trained, professional, polite, knowledgeable. The way the restaurant smells. Fresh flowers, Exquisite Lighting, Romantic Candles, are all a must. When Michel, the original owner, left the restaurant, it fell on hard times with quality declining in the specific ways of French Hospitality. Customers left because of their loyalty to Chef Michel and the dissatisfaction was with the new management and unfamiliar employees who had more to do with seemingly less incentives. It would take years for the place to get back to its level of standards, but it was of course never the same as Michel Martin’s French Hospitality System that he developed for his own place. People would start referring to the restaurant as “A French restaurant stuck in the 1970's” with hearing "This is wrong! Who did this?", or “I don’t want to read this thing! printed from a machine, bring me the person!”, “Pupule cook! What are you doing!?”, "It's always like this, not like that!", "Eh! Is this lobster bisque? This is not right!", "The idea is good, but the recipe is wrong! Do it again!".

Michel Martin of Michels knew Peter Canlis of Canlis who knew of the Weavers and all of them were doing well. People were looking for what the other was doing. They would just go and visit the other restaurants to see what was going on in the other place, but for those who learned how to appreciate the better foods that were layered in taste would be able to tell just by eating at the other business. Martin was there to critique his peers, and while he is ever gracious, he was not worried about bringing points to the table and was ready to hurt feelings. Michel and Canlis who knew each other would openly exchange ideas on how to make sure the hospitality industry would grow and make Hawaii a destination and these discussions would also have to do with the people running the hotels. Canlis would eventually be taken over by Spencecliff and Michel would open up another restaurant where he could cook what he wanted and then the way Michel’s at Colony Surf would change.

They crammed more tables to get rid of the feeling that the room was plentiful and the ambiance was less romantic. With the abundance of high-spending Japanese tourists it seemed like a never ending line of casual dress, shopping bag carrying, full of money clients. This would create a host who was not approachable, disinterested waiting staff that looked like work was torcher, and appearances were sloppy. But not only that, the food was not the same, because they had not written down the style of Michel to a science as it started to change in Hawaii from its purely authentic French roots. When unfairly compared, those who would refer to Michel’s style were “Michel’s Way”, “Elevated Fine Dining Cooking” or “Hawaii-French Cuisine” and “A Horrible alternative to French Tradition”. The only one who knew exactly what Chef Michel did was a select few of his cooks, so the place would have to find out how to succeed from the ground up. Michel was very meticulous about every piece of glassware, the particular look of the chinaware, the chosen silverware, anything the customer touched, as well as what they ordered depending on who. His advice always was "Don't expect to please everybody, you'll never make it".

Chez Michel Restaurant at Eaton (), Michel Martin had sold his place and then moved his restaurant to Eaton Square where it had a very different vibe: full of flowers and plants like in a garden…very colorful. It is said that he wanted to be more hands-on and in touch with his guests as it was incredibly integral to the luxury dining experience of french cuisine, so the discussion has to leave as much of a mark as the food. French recipes would become part of many peoples journey’s as they pursued such classic French dishes that were changed to Hawaii tastes would be Hawaii-French and it would make for one of the foundation cuisines that would eventually influence Hapa-Haole cooking. The legendary status that Michel Martin had at the time would highly influence Hawaii Chefs in their cooking of high-class cuisine and making people have a desire to try the exotic dishes of French cuisine. He was very adamant about what he wanted to serve his guests as he was serving the experience.

He was also part owner of “the Patisserie” in Kahala,in the 1980’s-1990’s. He was still active in taking fishing trips to Alaska in September for the memories of doing so with his friends for 30 years. 

Paul Gruter (1970s. Executive Chef) it was a commitment to the French way of the systems that were seen as unmatched in status and fanciness. The back was run French brigade style and  oversaw everything. The chef de cuisine ran the line, garde manger cold food, poisoner the fish, entreaties the vegetables, saucier the sauce, pastry chef to baked selections, and they all had their specific roles as if it were in France. Suggestions are to be whacked aside, Innovation be damned, perfection or nothing.

Gordon Hopkins (1980’s. Executive Chef) he would later leave Michel’s to help Roy Yamaguchi open the original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai as executive chef as his original business partner. Raymond Seu (owner of Pake's Kaneohe) was a busboy back then.

Bob Clark (Mait’re D’hotel) was the head of the front of the house service from greetings, to the guest to guest service satisfaction, and understanding the changes necessary for a smooth shift.

Andy Anderson and his business partners would own it.

Famous Hawaii Onion Soup,

Amaretto Soufflé, Grand Marnier soufflé

Celebrities: William Conrad, Tom Selleck, Larry Manetti, Lee Majors, David Hemings, Dennis Alexio, 

Staff: Sou chef Stanley Ikei, Amy Hānaialiʻi (singer), Jeff Peterson (guitarist),

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