Crispy Pata: The Pig’s Feet That Put Joey’s Kitchen on the Map
“I’ve known restaurants to be known for a lot of things, Chef. No one’s ever been known for the pig’s feet.”
That’s what Guy Fieri said when he walked into Joey’s Kitchen in Lahaina, a Filipino-Asian fusion spot tucked away in a strip mall that’s become the talk of the town. What was once Maui’s “best kept secret” has clearly broken out, and the star of the show is something you won’t find on most American menus: crispy pata.
From Barefoot Field Worker to Flavor Town
Joey’s story is rooted deep in Hawaiian history. His grandfather came to Hawaii in 1907 as a barefoot field worker, harvesting sugar cane and pineapples—work that Guy acknowledged as “some hard work.” Joey himself was born in the Philippines and came to Hawaii in 1983, eventually creating a menu that blends Filipino tradition with Hawaiian influences. It’s a fusion that makes perfect sense when you understand the islands’ multicultural food scene, similar to the bold flavors Guy discovered when he tried Kare Kare at another Filipino spot.
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The Four-to-Five Hour Journey to Crispy Perfection
What makes Joey’s crispy pata legendary isn’t just the final product—it’s the meticulous process. Guy watched as Joey broke down every step:
The pig’s feet go into water with garlic, onions, palm vinegar, baking powder (for tenderizing), salt, peppercorn, fish sauce, and lemongrass. They simmer for four to five hours to pull out all the impurities. Then they’re strained and dried in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes—a crucial step that creates that signature crunch.
When the dried feet hit the fryer, the result had Guy stunned: “That is monster, dude. The crunch right there—that gigantic chicharron. See, that’s the key, drying it out in the oven.”
The Supporting Cast: Sawsawan and Kimchi
No crispy pata is complete without sawsawan, a Filipino dipping sauce that Guy wanted “by the gallon.” Joey’s version combines soy sauce, spiced vinegar with turmeric and chilies, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, Hawaiian chilies, green onions, and Hawaiian sea salt. Guy described it as salty and spicy, declaring he needed more of that in his life.
The kimchi—not traditionally Filipino, but ubiquitous in Hawaii where “everybody like eat kimchi”—features salted cabbage rinsed with hot water, then mixed with garlic and onion puree, Korean chili powder (“all of it,” Joey insisted), fish sauce, and vinegar, fermented for three to four days.
The final garnish, tinola chilies (cooked in vinegar with oil, garlic, shallots, ginger, shishito peppers, fish sauce, black pepper, and sea salt), added the finishing touch.
The Verdict
Guy’s reaction said it all: “There’s tons of flavor connected to all those bones. So tender and it’s so moist.” The combination of crispy exterior, juicy interior, punchy dipping sauce, and refreshing kimchi creates what Guy called a “game changer” that engages all the senses. Much like the creative cooking at places serving Whiskey-and-Cola Bread Pudding, this is food that defies expectations.
Even a first-time pig’s feet eater in the segment admitted: “Whatever he does, I love it.”
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