Less is more at Trees Lounge. This one-room lounge is reminiscent of a metropolitan loft with its polished concrete floors, elegant bamboo sculptures and simple decor. Musicians, chefs, bartenders and servers share this classily designed space — the small stage
Less is more at Trees Lounge.
This one-room lounge is reminiscent of a metropolitan loft with its polished concrete floors, elegant bamboo sculptures and simple decor. Musicians, chefs, bartenders and servers share this classily designed space — the small stage in the corner flows into the sleek stainless steel grill that segues into the bar and booths on the far wall.
So often live music is the enemy of conversation, but at Trees the excellent acoustics and the open space create an environment for soulful connection in an atmosphere that only live music can create.
Collapse into one of the red cushy chairs in front of the band or take a seat at the bar for an inspired martini representative of one of the three regions inferred by the name. Oh, the name — the “tree” is pidgin for the number three — the three destinations that inform all things edible and auditory at Trees Lounge — Jamaica, New Orleans and Hawai‘i.
Trees opened last month in a refurbished building tucked behind Coconut Market Place in Kapa‘a. Barkeep veterans and enthusiasts Mark and Candice Myers conceived of Trees while traveling. “We were both working as bartenders. I’d go to my bar to work and she’d go to hers,” said Mark Myers. The then newly wedded couple fantasized about opening their own bar. “It just all started coming together,” said Myers. “Now we can hang out together at our bar.”
Myers wanted to create something unique to Kaua‘i. “The only place you can find a lounge is at the resorts,” he said.
Trees does indeed possess that swank retro feel sans the stuffiness. The clean lines and minimalist approach to decor create an atmosphere unlike any on the island.
With an equally titillating soundtrack of jazz and blues every Monday and Tuesday, you’ll ease right into the mood. Loose swags of canvas tent the ceiling and the bamboo display above the bar is the one clue that you’re still on Kaua‘i. The only visible sign of tropical attire resides in the giant fishtank glowing behind the bar.
Everything about this space says restraint — even the menu.
When chef Gida Snyder joined the team to design the menu, she added her shared passion for travel to the ingredients.
Snyder describes herself not as a chef, but as a traveler who loves to eat. “Street food is what I eat when I travel,” she said. Street food is sold by roadside vendors from portable food stalls. Snyder said, “It costs next to nothing and is made with love.”
Snyder translated her love of this humble cuisine into the Trees menu, which features pupu-style fare like Louisiana sliders — mini beef burgers on cheddar biscuits; Jamaican patties — vegetable stuffed pockets with spicy curry and Hawai‘i-grown purple and gold sweet potato fries.
Snyder buys local beef, breadfruit, papaya, sweet potato and greens. “My mission is a responsibility to where I am. I make that a part of what I’m doing, especially in a place of such abundance.” She referred to this sensibility as being a locavore. “That’s someone who only eats locally grown food.”
“The concept behind my cooking is island soul,” said Snyder. She went on to describe the many cultures on both Hawai‘i and Jamaica. “This is just a starting place,” she said pointing to the menu. “We can go anywhere from here.”
North Shore resident Doug Manning compared Snyder’s fare to the now perished, but renown Pacific Cafe. “It’s the subtle flavors that make the food here unique,” he said.
The flavor combinations are one thing that make these meals memorable. The sweet potato fries sprinkled with cinnamon sugar explode in your mouth when dipped in the accompanying papaya tamarind sauce.
First-time patron Margo Orgolini said her favorite sauce was the Caribbean rum and ginger sauce that accompanied the drunken shrimp dish. “And the biscuits with the mini burgers were light and fluffy. Just like biscuits my mom would make,” she said.
Quintessential Hawai‘i mainstays are reinvented with flare. The tender medallions of pork accompanied with poi as a dipping sauce are one example. Snyder’s twist on this local favorite includes a lime-ginger marmalade. The poi serves as a palate cleanser and creamy finish to the tartness of the marmalade.
“Food speaks for itself,” said Snyder. “It’s the sum of its parts.”
The smoky and slightly charred finish on her grilled breadfruit seduces the nose before tempting the tongue. “Breadfruit is so versatile — nothing against the potato — but we don’t grow them here,” said Snyder. When breadfruit is not in season, she said the fruit can be roasted and vacuum packed for use later in the year. The potatoes she uses are from Moloka‘i.
As for dessert, Snyder’s key lime creme brule zings with flavor. Yet nothing is over the top on spices. Restraint seems to be the rule of the day at Trees — in decor and cuisine.
The bar boasts of regular specialty drinks regionally inspired by the “tree” regions: The Jamaican Bobsled, Hand Grenade and Surfer on X, to name a few.
Besides a daring yet simple menu and Bohemian atmosphere, the entertainment was a priority for the couple. “We wanted to have a place that had live music every night,” said Mark Myers.
Jazz and Blues lovers can count on the Carnevali Blues Band with Randy Carnevali every Monday night and the Jazz Trio Camelion every Tuesday night. Sunday the John Gilleran Showcase performs covers. Every other night has alternating musicians. The hours of operation are from 4 to 11 p.m. Music starts at 7:30.
