Foodie Friday: Thompson Island Brewing Company

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – It’s summer time, which means fire-roasted food and tropical flavors. Thompson Island Brewing Company brought that to the next level when the Foodie Friday team visited.

Hawaiian Flavors at Home

A little history lesson: the dish that we tried has roots stretching back to 1950’s Hawaii. It’s since become a roadside staple there. And now, Chef Raul Rodriguez is showing folks on Delmarva what huli huli is all about.

When he visited Hawaii, Chef Raul knew he had to bring those tropical flavors back home to Delaware. Thus, Thompson Island Brewing Company’s huli huli chicken was born.

“Huli huli gets its name, it literally means ‘turn turn.’ You throw it on the grill, just constantly turn it, baste it, try to caramelize those sugars, that soy, just build a deep, rich flavor to it,” said Chef Raul. “I tried it in Hawaii. Just being out there, it’s like a roadside thing that someone sets up. You’re driving by on the way to the beach, they’re set up on the side of the road in a parking lot or something. And by the time you’re done at the beach, the chicken is ready and it’s time to eat.”

“Take our time”

The chicken is rotated over the hickory wood-fired grill. Chef Raul says the grill is lovingly dubbed Aretha for her strength and demand for respect. And as it turns, the chicken is continually basted with a soy, ginger, chili, sesame marinade.

“We’ll just sit here, take our time, make sure the chicken is nice and basted, nice and grilled, get all those flavors going,” said Chef Raul. “We’re starting to get that deep, rich, dark mahogany colors from the soy sauce.”

And, this dish isn’t complete without grilled summer squash and zucchini, and a bed of coconut rice. The rice is married together with coconut milk and citrus zest: orange, lime, and lemon.

“[Squash] is really plentiful this time of year, especially locally. It’s a nice product to have,” said Chef Raul.

“Rich, satisfying flavor”

“Let’s dive into this huli huli chicken, which is honestly hard to do because it is such a beautiful dish,” said Foodie Host Hannah. With the first bite, “Wow, that is so, so good.”

Hannah says you can really taste just how much time and attention goes into the huli huli chicken.

“Just that process of continually turning it, adding the flavor onto it, really helps to develop this rich, satisfying flavor. It’s got a nice kick to it, it’s a little bit sweet,” said Hannah. “It’s almost like a nice teriyaki sauce with a little bit of an extra kick to it.”

The coconut rice is a perfect pairing with the chicken. “You really taste all of the fragrance and acidity that’s coming out of the citrus juices that they’ve used, put into this rice,” said Hannah.

“That is like a perfectly grilled summer squash,” Hannah continued. “If you’re on Delmarva, and it’s summertime, you’re going to be enjoying some nice, local squash. I think it’s kind of cool that he decided to add this onto the dish, because these are flavors that you won’t find our local menu. But, you’re getting a little touch of home with the squash. The grill flavoring on it pairs really nicely with the wood fired flavoring of the chicken.”

Foodie Photog Mike called the chicken juicy and tender. He also raved about the sides.

“You know it’s a good squash when it’s juicy, but it’s also a little bit crunchy. It hasn’t been cooked to death, it stands up for itself. Just a nice bite right there,” said Foodie Photog Mike. “I think there’s kind of a floral sort of presentation to [the rice]. That’s kind of the neat thing, especially when you have good coconut milk and oil. You get a couple of layers. It’s a little bit creamy, it’s a little bit floral.”

Thompson Island Brewing Company

Thompson Island Brewing Company is located at 30133 Veterans Way, Rehoboth Beach, Del. You can call them at (302) 226-4677. If you go to check it out, tell the team that you saw them on Foodie Friday.