# Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, and Jacob Batalon Try NYC's Best Hawaiian Food — Let's Do Lunch

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Ufk_y3vX0
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/J9Ufk_y3vX0
Generated: 2026-01-28T15:09:51.856+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, and Jacob Batalon visited Narita in New York City for lunch featuring an assortment of Hawaiian dishes, including spicy spam, various poké, loco moco chicken, and galbi, with the actors sharing personal food preferences, opinions on controversial ingredients like pineapple on pizza, and discussing topics ranging from favorite food cities to hypothetical superhero fights.

**Key Points:**
- The cast sampled a large assortment of Hawaiian food at Narita in East Village, which included regular and spicy spam, scallop, yellowtail, unagi, salmon and tuna poké, bok choy salad with tempura fried oyster mushroom, loco moco chicken, and entree-sized galbi with mac salad.
- Jason Momoa strongly asserted that pineapple on pizza should not be called Hawaiian pizza because pineapple is a 'colonizer fruit' brought to Hawaii, stating, 'Pineapple is not from Hawaii. It's a colonizer fruit that was brought into Hawaii.'
- When discussing favorite food cities, Jacob Batalon chose New York, Morena Baccarin mentioned London, and Jason Momoa suggested New York or San Francisco, while the favorite country for food among the group was Italy.
- The group debated food opinions, with Jason Momoa stating he hates olives, and Ketchup being judged as only appropriate for fries and meat pie (or dinosaur chicken nuggets by another cast member).
- Jason Momoa revealed that his ideal Valentine's Day dinner date involves taking his fiancée out, but ultimately prefers eating at home for a nice dinner.
- In a hypothetical fight scenario involving Aquaman, Spider-Man, or Deadpool, Jason Momoa suggested Aquaman could win because he 'can just drown them both,' acknowledging Deadpool's regeneration.
- The meal concluded with dessert, including a chocolate halapia sundae and Hawaiian pineapple brulee, leading the guests to declare the experience 'the best modern Hawaiian I've ever had.'

**Context:** The video features actors Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, and Jacob Batalon participating in an 'Let's Do Lunch' segment where they try Hawaiian food at a restaurant called Narita in New York City, run by someone named Chong who is from Hawaii. The segment involves tasting multiple courses while the actors engage in casual conversation covering a range of topics from personal food habits and culinary debates to promoting Momoa's then-new movie, 'The Wrecking Crew,' streaming on Prime Video.

## Detailed Analysis

Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, and Jacob Batalon visited Narita in NYC to sample a wide variety of Hawaiian cuisine presented by the owner, Chong. The extensive menu included various types of spam, different poké selections, bok choy salad with tempura mushrooms, loco moco chicken, and galbi, which the guests thoroughly enjoyed, calling it 'the best modern Hawaiian.' The conversation flowed through food preferences, where Italy was named a favorite food country, and strong opinions were voiced against ingredients like olives and pineapple on pizza, with Momoa specifically arguing against the latter's Hawaiian naming convention. They also discussed comfort foods, late-night cravings (cereal, popcorn), and preferred drinks (vodka, Guinness). In addition to the meal, Momoa discussed filming 'The Wrecking Crew' back home in Hawaii for the first time, highlighting the honor of rehiring crew members from 27 years prior, and entertained hypothetical questions about which superhero would make the worst dinner date (Aquaman due to bringing fish from the water) and who would win in a fight (Momoa leaning toward Aquaman). The segment concluded with dessert and expressions of gratitude for the meal.

### Restaurant Visit & Menu Highlights

- Actors Jason Momoa, Morena Baccarin, and Jacob Batalon dined at Narita in NYC
- The initial platter featured regular spam, spicy spam, scallop, yellowtail, and unagi
- They also received tuna and salmon poké, bok choy salad with tempura mushrooms, loco moco chicken, and galbi with mac salad.

### Culinary Debates & Opinions

- The group debated pineapple on pizza, with Momoa labeling pineapple a 'colonizer fruit' not native to Hawaii
- Jason Momoa hates olives, and Ketchup is only acceptable on fries and meat pie, according to one actor
- Favorite food cities included New York, London, and San Francisco; favorite country for food was Italy.

### Personal Food Habits & Preferences

- Go-to late-night cravings included cereal, popcorn, and Halo Top
- Favorite snacks mentioned were seaweed sheets (nories) and Honeycrisp apples
- Momoa likes pepper and salt, claiming he will 'die from probably salt'
- The preference was to 'try something new every day' rather than eating the same comfort food.

### Movie Promotion & Hypotheticals

- Jason Momoa discussed filming 'The Wrecking Crew' in Hawaii, calling it a 'dope' experience and an honor to hire long-time crew members
- When asked about kitchen weapon defense, choices included a pizza slicer and a mandolin
- Aquaman was named the worst dinner date because he brings 'fish boy from the water.'

### Beverage and Dessert Choices

- Favorite drinks discussed included beer, wine, cocktails, and straight vodka (specifically Chopin vodka)
- Momoa enjoys Guinness and Tequila
- Dessert consisted of a chocolate halapia sundae and Hawaiian pineapple brulee.

