Take a Bite: ‘Mango Throwdown’ at the Moana Surfrider
August 28, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Latest News, Picture Blogs, Take a Bite
Photos by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
“Iron Chef” Masharu Morimoto, who served as a celebrity judge for the “Mango Throwdown,” autographed the evening’s program for Barbara Kimoto.
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
The Moana Surfrider closed its month-long “Mangoes at the Moana” celebration with “Tree to Table — A Mango Throwdown” on Friday, calling on 17 chefs to present their best mango dishes for judging.
One of the judges was “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto, who faced a wall of cell-phone and other cameras at each station he visited.
Dining stations were distributed throughout the hotel, including the Diamond Lawn, Lani Kai Room, Banyan Courtyard and Ballroom, so that many in the crowd milling around the ground floor had no idea there were more food stations upstairs, and those on the ewa side building may not have ventured to the Diamond Head end. It was only on a tip that I learned of the five stations on the Diamond Lawn.
Yes, there was a program that detailed the who’s and where’s, but when confronted by so much food, the inclination is to feast, not read.
Take a Bite: Alan Wong’s ‘Eggscellent Recipe Contest’
August 9, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Take a Bite
Star-Advertiser Staff
tgif@staradvertiser.com
August is Egg Month at Alan Wong’s restaurants, where the search is on for cooks to enter an “Eggscellent Recipe Contest.”
Recipes will be accepted in three dinner menu categories: Appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Recipes should be original and must use fresh island eggs as a main component. Entries will be judged on their taste, presentation, use of eggs and originality. The key word is “creative,” rather than typical breakfast or brunch items. Read more
Take a Bite: Abuzz at Alan Wong’s
July 25, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Take a Bite
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
Alan Wong’s restaurant was buzzing with energy July 14, when the chef hosted the latest in his Farmer Series Dinners. The subject: “Bee Sustainable.” The special guests: A handful of members of the Hawaiian Honey Bee Co-op, whose honey was present in every dish served.
Dinner guests were first welcomed with a drink menu, which included ice tea and about four cocktails made with honey. Then before the meal was served, guests were able to compare a honey trio in a side-by-side tasting of Kam Highway A5 and Tropical Blossom honey from John Dalire and Linda Kawamoto’s All Hawaiian Honey, and Enchanted Lake honey from Rhea McWilliams Jr.’s Rhea’s Hawaiian Honey.
They really put people on the spot by asking, “Which is your favorite?”
They thought I was being politic when I said I liked all three, but I pretty much speak my mind, so I don’t think anyone who knows me would ever call me politic. I meant what I said. They were all very different, with the Kam Highway A5 and Enchanted Lake honey being mild, and the Tropical Blossom honey being heavy and intense. But as with a lot of ingredients, you pick different ones for different reasons, whether for different interplay with other ingredients or your mood on a certain day. The one thing most clear, they were superior to general supermarket brands. Read more
Take a Bite: Price is Right, Good to Grill style
July 19, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, For the Family, Take a Bite
Photos by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
Members of the food press were put to the test during a “Price is Right” style challenge at Good to Grill July 15.
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
Good to Grill took a novel approach to introducing the food press to its new, lower lunch prices with a “Price is Right” challenge that took place July 15 at the Kapahulu Avenue restaurant.
Members of the media were challenged to come up with the correct prices of 10 lunch dishes presented, with the notion that these prices were going to be lower than comparable dishes around town. Read more
Take a Bite: In the kitchen with Titus Chan
July 19, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Take a Bite
Photos by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
Chef Titus Chan, right, in the kitchen with former China House chef Kwok Chow Lam and Loretta Wai.
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
Before the Food Network existed , there was Titus Chan, one of the original TV chefs along with Julia Child and “Galloping Gourmet” Graham Kerr in the early 1970s.
As one of the trail-blazing stars for PBS, Chan’s popularity led to a national promotional tour of many of its network affiliate cities. He appeared as a guest on “The Mike Douglas Show” as well as “The Merv Griffin Show,” and his success led the way for another Asian-American celebrity chef, Martin Yan (“Yan Can Co0k”). The two remain friends and in 2007, presented a cooking event for 500 guests at Harrah’s in Reno, Nev.
Chan hosted a dinner party for a few dozen friends in Portlock on June 26. But the chef who built a career on teaching the nation how to cook Chinese cuisine, through local and nationally broadcast series such as “The Chan-ese Way” from 1972, “Cooking the Chanese Way” in 1975, “The Flavors of China” in 1977, “The Art of Chanese Cooking” in 1981, and “Aloha China,” acknowledges people have moved on to fusion and other cuisines. Read more
VIDEO: Making the perfect latte
July 14, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Take a Bite
Video by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
Star-Advertiser Staff
tgif@staradvertiser.com
Pete Licata, head barista trainer for Honolulu Coffee Co., and winner of the Western Regional Barista Competition, demonstrates his technique for making the perfect latte at the Ala Moana Center store last weekend.
Take a Bite – Shrimp on the Windward side
July 12, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, Take a Bite
Photos by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
The Lanikai Shrimp Shack brings a favorite roadside snack to the Windward side.
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
It’s getting to the point where you can’t have beach park or long stretch of two-lane roadside on Oahu without a shrimp truck.
The latest to open is Lanikai Shrimp Truck at Kailua Beach Park’s Alala point, where summer’s day cruisers and tourists can soak up the sun all day, taking breaks for sodas, shave ice, hot dogs and $11 plates featuring 12 pieces of shrimp cooked in garlic or garlic lemon butter, served with two scoops of white rice. (A half plate has six shrimp for $5). Read more
Take a Bite: Weekend Specials
July 2, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under Food and Drink, For the Family, Take a Bite
Star-Advertiser Staff
tgif@staradvertiser.com
Here are some stops to consider for weekend eats:
» Otto Cake: Celebrates its 1st anniversary July 4 with a gift of free pancakes for those who drop by between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. that day with canned food for the hungry. Otto Cake’s claim to fame is its cheesecakes, which has recently expanded to include more than 35 new flavors.
Check it out at 1160 Smith Street; regular hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays.
» Longhi’s: If you want an easier way to enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks from Ala Moana Center, enter the mall early and make your dinner reservations at Longhi’s for a tableside view of the fireworks show, which begins at 8:30 p.m. over Magic Island. The regular menu will be available from 4 to 6 p.m., then from 7 to 10 p.m. there will be a five-course set menu priced at $85 and $95 per person.
On the menu will be a white prawn cocktail, ahi carpaccio, walnut and pancetta pansoti with asparagus and Parmesan, followed by a choice of one of four entrees: ahi au poivre, shrimp and scallop Longhi, chicken Mediterranean, or filet mignon with Bernaise sauce. There will also be a dessert.
For reservations, call 947-9899.
ELSEWHERE AT Ala Moana Center, pick up a 20 percent savings pass at the customer service office fronting Centerstage, or print one out at www.alamoanacenter.com for 20 percent off one regular-priced item per participating restaurant, per day, through Monday.
Participating food vendors are:
» Crack Seed Center (seeds only)
» Donburiya dondon (excludes drinks and side orders)
» Island Vintage Coffee
» Lin’s Hawaiian Snacks (crack seed from jars only)
» Lupicia
» Patisserie la Palme D’Or (whole cakes and individual pastries only; excludes special orders)
» Soba-Ya (excludes drinks and side orders)
» Taco Del Mar
» The Pacific Place Tea Garden (specialy iced tea or coffee drink, shave ice or acai bowls only)
» Yami Yogurt (medium cup or wheat cone only)
One more day to vote for fave burger
June 30, 2010 by Star-Advertiser Staff
Filed under For the Family, Take a Bite
Photos by Nadine Kam / nkam@staradvertiser.com
A bite of the Southern Belle, dripping with ranch dressing.
By Nadine Kam
nkam@staradvertiser.com
Today is the last day to head down to Burgers On the Edge to make your voice count in the search for the next Burger Genius.
More than 500 entries were received in the first phase of the contest, which were whittled down to six finalists, with two contenders per three categories — beef, turkey and veggie burger.
Burger lovers can put them to the taste test, at $5.99 each, to cast their vote as to which wins a spot on the regular menu. Read more
