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Star-Bulletin
LCC students work in the cramped bakeshop. Culinary
fund-raising events aim to improve equipment and
facilities on campus.

Star chefs provide
a gourmet learning
experience

Let them practice on you and the culinary students at Leeward Community College will present you with a white-tablecloth meal at a bargain price. And this semester, they've got some all-star assistance in the kitchen.

The Guest Chef Dinner and Wine Series at LCC's Pearl Dining Room will put students to work serving food, pouring wine, assisting in the kitchen -- basically covering all the bases involved in a full-on, upscale food-and-beverage operation.

For you, the potential diner, this means a four-course meal with wine pairings for $55 -- and that meal will be prepared by some major talent. Kicking things off Feb. 21 are chefs Alan Wong of Alan Wong's Restaurant and Randall Ishizu of the Ihilani Resort & Spa. Supervising the wine service is master sommelier Chuck Furuya; helping to direct traffic are Benson Lau and Gary Manago, who have years of experience with hotel food-service operations.

The dinner series continues March 21 with chefs Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's Restaurants and Hiroshi Fukui of L'Uraku, and on April 18 with George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro's and Eric Leterc of the Pacific Beach Hotel.

Dinner seatings begin at 5:30 p.m. Call 455-0475.

Also at the Pearl: Advanced culinary students serve lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. This week's menu features French cuisine, next week's is a Sweetheart Buffet for $15 (although Valentine's Day seatings are all booked). Book now for the Secretaries Day Buffet, April 25 to 27.

And coming up May 5: The second Taste of the Stars fund-raiser with 15 guest chefs, including Philippe Padovani, Chai Chaowasaree, Russell Siu and Wayne Hirabayashi -- plus most of the chefs from the dinner series. Tickets are $65 presale; $75 at the door. Call 455-0392.

Click for online
calendars and events.