Hawaii Regional
Cuisine chefs plan
an all-star reunion

The ground-breaking group
will cook together
on Aug. 25

---

By Betty Shimabukuro
Star-Bulletin

The combined starpower at this event is going to generate enough heat to, well, cook by.

Expect such superlatives to fly in the weeks leading up to an August event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement. The 12 original HRC chefs have been invited to cook together at one time, in one place, Aug. 25 at the Sheraton Waikiki.

Those familiar with Hawaii's restaurant scene know how these chefs revolutionized fine dining in the islands, bringing national recognition to a cuisine based on fresh local foods.

For those who aren't serious foodies, here's the short form: In 1991, 12 young chefs -- some homegrown, some from Europe and the mainland who had spent years in Hawaii's hotel and restaurant kitchens -- formed the Hawaii Regional Cuisine organization. Key to their mission was to encourage farmers to grow the kinds of produce they needed for their menus but couldn't get in this island state. By guaranteeing them a market, the HRC chefs launched a boom in specialty farming in Hawaii -- at the same time they were redefining the local cuisine.

Their names: Sam Choy, Roger Dikon, Mark Ellman, Beverly Gannon, Jean Marie Josselin, George Mavrothalassitis, Peter Merriman, Amy Ferguson Ota, Philippe Padovani, Gary Strehl, Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong. All but Merriman, one of the leaders of the group, have committed to the August event. He has a previous commitment, but the pressure is on to bring him into the fold.

"If we can get him it will be pretty historic," said Lisa Ontai, spokeswoman for the event.

Traveling the farthest will be Dikon, now executive chef for PGA Resorts, based in Florida; and Strehl, executive chef with Loews Hotels in Washington, D.C. All the other chefs have remained in Hawaii, although some, notably Yamaguchi, have reached beyond the state to open restaurants on the mainland and in Japan.

The reunion will be in two parts. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. a farmer's market will be held at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, featuring products of Hawaii's agriculture and aquaculture industries, food and wine seminars and demonstrations by the HRC chefs. The event will be free, except for possible fees for seminars.

From 6 to 10 p.m., dinner is served. The HRC chefs will be honored during a program, but they will also cook. The format will be live cooking stations, each chef preparing a dish. Diners will stroll the room, eating and drinking at will -- "interactive grazing," Ontai calls it.

Cooking alongside the honored chefs will be the 13 Hawaiian Island Chefs, a second generation of culinary all stars, for a total of 25 dining choices, assuming Merriman makes it.

The chef lineup is simply unprecedented.

The price for the dinner has not yet been set, but proceeds will benefit culinary programs in the public high schools. For information call the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center's management office, 922-0588.

Click for online
calendars and events.