Da Kine Star-Bulletin staff and wire services

---

RESTAURANT REPORT

Crab delights await at Hoku's

Enjoy five courses of crustacean in an all-crab menu offered at Hoku's in the Kahala Hotel & Resort from Tuesday through May 26.

Chef Wayne Hirabayashi's menu: Crab Consomme, Deconstructed California Roll with King Crab Nashi Nigiri, Rice-Crusted Soft-Shell Crab, Crab Pot Pie and dessert (OK, no crab here) of S'Mores Undone.

Seatings are from 5:30 to 10 p.m.; cost is $80. Call 739-8780.

Dinner showcases Nalo, Tea Hawaii

Nalo Fams and Tea Hawaii & Co. will be showcased at the "Farmer Series Dinner," 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday at Alan Wong's restaurant.

Dean Okimoto of Nalo Farms and Eva Lee of Tea Hawaii will present their products -- Okimoto's baby lettuces and microgreens and Lee's whole-leaf estate teas from Volcano Village and Hakalau on the Big Island.

Wong's four-course menu will also feature seafood from Kona Blue Water Farms, Al Galimba's beef from Kau and Wahiawa's Honda Tofu.

The menu: Kona Kampachi and Coconut Yuzu Kosho (with Henri Billiot "Brut Reserve" Grand Cru), Kona Abalone (Kubota Manjyu sake), "Duck Tofu" with Foie Gras (Wegeler "Wehlener Sonnenuhr" Riesling Spatlese 1994), Al Galimba's Natural Beef with Hamakua Braised Mushrooms (Alvaro Palacios "Finca Dofi" 2000) and dessert of "Inspirations from Japan."

Cost is $75; $115 with wine pairings. Call 949-2526.

Share in charm of 'Little Kitchens'

Tickets are on sale for "Little Kitchens: Big Flavors from Honolulu's Best Little Kitchens," the annual event that showcases Honolulu's smaller restaurants and food producers.

Participating in the June 13 event are Green Door Cafe, Kona Brewing Co., Waialua Sodaworks, Olive Tree, Fujioka's Wine Times, Honolulu Chocolate Company, PacifiKool, Licious Dishes, Big Wave Tomatoes, Downtown, Grande Café and Bakery, Town, Volcano Winery, Ma'o Farms, Soul de Cuba, Land of Organica, Mix Café and Mercado de la Raza.

The event will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hawaii State Art Museum. Museum galleries will remain open. A silent auction will benefit Slow Food Oahu.

Tickets are $60, available online at honoluluweekly.com. Must be 21 or older to attend. Call 528-1475, ext. 10.

Special events

Slow Foods Oahu: Rare breeds of turkey and pork will be featured in a tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Downtown restaurant. Chefs Glenn Chu of Indigo, Savas Mojarrad of the Olive Tree, Ed Kenney of Town and Downtown, and Sean Priester of the Top of Waikiki will prepare the dishes. Cost is $50; $25 for Slow Food members. BYOB. Call 536-5900.

Ruth's Chris Steak House: Veramonte and Quintessa will be featured in a wine dinner, 6 p.m. Tuesday. Chef Kyle Yonashiro's menu includes Stuffed Ahi Carpaccio (with Veramonte Sauvignon Blanc 2007), Smoked Duck with Foie Gras (Veramonte Pinot Noir 2005), Braised Shortribs (Veramonte Primus 2005), New York Steak (Faust Cabernet Sauvignon 2005) and a cheese assortment (Quintessa 2003 and 2005). Cost is $125. Call 599-3860.

The Pineapple Room: A "Winez & Grindz Dinner," 4 to 8:30 p.m. May 28 features chef Steven Baxter's menu of Salmon-Wrapped Waialua Asparagus (with Roland Lavantureux Chablis 2006), Cioppino ("Honea Vineyard" Arneis Palmina 2006), Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin "Scallopini" (Brown Estate Vineyards Zinfandel 2006) and dessert of "Sopaipilla" (Justin Obtuse 2006). Cost is $65; $90 with wine pairings. The Pineapple Room is inside Macy's Ala Moana Center. Call 945-6573.