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TheBuzz

BY ERIKA ENGLE

Promoting a passion
for paradise and pupus

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THE second "Paradise Chef Duel" show is to air at 7 p.m. Saturday on KGMB-TV, but behind-the-scenes work is under way to branch it out both east and west.

The show's hosts are David Rosengarten of Food Network and Alice Inoue, a local commercial actress to mainstream media viewers, but also the featured hostess on both English-language and Japanese-language in-room TV visitor channel programming in hotels around the state.

Rosengarten and Inoue are the key ingredients in Frank Clark's long-term recipe to market the show to Japan and the mainland.

CG INTERNATIONAL Frank Clark, left, president of "Paradise Chef Duel" producer CG International; show host David Rosengarten, center; and D.K. Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar DK Kodama are hoping the program can gain in popularity.

"Our ultimate objective was to try to pitch this to Food Network," said Clark, president of CG International, which is producing the show.

It still is one of the two expansion goals, Japan being the other one. Clark is in talks with a Japanese cable company he hopes will purchase the program.

CG International has ties to Japan through its tours for Japanese visitors and its advertising and public relations services for the Far East market provided for client Marriott Hotels and Resorts.

It also offers MBNA affinity cards and other lines of business.

Local response to the first Paradise Chefs Duel Aug. 17 was more than favorable. "Everyone said it was one of the best cooking shows," Clark said. "We watched it at Side Street Inn," he said. "The whole place had the TV show on."

The "we" included celebrity chefs Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, who serves as the show's food consultant.

"The show is something really needed in Hawaii, something that will spearhead a lot of interest," spurring people to eat at restaurants and to buy locally made products, he said. "We hope we can create something."

The signature sponsor for the first two programs was the state Department of Health, so participating duelists had to concentrate on making one of their dishes "healthy."

The programs included vignettes on local products, such as Big Island beef and various fruits and vegetables, and will continue to feature products from other islands.

"The farmers were very happy" with the exposure, Clark said. People weren't aware of all the Hawaii-produced food, Clark said. "It might be a little more money, but it's fresher, healthier and it helps our economy."

Saturday's broadcast will pit chef D.K. Kodama of Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar against Russell Siu of 3660 on the Rise, Kakaako Kitchen and Kakaako Kitchen Express.

Clark is pitching the third show, scheduled to air in October and to highlight Kauai products.

"We want to do a show every month and get a nice time slot," Clark said, "so people will be talking about it."

"The chefs are really talented and I think that's the kind of show that really showcased their real ability," Clark said. "There are a lot of great products grown in Hawaii and we really haven't had a chance to really educate the public on our products. This is one way we should promote the Buy Hawaii campaign, getting people to understand the product and to purchase the product, eventually helping the economy."

He did mention the program had become a passion.

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Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin.
Call 529-4302, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached
at: eengle@starbulletin.com