STAR-BULLETIN / 2002
Tony Regensburger, left, Jennifer Li, Alton Uehara and Corinne Cadiente enjoyed last year's Taste of Honolulu.
Savor chefs’ best
at ‘Taste’ weekend
After 12 years of Taste of Honolulu, we all know the drill:
Pay $3 admission, enter, buy scrip (better get lots).
Case the joint, make choices.
Line up, pay up.
Eat. Repeat.
For those who'd like the event to involve more than endless patrolling and ingesting, Taste does offer some alternatives.
But first, the basics: Taste of Honolulu is open 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Honolulu Civic Center Grounds. Admission is $3 (seniors and children free), with scrip sold to purchase food from 25 restaurants.
It's all for the benefit of Easter Seals Hawaii and its programs for children with disabilities. More than $1.4 million has been raised by Taste since it began in 1991.
STAR-BULLETIN / 2002
Ike Taechanarong, left, and Michael Raymond set out filo-wrapped prawns at the Chai's Island Bistro booth.
The restaurants: Auntie Pasto's, Bali-by-the-Sea, Brew Moon Restaurant & Microbrewery, Ciao Mein, the Colony, Canoes at the Ilikai, Dave & Buster's, Down to Earth, Eastern Garden Chinese Food, Eddie's Burger & Frozen Custard, Golden Dragon, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, the Greek Corner, Kau Kau Café, Kit 'n Kitchen, Marian's Catering, Musashi, Pipeline Café, Prince Court, the Pyramid, Tony Roma's, Sushi Supreme, Tiki's Grill & Bar, Uncle Lani's Poi Mochi and Willows.
Now, beyond the basics:
STAR-BULLETIN / 2002
J.P. Choy slices Tony Roma's ribs to be served.
Chefs du Jour
Think of this new feature as a Taste-within-the-Taste. The Chefs du Jour tent is open 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, featuring a small group of chefs preparing upscale appetizers each day.Coordinating chef Alan Wong said many chefs would like to do their part for the charity but can't commit to the full three-day event.
"That's a tough thing, to come up with the labor for Friday, Saturday, Sunday."
Chefs du Jour, he said, is "still reachable for the little guy."
Saturday's chefs: Wong and Mark Okumura of Alan Wong's, Glenn Chu of Indigo Eurasian Cuisine, Hiroshi Fukui of L'Uraku, Randal Ishizu of the Ihilani Resort & Spa, Eugenio Martignago of Nick's Fishmarket and Jean-Pierre Maharibatcha of John Dominis.
Sunday's chefs: Steven Ariel of the Pineapple Room, James Ebreo of Hualalai Resort, Elmer Guzman of Sam Choy's Diamond Head, Colin Nishida of Side Street Inn, Romena Peixoto of Alan Wong's and Chai Chaowasaree of Chai's Island Bistro.
Wong's dish will be a fish curry made with Korean spices and kim chee. More from the menu: Chu's Veal Cheeks Braised with Szechwan Peppercorn, Guzman's Kiawe-Smoked Salmon with Bay Scallop Escabeche, Nishida's Plum-Braised Pork Loin.
Cost is $35, which includes the $3 general admission, a glass of wine on Saturday and champagne on Sunday. That might seem steep, but add up the cost of six or seven plates on the outside, plus a drink, and it's comparable.
5 A Day Contest
The eating opportunities at Taste are may not always be the healthiest, but one corner of the event does focus on fruits and veggies.The 5 A Day Recipe Contest challenges community college culinary students to develop flavorful dishes that meet the goals of the 5 A Day campaign (five servings of fruits and vegetables per person, per day).
Five finalists will demonstrate their dishes from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the HMSA Health Cooking Pavilion. Samples will be served.
The dishes: Spicy Broccoli Pasta with Thai Basil by Matt Paille, Maui Community College; Moi with Shiitake Mushroom and Ponzu en Papillote by Christopher Souza, Windward Community College; Pan-Seared Polenta Wedges with Roasted Black Bean Pineapple Salsa by Gwen Isherwood, Kapiolani Community College; Strawberry Banana Smoothie by Kyle Shimoda, KCC; Vegetable Mandoo with Lemongrass Chicken Broth by Georgette Woo, KCC.
Ready, Set, Cook
Modeled on the Food Network cooking show, these competitions pair local celebrities against each other for 20-minute cook-offs. The pairings:Friday: City Prosecutor Peter Carlisle vs. Mufi Hanneman, 5:30 p.m.; Police Chief Lee Donohoe vs. Fire Chief Attilio Leonardi, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday: University of Hawaii Athletic Director Herman Frazier vs. San Francisco 49ers assistant coach Dick Tomey, 1 p.m.
Need to know more? Call 536-1015 or visit the Web site, www.taste808.com. A listing of entertainment events at Taste will run in Friday's Weekend section.
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calendars and events.
