TELEVISION

Hawaii guy makes mark on 'Top Chef'

Look in on Bravo's “;Top Chef”; and it's easy to spot the Hawaii guy. Eugene Villiatora is easily identified by the tattoos that cover his arms and can be seen peeking out from the long sleeves of his chef coat.

Villiatora, 33, is a sushi chef and consultant in Las Vegas, but lists his hometown as Whitmore Village in Wahiawa. So far he's survived four episodes of the reality competition that began in New York with 17 chefs.

He hasn't won a challenge yet, but did make the Top 3 in the premiere, coming up with an Indian dish of lamb with sweet basmati rice—despite never having cooked Indian cuisine before.

Blogger Michael Dayers (www.michaeldayers.com) picks Villiatora as his favorite to win, writing that he hopes the chef's street smarts and tattoos “;will intimidate others at some point to over season a steak or something.”;

New episodes air at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, with marathons on Sundays.

MORSELS

Baseball team opens the imu

Start the new year with the flavors of a luau. The Kailua High School baseball team makes it possible by hosting a community imu on the school campus.

Trays of food will be accepted from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 29, to be steamed all night in an underground oven tended by students, faculty and alumni. The food may be picked up the next morning.

Purchase space in the imu for $15 per tray. Thawed, seasoned meats (pork butt or whole turkeys work well), as well as sweet potatoes, taro and luau leaf should be placed in large disposable aluminum baking trays sealed in foil. Weight limit is 25 pounds.

Make checks payable to Friends of Kailua High School and mail to Kailua High School, 451 Ulumanu Drive, Kailua, HI 96734. Write “;Attention Corey Ishigo”; on the lower left corner of the envelope.

Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope, which will be returned with a confirmation ticket and number. Include your telephone number.

Call 781-9362 or 728-7389.

Turtle Bay chef demos treats

Chef Hector Morales of the Turtle Bay Resort hosts “;Christmas Treat,”; a free cooking demonstration and sampling, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kahuku Public & School Library.

Call 293-8935.

Sip and study bubbles and port

The Wine Stop hosts two special events this month:

Bubbles from Around the World: 6 to 9 p.m. next Wednesday at Pasta Basta in Restaurant Row. Chef Donato Loperfido provides the food, and wine stations will serve proseccos, cavas, sparkling wines and champagnes. Cost is $65. Call 946-3707 or 523-9999.

Port Seminar: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at the Wine Stop, 1809 S. King St. Cost is $35, with desserts. Call 946-3707.

Workshop covers rhythmic meaning

A free three-hour introduction to TaKeTiNa—the use of rhythm as a means of expression and self-discovery—will be held at 7 p.m. Friday at Studio Be in Chinatown.

In the TaKeTiNa circle, participants step, clap and vocalize to “;explore the fluctuation between chaos and order, confusion and clarity, the known and the unknown,”; according to the organization.

Those who wish to explore the discipline further may sign up for a workshop, “;Making Friends with Chaos,”; 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Manoa Dance Studio. Fee is $200, with scholarships available. Call (650) 493-8046.

Yoga class targets the office worker

The office can be a tiring place—stressful, fatiguing, draining.

Lululemon Athletica, the yoga-themed shop at Ala Moana Center, is offering free lessons on boosting energy on the job. The Workplace Wellness Expo takes place at 5 p.m. tomorrow.

Ola Loa Wellness and Aloha Yoga Kula will cover the topics of desk yoga and relaxation, and healthy eating (including a food demonstration and sampling).

Lululemon is in the Nordstrom wing of the mall. Call 946-7220.