Culinary Institute of the Pacific graduate Adina Guest represented America and Hawaii at the prestigious international 2008 Bocuse D'Or in Lyon, France. She and the team of culinary experts competed against 23 different countries. America took sixth place and Adina won the Best Commis Award for her exceptional work ethic. Adina took first place at the 2007 Tom and Warren Matsuda Scholarship Culinary Competition in Hawaii at the Sub-Zero/Wolf Showroom and went on to work under Chef Timothy Hollingsworth at Thomas Keller's French Laundry restaurant in California's Napa Valley, one of the most famous restaurants in America. Sub-Zero/Wolf will be hosting a cooking demonstration and tasting event to benefit the 2008 Matsudas' Scholarship Culinary Competition student finalists March 7 at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Cost is $30 per tasting. All proceeds will go to finalists Keaka Lee, Tate Nakano-Edwards, and Rena Suzuki for their culinary education ...

GRINDING ON: Being a notorious hamburger eater, I must check out The Counter burger joint at Kahala Mall, owned by D.K. Kodama and actor Daniel Dae Kim, that opened Monday. It boasts an incredible number of possible combinations for its three sizes of burgers, along with numerous toppings and sauces. My favorite burger is at Alan Wong's Pineapple Room, named after the room. Murphy's burgers are also good. And if I'm really hungry for ground beef, I go for hamburger steak or meat loaf at Stage ... Ryan's Restaurant is marking its 25th year with specials throughout this month ... Pianist Kit Samson has a Friday night gig at Aria Restaurant at Century Center. Vocalists Jimmy Borges, Shari Lynn and sax-flute player Rocky Holmes performed at Kit's opening last Friday ...

Henry Akina, Hawaii Opera Theater general and artistic director; Dean Shibuya, architect and set designer, and fashion designer Anne Namba are collaborating on “;Madame Butterfly”; for the Savonlinna Opera Festival in Finland. It opens on July 3. Dean is a Hawaii transplant now living in the Bay Area. Anne costumed a 2000 HOT production of “;Madame Butterfly.”; Those attending a benefit brunch and fashion show in the Halekulani Ballroom March 8, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., will see costumes and set designs for the production and be treated to arias. Tickets are $100. Tables of 10 are $1,000 and premium tables of 10, with special favors, are $1,500. Call Tracey Jefferson at HOT at 596-7372, Ext. 10, or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for tickets. For more info call Anna Meng at 782-4501 ...