QUICK BITES
Ulupalakua does its foodie thing
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Foodies will be heading Maui way later this month for the Ulupalakua Thing — the fond name for an open farm and food trade show held each year on the grounds of Ulupalakua Ranch and the Tedeschi Winery. Among the main events: an "Iron Chef"/"Ready, Set, Cook"-type Chefs' Challenge, to be hosted by last year's winner, Mark Ellman of Maui Tacos.
Invited competitors this year include Raul Bermudez of Five Palms Restaurant in Kihei, George Gomes of Sarento's on the Beach, Mark Kowalkowski of Hula Grill in Ka'anapali, and Eric Arbogast of Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kihei. Each of the chefs will be provided with an array of Maui vegetables, spices, poultry and fish as well as helpers from Maui Community College's culinary arts program. The chefs will be allowed to bring "their own special stash" of ingredients, but they have to share them with all the others.
The challenge starts at 12:15 p.m. with a second heat at 2:45 p.m. Food vendors will be offering samples and products for sale, including the ever-popular paniolo-prepared huli-huli beef as well as salads made from Upcountry products. Thing hours: noon to 5 p.m. April 26. Admission: $10. Information: (808) 878-2839, info@ulupalakuathing.com.
Choy faces Lagasse in chef challenge
Speaking of Chefs' Challenges, Sam Choy joined his friend Emeril Lagasse for an Aloha Challenge in a TV show that began airing Saturday on the Food Network. The food — including fish and other good stuff shipped straight from Hawai'i — looked good. But auwe! the Hawaiian music and dance that was featured in place of Emeril's usual jazz combo was inauthentic (mostly Tahitian, not Hawaiian) and poorly executed. Too bad Sam couldn't have taken his pals the Makaha Sons with him so those folks could get the real flavor of contemporary Hawaiian music along with the food.
More specials for Easter dining
As we noted last week, Easter specials abound this weekend. Here are some more:
Turtle Bay Resort, brunch, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; $29.95 adults, $14.95 children under 12 (kids under 5 free). Reservations: 293-8811, ext. 6532.
Musashi, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort & Spa, kama'aina specials include complete kobachi dinner, sushi appetizer, lobster or other entree choices with soup, vegetable, rice accompaniment and fruit tart dessert (5 to 10 p.m., $24.95 kama'aina only) or teppan-yaki special with various grilled items, accompaniments and dessert (seatings at 5, 6 and 9 p.m., $24.95 kama'aina only), free parking validation. Reservations: 923-1234.
JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa champagne brunch, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ocean Ballroom, brunch buffet with omelet and carved meat stations, $44.50 with champagne, $39.50 without champagne; $19.75 for ages 5-10 (under 5 free). Reservations: 679-0079.
And for Secretaries' Day, Parc Cafe at the Waikiki Park Hotel is offering its famed local-style buffet all week, April 21-25, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $19.95 per person. Validated parking. Reservations: 931-6643.
Awards, events and other tidbits
In various and assorted food-related news:
Ke'o Valesquez of Hokuli'a Resort has been selected to represent the Hawai'i/Pacific region in a culinary competition May 17 in Miami sponsored by the Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs. He was the winner in a regional Jeune Commis (Young Chef) competition held at the new culinary facilities of Maui Community College for chefs 23 to 32 years of age with no more than three years experience. Also: The Brillat-Savarin Academie, an adjunct to the Cha”ne, will present an award in June to an outstanding graduate of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.
Baskin-Robbins ice cream shops are hosting a Free Scoop Night, April 30 from 6 to 10 p.m. For each free scoop served, a donation will be made to First Book, a nonprofit group offering free new books to children from low-income families. There are a number of participating stores in Hawai'i. See www.baskinrobbins.com to find them.
The Kapalua Bay Hotel & Ocean Villas has begun offering monthly winemaker dinners; the April 18 event will feature Oregon wineries Chehalem and Rex Hill. For dates, prices, names of wineries, contact the restaurant; reservations required (808) 669-8008.
Roy's Restaurant plans a winemaker dinner, Roy Does the Mediterranean, 6:30 p.m. April 28 in Roy's banquet room, with six courses, including dessert, and wines from Portugal to France and Spain; $65. Reservations: 396-7697.
Correction: A dinner celebrating Mediterranean wines at Roy's Restaurant is scheduled for April 28. An incorrect date was given in a previous version of this story because of an editor's error.
Quick Bites is published Wednesdays. Food editor Wanda A. Adams welcomes food news. Write to her at The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Call 525-8036. Or e-mail taste@honoluluadvertiser.com.
