QUICK BITES
Festival of food
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Collections in Cuisine, the third annual Food & Wine Festival of the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hawaii, gets under way today with a welcoming reception at 6:30 p.m. ($40 includes pupu by celebrity chefs, host gift, wines).
Tomorrow, chef Lee Yiu Ming of Man Wah in Hong Kong will prepare a seven-course Cantonese dinner at 6 p.m. in the Wai'alae Ballroom ($80). Also tomorrow is a Mondavi Reserve wine-tasting ($35) and a dinner by executive chef Wayne Hirabayashi and chef Joshua Nudd of the hotel along with Jennarong Saengsurajantharakul of Bangkok ($85).
On Friday, Saengsurajantharakul will give a Thai cooking demonstration followed by a light curry buffet ($45). Also on Friday, there's an evening champagne tasting with Ron Shinoda of Moet & Chandon and an Australian-influenced wine dinner by Hirabayashi with wines from Dan Phillips' Grateful Palate portfolio ($95).
On Saturday, a Chinese cooking demonstration and lunch are planned with the chefs of Hong Kong's Man Wah restaurant ($70). An Australian wine-tasting is set for Saturday afternoon ($40) and a tea and Chinese tea blending with Lynette Jee is also planned ($30). The final event is an East Meets Hawai'i Gala Dinner with all the chefs participating ($100).
For times, places and reservations, call 739-8890.
Oompah aloha
It's October, so it must be Oktoberfest time at the Ala Moana Hotel.
The hotel's 33rd annual Oktoberfest (the longest-running one here) kicked off last night and continues through Sunday. It's in the Hibiscus Ballroom and includes sing-alongs, food, beer and, of course, the chicken dance.
Admission and hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 6 to 11 p.m., and Sunday 5 to 11 p.m., $5 admission; Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. to midnight, $8 admission. Food and beer are sold for scrip. Information: 955-4811.
Shrimp update
Karen Dvorak reports that her bright-yellow shrimp shack, parked alongside the Punalu'u Art Gallery until a recent fire consumed the inside of the stand, is now at Kaya's Market, farther north in Punalu'u.
I visited not long ago and the shrimp, corn and grilled 'ahi were 'onoluscious. The address is 53-534 Kamehameha Highway.
Shacks and trucks are proliferating all along Kamehameha Highway. Giovanni's has a truck parked at the Hygienic Store in Kahalu'u now. Romy's is at the shrimp ponds themselves. And there are two shrimp shacks in Kahuku by the Sugar Mill now. On weekends, the lines snake out from the ordering window and there's actually a wait!
Maui discount
David Paul's Lahaina Grill on Maui has extended its kama'aina two-for-one dinner entree offer through Oct. 15.
To receive the discount, you must dine at 6 or 6:30 p.m. and show a Hawai'i driver's license or state I.D. An 18 percent tip will be added to your bill and you can't combine discounts. Reservations: (808) 667-5117.
Quick Bites is published on Wednesdays. Send tidbits of food news to food editor Wanda A. Adams, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2412.
