PUHI — Patrons at the $85-a-ticket culinary event at Kaua‘i Community College here enjoyed creations by Kaua‘i cooks as much as they liked munching on the offerings of visiting chefs Alan Wong and Chai Chaowasaree.
Chefs from Gaylord’s Restaurant, Duke’s Canoe Club and hotels including the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort & Spa, Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club, Hanalei Bay Resort and Aloha Beach Resort, didn’t have to hang their chefs hats low in the face of the more-famous culinary wizards.
Spring-boarding off the success of last year’s event, the planning committee picked up where they left off last year to provide more accommodations for the sold-out crowd of over 300 people who braved windy, misty weather Friday night to take in the Second Annual Culinary Institute of the Pacific Spring Gourmet Gala at KCC.
People were able to sit in tents that provided shelter from the elements while enjoying samplings from over a dozen chefs both locally as well as from off-island who kept their fires stoked so every patron was able to enjoy the gourmet offering.
Lining the avenues leading to the outdoor seating were paper luminaries that only added to the ambiance, while live entertainment helped fill any conversation gaps.
Headlining this year’s event were guest chefs Wong of Alan Wong’s Restaurant and Chaowasaree of Chai’s Island Bistro.
Funds from the gala will help to develop the KCC culinary arts program and purchase essential kitchen and dining-room equipment, instructional material, and small wares.
To this end, the team of culinary arts program was introduced and acknowledged for their efforts in continuing to produce graduates that serve the hospitality industry in the community.
Chef Raymond Aiu, lecturer; Melanie Bacio, educational specialist; Billy Gibson, assistant professor; Bonnie Honma, associate professor and counselor; Chef Clarence Nishi, assistant professor; and Chef Mark Oyama, assistant professor, were spotlighted and applauded, as were efforts of the group of Platinum Sponsors whose efforts also made the evening possible.
In addition to the culinary offerings, a host of vendors offered beverages that complimented each chef’s offering, set up alongside so patrons could enjoy a one-stop experience, their beverage glasses being cradled by plastic, clip-on holders that attached to plates and were made possible by officials of the Kauai Community Federal Credit Union.
In addition to the dining experience, patrons were able to browse through and bid on items in a special silent-auction area, as well as take home elegant baskets of herbs, breads, wine, and other offerings.
A special gourmet dinner for 20 by Contemporary Flavors Catering, with wine pairings by Johnson Brothers of Hawai‘i, was the highlighted auction item that had a value of about $2,000.
The Culinary Institute of the Pacific at KCC offers technical knowledge and fundamental skills to students wishing to enter the culinary field, as well as proficiency upgrades for individuals who are already employed in the food-service industry.
Led by professionals, students perform hands-on laboratory work weekly to supplement their classroom learning, and effectively prepare them for professional food-services careers.
KCC’s culinary arts program trains approximately 60 students a year.
For more information about the KCC culinary arts program, please call Honma, 245-8257.
Sports Editor Dennis Fujimoto may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or mailto:dfujimoto@pulitzer.net.
