PUHI — Donna Victorino came in for the coconut creme pie yesterday. So did a lot of other people.
“They said the pie is really good,” Victorino said, noting how heavy it was. “So, I had to come and check it out for myself.”
The pie was just one of the big hits for Kaua‘i Community College’s bake shop students as they opened the doors to the public for the second time in as many weeks.
“The bake shop has been really successful,” instructor Jason Sunada said. “This morning there was a line outside when we opened the doors.”
Ann Sheridan decided she would wait until the line subsided.
“I came last week, and it was so good I had to come back,” Sheridan said, admiring the decorations on a chocolate creme pie. “The Italian and French breads are really good.”
According to Sunada, the bake shop was designed to give culinary arts students a taste of the industry. Last year, the students participated in Mark Oyama’s bistro program, but because it was discontinued this year, the class decided to open the bake shop on Fridays through the month of February.
Yesterday the breads were steady sellers, as were the blueberry scones.
KCC Chancellor Peggy Cha stopped in to pick up a selection of baked goods and several pies to bring over to the day-long gathering of high school math and science teachers who were meeting with KCC instructors.
As for the coconut creme pie, it was made popular when one of the KCC staff sampled it last week and started circulating an e-mail on how good the pie was, said Jolynne Uyesono, manager of the KCC Bookstore.
“The apple pie is probably the first to go, but there are several to choose from,” bake shop student Alden Lahip said.
The amount of items prepared varies from group to group and by items, said Braden Hiraoka, one of the students.
“It’s been really good since most of the items were sold out,” Hiraoka said.
The shop also serves to prepare the students for the 22nd Annual American Culinary Federation’s brunch on Feb. 17. Pre-sale tickets for the event are available at the KCC cafeteria, or from the students.
Sunada said the bake shop students will have some breakfast pastries prepared for this annual event, which goes through several thousand servings from the time the doors open at 7 a.m. and close at noon.
The cost is $15 now, and $18 at the door. Tickets for children age 5 to 10 years old are $5, and the event is free for children under 5.
Tickets can be purchased at Kalaheo Coffee Co. & Cafe, the Kaua‘i Coffee Visitor’s Center, Koloa Fish Market, Fish Express, Pono Market, and the Puhi and Lawa‘i locations of Mark’s Place.
