Culinary institute a boon for Hawaii

The growth of Hawaii’s international cuisine as another draw for the islands seems on the verge of a quantum leap with the imminent groundbreaking for a new Culinary Institute of the Pacific. The training of new chefs locally will serve the visitor industry, so the location of the $34 million facility at Diamond Head seems apt.

The institute is among the beneficiaries of a $9.2 million gift that will materialize on the death of an anonymous donor, but fundraising for it has proceeded apace for a decade. Among the fundraising events have been the two annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festivals (the third is slated for Sept. 5-8, 2013). In addition to raising Hawaii’s profile for its signature Pacific Rim cuisine, the event has channeled funds to the institute as well as the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation.

It’s another sign that Hawaii’s agriculture renaissance and its fledgling culinary business sector are mutually supportive developments. In Hawaii’s farm-to-table movement, premier chefs have shown a clear preference for preparing dishes with fresh, locally grown ingredients. The tourism industry embraces the development, because good cuisine enhances the visitor experience within the higher-income, higher-spending sector of the market.

And good experiences mean return visits.

But for the Hawaii population, raising the islands’ culinary profile also brings benefits because it supports local farmers who cultivate fruits, vegetables and dairy products; ranchers and livestock farmers, too. Anything that sustains them, even at this gradual pace, helps nudge Hawaii further along the path of food security.

The interplay of the industries can be seen especially at the Kapiolani Community College farmers’ market each weekend, where tourists and kamaaina alike crowd the parking-lot aisles to shop. It’s at KCC that Hawaii culinary-arts students already receive training for an associate degree.

The new institute will enhance that opportunity, enabling students to pursue a bachelor of applied science in culinary management, preparing them for leadership roles in the visitor and restaurant businesses. This degree program will be delivered through a partnership of the institute and the University of Hawaii-West Oahu.

There will also be professional certificate programs offered providing training in Asian, Pacific and Hawaiian cuisines, and short-term professional courses for the continuing education of working professionals.

The facility plans, and the links for anyone wishing to support the project, are available online (uhfoundation.org/giving-opportunity/culinary-training). There are renderings of the buildings, which will include a 9,000-square-foot restaurant.

The leadership team of the institute includes headliner names from the industry — Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Noel Trainor and its director, Conrad Nonaka, among them. But adding new names to the list of Hawaii’s talent roster is the goal here. Much of the cost is being underwritten through private sources, which is always encouraging to see. With the needed supplemental boost to Hawaii agriculture that the institute will provide, public and private support for the venture is clearly a worthy investment.