Students gain real-world skills by helping chefs put on events

Dining events these days are as much about expanding the mind as filling the stomach. The recent Hawaii Food & Wine Festival exposed the public as well as visiting chefs to the virtues of local products.

Last week on the Big Island, the pig-centric Cochon Island offered diners inventive nose-to-tail dishes while educating them about heritage and feral pigs.

But the education doesn’t stop there: In the kitchen, culinary students are gaining hands-on experience at events throughout the year.

The Sea-to-Me tasting event next week is one such opportunity. It puts the spotlight on fresh local seafood, presenting gourmet dishes created by Hawaii’s top chefs, assisted by students attending four of the state’s six community-college culinary programs, Hilo, Kapiolani, Maui and Kauai.

This year the student base extends further, with desserts baked by students from Kapo­lei High School, led by teacher Cynthia Pratt, and Wai­pahu High, led by Elaine Matsuo.

Sea-to-Me is just one venue for Wai­pahu students to gain experience.

"I’m willing to provide help, so we’ve worked with lots of chefs," Matsuo said, explaining that she keeps students busy so they understand firsthand the hard work the profession requires.

Their gigs include supplying First Hawaiian Bank annually with Christmas cookies, pitching in at JW Marriott Ihilani Ko Olina Resort & Spa during its annual Thanksgiving service project; assisting chef Hiro­shi Fukui during his special dining events; and selling cookies at farmers markets. (They’ll be at the Leeward Community College market on Oct. 27, Nov. 24 and Dec. 8 and 15.)

"I gear them up to really know whether this is what they want to do," said Matsuo.

Sea-to-Me is expected to draw 500 to 600 people with cuisine by Alan Wong, William Chen from the Sheraton Beachhouse Moana, Nico Chaize (Nico’s at Pier 38), Hide­aki "Santa" Miyo­shi (Tokkuri Tei), Kenny Puma­ras (Shelter Lodge), Elmer Guzman (Poke Stop), Jacqueline Lau (Roy’s), Jon Matsu­bara (Japengo), Fred DeAngelo (Ola/Grove), Vikram Garg (Hale­ku­lani), Wade Ueoka (MW Restaurant) and Tushar Dubey (Hoku­lani Bakeshop).

The event is organized by the Pacific Islands Fisheries Council and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, and proceeds benefit both groups.