RAMEN ON THE RISE
“Ramen is for everyone, everywhere,” says Hisae Uki, a vice president at Sun Noodle.
To demonstrate, Uki’s company and the Kahala Hotel & Resort are hosting a multipart noodle happening, Ramen at the Beach, at the resort’s Plumeria Beach House.
Chef Shigetoshi Nakamura, who spreads the legacy of ramen through his restaurants Ramen California and Nakamura NYC, is bringing two of his specialties, torigara shoyu ramen (his signature with a light chicken broth) and steak mazemen (without broth).
Sample them at these Plumeria House events:
>> Friday and Saturday as part of the seafood buffet, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Cost is $68, $34 for ages 6 to 12.
>> Sunday through April 12 in lunch and dinner sets, with a cold mapo tofu side dish. Cost is $27 to $31 at lunch; $37 to $42 at dinner, which includes choice of beer, wine, sake or dessert.
For reservations call 739-8760.
Nakamura and Sun Noodle also are partners in the Ramen Lab, a New York City venue that hosts ramen chefs from around the world for monthlong takeovers of its kitchen and ramen counter.
Meet the chef at the restaurant through Sunday night.
TAIWANESE WAY
Learn to make four Taiwanese specialties at a demonstration and tasting, 3 to 5:30 p.m. April 11 at Legend Seafood Restaurant.
The Hawaii Chinese Association is hosting chef K.C. Wen of Ying Jia Food & Beverage Consultancy in Taiwan.
Wen will prepare pickled vegetables, stir-fried pork loin, abalone in a waffle cup and dessert of a strawberry taro ball.
Cost is $10. To register: 381-1833. Legend is in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza, 100 Beretania St.
VEGAN MYTHBUSTER
Mic the Vegan has built a YouTube presence challenging myths about a vegan diet. He presents his wisdom and storehouse of bad jokes (his description) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Ala Wai Golf Course clubhouse, 404 Kapahulu Ave.
The Vegetarian Society of Hawaii is hosting the free talk by the science writer (real name: Michael Dearborn), as well as a Maui appearance, 7 p.m. April 11 at the J. Walter Cameron Center in Wailuku.
Nearly 300,000 subscribers have been drawn to the Mic the Vegan YouTube channel, by videos like “Did a Vegan Diet Kill Luke Perry?”
In addition, a VSH Dine-Out with Mic the Vegan takes place at Govinda’s Vegetarian Buffet, 51 Coelho Way, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 10. Cost is $18; call 545-4913.
COOKING CHALLENGE
Sodexo Hawaii has challenged its chefs to put their best dishes forward in a cooking competition, Kako‘o Kama‘aina, April 11 at the University of Hawaii-Manoa Campus Center.
Sodexo handles food service in cafeterias in schools and medical facilities. The competition, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., will feature chefs who run the kitchens at Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu and West Oahu, Straub Honolulu, Sacred Hearts Academy and UH-Manoa.
Sample their dishes and vote for a favorite; tickets are $25, $35 with beer or wine.
Tickets: uhmdining.com. The event benefits Food Vault Hawaii, a UH student food pantry.
Information: 956-2190.
DAY OF BREWS
Sunday is National Beer Day, marking the date — April 7, 1933 — that beer could again be legally sold in the U.S., leading to the repeal of Prohibition.
Yard House restaurants are celebrating with $3 pints all day. Call the Waikiki Beach Walk location; 923-9273.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
