ADVENTURES IN AWAMORI
Awamori — the potent Okinawan spirit — takes center stage at Karii! An Awamori Experience, Aug. 30 at the Hawai’i Convention Center.
Randy Kuba — that’s Mr. Awamori to you — has organized the event as a precursor to the Okinawan Festival on Labor Day weekend and a fundraiser for the Hawaii United Okinawa Center.
Kuba is an awamori importer, and has his own awamori line flavored with island ingredients such as ginger, chili pepper and sugar cane. His spirits, under the Aloha, Kuba and Shaka labels, will be featured, along with Okinawan brands Kura, Mizuho, Ryukyu Bijin and Shimauta.
Twelve Oahu restaurants will serve dishes pairedto awamori, among them MW Restaurant, The Pig & the Lady, Mud Hen Water and Chef Chai.
Karii! — the word is an Okinawan toast — runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $125, available through hnltix.com. The Okinawan Festival follows on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, also at the convention center, featuring Okinawan foods and entertainment. Awamori cocktails will be sold in the beer garden. Go to okinawanfestival.com for details.
TOMMY BAHAMA MAKES FARM CONNECTION
Kahumana Organic Farms has collaborated with Kenneth MacKenzie, executive chef of Tommy Bahama Restaurant, Bar & Store, to present a menu of farm-to-fork daily specials that run through the end of the month. New offerings beyond August will be based on the Waianae farm’s harvest.
The Waikiki restaurant features the farm’s bounty — including cherry tomatoes, watermelon radishes, cucumbers, onions, beets, uala (sweet potatoes) and more — along with fresh ahi and octopus in an array of dishes, among them:
>> Grilled Spanish octopus, with tatsoi, mizuna, cherry tomatoes and a lime fish sauce vinaigrette
>> Wagyu steak with ulu (breadfruit) and uala puree and roasted root vegetables
>> Za’atar-crusted ahi with beluga lentils, roasted kohlrabi and baby carrots, and avocado Green Goddess dressing
>> Apple banana lumpia with La Gelateria vanilla bean gelato, sea salt caramel and chocolate sauce
Tommy Bahama Restaurant is at 298 Beach Walk. Visit tommybahama.com or call 923-8785.
BRUNCH GETS A BACKBEAT AT TURTLE BAY
Turtle Bay Resort is introducing a monthly Sunday brunch with a DJ.
Brunch & Beats debuts at noon Sunday with a new menu in the Pa’akai restaurant. DJ Jenr8r will be spinning, with radio personality Big Marzz as emcee.
Chef Joseph Rose’s buffet spread will include buttermilk fried chicken, chicken and waffles, garlic shrimp, stuffed French toast, avocado toast and poached eggs, with a selection of fresh fruits and desserts.
Cost is $65, which includes bottomless mimosas for ages 21 and up.
After brunch ends at 3 p.m., the party moves to the pool. For an additional $25, brunchers can follow the party to an area usually restricted to hotel guests.
Brunch & Beats will continue on the last Sunday of every month. Call 293-6020 or visit turtlebayresort.com.
WAIKIKI BREWS UP A BEER FEST
The 5th Annual Great Waikiki Beer Festival on Saturday will bring more than 100 craft beers to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort.
Joining the global selections will be specialty and limited releases from local breweries Kona Brewing Co. (Hibiscus Brut IPA, Macadamia Nut Vanilla Imperial Lager), Maui Brewing Co. (Black Barrel Imperial Porter) and Ola Brewing Co. (Lilikoi Lime Milkshake IPA).
Entertainment includes Willie K and the Johnny Cash tribute band Cash’d Out.
A portion of proceeds will go to the Wounded Warrior Ohana.
The beer will flow from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $60, covering 10 4-ounce tastings; VIP early admission is $80, with exclusive beer releases. Food will be sold. Designated driver admission is $45, covering free parking and half off nonalcoholic beverages.
Tickets: GreatWaikikiBeerFest.com.
SPECIAL DINING EVENTS
>> Prince Waikiki’s chef de cuisine, Mark Miura, presents his modern interpretation of island cuisine during “Mixed Plate: Influences of Living in Hawaii,” the latest in the hotel’s dinner series “Off the Eaten Path,” 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28 in the Naio Room.
The four-course dinner comprises ahi sashimi scrape (tartare), miso foie gras over truffle risotto (at left), an entree of cast iron-skillet filet mignon with eggplant and mentaiko-aioli fries, and dessert parfait of leche flan, strawberries and Japanese cheesecake. Some dishes are accented with herbs and edible flowers from the property’s rooftop aquaponic garden.
Cost is $110; $151 with beer and sake pairings. Go to 808ne.ws/offeatenpath.
Launched in May, the quarterly event is designed to highlight the creativity of different members of the hotel’s 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar culinary staff.
>> Pai Honolulu closes out the summer on Tuesday with a barbecue-themed dinner.
Choose beer or wine pairings to match with chef Kevin Lee’s menu of dishes inspired by a summer barbecue. Main dishes, for example, will be smoked brisket, tamarind pulled pork and Mom’s “Crack” Fried Chicken, served with side dishes, a spiced watermelon salad and dessert. Drinks are offered in categories of sparkling, refreshing and hearty. In the last group, for example choose Belching Beaver Peanut Butter Nitro Stout (beer) or Marques Murrieta Rioja Reserva (wine).
Dinner seatings run from 5:45 to 8 p.m. Cost is $95; $65 without pairings. Visit paihonolulu.com.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
