They’re the kind of feel-good stories that bring a smile to your face.
Brian Hirata received his associate degree in applied science from the culinary arts program at Hawaii Community College in 1999 and went on to work at Kapolei Golf Club, Honolulu Country Club and Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. He returned to the college as an assistant professor for the program and is the chef/owner of Na‘au, which will be hosting its first pop-up dinners on Oct. 13 and Nov. 10 (www.naauhilo.com).
Royden Ellamar, a 1994 graduate of Hawaii Community College, opened Harvest by Roy Ellamar at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in 2015, where he commands the kitchen as executive chef. His son Tayden, just 28 years old, is the executive sous chef at Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand, Vegas’ only three-star Michelin restaurant. Following in his dad’s footsteps, he’s a 2012 graduate from the college’s culinary arts program.
Shortly after receiving her degree in 2014, Karlee Fergerstrom-Kalalau landed a job at Short N Sweet Bakery & Cafe in Hilo, where she honed her talent for creating pastries and desserts. She’s currently delighting guests with sweet treats as Hilo Bay Cafe’s pastry chef.
They are just a few of many former Hawaii Community College culinary arts students who are enjoying successful careers in the restaurant industry thanks in part to A Taste of Hilo’s support of their alma mater. The Japanese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Hawaii launched the annual event in 1998 to provide scholarships, purchase equipment, improve facilities and develop the curriculum for the college’s culinary school.
Thirty to 40 Hilo restaurants and bakeries are featured each year, along with beverage purveyors and a food station manned by culinary students. More than 600 people snap up tickets for the chance to sample familiar favorites as well as new dishes and products from the participating vendors.
It’s a win-win-win-win situation: It supports a worthy cause, it puts local food-and-beverage businesses center stage, it enables attendees to get acquainted with restaurants they haven’t tried before and it connects students with business owners who might become their future employers.
Family business consultant Michael Miyahira has been involved with the planning since A Taste of Hilo’s inception and is serving as its co-chair this year. According to him, participating restaurants decide what sweet or savory item they want to feature, and there has yet to be a time when two restaurants served the same dish.
Over the years, options have ranged from poke bowls, chocolate wontons and shrimp and macadamia nut fritters to kabocha and lobster cream soup, herb-roasted prime rib on bruschetta and curried rice salad with lemon grass chicken skewers.
“Attendees can eat as much as they want of whatever they want,” Miyahira said. “If anything, the only complaint I hear is that there is too much to sample.”
Wine, beer, sake and soft drinks will be available to complement the ono tidbits, along with lassi. Hawaii Lassi makes its own yogurt for the traditional Indian drink and gives it a tropical twist by infusing it with fresh mango, coconut, strawberries or passion fruit.
There’s no question A Taste of Hilo has helped showcase the variety of great dining options that Hilo now offers. Upscale restaurants have found a loyal following among unpretentious mom-and-pop eateries that have drawn crowds for decades.
“We always sell out, proving the community has interest and pride in what Hilo’s chefs are doing,” Miyahira said. “What’s interesting is we distribute a commemorative wine glass at the door; some people have attended every event and have kept every glass. It has become a collector’s item, a ‘must-have’ item, just as the event has become a ‘must-do’ outing for anyone looking for a memorable taste of Hilo.”
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IF YOU GO: A TASTE OF HILO
>> Where: Sangha Hall, 424 Kilauea Ave., Hilo
>> When: Oct. 20, 1 to 3 p.m. (the silent auction will open at noon)
>> Cost: $55 presale; $70 at the door, if tickets are still available. Kids aged 3 and under are free.
>> Info: 808-934-0177, email jccih@jccih.org or go to tasteofhilo.org
>> Notes: Attire is casual and comfortable. Parking is free. Children are welcome; however, this event is best suited for adults.
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GASTRONOMY, HILO STYLE
Hilo doesn’t usually come to mind as a top dining destination, but these 12 restaurants might change foodies’ minds.
Cafe Pesto: Standouts include salmon Alfredo, Pacific island seafood risotto and wood-fired pizzas and calzones.
Hilo Bay Cafe: Peppered beef carpaccio, Hamakua mushroom potpie and Duck Duck Demi (confit breast and leg with a carrot-ginger puree and Grand Marnier-orange demi-glace) are among the dishes that have won it a loyal following.
Hilo Rice Noodle Soup: Fans crave the pork ginger soup, salt-and-pepper ribs, banh mi sandwich and — surprise! — french fries.
Hula Hulas: Go for the slow-cooked short rib sandwich, fish and chips with a tempura beer batter and stone-fired pizzas.
Jackie Rey’s Ohana Grill: Regulars rave about the seared Chinese five-spice duck breast, grilled lamb chops with red wine demi-glace and wild mushroom bowl with yakisoba noodles and a lomi tomato relish.
Miyo’s: The sesame chicken and sashimi combo gets an enthusiastic thumbs up along with sauteed eggplant, grilled saba or hamachi and salad dressing.
Moon and Turtle: Menus constantly change because they’re based on seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Think pipikaula salad with hearts of palm, pappardelle with wild boar sausage and fried rice made with brown jasmine rice, kiawe-smoked local fish and veggies from Hilo’s farmers market.
New Saigon: If you like Vietnamese food, this is the place to go for pho, beef onion roll and Vietnamese beef stew.
Paul’s Place: Make reservations; there’s seating for just eight. You can’t go wrong with anything on the breakfast-brunch-lunch menu, but lox and bagels, Belgian waffle and Salmon Bennie (smoked salmon eggs Benedict on a toasted croissant) are perennial bestsellers.
Seaside Restaurant: Fried aholehole (Hawaiian flagtail) doesn’t get fresher than this: They maintain their own adjacent aqua farm. Among the other winners: pan-seared duck, braised short ribs and Volcano Shrimp served with a mango mint chili sauce.
Sweet Cane Cafe: Specializing in vegan and vegetarian options, it offers a terrific smoky taro burger, ulu (breadfruit) poke and 18 different smoothies, which use fresh-pressed sugar cane juice as a base.
Sweet Thunder Sushi: Expect to be wowed with “fusion sushi” such as kalua pig, Portuguese sausage and bacon and asparagus. The chefs welcome guests’ suggestions for new creations (smoked salmon, cream cheese, furikake and red onion sushi, anyone?).
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
