Hawaii chefs return to food truck contest

Aloha Plate’s food truck can be seen prowling the streets of San Francisco starting June 6.

That’s when the Food Network will start airing its all-star version of “The Great Food Truck Race,” the reality TV cooking show. Hawaii chef Adam Tabura, media personality Lanai Tabura and comedian Shawn Felipe will return to compete as team Aloha Plate, earning the appearance as a reward for winning season 4 of the show in 2013.

The show presented several challenges to competing teams, which all had some experience in the restaurant business but had never run a food truck before. The teams prepared their own dishes as well as regional favorites as they raced from city to city, guided by host Tyler Florence. Total receipts determined the winners, with the Hawaii team helped considerably by the “coconut wireless” that brought the Hawaii diaspora to their truck in droves in many cities.

For this six-episode season, the Food Network brought back seven winners from previous seasons: four from California, one from Utah and one from Louisiana, along with Aloha Plate. The cuisine will be international, featuring food from the Middle East, India and Korea, along with California cuisine and gourmet waffles.

The epicenter of the competition is the San Francisco Bay Area, with teams traveling to nearby locations such as Napa Valley wine country and the redwood forests. “California is where the food truck trend first exploded,” said Food Network and Cooking Channel President Courtney White in a news release.

The season includes an appearance with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and ends in Chinatown, where the winning team will receive $50,000 and be declared all-time champ.