Three high-profile chefs from Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Hawaii are going to Mecca next month. Not the literal Mecca, but the James Beard House often is referred to as the mecca of the culinary industry.
ON THE NET
Click here for James Beard House Hawaii menu |
The trio that will be cooking at the Beard House Sept. 14 are Colin Hazama, senior executive sous-chef of the Sheraton Waikiki hotel; Jon Matsubara, executive chef of Azure restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian hotel; and Darren Demaya, executive chef at Kai Market at the Sheraton Waikiki.
Matsubara got the initial invitation.
"He was selected because someone on the board (of the New York-based James Beard Foundation) dined at his restaurant, reached out and personally invited him to cook at the Beard House," said Diana Su, Starwood public relations manager.
Matsubara "doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight," so he extended the invitation to other Starwood hotel chefs to provide the "best representation for the state, not just Starwood," Su said.
The menu the trio planned for the pilgrimage is described on the Beard House website as "extravagant," "complex," "refined" and a representation of "Hawaii’s ever-evolving cuisine" which will reflect the state’s "signature hospitality."
The Beard House asks chefs to prepare three to five hors d’oeuvres with a minimum of two pieces per guest, five courses including dessert, and wines paired with each course, according to the JBF website. They will serve 74 Beard House diners.
The trio will prepare three pupu screaming with local ingredients: Kona baby abalone, Kahuku sea asparagus, soy-scallion dashi and micro shiso; Waipio Valley warabi (fern shoots), Hamakua tomato, Maui onions and lechón (like kalua pig, but Filipino/Latino style); and lomilomi ahi with young local ginger, Waipoli hydroponic watercress and crispy breadfruit chips.
The full menu can be found on the James Beard Foundation website in the events tab.
Demaya’s baby abalone and Kahuku sea asparagus appetizer and his Maui Cattle Co. strip loin slow-poached in olive oil with Hawaii island honshimeji mushrooms, taro purée Szechuan peppercorn reduction and foie gras truffle mousse "consist of local product from our different islands," he said.
He aims for sustainability and desires to "help our local farmers out and showcase not only the diversity of products available in Hawaii today, but also what they work so hard for," he said.
Hazama took his inspiration from luau flavors and is using modern techniques to reflect "the different cultures and flavors we’ve grown to love here on the islands," he said.
Matsubara’s intention was to showcase flavors not commonly found outside Hawaii, like warabi, or fern shoot, while his Kona lobster dish will reflect modern Hawaii flavor profiles, he said. His goal was to get away from the "oversauced teriyaki and token pineapple wedge misconception."
Apres-dinner coffee will be Kona Estate coffee, and assorted Hawaii chocolates will be offered.
A few lucky local folks and visitors will get a preview of the chefs’ Beard House menu Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Azure Restaurant in the Royal Hawaiian hotel. The dinner is $150 per person and includes wine pairings. Seating will be intimate and is limited to two communal tables of 10 each night.
