Keoni Chang will represent Foodland Super Markets Ltd. and Hawaii as a finalist in a national competition next month in Dallas.

No pressure.

Chang and 19 other competitors in the inaugural Supermarket Chef Showdown, staged as part of an annual industry event, will compete in four culinary categories: ethnic, indulgent, family meals and healthy alternatives.

Winners in each category will receive a $1,000 prize and will then battle in what’s being called the Grand Culinary Competition. The winner will be crowned Supermarket Grand Chef and receive a two-day CIA Boot Camp trip (that’s the Culinary Institute of America — you know, the other CIA), valued at $3,500.

Chang’s Deconstructed Ahi California Roll, in the indulgent category, was among 357 recipes submitted, and from all those entries, judges chose him to be among five finalists in the category — among 20 total competitors.

Chang is honored by the opportunity, given that other participating stores include Balducci’s Food Lover’s Market, Bristol Farms, Haggen Food & Pharmacy, Harmons Grocery Stores, Harris Teeter and Wegmans Food Markets. While they are supermarkets as is Foodland, the regional mainland operations tend to be upscale. "They have large and deep selections of gourmet food products," Chang said.

Chang submitted his recipes and pictures to competition organizers, and they were assessed according to "creativity and ease for the average consumer to make in their home as well," Chang said.

Judges also awarded points for the recipes’ use of contest sponsors’ ingredients, and his included Kraft mayonnaise, McCormick sea salt, La Choy soy sauce and Wesson canola oil.

Canola oil?

The ahi crab salad part of the dish also calls for sesame oil, which can be strongly flavored, so Chang decided to add canola oil so the sesame wouldn’t overpower the dish, and "because it needed a little more mouth-feel, I thought."

The contest is part of FMI2012, the annual expo staged by the Virginia-based Food Marketing Institute, and as you’ve seen on TV, chefs will prepare their dishes in front of a judging panel as well as a live audience.

In the category rounds May 1 and 2, finalists and their dishes will be judged on flavor, presentation of food, creativity, consumer appeal and showmanship — each worth up to 20 points.

For the May 3 Grand Culinary Competition, the showmanship aspect gets tossed, meaning the flavor, presentation, creativity and consumer appeal of each dish will be worth a maximum of 25 points in judging.

Social media users can track the action by following @FMI2012 and using the hashtag #SupermarketChef.

Chang doesn’t know what he’s up against, which is not to cast doubt on his chances. He simply does not know the other dishes in his category nor who his competitors will be.

"It’s all very hush-hush," he said, so there’s been no opportunity to track one another down on Facebook to engage in culinary trash talk.

"If I find out, then maybe we’ll be eyeballing each other," he laughed.

"I’ll have the tallest toque (chef hat) out there," he said, still chuckling.