Flex your Korean culinary muscles in the 2015 Global Taste of Korea Hawaii regional competition, sponsored by the Korean government.
The dish that could make you a world champ is chap chae, the classic stir-fried glass noodle dish.
Submit your chap chae recipe to the Korean Consulate in Honolulu by July 5; 12 people will be chosen to compete July 13 at Kapiolani Community College.
The winner will compete in Korea Aug. 20 to 28 against winners from 15 other countries. Grand prize is $10,000.
For details and to enter, visit bit.ly/1K8MfGx. For inquiries, call Michelle You at 595-6109, ext. 15, or email consulatehi@mofa.go.kr.
Wong’s puts female chefs in charge
There’s been a particular focus of late on Hawaii’s female chefs, and Alan Wong’s joins in July 1 with a Next Generation dinner featuring 10 women who make culinary magic in Wong’s King Street kitchen.
Chef de cuisine Miya Nishimura says the dinner celebrates the fact that the kitchen staff includes more women than ever: 10 out of 25 employees are women. The women hold every position in the kitchen, from appetizer station to pastry — and Nishimura hired the majority of them.
“I wasn’t trying to shape the staff; the applicant pool just reflects more women in the industry,” she said.
Wong’s Next Generation dinner features up-and-coming chefs guided by Wong, Nishimura and pastry chef Brian Sung. The lineup of dishes — one from each chef — reflects each woman’s background.
For instance, Melanie Maier shares her German roots with maultasche, or German gyoza; and Camille Cadiz presents a gussied-up version of sinigan, a classic Filipino dish, with seared onaga, tamarind and shishito pepper.
The other chefs: sous chef Kelly Kawachi, chefs de partie Jenievalyn Alcaraz, Keira Baker, Melanie Inouye and Donna Famisan; pastry chefs de partie Tiffani Ann Leonardo and Tracy Paulson; and Nishimura.
The prix fixe menu is $85, $125 with wine pairings. Call 949-2526. Visit alanwongs.com.
3 chefs tackle cooking in imu
Foodies will want to witness the “‘Aina to Fork Throw-Down,” with three chefs in a Hawaiian-style cook-off at Kualoa Regional Park. At 2 p.m. July 11, chefs Kaniala Smith of Hale Kealoha, Keith Kong of Duke’s Waikiki and Kaina Holomalia of E Ala Voyaging Academy will prepare dishes to be placed in an imu to cook.
Visitors will taste food, sample paiai and view an awa garden.
Cost is $20, $15 pre-sale, with proceeds going to the voyaging academy and Hui Aloha ‘Aina Momona. Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.
The related event Paddle for Pae ‘Aina begins at noon.
Email paliuliproject@gmail.com.
