We participated in a first last night, we attended the Hawaii Restaurant Association Hall of Fame induction dinner. We're not members of the HRA nor are we in the restaurant service business so why did we attend? To support Hawaii's first Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya on his induction into HRA's Hall of Fame. I mean, I've learned more about wine especially things that textbooks don't teach you from "The Man". And though he continues to spew corny jokes and fling corks at you, he is a good guy. So it was our way of showing appreciation for "The Man"!
Ten of Hawaii's chefs created dishes for the evening and three of the wine distributors provided beverages. The evening's course as well as the chef list looked like this:
James Aptakin
Mac 24/7, Hilton
Waikiki Beach
Vietnamese Wrap of
Mongolian Tea-Smoked Kalbi and Salt and Pepper Kauai Prawns
Freddie Billena
Pomaika'i
Ballrooms
Tenderloin of Beef
with Fennel Mash, Porcini Mushroom Cabernet Sauce
Tushar Dubey
Hokulani Bakeshop
Green Tea and
White Chocolate Brownies
Mocha Cupcake
Parfait
Marc Freiberg
Mariposa, Neiman
Marcus
Braised Duck Lasagna,
Surfing Goat Dairy Farms Chevre, Roasted Hamakua
Tomato Coulis,
Crispy Parmesan and Arugula Salad
Vikram Garg
Halekulani
Poached Fish, Sea Asparagus,
Olives
Thomas Ho
53 By The Sea
Pan Seared Scallops
Praseuth
"JJ" Luangkhot
JJ Bistro &
French Pastry
Guava Cheesecake
with Berries, Dark Chocolate and Raspberries with Berry Sauce
Ken Mackenzie
Morton's The
Steakhouse
Braised Beef Sliders
Jon Matsubara
Japengo, Hyatt Regency
Waikiki
Roasted Lamb,
Quinoa, Fresh Yuzu, Spearmint Raita
Joseph
"JJ" Reinhart
Bali Steak and
Seafood, Hilton Hawaiian Village
Kauai Prawns with Lobster Red Curry Taro, Ho
Farms Tomatoes and Nalo Thai Basil
My favorites for the evening were the Vietnamese Roll which unexpectedly had some Mexican mole flavors goin' on, the Lamb and Quinoa Salad which was good and spicy and the Braised Beef Sliders. The Tenderloin with Fennel Mash also was very good and there were a couple of Pinot Noirs that were very good but in the end, it was good to see Ole Chuck finally gettin' his due and gettin' acknowledged for his tremendous contribution to the 50th's wine world...
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