Fil-Am Heritage Festival Saturday

By Vanessa Wolf

Chef Macadangdang prepares his winning dish last year. Photo by Vanessa Wolf.

This Saturday, Oct. 12, the Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce presents the Maui Fil-Am Heritage Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Maui Mall.

The Festival celebrates Filipino American History Month while it promotes local businesses and the sharing of the Filipino culture and heritage.

First up is the Master P-Noy Chef contest.

Chef Joey Macadangdang of Roy’s Kaanapali is back to defend his 2012 title as Master P-Noy Chef.

He will be competing against Chef Jojo Vasquez of The Plantation House in Kapalua and Chef James Simpliciano of Pa’ina ‘Aina Farms.

Chefs are expected to prepare their dishes in front of a live audience and the winner is determined by a panel of judges. This year’s winner will join Chef Macadangdang and Bravo TV’s Top Chef star Chef Sheldon Simeon in the roster of Master P-Noy Chefs in Maui County.

Also on Saturday is the “Filipino Fashionista,” a Filipino attire contest sponsored by Noble Travel.

Entrants are encourage to pre-register by emailing [email protected].

Plan to wear your best Filipino attire for a chance to win airfare to Las Vegas.

This year will also feature the “Little Filipino Fashionista” contest.

Sponsored by Friends of Alan Arakawa, the Little Filipino contest is open to girl up to age 12.

The youth contest is limited to the first 25 registrants and the first place winner receives a $150 gift certificate, while second and third place will win $75 gift certificates.

If dressing up isn’t your thing but eating feathers is, then the “Speedy Balut Eating Contest” could be where you triumph.

The contest is restricted to experienced balut eaters – please, no throwing up on the stage – and there can be 10 participants in each of the three age groups: 18-25; 26-50; and over 50.

Once again, pre-registration via email is highly recommended.

Balut is a popular street food in the Philippines. It is a boiled duck embryo eaten in the shell. The event organizers claim that, “while many enjoy the thrill of witnessing friends eat this bizarre or ‘extreme’ delicacy, it is worth noting that balut is actually a natural aphrodisiac and has health benefits to it.”

If you’d prefer to avert your eyes while this is going on,  perhaps check out the work entered into the P-Noy Artist Contest.

Under the direction of artist Phil Sabado, it will be on display for much of the week.

This year’s theme is “Filipino Ingenuity” and you can check out the youth entrant’s two-dimensional, three-dimensional and digital artwork on Tuesday, Oct. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 9 from 4 to 6 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 10 from 4 to 6 p.m; Friday, Oct. 11 from 4-6 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Chef Macadangdang’s winning 2012 dish. Photo by Vanessa Wolf.

Later in the day will be the Manong Flores Yoyo Contest.

In honor of Pedro Flores, a Filipino immigrant who was the first to mass-produce yoyos in America in the 1920s, participants can strut their skills in the “tricks” and “freestyle” categories.

In addition, participants can also sign up for a Basketball Free Throw Contest. Event organizers promise that “exciting prizes from festival sponsors await.”

If all this competing wears you out, you can enjoy some snacks from Maui’s best Filipino restaurants.

The Filipino Chamber of Commerce website reports that although the menus are not yet finalized, you can expect to find pansit, adobo, chicharon, pork and peas, empanada, lumpia, bbq, pinakbet, dinardaraan, chicken papaya, and lechon, and desserts like bibingka, cascaron, tupig, and halo halo.

Participating Restaurants include:

• Randy’s Catering & Fast Food
•  Four Sisters Kitchen
• TJ’s Oriental Foodmart
• CAA Market Place
• Paradise Supermart Fastfood & Catering
• Tante’s Island Cuisine
• R.M. MiniMart and Fast Food & Catering Services, LLC
• Badua’s Catering & Crepes

The festival will be hosted by Jason Salmo, an emcee for Next Level Entertainment and selected by Maui Time as the 2012 Best Local Radio DJ.

There will also be hourly Filipino folk dance performances and song numbers and a variety of business booths selling handicrafts, souvenirs, and promoting their services.

Have an idea for a fun, funny or thought-provoking story or topic? Get in touch: we want to hear from you. – Vanessa (@mauinow.com)