Feast at Saturday’s Taste of Wailea

By Vanessa Wolf

The 2012 Taste of Wailea. Courtesy photo

On Saturday at 4:30 p.m. you can partake in the 14th annual Taste of Wailea on the Wailea Gold and Emerald Golf Course.

Eleven Wailea restaurants will be offering an eclectic array of food, starting with a Ceasar Crudo with Crispy Mãlama Farms Pork Belly, and Lavender Bacon Ice Cream, with W.O. Honey and Meyer Lemon presented by Capische?.

Once you cleanse your palate – or gum it up – with some of that, you might want to take in some Kiawe-smoked slow roasted Huli Huli chicken with teriyaki glaze and ono poke with avocado and wasabi mousse from the Four Seasons.

Tommy Bahama will be presenting Bungalow Salad with toasted almonds and macadamia nuts, dried cranberries, feta, pepitas, vine-ripe tomatoes, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. They will also have ahi tuna poke in a wonton cup and key lime tarts with graham cracker crust and white chocolate mousse.

You’ve got two and a half hours to get all this down the hatch, which is good news as Mala Wailea will be serving vegan white bean soup with truffle oil and fresh chopped parsley and wok-fried opakapaka with fresh ginger and garlic black bean mushroom sauce.

You can expect Zuhair Farms vine-ripened tomato salad with farro tabouleh, and toasted ricotta salata cheese shavings from Peter Merriman’s Monkeypod Kitchen. They will also be serving spicy seared whole Kauai shrimp Kula tomato gumbo, and Upcountry cornbread.

Spago will be presenting the most intriguing sounding item, the “Ahi Tuna Aquarium.” There is no further explanation provided, so allow your mind to race as much as it likes.

If the prospect of chomping down on a still-flopping ahi is too much, you may prefer their dessert offering of grilled pineapple yuzu shaved ice with coconut ice cream.

Taking a page from their own menu, Mulligan’s will be serving homemade fish and chips with spicy Irish chips and a jalapeño aioli. Pulling from another part of Europe entirely, they will also be offering watermelon gazpacho, Molokai sweet potato gnocchi with white truffle oil, prosciutto and arugula, and tiramisu cheesecake for dessert.

Alan Wong’s Amasia is also participating with soy braised short ribs with ko choo jang sauce and chopped ahi sashimi, avocado, won ton, and soy wasabi.

The Kea Lani’s Kō will be serving shredded phyllo-wrapped tangled tiger prawns, kula greens, pineapple sweet chili garlic sauce and macadamia nuts and BBQ pork skewers with banana ketchup.

If you can face another plate, you might want to try the veal ravioli from Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

They will also be offering up bread pudding with whiskey sauce or sweet cream.

Last but not least, Gannon’s will be serving chicken pot pie over an herbed biscuit and steamed buns filled with Mãlama Farms Berkshire Pork.

The event is limited to those 21 and over and all this scrumptious food will be complimented by an assortment of wines provided by Southern Wine and Spirits, Stella Artois beers on draft and Specialty Cocktails featuring Maui’s Pau Vodka.

Tickets are a stiff $150 per person, but include entrance to Saturday Night’s Celestial Cinema Double Feature where “Middleton” and “See Girl Run” will be screened.

We welcome your feedback. Please let us know if you hear of any new restaurants opening or reopening, total menu overhauls, or simply know of a hidden treasure you want to share. Have a restaurant you want reviewed (or re-reviewed)? Drop us a line – Vanessa(@mauinow.com)