“Locavore” Dinner to Feature 12 Farmer/Chef Pairs

By Vanessa Wolf

The friendly-looking Jamie Shishido will be pairing up with Chef Tom of KBH. Courtesy photo.

Next Saturday, in celebration of Kā’anapali Beach’s latest accolade as Trip Advisor’s “#1 Beach in the Nation” and the resort’s 50th anniversary, Kā’anapali Beach Resort will be hosting an open-air event.

The oddly named “5-0 Book ʻEm Dinner” begins at 6:30 p.m. on the third hole of the Kā’anapali Golf Course.

Twelve of Kāʻanapali’s best chefs are pairing up with Maui farmers to present “farm to fork” cuisine with wine selected by Southern Wine & Spirits.

Show up hungry, because each chef will be making two dishes – one hot and one cold – each.

Chef CJ has paired up with Darren Strand of Maui Gold Pineapple to offer more than the two items he was supposed to deliver. In the spirit of over-achievement, you can look forward to a Hana Bar and Maui Gold Pineapple Sandwich, Kā’anapali Coffee-Infused Tirimisu, and a “Kā’anapali Romanoff” made with Maui Ocean Vodka, macerated Kula country farms strawberries, Polynesian peppercorn and Tahitian vanilla-basil ice cream.

Chef Chris of Hula Grill has paired with Dave Horsman of Ho`opono Farm and will be preparing island-style shrimp chow fun and Kona kampachi tartare with a Ho`opono Farm beet chip.

Chef Greg from the Hyatt and Walter Evonuk of Evonuk Farm will be cooking up “Vietnamese style” Ali’i Kula Lavender-seasoned Maui Cattle Company beef on a salad of mint, cilantro, basil, arugula and romaine lavender; as well as Hawaiian rib eye tuna with sushi rice and Opilio crab.

Chef Tom of KBH and Jamie Shishido of J. Shishido Farm will be serving wok-fried Kona kampachi with Asian slaw and Manoa lettuce cups filled with a stir fry of mustard greens, baby bok choi, pork and tofu.

Ho`opono’s Dave Horsman will be fattening you up with Chef Chris of Hula Grill. Courtesy photo.

Leilani’s Chef James and Cheryl Vasconsellos of Hana Fresh will prepare kiawe-smoked hoisin-glazed lamb lollipops over sweet potato risotto and baby corn shoots and with Hana Fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, buratta cheese, basil oil, white balsamic vinegar and Kilauea black sea salt.

If reading this isn’t making you insanely hungry to the extent you have to take a break only realize your fridge contains neither lamb lollipops nor burrata cheese, then you’ll be excited to learn that Chef Peter of the Marriot and Bryan Otani of B. Otani Farm will further contribute to your muffin top with a char siu bao bun with pickled vegetables and Otani Farms kale salad with shrimp.

“I’m not drooling on myself yet!” you cry?

Fair enough.

How about the news that Chef Ivan of Maui Fish & Pasta and Surfing Goat Dairy’s Thomas K will be offering you Surfing Goat cheese ravioli with hearts of palm and a Surfing Goat cheese crostini with heirloom baby beets and baby arugula even if you plead with them to stop it?

Glutton for punishment?

Or just a glutton?

Then loosen that belt for Chef Bernado of Royal Lahaina Resorts’ pairing with Fernando Traje of Traje Farm. Together they will expand your waistline with a spicy crab mint taco with avocado relish, butter lettuce and Maui onion and a ceviche verde made with Big Island farmed kampachi.

Don’t quit now. There are still four ridiculously delicious-sounding pairings to go.

Syvestre Tumbaga of Syl’s Produce is so cute you wanna give him a hug. Courtesy photo.

Roy’s Chef Joey and Sylvestre Tumbaga of Syl’s Produce will be cranking out some keawe-smoked Hawai`i Ranchers beef brisket with Kā’anapali coffee BBQ sauce and Syl’s corn puree along with a Hawai`i kampachi crudo with a pomelo, grapefruit, and yuzu emulsion.

Your stomach may be hurting at this point, but Chef Greg of the Sheraton and Chuck Boerner of Ono Organic Farm don’t even care. They’re throwing down with a lemongrass-cured Pacific salmon dish and heirloom tomato compote with fresh Hana herbs, ginger butter, and balsamic vinegar drizzle.

Hang in there, because Manu Akana of ʻĀina Haumana (the non-profit/educational side Of Ho`opono Farm) and Chef Francois of the Kā’anapali Ocean Resort Villas will be bursting your buttons with a Black Cherokee tomato stuffed with a braised Berkshire pork risotto and caramelized buratta and a Hawai`i nicoise salad with ahi bressola, Blue Lake beans, Molokai sweet potato, heirloom cherry tomatoes, neighborhood farm eggs, and of course, olives.

Just when you thought you weren’t going to make it, Chef Garret of the Westin and Chauncy Monden of Kula Country Farms round it out with a duck meatball sambal brioche and a compressed watermelon and green tomato sashimi with kaiware sprout salad, Maui onion crisp, and shiso syrup.

A truly local feast, a number of Maui farmers including Monica Cajudoy of Napili AquaFlo and James Simpliciano with SimpliFresh will be providing supplementary ingredients as well.

It’s still a week and a half away, so quit eating now.

The 21 and over event starts at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $156.25 per person.

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)