Japengo dining room. Photo courtesy of Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa.

Award-winning chefs and brew masters will unite on Friday, April 8 to connect Pacific Rim flavor and craft beer. Maui Tastemakers Series has released its menu for the event at Japengo in Kā‘anapali, whose first local partner of 2016 will be Maui Brewing Co.

The five-course dinner at the Hyatt Regency Maui restaurant features cuisine accentuated by the flavors in each paired craft beer.

The dinner will begin with a Mana Mai Tai reception beer and feature the following five-course menus and pairings:
· Surfing Goat Feta & Compressed Pineapple with kula greens and creamy miso vinaigrette, served with Hop Kine India Pale Lager
· Bara Chirashi, a variety of fish and seasonal vegetables sprinkled on sushi rice, served with Pau Hana Pilsner
· Scallop Butter Yaki with sweet chili, soy sauce, ikura, soba and yuzu dashi, served with Bikini Blonde
· Ni’ihau Lamb Pop, volcano spiced with buttermilk mashed potato, tempura peas and root beer demi glace, served with Black Rock Lager Schwarzbier
· Megan’s Pie with thin mints crust, banana, macadamia nut ice cream, salted caramel and kona coffee sauce, served with Doppelshot Doublebock

The Tastemakers dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. on April 8, and is priced at $90 per person, excluding gratuity and tax. To make your reservation, call Japengo at 808.667.4727.

Future Tastemaker dinners will feature Ocean Vodka on June 3 and Kona Brewing Co. with Simpli-Fresh Produce on August 12.

The Maui Tastemakers program features dinners, events, tastings and special menus, presented in partnership with local, Maui-based purveyors.  For more information, please visit here.