BY LINDSEY MURAOKA / Special to the Star-Advertiser
The third annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival returned to the Modern Honolulu for “Under the Modern Moon: Morimoto & Friends” on Thursday, Sept. 5. This event was led by “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto and showcased dishes by 15 international chefs and five mixologists.
The first dish I tried was a Kona lobster roulade with arugula salad from Nalo Farms by Chef Marco Anzani from the Philippines. It was hearty and tasty!
Chef Anzani and his team.
This is fresh Kauai prawn and Kona baby abalone salad with lemongrass garlic dressing by Chef Chai Chaowasaree. I could eat abalone forever.
This was my favorite dish of the night – Kampachi sashimi with avocado, kombu, and radish by Chef Anita Lo from New York. The kampachi was amazingly fresh and full of flavor.
Spicy gochujang braised pork with watercress and vegetable rice by Chef Lucia Cho from Seoul, Korea.
These pork belly lettuce wraps with cucumber papaya kimchee by Chef Morimoto were melt-in-your-mouth tender!
A pretty presentation of shrimp cocktail with tea risotto and mushroom sauce by Chef Amber Lin from Taipei, Taiwan. There’s just something so fun about eating colorful flowers.
Mixologist Chandra Lucariello of Southern Wine & Spirits making a “Bonsai” with Pimms No. 1, Boiron strawberry puree, cucumber shiso yuzu juice and ginger beer.
My favorite drink was the “Zig Zag” by mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim. It was refreshing and I liked the watermelon and grapefruit garnishes.
Poke with ogo and quail egg by Chef Floyd Cardoz from New York made a great combination!
Another really great combination was the pork belly with ikura and daikon by Chef Eric Ziebold from Washington D.C.!
Bryant Ng from Los Angeles created browned sugar cereal Kauai prawns. I loved the sweet buttery richness and crunchy texture of this dish.
Chef Scott Toner of the the Modern Honolulu showcased a braised beef short rib with a chive corn griddle cake.
This is gyoza with pork, crab and vegetables with a creamy Hamakua mushroom sauce by Chef Yuji Wakiya from Tokyo, Japan.
My favorite dessert of the night was this decadent yet delicate “Royal Hawaiian” which is made with Hawaiian Waialua cocoa beans, Big Island macadamia, Kokoleka chocolate mousse and haupia Hawaiian vanilla cream mousse by Chef Stanton Ho, a pastry consultant from Las Vegas.
Beautiful and flakey soft ginger lilikoi macaroon dipped in Hamakua chocolate by Roger Meier of Honolulu Coffee Co. tasted as good as it looks!
———
Lindsey Muraoka blogs about food and drink for the Pulse. Contact her on Twitter or via email at foodlalablog@gmail.com.