Kapiolani Community College to host Hawaii State Student Culinary Exposition

Event to feature high school and college students from across the state and a special apperance by Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai

University of Hawaiʻi
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Posted: Apr 22, 2005

HONOLULU — The Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiʻolani Community College will host the Hawaiʻi State Student Culinary Exposition, the first of its kind in seven years, on Saturday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kapiʻolani CC campus. High school and college students from across the state will present their best culinary creations in a variety of categories, and the public is invited to view the final products and enjoy tastings from several local food vendors.

In addition to gold and silver medals presented in various categories, the winner of the "Hot Food" competition will receive an all-expense paid, one-week internship with Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai at one of his restaurants in Japan. Japan Airlines (JAL) will provide the winner with round-trip airfare. Sakai will be on hand at the event to congratulate the internship winner and to also present a special cooking demonstration at 1:30 p.m.

There will also be a lecture/demonstration on truffles by Chef Bob Passarelli, CEC, who is the corporate chef for U.S. Foods. Passarelli, considered by the culinary industry as an expert in truffles, has the only truffle orchard in the United States.

The event opens to the public at 10 a.m. with viewing of the competitors final creations beginning at 11 a.m. in the ʻŌhiʻa cafeteria. More than 62 participants will compete in the culinary expo, including community college students from Kapiʻolani CC, Kauaʻi CC, and Hawaiʻi CC, and high school students from Farrington High School on Oʻahu and Konawaena High School on the Big Island. The Army and Navy will also have participants in the competition.

Other events throughout the day include a blind wine taste test, ice carving competition, and food booths sponsored by some of Hawaiʻi‘s best restaurant and food vendors — Roy‘s, Diamond Head Market and Grill, Duke‘s, Aloun Farms, and the Sheraton Waikiki and Royal Hawaiian hotels.

Tickets for the event are $10 in advance, which includes $5 worth of food scrip, or $10 at the door with $3 worth of food scrip. All proceeds raised from the event will go towards continuing the competition next year, which includes providing assistance for students from the neighbor islands to participate in the event.

For tickets or more information about the event, call 734-9483.

ABOUT THE HAWAIʻI STATE STUDENT CULINARY EXPOSITION

The Hawaiʻi State Student Culinary Exposition was created to provide the students of Hawaiʻi with an opportunity to participate in a culinary salon. A culinary salon allows students to compete individually or in teams for top honors in a variety of food presentations and categories that allow them to show off their culinary skills and creativity. Although the salon is unsanctioned, it is patterned after the guidelines of the American Culinary Federation (ACF). This allows participation from all students, whether ACF members or not.

In addition to the salon, the expo will include an ice carving competition, vegetable carving competitions, "Oh Waiter Race," blind wine taste test, food demonstrations by celebrity chefs, and hot food trials.

The competition is open to students of all public and private high schools, community colleges, and military or culinary apprentice organizations, as well as industry professionals (must be registered ACF members) in selected categories.