New Honolulu Zoo keiki meal named after award-winning Leeward CC culinary student

VIDEO NEWS RELEASE

Leeward Community College
Contact:
Kelli Abe Trifonovitch, (808) 228-8108
Chief Communications Officer, UH Office of Communications
Posted: Aug 31, 2022

Leeward CC student Kaleb Molina, Chef Matthew Egami, Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza.
Leeward CC student Kaleb Molina, Chef Matthew Egami, Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza.
Kaleb's Keiki Meal on the menu at the Honolulu Zoo's concession.
Kaleb's Keiki Meal on the menu at the Honolulu Zoo's concession.
Grand opening of the Kapahulu Market at the zoo.
Grand opening of the Kapahulu Market at the zoo.
Guest sampled Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese.
Guest sampled Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese.
Leeward CC culinary student Kaleb Molina and Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza.
Leeward CC culinary student Kaleb Molina and Chancellor Carlos Peñaloza.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://bit.ly/3Q16745

WHO: Leeward Community College student Kaleb Molina, whose Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese won the 7-Eleven healthy bento contest in December 2021 and was featured in Hawai‘i 7-Eleven stores for a limited time in 2022. 

WHAT: Kaleb’s Keiki Meal (named after him) is available for sale at the Honolulu Zoo’s Kapahulu Market. It is a slightly modified (baked not pan-tossed) version of his winning dish.

WHEN: The zoo concession vendor SSA Group held a grand opening on Wednesday, August 31, 2022.

HOW: SSA Group Pacific Regional Vice President Rus Murakami is on the board of advisors for the culinary program at Leeward CC. When he heard about Molina winning the 7-Eleven competition and tasted his Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese, he reached out with the idea of featuring Molina's dish through the zoo's concession.

WHY: SSA Group will be donating a portion of every Kaleb’s Keiki Meal sold to Leeward CC’s culinary program.

VIDEO: TRT 2:14

BROLL: 1:32

:00-:14 Grand opening and unveiling of Kaleb’s Keiki Meal at the Honolulu Zoo’s Kapahulu Market

:15-:21 file of Kaleb Molina preparing Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese at Leeward CC

:22-:58 More of today’s event at the Honolulu Zoo

:59-1:32 Guest sample Vegan Rigatoni Bolognese, elephants, building sign, guests comment

SOUND:

Kaleb Molina, Leeward CC culinary student (:21)

“This is an opportunity for me to get my name out there as a chef coming up in the culinary industry. And it’s also an opportunity for LCC students to create dishes for children and the community, giving back to what we have here in Hawai‘i—a little bit of aloha.”

Rus Murakami, SSA Group, Regional Vice President (:18)

“At LCC they’re doing a really good job of growing young culinary chefs. The food industry is a very tough industry, margins are thin, the hours are long, so these young men and women that are pursuing that, I would love for everybody to come and support them.”