For foodies heading to Hawaii Island, Travel Agent highlighted some upcoming events, tours and refreshed menu offerings starlight from the most recent Big Island Visitors Bureau newsletter.
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Kaupulehu will host Chef Fest from October 28 to 31, as part of the Four Seasons Food & Wine global series.
A celebration of high-profile dinners, interactive cooking classes and culinary experiences, the series will feature some of today's top chefs who will join together to cook, teach and entertain in an intimate and relaxed beach setting. This year's celebrity guest chefs include Hugh Acheson, Seamus Mullen, Naomi Pomeroy, and Jonathan Waxman.
Visit www.foodandwinehualalai.com and www.fourseasons.com/hualalai
CanoeHouse at Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows presents a personalized "Captain's Table" blind tasting menu, created by Chef de Cuisine Allen Hess. The menu is seasonal and available to parties of up to eight. Chef Hess' whimsical culinary flair impresses guests with originality through his take on Hawaii plantation-style flavors. He sources locally sustainable products, with 85 percent of each meal sourced from Hawaii Island.m Throughout the evening, the chef will present each course while the wine steward will introduce the accompanying wine.
Visit www.maunalani.com
Rays on the Bay, the premier dining venue at Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa at Keauhou Bay, will launch a brand new menu this August, showcasing locally sourced produce and seafood infused with Hawaiian culture. Designed by Rays on the Bay General Manager Keith Mallini and Chef de Cuisine Jayson Malla, the menu items will incorporate fresh seafood, such as ceviche and sashimi, with family-style "grazing" dishes, street-inspired and gastro pub food, comfort food with an upscale presentation, house-made salumi, artisanal cheeses and breads, and healthy choices, including brussels sprouts and kale.
Visit www.raysonthebay.com/reserve
Honu's on the Beach at Courtyard Marriott King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel is energizing Kailua-Kona's culinary scene with new dishes that put Hawaii Island-grown ingredients front and center. Chef Roy Basilio's popular Hamakua Mushroom Risotto features specialty Alii mushrooms that were grown in the Hamakua Coast town of Laupahoehoe, and Arborio rice prepared with fresh herbs, white wine, vegetable stock, a touch of cream, parmesan cheese, and extra virgin olive oil. The dish is complemented by kabocha (pumpkin), asparagus, green beans, peppers, squash and marinated sweet cherry tomatoes.
Visit www.konabeachhotel.com/honus-on-the-beach.htm
KapohoKine Adventures offers guests the opportunity to learn the importance of sustainability in Hawaii with "Farm, Fork & Fire" tour. Attendees will enjoy tastings at Hamakua Mushrooms and Volcano Winery, followed by a private cooking demonstration and dinner at the famous Volcano House, where 95 percent of the hotel's products are sourced from Hawaii Island. After dinner, the tour continues in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park with a view of Halemaumau Crater's red glow at sunset. The cost is $189 per person, plus tax.
Visit www.kapohokine.com or call (808) 964-1000
In honor of Mauna Kea Beach Hotel's 50th anniversary, the hotel is bringing back its popular "Modified American Rate Plan." The special third-quarter package enhancement, valid July 5 to September 30, allows clients to enjoy breakfast and a three-course prix fixe dinner at its signature restaurant, Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar, the Copper Terrace or Hau Tree for a flat rate of $105 per adult and $50 per child (ages 5-12), inclusive of tax and gratuity. The culinary themed third quarter will also include the return of the hotel's classic dishes with a modern twist by Executive Chef Peter Pahk.
Visit www.timelessmaunakea.com/offers
Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods (HLH), a sustainable forestry company based on Hawaii Island, recently became the first company to produce raw and unfiltered honey, sourced from the nectar of endemic koa tree blossoms on the Hamakua Coast. Although the entire production of honey sold out within two days of a limited release this spring, a waiting list has started for the second batch next year. Proceeds from honey purchases go toward the planting of more koa legacy trees. Kona Brewing Co. is utilizing the honey in a special edition to create a koa honey wheat ale, slated to be released in October.
Visit www.hlh.co
Committed to supporting the local economy through locally sourced products, Body Glove Cruises' morning snorkel trips include breakfast and lunch, made with a variety of local products including fresh island fruits and produce, Big Island Beef hamburgers on buns from Mamane Bakery, and Atebara sweet potato chips. On the historic dinner cruise to Kealakekua Bay, guests can sample Hawaii Island macadamia nuts, pork laulau from Super J's in South Kona, and guava and taro dinner rolls from Punaluu Bake Shop.
Visit www.bodyglovehawaii.com
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