feast at lele

if a luau is on your list of things to do but you prefer a more intimate setting sans the crush of crowds, buffet lines, and the possibility of being dragged on stage to amuse the other guests, you may want to book a reservation for the feast at lele which is a touted as a more gourmet option from the folks behind the old lahaina luau.

admission gets you in the door to enjoy an evening of entertainment showcasing music and dance from the islands of polynesia including hawaii, aotearoa (aka new zealand), tahiti and samoa; a 5 course meal created by maui chef james mcdonald (of i'o and pacific'o fame) featuring traditional dishes from all the islands; flowing cocktails; and, if mother nature cooperates, a technicolor sunset maui style.

the show has received rave reviews however foodies seem to disagree on the execution of the menu so click over to chowhound & tripadvisor and judge for yourself.

sweet heartbreaker

you can always count on big island candies to celebrate the holidays in style. the best thing about their pretty packaging are the treats your sweetheart will find inside. this year they're whipping up chocolate passion truffles & heart shaped versions of their ono chocolate dipped shortbread cookies & chocolate covered brownies just in time for valentine's day.

yes, your beloved may go into sugar shock but, if you are particularly crafty or strapped for cash, you can "give" them a box of sweets in hopes they will share a few bites with you. and if you want to test your love, break a cookie in half and see if they leave the luscious chocolate side for you or take it for his/herself.

hokulani bake shop

last year i wrote about the good kine cookie co. and over the holidays a reader was kind enough to post an update. turns out they are now known as the hokulani bake shop and, lucky me, the cupcakes i wished for are now a reality. no dobash or guava chiffon but you can savor carrot cake, guittard chocolate, madagascar bourbon vanilla, southern red velvet & toasted coconut.

and here's another sweet valentine's idea for downtown worker bees who are crunched for time: place a cupcake order and request delivery to your office via hokulani's cupcakemobile (based at their shop in restaurant row) which will delight your co-workers. of course, you can always order decorated cookies & more on hokulani's redesigned website and have them shipped the old fashioned way.

maui culinary academy

 

in anticipation of the "top chef" finale tonight (sam was my man and since he was knocked out last week all i have to say is go ilan!), today's post is all about the culinary scene in the islands which we all know is foodie nirvana. the maui culinary academy is just one of hawaii's top notch cooking schools and straight out of their test kitchen is a gourmet product line developed by the students.

the line ranges from raspberry wine jelly (made from tedeschi vineyards' raspberry remnants that would have otherwise been scrapped) to mango sugar & thai basil sea salt. you can find the line around the islands (i've spotted it at na mea hawaii at ward warehouse) or click over to tedeschi's website to shop online.

class act

also, an off the beaten path lunch idea is the school's pa'ina food court where you can taste what the students have been cooking in class that day. there are six choices including farm to table's locally grown menu, sushi at raw fish camp, and freshly baked pastries at the patisserie. for those who prefer to indulge in a fine dining experience, the class act serves a four course prix fixe lunch menu every wed & fri for $25 (reservations required).

anyhoo, back to "top chef" . . . the finale was filmed on the big island and last week's episode featured the contestants putting their spin on the traditional luau for chef alan wong's birthday bash. if you want to whip up sam's ono sounding haupia, click over to bravo's website which has just posted the recipes online.

honolulu chocolate company

chocolate truffles

hopefully, your love connection is as steadfast and true as the combination of valentine's day and a box of chocolates. if you really want to splurge, stop by the honolulu chocolate company at ward center and worship at the altar that is their chocolate filled glass case. their specialty is artisanal chocolates with everything from decadent truffles (on the last trip home, i sampled one with li hing powder) to chocolate dipped strawberries made just for valentine's to tempt your tastebuds.

if you can't get to their shop, an edited selection of goodies are available on their website however ordering is a bit old school since you have to either fax or call in your order. and remember that valentine's is the shop's second biggest day of the year so don't procrastinate if you want to treat your sweet.