Third Annual Taste of East Oahu to celebrate local cuisine

Noses will be tempted to float over to Aina Haina when a well-known community church presents one of the most esteemed food sampling events in East Oahu.

Members of Calvary by the Sea Church plan to host Taste of East Oahu from 6-9 PM on Saturday, April 25, on its grounds, located at 5339 Kalanianaole Highway.

The third annual event, which will feature Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona as its honorary chairman, has become widely known for serving gourmet delicacies and desserts created by renowned East Oahu chefs.

Admission is $60, $25 of which is tax deductible, and includes a delectable assortment of food, wine and beer. However, if patrons mention that they read about Taste of East Oahu in this issue of East Oahu Sun when they call to order tickets, then the cost of their tickets will be $50 a piece.

Oceanside VIP tables, which seat 10 per table, are $1,200, half of which is tax deductible, and include champagne and pupu reception beginning at 5 PM. Mauka reserved tables cost $650 each and seat eight.

According to publicity chairwoman Sheila Sanders, this year's event expects to welcome about 500 attendees. "Attendance will be limited to this number to ensure a quality experience for our guests," she explained.

"All indications are that we will have a packed evening as we did last year. Attendance increased by over a third from the first year to the second, and in fact, sold out," Sanders continued. "This year, more restaurants are participating and offering a wider array of food-types."

This year's Taste of East Oahu will offer sample selections from several restaurants, including the Kaimuki-based 3660 on the Rise, which specializes in Euro-island cuisine by executive chef/owner Russel Siu and chef Lydell Leong.

Assagio Hawaii Kai in Koko Marina Center will bring Italian samples from chef Khanh Le, while BluWater Grill in the Hawaii Kai Shopping Center serves contemporary international cuisine by owner/executive chef Bill Bruhl.

From the Hawaii Kai Towne Center, Maile's Thai Bistro will offer selections from Chef Sandy Fomsanicth.

Coming from outside of East Oahu, owner/executive chef Chai Chaowasaree is expected to produce unique Contemporary Island and Pacific Rim cuisine from Chai's Island Bistro, as Hokulani Bake Shop provides hand-decorated, Hawaiian-themed cookies and cupcakes by pastry chefs Christina Min and Carmen Camposeco.

Michels' "Chef Hardy" will serve classical French cuisine, at the same time as chef Sean Priester delivers Pacific fusion cuisine from Top of Waikiki.

Memoirs Hawaii will also display the extensive catering and private chef services of executive chef Peter Foster. In addition, HASR Wine Company will serve and facilitate taste testing of more than 40 of its fine wines.

"Guests are amazed at the quality and quantity of wines to taste and beer on hand," Sanders said. "This event provides an opportunity for people to sample an array of enticing food, from appetizers to desserts provided by well-known chefs at a fraction of what it would otherwise cost, while also tasting the best wines and learning to pair them with the foods being served."

Entertainment for the evening will be provided by Jon Osorio and Stephen Brown, two Hawaiian musicians who have performed in local nightclubs, concerts and on television for the past 15 years. Together, the duo plays at BluWater Grill and other venues, developing a blend of older and contemporary music from Hawaiian to soft rock.

The Swingin Tradewinds Jass Band will also make an appearance, playing swing music of the big band era, traditional Dixieland jazz, as well as groovy Broadway ballads.

A guest appearance by soprano/jazz singer Rosanna Perch, a member of the Hawaii Vocal Arts Ensemble as well as the Hawaii Opera Theatre Studio and Chorus, will also keep the crowd grooving, with the help of her keyboard accompanist, Dan Del Negro.

"The quality and variety of music is outstanding, and the setting is one of the most beautiful on the island," Sanders said.

Additionally, a silent auction will display one-of-a-kind artwork by local artisans.

"We have received donations of two Turkish rugs to bid on, one of which is an antique," Sanders noted.

Free event parking will be available at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church, located next to Aina Haina Public Library; Grace Chapel, across from Holy Nativity; and Aina Haina Elementary School on East Hind Drive, where a shuttle will transport patrons every 15 minutes until 9:15 PM.

Proceeds from Taste of East Oahu will be divided among three Calvary by the Sea missions and programs, including Angel Network, the only food bank in East Oahu that provides assistance to the homeless, elderly and hungry.

"The main beneficiary of this event is the Angel Network Charities (ANC), which is East Oahu's only food pantry and housed on the church campus," Sanders shared. "ANC services people in need island wide, but primarily from East Oahu to Waimanalo.

"At this time, when so many more people are in need of assistance, a third of the funds raised will go directly to filling the shelves with food and personal products severely needed by so many," she added.

They will also benefit Calvary by the Sea Montessori Preschool programs, in addition to Youth of Calvary by the Sea "Summer Camp 2009" scholarships and the expansion of the youth program.

To purchase tickets, call (808) 377-5477 (the $10 discount is only available by phone, in advance of the event), send an e-mail to tasteofeastoahu@gmail.com or go online to www.honoluluboxoffice.com.

For more information, visit the Taste of East Oahu web site at www.tasteofeastoahu.org or call (808) 377-5477.

Diana Nomura can be reached at diana.nomura@eastoahusun.com.