The Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival’s Spice Market event on Nov. 10 brought together top culinary talent from around the globe to Ko Olina.
Attendees sampled creations from 13 chefs, 30 mixologists and renowned winemakers representing regions including France, Washington D.C. and New York. The event featured mixologists from Japan, adding to the festival’s international flavor.
Co-founded by chef Roy Yamaguchi and CEO Denise Yamaguchi, the festival focuses on Hawaiʻi’s local agriculture while showcasing global culinary techniques.
“What we want them to do is use our local ingredients,” Roy Yamaguchi said. “But we also want them to use their little accent piece, little different spices, herbs that they use and their own type of cooking. So then we have this whole array of different types of flavors that come out and attack you in a good way.”
Attendee Kimzie Luong, a KOVEY swimwear designer, said her standout dish was one by chef Jordan Keao of Butchers Block.
“I actually don’t like to cook, I actually like to eat out, you know, that’s my foodie side – I actually was impressed by Jordan’s take on the musubi … he has his own little spam and it’s from Singapore, and it’s really good,” Luong said. “So it is, like, good to find something that’s an alternative to processed meats, you know, so I would love to find something similar to that, maybe even try to make it at home if I feel like cooking.”
The HFWF is not just a gathering of culinary elites; it also gives back to the community. The nonprofit has contributed more than $5 million to local communities over the past 14 years. This year, over $1.5 million will go toward supporting culinary programs, sustainability efforts and local agriculture.
“Our goal is to spotlight Hawaii, not only for its beauty but also for the incredible things happening in its agriculture, fishing and culinary industries,” said Denise Yamaguchi, adding that 70% of the chefs fly in exclusively for the event. “When you come to our festival, you’re getting the best of the best. … We bring in 125 chefs every year, all using Hawaiʻi’s local ingredients in their dishes.”
One of those chefs is Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas, Texas. As a founding chef of the festival, Fearing has attended every year since he was first invited by Denise and Roy Yamaguchi.
“No one is doing Texas food with a slant towards Mexico,” Fearing said. “So I wanted to do the true flavors of Mexico with Texas flavoring, that gives it the feeling that you’re in Dallas, Texas.”
For many, the event is a luxury worth the investment. Attendee Marites Calad, vice president of Norman S. Wright Mechanical Equipment Corporation, spent $2,300 on tickets for her group; $500 for three tickets and $400 for two.
“One of my customers asked if I wanted to come because Troy Guard – which we visited in Denver – was going to be here,” Calad explained. “And I’m like, ‘okay, I’m going.’”
Luong accompanied Calad as her guest at no cost and shared her thoughts on the experience.
“I love the live music and all the unique chefs here and it is a really great unique experience. I’m really thankful that I’m able to try all this and I have a night out, but it is, you know, a steep price,” Luong said. “But it is worth the experience because you don’t get all these unique chefs and mixologists in one place, you’d have to fly to all these different countries and states; so it’s all here, and you get the taste of all of it.”
As the evening drew to a close, the festival wrapped up with a live band performance and a fireworks display.
“To be able to give back, we invite our old friends, the OGs, we make new friends and we’re building a bigger, better and healthier, you know, culinary community,” Roy Yamaguchi said. “We’re getting people from all sectors of our industry to come together and to provide more for the people that live here, but also for the people that visit here. So, you know, It goes a long way.”
To learn more about the Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival, including upcoming events, ticketing details and how you can participate, visit hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com.
Alani Calderon is a senior journalism student minoring in political science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She writes for Ka Leo O Hawaiʻi and Mānoa Mirror, aspiring to pursue a career in broadcast journalism with a passion for storytelling and amplifying marginalized voices.
