Three Days of Aloha, Day Two



Day Two, actually Evening Two, was at "The Island Style Cook-Off" in Santa Monica. Watching two of LA's top chefs competing for a trip to the 1st Hawaii'i Food & Wine Festival in Honolulu later this year.



4 of LA's top chefs created a Hawaii inspired dish. Los Angeles Magazine readers tasted and voted for their favorite dish, the top 2 chef were invited to compete in the Main Event.

The 4 participating chefs:

Neal Fraser
BLD Restaurant
"Hawaiian Tuna Poke, Wasabi Tobiko, Sambal Creme Fraiche"

Mark Gold
Eva Restaurant
"Roasted Foie Gras with Sushi Rice, Tea Smoked Plum and Grated Yuzu"

Eric Greenspan
The Foundry on Melrose
"Chili Glazed SPAM with Saffron Pineapple Risotto and Coconut Crusted Shrimp"

Brendan Collins
Waterloo & City
"Seared Foie Gras, Char Siu Tete de SPAM, Caramelized Pineapple Sherbet, and 5 Spice Brioche"


FIG Restaurant's Chef Ray Garcia
With a 50 lb roasted pig, enough for 500 Carnita Taco Pupus
Fairmont Miramar Hotel


Neal Fraiser
Hawaiian Tuna Poke, Wasabi Tobiko, Sambal Creme Fraiche*

As a poke connoisseur, I loved the flavor and texture with the potato chip on top. I don't claim to be a photographer, so sorry for the bad angle, just a hungry guest.


Mark Gold
Roasted Foie Gras with Sushi Rice, Tea Smoked Plum and Grated Yuzu*

The foie gras was cooked perfectly, crispy on the outside and flavorful sauce. Again, sorry for the bad picture, it tasted better than it looks.


The Main Event


Chef Roy Yamaguchi
Guest Judge
@RoysRoy


Finalist Chef Neal Fraser
Plating his entry
@nealfraser


Finalist Chef Mark Gold
Making sushi rice quenelles
@evarestaurant


Judge's Table
Lesley Barger Suter, Dine Editor of Los Angeles Magazine
Chef Roy Yamaguchi, Roy's Restaurant (@RoysRoy)
Chef Ed Kenney, Town Kaimuki (@edtown)


Both chefs did a great job and created winning dishes,
But only one can win



And the Winner is...


Chef Mark Gold
Eva Restaurant


Congratulation to Chef Mark!
See you in Hawaii


Mahalo!
The event sponsors
Los Angeles Magazine and The Hawaiian Islands
for a wonderful competition, good food, and Aloha!


Special Mahalo
Nathan Kam
@nathankam


Photos by Jay Terauchi
(c) Kahuna of the Kitchen
*Sorry for the bad images

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