Jay Eats Worldwide

** Please Note, David Paul's Island Grill is Closed ** A small group of judges from the Maui County Agricultural Festival were invited to a special tasting at the award-winning David Paul's Island Grill in Lahaina. I had met Chef David Paul Johnson about 6 months prior ( Hawaii Food Adventure: Day 7 ) and was fortunate to be invited back for this Spring tasting. This restaurant was part of My 8 Restaurant Day! I became familiar with Chef David Paul at his first Lahaina restaurant, "David Paul's Lahaina Grill" on Lahainaluna Road. I had dined on New American Cuisine dishes such as Tequila Shrimp with Firecracker Rice and the Deconstructed California Roll. Today, we're here for a special treat as he presents his 2012 Spring Flavors - Tasting Menu: Before we sat down, he gave us a tour of the restaurant Photo by @Ayngelina Local artwork displayed around the restaurant. In addition to using local ingredients on his me...

On trip to Maui for the Maui County Agricultural Festival , I was able to meet up with several farmers.  Having spent a lot of summers in Hawaii, I've had a lot of different type of taro dishes at all of the luaus and family parties.  This trip, I learned more about taro, the Hawaiian staple, at the Maui Tropical Plantation. There are about 85 different taro varieties grown in Hawai'i. The interesting thing is that the entire plant is edible, provides fiber and wholesome carbohydrates. Farmer Bobby Pahia Hoaloha Farms A lot of the taro farming that I've seen in Hawai'i has been wet farming, like rice fields. But as a city boy, I'm more familiar with the dry type of farming that Hoaloha Farms does at the Maui Tropical Plantation. Showing us the 3 different varieties of taro grown on this farm. The kalo (taro in Hawaiian) stalk are replanted and the root is used to make poi and other taro products. Farmer Bobby showing us...

One of my favorite places on Ka'anapali Beach is Hula Grill. It's a great place to sit along the beach; watch the sunset, have a cocktail and order some pupus. at Whalers Village Looking out at the Barefoot Bar Dining on the Lanai Must have pupus... Poke Tacos Raw Ahi with soy sauce, Maui onions and chili flakes Served with local tuna, how could this not be good? Crab and Macadamia Nut Wontons Served with a soy sauce and mustard dipping sauce A must order pupu Another one not to miss: Lobster & Scallop Potstickers served with Guava plum sauce. Here's something special to checkout... Chef's Counter See what Executive Chef Chris Schobel has created special for the evening... Chef's Tasting Menu A portion of the proceeds from each Chef's Tasting Menu dinner sold is donated to a local Maui charity. Baked Hawaiian Pineapple upside-down cake, Tahi...

Breadfruit has been a vital crop in the Pacific for over 3,000 years. The tree grows throughout the Pacific Islands, except for New Zealand and Easter Island. With more than 80% of the world's hungry live in tropical and subtropical regions, could this be a viable food source? Breadfruit or 'ulu (in Hawaiian) Breadfruit trees grow easily in a wide range of areas with little care. Within 3-5 years, trees begin to bear fruit. I wish the diva plants in my yard were that easy to care for... Town Restaurant Honolulu Chef Ed Kenney Shinsato Farm Pork Belly wrapped loin with 'ulu mash and bitter greens One of the ways that I've seen Breadfruit ('ulu) served in restaurants and very tasty Ian Cole The Breadfruit Institute Hana, Maui Explaining what Breadfruit is and why it's important. There are about 280 trees in Hana and each tree can produce up to 100 lbs per season. Cooked Breadfruit...

April 7, 2012 at The Maui Tropical Plantation I've been a follower of the Maui food movement for many years, I was a fan of Mark Ellman's first restaurant...Avalon. When I started cooking professionally, I started to use a lot of what I've learned from Maui, which is a special place for me, it's where my family is from. The Maui Visitors Bureau invited me to be a judge at this year's Maui County Agricultural Festival, which I thank them for hosting me. I knew this would give me an opportunity to learn more from those inside of this unique food movement, that and to sample some amazing food. I joined a diverse group of food writers at the judges' table Let the competition begin... Grand Taste Education Presented by In Partnership with Here's how the competition worked... A chef and a farmer (or rancher) are paired together to create a unique dish using a main Maui ingredient. Dishes are judged b...