Chef Roy Yamaguchi, of Roy’s Restaurants, and chef Ed Kenney, of Town and Downtown restaurants, prepared a gourmet meal that showcased the Hawaiian island’s sustainable culinary scene at a recent press event at Roy’s Restaurants in Los Angeles.
“Hawaii food is no longer about the celebrity chefs. It’s about the celebrity farmers — where the food comes from,” said Kenney. “Our food is grounded in the principal of Aloha Aina, loving the land that provides the food.”
Though peppered with some local Santa Monica, Calif., farmers’ market purchases, the meal showcased Hawaiian produce and meat — some even produced by dinner attendees, including rancher Michelle Galimba and organic farmer Kamuela Enos.
The meal was part of a greater initiative to highlight the islands’ long tradition of embracing the land’s bounty — a food tradition that will fuel the first annual Hawaiian Food & Wine Festival, co-chaired by Roy Yamaguchi and chef/restaurateur Alan Wong. Guests to the festival, held on Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, will have the opportunity to enjoy the islands’ gourmet offerings at a series of dinners featuring Hawaii’s meat, seafood and prod
