Hawai'i Food and Wine Festival: The Hungry Monkey at The Modern Honolulu

The 6th Annual Hawaii Food and Wine Festival presents The Hungry Monkey at the Modern Honolulu

What do you get when you throw a party with 13 talented chefs, 8 winemakers, and 7 mixologists on the beautiful pool decks of The Modern Honolulu?  Only the best time for all the guests of last night's Hawaii Food and Wine Festival's signature event The Hungry Monkey.

This was my first time attending one of the festival's evening events and I was over the moon excited!  I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed with the many stations offering savories and sweets as well as wines, cocktails, and more.  I was like a kid in a candy store and I couldn't wait to try it all!  

The 13 featured chefs delivered amazing dishes and were all so friendly; taking the time to discuss cuisine and snap selfies with guests.  With so many people who love food in one place, the night had no choice but to be buzzing with good vibes.  I loved everything, but my favorites were Richard Rosendale's Whole Roasted Pono Pork with Thai BBQ sauce, assorted island pickles, and grilled Gaucho bread and Brian Sung's Wailea Ag Lilikoi Tart. 

         

Left to right:  Huckleberry and Ulu Ice Cream sandwich (Keith Pajinag - THE MODERN HONOLULU, Honolulu); Hawaiian Kampachi Crudo (Hugh Acheson - 5&10, Athens); Wailea Ag Lilikoi Tart (Brian Sung - Honolulu Coffee Co, Honolulu); Apple Banana Funnel Cake (Mariah Swan - ICDC, Los Angeles); Lamb Pastrami (Roy Yamaguchi - Roy’s Restaurants, Eating House 1849, Honolulu); Kauai's Prawn Thai Ceviche (Kris Yenbamroong - NIGHT + MARKET, Los Angeles); Tonkotsu Ramen (Masaharu Morimoto - Morimoto Waikiki, Honolulu); Coconut Smoked Island Kajiki Pastrami Style (Ken Oringer - Toro, New York); Tuna Umamiyaki (Matt Raso - Nobu Waikiki, Honolulu); Whole Roasted Pono Pork (Richard Rosendale - Rosendale Collective, Leesburg, VA); Wild Boar and Kauai Shrimp Sausage (Art Smith - Disney Springs Homecoming, Florida Kitchen and Southern Bar, Chicago); Xiang Jian Kulana Beef and Fei Chui Tofu (Aiyin Li -LI JIA CAI Restaurant, Beijing).  Not pictured:  Kona Lobster Beignets (Dean James Max (DJM Restaurants, Fort Lauderdale).  

The talent, food, wine, and more delivered a spectacular evening under the stars.

Last night was a wonderful celebration of local and international cusine, and I am officially smitten with The Hungry Monkey.  Thank you so much to the HFWF for hosting my admission.  The HFWF continues tonight with A Culinary Flight presented by Hawaiian Airlines at the Hawaii Convention Center.  Visit the HFWF website for more exciting events all weekend long.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, is the premier epicurean destination event in the Pacific. Set in the lush island paradise of Hawai‘i, the Festival will take place over three weekends on multiple islands, featuring a roster of over 100 internationally-renowned master chefs, culinary personalities, and wine and spirit producers. The Festival in Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and O‘ahu will showcase wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, one-of-a-kind excursions, and exclusive dining opportunities with dishes highlighting the state’s local farmers, fishermen, and ranchers.