Save the Date: Star-studded lineup at inaugural food fest

The venue may be the Islands, but the inaugural Hawaii Food & Wine Festival won’t just focus on local flavors and cuisine.

This three-day event, which runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, will have an international feel, boasting a lineup of celebrity chefs from around the world, from Japan, Korea, Singapore, Australia and Canada.

Among the all-stars slated to plate their culinary masterpieces are “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto (above) of the posh Morimoto Waikiki; Hubert Keller of the acclaimed Fleur de Lys in San Francisco and judge on Bravo’s “Top Chef”; and seafood sustainability advocate Rick Moonen of rm seafood in Las Vegas and past contestant on “Top Chef Masters.”

The festival’s theme is “Taste our love for the Land,” a nod to the Hawaiian tradition of ahupuaa, a mountain-to-sea system in which everything necessary for survival could be grown, gathered or exchanged locally. It will highlight Hawaii’s sustainable food and agricultural traditions through three days of signature dining experiences, cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, culinary workshops, industry seminars and field excursions.

Proceeds support the Hawaii Agriculture Foundation and the Kapiolani Community College Culinary Institute of the Pacific.

Here are the three dinners you won’t want to miss:

• Sept. 29, Streets of Asia: Morimoto and Friends: Led by Morimoto, this evening dinner, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Sunrise Pool at the Waikiki EDITION, will feature innovative interpretations of popular Pan-Asian dishes by chefs from around the world. Tickets start at $200 per person.

• Sept. 30, Inaugural Halekulani Master Chefs Gala Dinner Series: This formal dinner, which starts with a cocktail party at 6 p.m. at the elegant Halekulani, will showcase food and wine pairings by master chefs and sommeliers from around the world. Keller will be among the featured chefs. Tickets start at $1,000 per person, $800 of which is tax-deductible.

• Oct. 1, From Mauka to Makai, Hawaii’s Sustainable Future: Set for 6 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, this event is the festival’s grand tasting, with dishes prepared by 15 celebrity chefs known for promoting farm-to-table cuisine and practicing sustainable sourcing and cooking practices. Among the chefs participating are Roy Yamaguchi (shown above), Alan Wong and Moonen. Tickets start at $200 per person.

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