31ST ANNUAL HONOLULU MAGAZINE HALE 'AINA AWARDS DINNER

31ST ANNUAL HONOLULU MAGAZINE

HALE 'AINA AWARDS DINNER

ROYAL HAWAIIAN HOTEL - HONOLULU, HAWAII

The Hale 'Aina Awards Dinner held on Sunday, November 9, 2014 was a great event.  We had a nice VIP Table just a few feet from the main stage.  While this is a great food event it was very overcrowded and it became impossible to get a drink or food because of the long lines.  Lucky we arrived early and were able to hit maybe half of the food tables and get a few glasses of wine.  Our table was sold as having "wine service".  That amounted to one bottle of red and white wine (Barefoot Brand).  We asked for more several times but were not given any.  This might have been a blessing because it made us get up and walk around the Great Lawn of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  Lots of people to see and mingle with.  I ran into Chef Alan Wong twice and both times he was smiling, gracious and friendly.  Really thought he was a great guy.  My recommendations for next year would be limit the number of people or do something to reduce the lines and have more wine and food available so they don't run out.  Terrible to pay this much money for an event and then not be able to enjoy it.  

MET CHEF ALAN WONG AND HE WAS AWESOME!

HONOLULU MAGAZINE 31ST ANNUAL HALE 'AINA AWARDS DINNER

HALE 'AINA AWARDS EVENT PROGRAM

HISTORY OF THE EVENT

SOME OF HAWAII'S FINEST RESTAURANTS

FOOD AND BEVERAGE STATIONS

ENTRANCE TO THE PARTY

THIS POOR GAL STOOD LIKE THIS ALL NIGHT

THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM.  GETTING HERE EARLY IS A MUST!

WE HAD A TABLE FOR SIX DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT STAGE

NICE WELCOME TO OUR SEATS

I WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE BUBBLY

GLASSES WERE READY TO GO

MY TOAST TO THE HALE 'AINA AWARDS 

GETTING HERE EARLY ALLOWED US TO HAVE A FEW DRINKS WITHOUT WAITING IN LONG LINES

MARIPOSA FOOD STATION

EACH FOOD STATION FEATURED ONE DISH

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB, QUINOA GREEK SALAD, GRILLED NAN BREAD, HERB YOGURT
DRESSING AND POMEGRANATE MOLASSES

WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF IT STAYED LIKE THIS.  EVENT WAS TOO CROWDED WITH
LONG LINES AND WAITING FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGES

THE WINE RAN OUT EARLY IN THE EVENING

WE NEVER GOT TO TRY THE FOOD AT PIG AND THE LADY.  LINE WAS TOO LONG AND
THEN THEY RAN OUT OF FOOD

ROY'S WAIKIKI FOOD STATION

KAMPACHI CRUDO.  GARLIC AIOLI, YUZU KOSHO, WHITE SOY, JALAPENO
CAVIAR, KAHUKU SEA ASPARAGUS

ALAN WONG'S FOOD STATION

THE KING OF HAWAII FINE DINING AND HAWAII REGIONAL CUISINE WAS HERE

BRAISED SHORT RIB WITH SPICY MUSHROOM AND PEANUT RELISH

AZURE FOOD STATION

SMOKED PIER 38 FISH CHOWDER.  SWEET CORN, FINGERLING POTATO,
LUP CHEONG, OYSTER CRACKER

TIKI'S FOOD STATION

BIG ISLE GRASS FED BEEF TENDERLOIN, UNI SHISO BEARNAISE, KULA ONION SOUBISE,
REGGIANO YUKON FRITTE

RAN INTO MY FRIEND MAILE WHO OWNS MAILE'S THAI BISTRO

THE CHAMPAGNE GAL PULLED ME IN WITH THE LARGE BOTTLE

ENDED THE EVENING THE WAY IT STARTED WITH A GLASS OF BUBBLY

EVENT WAS BIG TIME CROWDED.  THEY RAN OUT OF WINE AND FOOD