Mangoes At The Moana

If you love Mangoes, this event is for you! I attended the evening event titled Mangolicious Sunset Reception which featured 10 chefs & 3 mixologists. All of the dishes were very tasty but my favorite was the mango fried chicken from chef Leanne Wong. For me, it had the perfect balance of texture (crispy fried chicken vs. mango bits) and flavor (savory & sweet). My bf voted for the pipikaula from chef Jason Schoonover of 12th Ave. Grill. He said that the mango chili pepper water won him over. We tried all of the mango cocktails & my favorite was the sassy lassi (Kula Dark Rum, mango puree, honey, coconut water, lime, spices) from mixologist Jesse Suderman. My bf's favorite was the mango-cillin (whiskey, scotch, mango purée, lemon juice, ginger syrup) from mixologist Micah Suderman. There were silent auction items for bid where proceeds benefitted the KCC culinary program.Free parking with validation at Princess Kaiulani hotel across the street.

Eh? You like mango? Go buy den! Buwahahahaha! Nah, I just kidding........Well, I really do like mango.........and yes, I bought mango today! Well sorta........more like bought food that incorporated mango in the various dishes. This wonderful fruit (mango) was utilized in desserts, drinks, & of course the main entree! Various well know island chef demonstrated their culinary skills on using the mango to make their wonderful dishes! A few of the well known celebrity chefs that were here today were -1. Lee Anne Wong - Koko Head Cafe2. Ronnie Nasuti - Tiki's Bar & Grill3. Carolyn Portuondo - Royal Hawaiian Hotel4. Michelle Karr-Ueoka - MW Restaurant5. Hiroyuki Mimura - Taormina6. Ed Kenney/Maggie King - Town7. Andy Reagan - Morimoto Waikiki8. Mark Noguchi - Pili Group/Mission HouseIf I'm correct, this was the 8th annual mango festival at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki. I read my Yelp buddy - Lyla D's review last year, as she went here back in 2015, and when I saw this event again........I knew it was my time to check this festival out!The event was held at the beautiful Moana Surfrider Hotel, and as you go there you will see three large banners featuring this Mango Festival Event. At the event, they had vendors who sold various types of mangoes at the Mango Farmer's Market, as well as other vendors who sold items related to this event. At the event, there was also a silent auction where you can bid for various items, like dining at a fine dining restaurant, or a hotel stay at a luxury hotel, and also bidding on some expensive booze.I believe the Mango Festival event is free to look at, but if you wanna sample da grindz...........you gotta pay by buying some food tickets. There were two ways that you can buy the food tickets............you can buy your food tickets at the door for $6.00 smackaz a piece, or you can be akamai (smart) like me, where I purchased the tickets on-line (go to - HonoluluBoxOffice.com to buy the tickets)..........If you buy on-line, you get 10 tickets for $48.00 smackaz (which comes out to $4.80 per ticket), but you gotta buy 10 tickets in increment. All proceeds will benefit the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College, so it's for a good cause.Parking - Free Parking if you park at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel. All you have to do is take your parking ticket with you, and as you get to the Mango Festival event, just get a validation at the registration table when you pick up your food tickets.The event ran from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday July 15, 2016, and I must say.............. it was the perfect day to have this event, as we were blessed with wonderful weather today! Nothing like a beautiful day in Hawaii nei............and to top it off, you get to pig out on mango!!!! Oink, oink, oink!!! Lol!

WELCOME!!!! TO THE 2016 MANGOES AT THE MANOA STEVE AWARDS!!!!WHAT!?!......Never heard of the STEVE AWARDS!?!Well...that's because I just made it up....Anyway....here are my personal food awards for this wonderful event...and yes, they are also ranked in order of my favorites...PERFECT BITE AWARD: Mission House/ Pili Group-Lawalu mango seed, papio, olena, spicy pickle mango, carrot, Kona salt-Chef Gooch's dish was an amazing combination of flavors and textures. His thoughtful (and sustainable) execution of the dish wowed me, not only with the taste but also the colors and presentation of the dish. ONO! I had two servings!I HAVE DIED AND GONE TO HEAVEN AWARD: Town-Mango bread with fresh ricotta, smoked salt, and olive oil-Chef Ed Kenney and Maggie King made a dish that looked deceptively simple, but killed it. Extemely rich and luxurious (I had two servings), this dish was warm, comforting and played off of a combination of slightly savory and sweet ingredients.ICE COLD AND DELICIOUS AWARD: MW made 3 items!!!!-Mango dessert with mango kaffir panna cotta, mango tapioca,mango sorbet, and shaved mango-Mango margarita-Rumble Bumble Mango cocktail-Chef Michelle Karr-Uekoa is the master of dessert. Creative, innovative, and yet, very satisfying! Modern dessert can sometimes 'get out of hand', but Chef Michelle always delivers something that is a feast for the eyes and taste buds. Also, the fact that one dessert and two drinks were offered for one script, MW also wins the BANG FOR YOUR BUCK AWARD! Duh! Yes, I had two helpings!CHALLENGE MY PALETTE AWARD: Koko Head Cafe-Hayden Mango filled ricotta malasada-What I absolutely love about Chef Lee Anne Wong is that she is always trying new things. She 'puts it out there' every...single....time!! I know I may not fall in love with every dish, and I know I will have my favorites...but I can count on her to make me think, analyze, and get emotional about food. Her malasada dish was a crazy mix of savory and sweet, with some parmesan cheese overtones (i think?!?). ITALIAN STALLION AWARD: Taormina-Tropical Flare mango risotto with sauteed scallop-This was a solid great tasting dish. Risotto lovers this is your dish. The scallop tasted great, and went well with the risotto....very satisfying.LITE BITE AWARD Royal Hawaiian Hotel-Mango Semifreddo,mango meringue,mango powder pop rocks-I liked this dish because it wasn't too heavy. This cold dish was perfect for the hot day, but was a bit on the small side. It was light in texture, but also in flavor....it wasn't too intense. I didn't taste the pop rocks..but it was refreshing.CRUNCHY SEAFOOD AWARD Tiki's-Mango quinoa and crabcake with mango harissa-This dish had a nice crisp crunch on the inside and the harissa gave it a nice kick. Kudos to Chef Ronnie Nasuti for pairing the fruit and spicyness together...it really worked.FUSION AWARD Morimoto-Deep fried green mango, XO sauce-The plating of this dish was very pretty. It sort of resembled vegetable tempura which was interesting. The taste reminded me slightly of papaya salad, which was intriguing. Well, there you have it. The STEVE AWARDS FOR MANGOES AT THE MANOA. Stay tuned for more....

Mangoes at the Moana is an every that happens every year at the Moana Surfrider in Waikiki. If you love mangoes then you must attend. The pre-sale tickets are the best deal because you get 2 free tickets on top of the 8 tickets (10 total). Those extra 2 tickets will get a drink and another sample of something you really enjoyed. There are 8 different chefs and each chef creates a dish using mangoes supplied by Makaha Mango. If you don't want to buy tickets for the event, you can still check it out. There are vendors inside the Moana Surfrider selling products with mangoes in them. The Mahaka Mango table sells cups of fresh cut mango and whole mangoes for you to bring home. The event runs from 11am-2pm so go early and try everything. By 1:30pm, things start to run out. If you buy tickets for the event, they will validate your self parking ticket and it's free.

I haven't been able to attend the last few years so there have been some changes. The area it was in seemed more centralized which is good. The food was good. I was glad I saw online there was a chance to purchase pre-sale discount tickets. It's always nice to save some funds.I enjoyed the cooking demonstrations. They were very generous to provide samples. It was a nice day and the mango water was refreshing. I missed the judging of the mangos but I was told it was good to sample the different types of mangoes.I guess my bid for the silent auction wasn't the highest since I didn't receive a call. The items were very popular. It's a nice event to attend for a good cause.

My heart does the tango,With every little move you makeI love you like a mango'cause we can make it everydayI want you to drop baby, drop baby,drop all your love on me.Drop baby, drop baby, drop, 'cause I'm hungry...-Kapena, 2007This is the 7th annual mango festival that is popular with locals and tourists. This festival has been getting more popular over the years with additional displays, food vendors, cooking demonstrations and celebrity chefs. The event is free to the public although you need to purchase $6 tickets to taste those luscious creations at the Mango Throwdown. It's your chance to freely roam about the historic grounds of the Westin Moana Surfrider Resort, known as "The First Lady of Waikiki".As you approach the resort from Kalakaua Avenue, you can see the Mango Festival banners streaming down the resort's pillars. There was a Farmers Market where you could purchase fresh mangoes or home-spun mango food items. Also, there was even a booth where you could learn more about mangoes and its multiple varieties. You can sign up for a silent auction for several prime items ranging from luxurious hotel stays within the Starwood Properties, fine dining at some of Hawaii's top restaurants or select bottles of wines. I encourage you to participate in the Mango Throwdown that features 8 booths of delicious savory or sweet creations (using mango as an ingredient) by different local chefs. Please don't forget to purchase your $6 tickets that you redeem for these goodies. There was even a Mango Cocktail Mixdown involving several top mixologists using Cruzan Rum, Sauza Tequila, Jim Beam Bourbon and mangoes.The event ran today, Saturday, July 18, 2015 from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM. It was a fun and delicious day to spend with friends and family in Waikiki. Eating fresh mangoes and mango inspired dishes reminded me of my childhood through young adulthood growing up in Kaimuki. On my family property, we had 4 different mango trees (Haden, white pirie, common and Shibata) that would all bear fruit during Summer. We used the different mangoes in making different dishes such as chutney, pickles, mango bread, smoothies or lassi, ice cream, sherbet, juices or just flat out eating them freshly picked. As I grew into adulthood and moved away, I realized how much I missed those mangoes and climbing the trees to pick them. Now, when I want mangoes, I no longer can just go out into my yard or have my parents around to call me to pick some up. Shucks, I have to buy them now or wait until this fun event comes about.#370

My only regret is I didn't have a coupon code to defray the cost. Still, the event was worth the price. We will definitely go again next year!

The mangoes at the moana took place at the Westin surfrider hotel. I ended up trooping over there around 10am. I was not able to witness the mango competition for best in show with flavor and appearance. The samples were demolished by the masses by the time I walked in. All I saw was leftover mango pieces on plates. The next chef off was to take place in the next couple of hours. I ended up standing by a crowd watching a group at the beach bar singing somewhere over the rainbow with their ukulele. It was beautiful, and their voices synced like the birds chirping with sleeping beauty when she woke up to greet them.I then walked back into the lobby to explore a little more. A local author Patrick Ching was painting 4 amazing pictures with some of his autographed works for sale. I had purchased 3 of his writings at the Hawaii book festival back in May for my nieces. I was very grateful for the opportunity to meet him again. There was a silent auction going on as well with fruit baskets, champagne, wine, vodka, experiences and hotel stays at Oahu and Maui. The proceeds would benefit the kcc culinary division. I was pleased with the amount of local products for sale which implemented the main ingredient mango. From bread, cookies, soap, lotion and clothing it would make a great souvenirs. There is no wrong choice. I can't wait to attend next year with my hubby!!