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MONKEYING AROUND . . . As I grab a banana, peel it and swing into eating it, I see that the Year of the Monkey is coming up fast in conjunction with Chinese New Year on Monday.
The Maui News will run its annual Chinese New Year special section in Friday’s paper, but here are a few things to whet your appetite.
Mike’s Hong Kong Bistro in Wailuku will impress with authentic Cantonese cuisine specials Friday through Feb. 12 in addition to its regular menu. Jai, or monk’s food, and gau, the Chinese rice cake with coconut and brown sugar, will be ready for takeout or dine-in. You may also savor oxtail soup, char siu pork and more, expertly prepared by Mike Xiao, a native of Guangzhou, China. Call 244-7888 or order online at www.mikeshongkongbistro.com.
Spago Maui at Four Seasons Resort Maui in Wailea will serve a four-course tasting menu Monday for $75, plus tax and tip. Highlights by Executive Chef Cameron Lewark are trio of Chinese dumplings, scallop and lobster drunken in a garlic-pepper sauce, Peking-style duck and black-sesame Mandarin orange and coconut pudding. For reservations, call 874-8000.
Dim sum, kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef and roast duck will be some of the delicacies featured at Makena Beach & Golf Resort on Feb. 13 and lion dancing and kung fu will add more kick. Cost is $55 for adults and $25 for children 5 to 12. Call 875-5888.
Many other restaurants, malls, Wo Hing Museum and such will celebrate with a bang and you can read all about it in Friday’s paper.
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BITS AND PIECES . . . Rombauer is the biggest selling chardonnay at Wailea Wine because it’s rich and boasts tons of flavor. Buy six for a discount, says owner Ed Mikesh, as long as supplies last.
Say “cheese,” please. Sugar Beach Events in Kihei will host another “Cooking on Maui with Chef Lee” tutorial class with cheese as the focus. Choose from Feb. 19 or 20. Learn how to make truffled mac and cheese, roasted beet salad with house-smoked chevre, flat-bread margherita pizza, brie and apple grilled sandwiches, butternut squash and potato gratin and pumpkin cheesecake. One drink is included. Cost is $95 per person. Cash bar is available. Attendees must be 21 and older. Call 856-6151.
Who loves chicken? Max’s Restaurant in the Maui Mall will celebrate its grand opening Wednesday and the first 25 tables seated after 11 a.m. will receive one of Max’s famous whole fried chickens. Adding to festivities will be all-day live entertainment, door prizes and the grand prize of a chicken per week for six months.
The cocktail party kickoff for the Celebrity Chefs Tour will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Grand Wailea’s Grand Dining Room. This party is a steal for $50 as it includes fun cocktails and pupu by famous local chefs with a meet and greet with Mainland celeb chefs.
Local guest chefs and their main ingredients include Lee Anne Wong (Koko Head Cafe, Oahu), who will impress with Malama Farms pork; Jojo Vasquez (Plantation House, Kapalua), Big Island kampachi; Cameron Lewark (Spago Maui), deep-water ama ebi; and Greg Harrison (Morimoto Maui in Wailea) with Kualoa Ranch oysters and Parker Ranch ribeyes. Call 875-1234.
MauiWine in Ulupalakua just renovated and reopened what is known as the “Old Jail,” a former office built by Capt. James Makee in the 1880s, which housed wrongdoers in the plantation era.
Closed for 20 years, the Old Jail is renovated and serving as the tasting room for MauiWine’s exclusive Ulupalakua Vineyard’s estate-grown, unreleased and vintage varietals. Oenephiles, take note. You may want to be placed under house arrest and stay awhile.
Four Seasons Resort Lana’i had its reopening blessing and billionaire owner Larry Ellison was present and so was Isadore Sharpe, founder of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Can’t wait to check out multiple dining experiences, such as the signature One Forty and Nobu by acclaimed chef Nobu Matsuhisa.