(Part 1 is here: We Took Alan Wong To See The Tilapia)

And then, everyone just pitched in to prepare the food. Chef Alan took charge of the seafood bouillabaisse, while others inside the green shack started preparing salads and other dishes. People just seemed to do whatever needed to be done.

Every once in a while someone would come up to Chef Alan with a spoonful of something for him to taste, and he would taste it and tell them to add this or add that.

Outside, Conrad jumped in and started to scale the fish. Tilapia is a
very spiky fish, but Conrad did not even consider using the neoprene glove I had available. People just jumped in and backed him up.

Conrad Nonaka – Director, Culinary of the Pacific

Kevin Hopkins donated a five-pound sturgeon, and Chef Marc from the Pineapple Room did the honors.

Marc Urquidi

Then it was time to fire up the grills – one for steaks and another for fish. Conrad put two fish on the grill and told us something about leaving it for four minutes, and then he left to go help inside. When he came back out, instead of using a spatula he rocked the fish back and forth with his bare hands and flipped it that way.

I was amazed.

Inside, they used what they had and improvised. It was amazing to see.

Then Chef Alan asked me to come and taste the spicy bouillabaisse. He said he was thickening it with the tilapia meat, while the sturgeon would hold its form and stay firm.

He told me to try the red ketchup made from my grape tomatoes. “Make a fist,” he said. “Try this.” And he put a spoonful of the ketchup on the back of my fist to taste.

Next, I tried the orange tomato ketchup and then the goat cheese ketchup. He said, “Try the namasu made from your Japanese cucumber.”

He said, “You can make all that.”

I thought, “We really do need to build a certified kitchen so we can do value added production.”

Dinner was served with matching wines. Some of the people attending were Bob and Janice Stanga; Michelle Galimba and Chris Manfredi from Ka‘u; Chef and Mrs. Allan  Okuda; Kevin and Dayday Hopkins; my sister Lei and her husband Dennis Vierra; my Mom Florence; June; my daughter Tracy, her husband Kimo, their daughter Kimberly and their son Kapono and his friend Matt; as well as Chef Alan’s staff and friends.

Left to right: Tracy Pa, Chris Manfredi, Janice Stanga, Ellis Hester, Laurene Oda, Chef Alan Wong, Kathy Kawashige, Leigh Ito

Left to right: Dennis Vierra, Leilani Vierra, Grandma Ha, Kimberly Pa

Ua and Michelle Galimba; Roy Tanaka; Kathy Kawashige

We sat there and ate and ate. We all had a great time chatting and talking story. Chef Alan Wong believes in sticking together through thick and thin. This was the fourth time he has done a cookout on our farm, and this time was very special. It was a great way to end a wonderful day of camaraderie.

Thank You, Chef Alan and crew!