Hawaii Foods Manufacturing Association

Hawaii Foods Manufacturing Association Awards
Dole Cannery Ball Rooms, Honolulu Hawaii

For a natural flow of traffic, tables were strategically placed in each corner of the room so guests were free to enjoy a cocktail and mingle. We had teams assembled at each station, serving ready-to-eat small bites with forks placed in the dish. Guests were welcome to walk around and sample every station for an hour, then return to their seats for a program to honor the award winners.

At each station, guests were given three chips to put in a vase and indicate their favorite dish. The chips were tallied and chefs went onstage for the winners’ announcement. The table displays melded together locally sourced Hawaiian food products, visual effects, lights, misters, dry ice, and music to ignite all five senses and treat guests to a vivid sensory delight. Five gallons of Koala Coffee Rum flowed smoothly along with a five-foot fiberglass fountain that perfectly mimicked an actual lava waterfall and aerated a mouthwatering aroma.

A handmade display with cascading koa wood, remote control lights, and wood palm leaves showcased products with battery-operated mini waterfalls that flowed with items like macadamia nut oil, coconut milk, Hawaiian chili oil, and Aloha Shoyu (soy sauce).

For a final touch of magic, floating magnets were utilized to make 300 small bites float in midair.

One-to-two bites served in upscale vessels with mini forks resembling stainless steel (all disposable for convenience).

• Floating Hawaiian Islands
• Uni Brown Butter Lobster savory Pana Cotta, Edible Coral, Big Island
• Hearts of Palm, Truffle Salted Caramel Shoyu Injector

An extraordinary experience with first-class service and swift culinary artistry that engaged every sense, where guests were truly struck by the ”wow” factor, and pondered whether to eat the food – or simply take stunning photos.

Jelly Belly Christmas Party

Jelly Belly Christmas Party at Herm Roland’s personal estate, Fairfield California

A winter wonderland of music, lights, color, aromas, and merriment. Greeted by a jovial ambiance, guests are welcome to mingle around with bamboo plates and built-in wine glass holders, as servers constantly collect empty plates and glassware to keep all areas tidy. Multiple bars and food stations are scattered throughout the property, serving endless small bites and thoughtfully crafted cuisine with innovative, cutting edge creations.

Cocktails: guests procure their drinks from a number of grand bars with oversized ice carvings, where martinis swivel down sleek vortex ice luges topped with flavored jellybeans for added zest.

Food stations: over thirty-five stations share petit culinary delights of multi-regional origin, from Indian to Moroccan and beyond, where guests can wander along all stations to sample every delicacy.

Seafood bar: a mouthwatering tower of fresh giant shrimp cocktails, lobster tails, King Crab legs, snow crab legs, and stone crab.

Oyster station: a true demonstration of freshness, as Hog oysters are shucked on the spot, for every guest.

Sushi station: handcrafted sushi rolls are made-to-order for each individual guest.

Dessert stations: candy, fudge, and bounties of sweet treats truly unleash our inner “kid in a candy store” mentality.

A cheerful, wondrous holiday extravaganza filled with sumptuous, succulent cuisine and cocktails. An on-site photographer captures the spontaneity and joyous moments so guests may bring home a Christmas-curated Jelly Belly holiday card and keep a piece of the festivity all year-round.

John and Jonna Doolittle (In honor of their dad and grandfather Jimmy Doolittle)

Fifty guests gather for the grand opening of Travis Air Force Base Museum to honor aviator pioneer Jimmy Doolittle.

Impeccably delivered service with a carefully curated menu tells the inspiring story of Jimmy Doolittle’s legacy. A six-course meal theatrically showcases Jimmy’s journey, with Chef James explaining every dish and its significance relating to Jimmy’s life milestones. Several servers are assigned to each table so all courses are dropped in sync.

To start, guests enjoy Hamachi and Ahi hors d’oeuvres displayed on illuminated mini aircraft carriers and B-52 bombers, among mini wasabi soy fountains in the wine room.

The first course consists of lettuce wraps served inside mini bamboo steamer baskets, atop mini woks with dry ice and red LED battery lights to simulate fire and smoke.

Next, guests are treated to Lobster Tom Yum Soup Shots. Each server carries an elephant whose trunk holds a glass lantern with remote control LED lights and mini chef’s hat inside. The elephants are placed in front of every guest and servers open the lanterns to retrieve the hat, as another server pours hot Lobster Tom Yum Soup into the hat. Simultaneously, servers with glass trays offer guests a mini spoon filled with chicharrones, trumpet mushrooms, and butter-poached lobster.

During this time, Chef James narrates a story from the middle of the room, building to a pivotal moment when Jimmy’s fate was unclear. Just as Chef James reaches the peak of the anecdote, fifty lights abruptly illuminate and servers instruct guests to enjoy the soup shot and savory spoon crunches.

The grand finale features servers entering the room holding oversized books, with desserts secretly tucked inside. The hollowed books are placed in front of guests and feature an artistic collage illustrating Jimmy’s impressive career. As the books are dropped, servers open the lids to reveal the hidden treats: Chocolate Cheesecake B-52 bombers with mini mason jars of vanilla bean ice cream and mini spoons.

A perfectly orchestrated tribute to Jimmy Doolittle with heartwarming touches throughout the event. To further commemorate Jimmy, Chef James brings a special briefcase to Jimmy’s son John; a bigger, more unique collage, one that meaningfully represents his father’s journey. It includes a photograph of Jimmy at nineteen in a boxing stance, because, as Chef James says, “Jimmy has always been a fighter.” A hush washes over the room and guests raise their glasses to honor the military hero, the look in John’s eye one that Chef James will ever forget.