Our chefs will each pair up with a local celebrity and compete against other chef/celebrity teams to prepare the most delectable rice dishes in history! They will be presented to our panel of judges until one team is crowned the 2017 Rice Fest “Riceipe” Champion based on TASTE (10 points), CREATIVITY (5 points), SIMPLICITY (5 points), and VISUAL APPEAL (5 points). The competition starts at 5pm, with the judging portion beginning at 5:30pm. Below are this year’s competitors.
Chef Andy Dalan (Uber Factory) |
KITV4’s Lei Kaholokula |
Chef Andy Dalan (Uber Factory)
Chef Andy Dalan is our defending “Riceipe” champ and is the Chef and Owner of Uber Factory in Wahiawa, and Chef Consultant at Waimea Valley. A graduate of the Kapiolani Community College Culinary Arts program, he has worked for such places as Marriott Management Services (Waikele Golf Club, Kapolei Golf Course), Sake Street, Roy’s Waikiki, Formaggio Wine Bar & Grill, and YogurStory. Chef Andy invented the uber popular Uber Tart.
KITV4’s Lei Kaholokula
Born & raised on Kauai, Lei attended Chaminade University on Oahu under academic and athletic (volleyball) scholarships. There, she’d tackle communications and broadcast journalism, while also competing in pageants on the side, holding titles at the local, state and national level through the Miss Hawaii/America system. Lei is currently the weather and traffic anchor on Good Morning Hawaii’s weekday newscast.
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Chef Jongkol Sucodt (Noi Thai Cuisine) |
Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum |
Chef Jongkol Sucodt (Noi Thai Cuisine)
Chef Jumi (Jongkol Sucodt) got her start in cooking when the school she attended sat next to a Culinary Arts School. She went on to study at the University in the Faculty of Food Industry and Service Department and in Culinary Arts for a total of 7 years. Since she graduated early, she started her career early at a hotel as Bakery Chef and quickly became the Executive Chef at at 25. Now, at Noi Thai Cuisine here in Hawaii, her biggest honors so far, have been to cook for Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha in December 2016, and for former President Barack Obama in March 2017.
Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum
Stephanie started her news career in Guam where she spent two years before returning to Hawaii to work at KGMB 9 News, KHNL, K-FIVE, and Hawaii News Now, earning “Best Spot News”, “Best General News Story”, “Best Series Reporting”, and “Best Feature Story” awards individually, and even a prestigious Emmy award for “Overall News Excellence” as a team. In her free time, she enjoys training for triathlons and spending time with her family.
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Chef Maile Sengoura (Maile’s Thai Bistro) |
KHON2’s Kelly Simek |
Chef Maile Sengoura (Maile’s Thai Bistro)
Chef Maile literally grew up in the kitchen. As a child, she watched and helped her mother cook the family’s daily meals. Her first job was working as a prep cook at Thai Chef, in Lahaina, Maui. Then, from the ages of 16-18, she worked as a server at the former Mekong Thai Restaurant on Beretania, at her Uncle Boun’s restaurant, Paesano Ristorante Italiano in Manoa, and then became an operating partner at her Aunt’s restaurant, Assaggio Ristorante Italiano in Hawaii Kai. Maile is the owner of Maile’s Thai Bistro in Hawaii Kai and Bellini Bistro & Bar in Ward.
KHON2’s Kelly Simek
After falling in love with meteorology in her freshman year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Kelly decided to created her own “Broadcast Meteorology” degree, studying meteorology, journalism, communications and geography. Simek is no stranger to being in front of an audience. The former Miss East Oahu was also the University of Hawaii’s featured baton twirler and regularly performed with the band at football, basketball and volleyball games. If Simek isn’t tracking the weather, the outdoor enthusiast is most likely experiencing it first-hand – either at the beach or on a hiking trail.
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Chef Sean Riodil (Heart to Table) |
OC16’s Tiny TV’s Tiny Tadani |
Chef Sean Riodil (Heart to Table)
Chef Sean caters his heart out to your table all over the island of Oahu. His experience ranges from some of the finest kitchens and hotels of Hawaii, such as the Halekulani Hotel, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Mililani Golf Club Restaurant, Ilima at Leihano and L’uraku Restaurant. Sean is a graduate and an outstanding student of Leeward Community College’s Culinary Arts and a graduate of Gros Bonet Culinary Academy.
OC16’s Tiny Tadani
Armed with his ‘Tiny Cam’, Tiny travels around town meeting the interesting people and places of our islands… Including the 9th island, Las Vegas! He is the host and producer of the popular The D Las Vegas’ “Tiny TV” show, which airs on OC16, Mon-Fri @ 10:30pm, Wed @ 11am, and Thu @ 8am!
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2017 Judges:
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