Hawaiian Chef Takes Over Blue Water Cafe

Yaletown’s Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar is a perennial diners’ favourite and award winner—it once again collected multiple accolades at our 26th annual Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, for Best Seafood (Gold), Best Yaletown (Bronze), and Best Japanese Upscale (Honourable Mention).Meanwhile, in faraway Hawaii, the four-year-old Japengo, located in the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, is establishing a similar reputation for culinary excellence: Maui No Ka ’Oi magazine, whose ’Aipono Restaurant Awards are the most coveted of their kind on the island, has bestowed upon it Gold awards for Best Sushi and Best Pacific Rim Restaurant, as well as a special honour for Excellence in Sustainability.Next Wednesday (May 20), these two destination eateries come together for a special dinner at Blue Water celebrating their shared appreciation for impeccably fresh seafood and sustainable practices, as well as the underexposed virtues of Hawaiian cuisine. Joining executive chef Frank Pabst in the kitchen will be Japengo executive chef Gevin Utrillo. A Maui native, Utrillo has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest, having trained and worked for several years in Seattle. “I’m thrilled to be representing Japengo and the Hyatt Regency Maui at this special event,” he says. “It’s a celebration of the beautiful variety of foods Hawaii has to offer, as well as the melting pot of cultures that influences our cuisine. I’m excited to share our local ingredients and a taste of the islands with Vancouver, and to work alongside Chef Pabst at this unique event.”The five-course meal, presented in collaboration with the Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival, is by invitation only, but you can win a pair of tickets by entering our exclusive contest here. Better still, one lucky dinner guest will win a vacation for two to attend the Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival at Maui’s Ka’anapali Beach Resort. The prize includes return airfare from YVR, four nights at the Hyatt Regency (home to Japengo, of course), car rental, and tickets to festival events. The contest closes tomorrow (May 15), so act fast!