Food News

Maui Meets Vancouver: A Culinary Dream Team

Two top chefs joined at Blue Water for a night of food, wine, and winning.

By Jennifer Elliott /

Two top chefs joined at Blue Water for a night of food, wine, and winning.

Blue Water Cafe + Raw Bar—which once again walked away with Best Seafood Gold at this year’s Vancouver magazine Restaurant Awards—played host last night (May 20) to another culinary champion: chef Gevin Utrillo of Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa. Utrillo, who helms the kitchen at the Hyatt’s Japengo restaurant, teamed with Blue Water chef Frank Pabst to present a five-course meal for a room of local and international media, travel, and food specialists, as well as some lucky Vancouver readers invited as part of our #CraveKaanapali contest. Diners marvelled at masterful dishes including Fraser Valley rabbit porchetta, two elaborate tuna preparations, and a flaming pineapple upside-down cake with coconut crème brûlée (all matched with Mission Hill and Haywire wines). At night’s end, Danielle Knight walked away with the grand prize: a trip for two to Maui, to attend the Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival Kā’anapali in September.Click through the slideshow to check out scenes from this fabulous night.