DANG! THESE ARE GOOD!

I don’t know who Mama Dang is, but based on the reactions of taste testers surrounding my desk, I am sure multitudes of snackers have great affection for her.

Dang brand Sticky-Rice Chips, a crunchy snack made with Thai rice and flavored various ways, was an instant hit — particularly the Sriracha Spice.

The woman behind the snack is mother to Dang Foods’ founders, and their delicious product is based on her recipes.

The chips, which come in flavors such as Coconut Crunch, Aged Cheddar, the Sriracha Spice and an original flavor, are mini rounds of Thai sticky rice, soaked in watermelon juice then crisped up and seasoned. These hit the right notes with great crunch, lively flavor and little reason for guilt.

A 1-ounce serving size comprises a generous 21 chips yet amounts to just 140 calories. Plus, the crackers are vegan and free of gluten, dairy, soy, preservatives and GMO products.

Find a 3.5-ounce bag of Dang Sticky-Rice Chips at Down to Earth for $4.59. They’re also available on amazon.com, where you can stock up for most of the year — and save — with a 12-bag bundle, at prices that range from $1.93 to $3.47 a bag, depending on flavor.

— Joleen Oshiro, Star-Advertiser

CANTINA HOSTS MEXICAN FEAST

Mexican food takes on a local twist next week when award-winning chef Hugo Ortega joins chef Lee Anne Wongof Koko Head Cafe to spice up a special set menu.

The innovative dishes will be served at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at Ortega’s Mi Almita Cantina, at The Street Food Hall in the International Market Place in Waikiki.

The $75 dinner, Honolulu Meets Houston, will feature a mariachi duo, specialty mezcal cocktails and an opportunity to meet the chefs.

Ortega, raised in Mexico, owns four restaurants in Houston and is an investor in another in Oaxaca, Mexico. Wong, a Honolulu-based chef, has for 12 years made a yearly pilgrimage to Oaxaca to learn about its food, people and culture.

Each course of the dinner menu will feature a dish by each chef. The entrees: Ortega’s Cochito Istmeno (pork shank braised with istmena peppers and roasted pineapple); and Wong’s Yucatan-style mahimahi with a mole made with amarillo chilies and a hoio, or fern shoot, salad.

Reservations are available through eventbrite.com (search for “Honolulu Meets Houston).

Ortega, who opened Mi Almita Cantina in chef Michael Mina’s The Street Food Hall last summer, has been recognized globally for sharing the traditional foods and culture of his native Mexico. In 2017 he won the James Beard Foundation award for best chef in the Southwest. He also was named Up-and-Coming Chef of the Year in 1999 and Chef of the Year in 2002 and 2012 at the Houston Culinary Awards.

— Pat Gee, Star-Advertiser