COOKING CLASSES CONTINUE AT WCC

Windward Community College is hosting a quartet of Japanese cooking classes beginning Saturday.

Leading the classes in the college’s Hale Akoakoa cafeteria is Stephen Maeshiro, chef and education assistant for WCC’s Uala Leaf Cafe, who worked for many years in Japanese restaurants in Waikiki.

His first class will cover fried chicken karaage, oshitashi (spinach with sesame seeds), yamakake (mountain yam) and green tea mousse. All the dishes will be prepared in class, then served for lunch.

The series continues monthly with classes on miso, soba and somen, March 20; katsu and tempura, April 10; and sushi, May 15.

The Japanese series is part of a number of hands-on cooking classes that run through the spring. All are held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays in the cafeteria. Cost per class is $95. Class size is limited to provide social distancing; masks are required.

Participants are encouraged to bring containers to take home the fruits of their labors.

Register through windwardcce.org/cooking.

Other classes on the schedule:

>> Feb. 27: Yeast breads, covering ciabatta, baguettes, focaccia and cinnamon rolls

>> March 6: “All Things Pie,” covering cherry, apple, custard and chicken pot pie

>> March 13: St. Patrick’s Day cookie decorating

>> April 3: Easter cookie decorating

>> April 17: Italian cooking, including tomato and Alfredo sauces

>> May 1: Knife skills

>> May 8: Mother’s Day cookie decorating

BAKING CAMPS

Three-day sessions for ages 11 and up cover pies, cakes and yeast breads. Cost is $285 per session.

Spring camp is March 15 to 17. Two summer camps run June 6 to 8 and June 21 to 23.

MW CHEFS OPEN AT VELOCIY

Artizen by MW has opened inside the luxury car dealership Velocity Honolulu, the first of two restaurants planned for the location by chefs Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka.

The chefs closed Artizen at the Hawaii State Art Museum in August and their flagship restaurant MW in December. Their two new restaurants replace the former Viaggio restaurant operation. The debut of the casual MW on Velocity’s first floor with be followed by the reopening of MW upstairs next month.

Artizen opened Saturday in time to offer Valentine’s specials, then began regular takeout service Tuesday. Some outdoor seating is available.

The menu includes plates from $8 for kalua pork hash at breakfast, to $20 for Ludovico Farms chicken piccata at dinner. Pastries, salads, smoothies and coffee are served all day, as well as frozen meals to reheat at home.

The chefs’ continued focus is on local meats, seafood and produce. Even a weekly doggie meal, Echigo’s Dinner of the Week ($8.50), named for the chefs’ pet pooch, is made with local meats and produce, free of oil, salt, sugar or seasonings.

Artizen is in the Symphony building, 888 Kapiolani Blvd., at the corner of Ward Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard. Hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Order online: mwrestaurant.com/to-go-menu. Call 524-0499.

REIMAGINING THE RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE

The “new normal” facing the dining industry is the topic of the next panel discussion hosted by the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival. “Restaurant Trends 2021 – Reimagining the Restaurant Experience” will be held via Zoom at 3:30 p.m. March 4.

Tim Ryan, president of the Culinary Institute of America, will be the keynote speaker, addressing what diners can expect and how restaurants must adjust as the pandemic wears on, and in its aftermath. Panelists include chef/restaurateurs Chris Kajioka, who has been involved in the opening of several restaurants during the pandemic, and Michael Mina of the Mina Group, with some 30 restaurants worldwide.

Registration is $10, to benefit the Kokua Ag & Culinary Fund, at HFWF.me. The event will also feature a virtual wine tasting led by master sommelier Roberto Viernes. To participate, go to the website for a list of wines to purchase.

Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.