So many chefs, so little stomach room for so many bites. That would be the operative statement for last weekend’s Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, staged over four days with more than 60 local, national and international chefs. With each chef preparing at least one, if not two, bite-sized dishes, there were well over 100 impeccably prepared bites to consume over the course of six signature food events.

I managed to taste 35 during four events; I can say it was truly fabulous. The ingredients showcased Hawaii’s food producers as well as the chefs, whose high level of sophistication and technical expertise never overpowered the ingredients. The finesse, precision and artistry made each dish a treat to consume.

Some high points from "Morimoto and Friends" at The Modern Honolulu, the "Second Annual Halekulani Master Chefs," "Streets of Fire at the M" at Waterfront Plaza and "From Farm to Table: A Makahiki Festival" at the Hilton Hawaiian Village:

» A crisp palate-pleaser of crab, avocado, grapefruit, fennel and salmon roe with a citrus dressing by Peter Doyle of est. restaurant, Sydney, Australia

» Cubes of salt-cured butterfish, dressed like ceviche, reminded me of lomi salmon, prepared by Sang Yoon of Lukshon, Culver City, Calif.

» Slivers of Kona abalone with julienned Hamakua mushrooms and linguine zucchini, bound together in a chili-ginger sauce by Chai Chaowasaree, Chai’s Island Bistro

» Chicken roulade by Edward Kwon of Lab XXIV, Seoul, paired with ginseng espuma (foam), wild sesame (perilla) sauce and apple kim chee salad

» Pavlova with a medley of tropical island fruits, not too sweet and crisp despite the humid air, by Joanne Chang, Flour, Boston

» Morsels of pillowy mochi in a spicy, hearty tortilla soup, by Jason Peel of Roy’s Waikiki

» An ethereal pirie mango butter over lobster by Vikram Garg, Halekulani

» Velvety black cod drizzled with soy caramel by Tetsuya Wakuda, Tetsuya, Sydney

» Zesty Korean beef salad by Susan Feniger, Border Grill, Los Angeles

» Crisp, pineapple- and bacon-pickled pork belly served on taro root purée and preserved taro leaves by Josh Feathers, Blackberry Farm, Tenn.

» Panko-crusted monchong with a ginger, shiso and saikyo miso rice, Hiroshi Fukui, Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas

» Skewered tender morsels of duck heart, duck magret and foie gras grilled and presented atop a Thai papaya salad, Michael Ginor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Lola, New York

» Kampachi tostada with kim chee chipotle mayonnaise, Ken Oringer of Clio and Toro, Boston

» Capreso of creamy burrata with tiny Ho Farms tomatoes roasted on the stem, garnished with basil and olive-oil toasted bread, Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina, Mozza, Los Angeles

» Tapioca balls, haupia sorbet and vanilla panna cotta were topped by hand-shaved pineapple shave ice comprising frozen, macerated pineapple accented with vanilla and ginger, Michelle Karr-Ueoka of Alan Wong’s Restaurant

The countless flavors, textures and ingredients were accompanied by wine, sake, beer and cocktails by mixologists, all equally passionate about their products. It was the ultimate of foodie events, requiring hearty appetites that could exercise some restraint.

In its second year, the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival was attended by well over 3,000 people. They included residents, visitors, food and wine purveyors, farmers, ranchers, culinary students, cooks and chefs, clad in shorts and slippers as well as sport coats and evening finery.

In striving to an event bigger than the Hawaii Farm Bureau dinners of the 1990s at Roy’s Hawaii Kai, chefs and co-founders Roy Yama­gu­chi and Alan Wong have catapulted the event onto a world food stage.

"It’s not a food festival, but a community festival that brings people together to participate to see what’s happening in agriculture and Hawaii’s food culture," said Yama­gu­chi. "That’s the whole key to this event — the community experience, the memories."