Koko Head Cafe owner Lee Anne Wong is featured in “Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen,” the Emmy Award- winning digital companion series to the Bravo TV cooking competition that begins its 15th season Thursday.
“Last Chance” brings back veterans of the show to take part in a new round of cookoffs. Wong competed in Season 1 of “Top Chef” while living in New York.
“It’s been 8 years since I’ve been in/built the ‘Top Chef’ kitchen,” said Wong, who was a culinary producer on the show after Season 1, in an Instagram post last week. “It was both deja vu and a bit of a homecoming for me to be back in the largest kitchen I’ve ever stood in.”
Wong — now a mom after giving birth to her first child on Nov. 17 — faced off against chefs Jennifer Carroll, Kwame Onwuachi and Marcel Vigneron. She advanced as Carroll was eliminated.
The chef who ultimately wins the online “Last Chance Kitchen” will have the chance to compete during the current season of “Top Chef.”
Watch the new “Last Chance Kitchen” web episode at bravotv.com; future episodes will be made available online via the Bravo website, Bravo Now app, cable video-on-demand and YouTube.com at the conclusion of each week’s new “Top Chef” broadcast.
The new season of “Top Chef” was filmed earlier this year in Colorado.
— Jason Genegabus, Star-Advertiser
WAIPAHU GAINS TACOS WITH MAUI FLAIR
Maui Tacos has opened in Waipahu and is celebrating with free street tacos on Saturday.
The new location — opened last month in Waipahu Town Center next to Seafood City — is the ninth for the local chain and the fourth on Oahu.
Maui Tacos, founded by Mark Ellman, one of the original Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs, marks its 25th year in 2018. Ellman remains executive chef, along with Alfonso Navarro, the company’s vice president.
Leading up to Saturday, the restaurant is offering free items with purchase: chips and salsa today, dessert Thursday and soda on Friday.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Visit mauitacos.com.
PUBLISHER HOSTS COOKBOOK SIGNING
Meet the writers and get your cookbooks signed at Mutual Publishing Co.’s offices in Kaimuki Saturday.
The writers of three Honolulu Star-Advertiser-sponsored books will be in the house: Betty Shimabukuro (“By Request Highlights”), Lynette Lo Tom (“A Chinese Kitchen”) and Jean Watanabe Hee (“The Best of the Best Hawai‘i Local Desserts”).
Come by between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Mutual, 1215 Center St., Suite 210. Call 732-1709.
The “By Request” and dessert cookbooks are available for a discounted price of $12 through Dec. 31. Information is on the coupon on Page 18. Regular price is $15.95.
“A Chinese Kitchen” is also discounted, at $15; regular price is $21.95.
Shimabukuro’s column, “By Request,” runs weekly in Crave; Lo Tom’s “Back in the Day” is a monthly Crave feature. Hee is the author of the long-running “Best of …” cookbook series.
