Maui Part II: The Island’s Bountiful Agriculture and Aquaculture

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Snails -- being raised for escargot and other gourmet dishes -- on an urban Maui farm.

Snails — being raised for escargot and other gourmet dishes — on an urban Maui farm.

Napili FLO Farm

If former massage therapist Monica Bogar has her way, Maui restaurants will some day spotlight organic snails on their menus.

After all, there’s already a waiting list of restaurants eager for the mollusks she is growing aquaponically in ingenious systems devised by her and her Uncle Tony. I had a chance to visit their homestead on the west side of the island, during my trip to Maui, courtesy of the tourism and conventioner’s bureau.

An urban farmer for the past 12 years, Bogar started her Napili FLO Farm a year ago. She now sells her microgreens, edible flowers and watercress to Maui restaurants such as Star Noodle, Hula Grill, and Pineapple Grill, the latter where Isaac Bancaco is chef and a huge supporter of hers.

Monica Bogar and Chef Isaac Bancaco inspect one of Bogar's aquaponics systems.

Monica Bogar and Chef Isaac Bancaco inspect one of Bogar’s aquaponics systems.

Pick you way through Uncle Tony’s backyard to find a miraculous series of tanks — built from scavenged items, including styrofoam boxes, old fish tanks and a grandson’s former wash tub. “We are aquaponics dumpster-divers,” Bogar says proudly with a chuckle.

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Maui Part I: Take Five with Chef Sheldon Simeon of Star Noodle on Life Post-“Top Chef”

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Chef Sheldon Simeon of Star Noodle in Maui.

Chef Sheldon Simeon of Star Noodle in Maui.

To say that life has changed for Chef Sheldon Simeon would be an understatement.

After placing third in this season’s “Top Chef” competition on Bravo TV and winning over viewers to be named “Fan Favorite,” business has doubled at his already popular Star Noodle restaurant on Maui. Fans, tourists and locals alike now brave as much as a two-hour wait to get into the out of the way restaurant that serves creative pan-Asian street food such as Vietnamese crepes, and all manner of ramen, soba and saimin noodles — 100 pounds in total hand-made every day on site by one tiny, elderly woman whom Simeon affectionately calls “auntie.”

The crowds at the other restaurant he oversees, Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop, aren’t too shabby, either.

When I visited Maui earlier this month as a guest of the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, I had a chance to sit down with Simeon at Star Noodle, where in between answering questions, he’d graciously accommodate the many diners who wanted to pose for photos with him. The 30-year-old chef, husband and father of three young daughters who was born on the Big Island, chatted about the impact the television show has had on his career that began humbly enough as a restaurant dishwasher.

Q: Why did you want to do ‘Top Chef’ ?

A: I could see the opportunity it brings. It’s been overwhelming at times, but also a blessing. It was a chance for me to represent Hawaii. I wanted to test myself.

Q: What was the hardest part about doing the show?

A: Every challenge was hard. As a chef, I work alone on a dish. If I’m not satisfied with it, I don’t put it out. But on the show, I was like, ‘I can’t believe I’m serving this to Wolfgang Puck!’

StarNoodleSign

The dining room has always been packed, but even more so now after "Top Chef'' aired.

The dining room has always been packed, but even more so now after “Top Chef” aired.

Q: Did you practice in any way to prepare for the challenges?

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Free Tickets to Beta Tasting, Humphry Slocombe Now Available at Slider Bar, and More

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Try the frozen Fosters waffle from Waffle Amore at the upcoming Beta Tasting. (Photo courtesy of Waffle Amore)

Try the frozen Fosters waffle from Waffle Amore at the upcoming Beta Tasting. (Photo courtesy of Waffle Amore)

Come Hungry to Beta Tasting in the South Bay

Dishcrawl, the creator of tantalizing foodie meet-ups around the Bay Area and beyond, is introducing a fun new event on May 2.

At “Beta Tasting,” folks will get a chance to vote on their favorite eats from 20 experimental dishes created by more than 10 food trucks from the Bay Area. The event will take place at a secret location in the South Bay that will be disclosed closer to the May 2 date.

Some of the new dishes to be unveiled include: ice cream taco by Treatbot, frozen Fosters waffle from Waffle Amore, lemongrass slider from Yummi BBQ, and veggie musubi from Rice Rockit.

Tickets to the event are $2 per person. Dishes will be priced from $3 to $5.

Lemongrass slider from Yummi BBQ. (Photo courtesy of Yummi BBQ)

Lemongrass slider from Yummi BBQ. (Photo courtesy of Yummi BBQl)

Proceeds will benefit the Bay Area Mobile Food Vendors Association, a non-profit organization that helps support food trucks.

 GIVEAWAY: Dishcrawl is generously giving away free tickets to any Food Gal readers who would like to attend the event. Just use coupon code: foodgalfriends.

Get Ready for Blind-Tasting Bingo

Yes, that would be playing bingo while blind-folded. How much goofy fun is that?

The San Francisco Cooking School and Edible San Francisco invite you to an evening of just that at 7 p.m. May 1.

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Big News from the Food Gal

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Cookbooks spotlighting iconic foodie cities. Soon, there will be a San Francisco one, written by yours truly.

Cookbooks spotlighting iconic foodie cities. Soon, there will be a San Francisco one, written by yours truly.

 

See those cookbooks up there?

Soon, there will be a San Francisco-centered one, too.

And I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be writing it.

Yes, my first cookbook ever.

“San Francisco Chef’s Table” (Globe Pequot) is expected to publish toward the end of this year.

Like the other books in this series, it will spotlight about 50 restaurants — most in San Francisco with a smattering from other parts of the Bay Area — and include recipes from each one.

The photos will be gorgeous, too, as they’ll be shot by award-winning photojournalist Craig Lee, who for many years was the main food photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle’s Food section.

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Tantalizing Turkish-Mediterranean Food at Troya

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Flatbread smeared with a thick tomato-minced beef sauce at Troya.

Flatbread smeared with a thick tomato-minced beef sauce at Troya.

 

If you’ve sworn off carbs, Troya in San Francisco will have you falling off the wagon.

Because at this Turkish-Mediterranean establishment, it’s all about the bread.

Hand-made each day. Round, puffy and soft. Almost like focaccia. It’ll do you in. And you won’t regret it in the least.

The must-order Turkish bread with babaganhoush.

The must-order Turkish bread with babaganhoush.

The restaurant has two locations in San Francisco — Clement Street and the Fillmore Street one, which is where I was invited to dine as a guest recently.

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