UH Alumni Holiday Mingle & Jingle
Alumni from across the University of Hawai‘i system are invited to celebrate holiday cheer at a special evening of gourmet delight and holiday merriment.
- 5:30 – 6 p.m. Registration
- 6 p.m. Cocktails and heavy pūpū stations
- 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. Alumni-Made Pop-Up Boutique
$55 per person - all-inclusive
Heavy pūpū, tea/coffee and 2 alcoholic beverages (beer and wine).
Additional no-host beer and wine available for purchase
Complimentary valet parking up to 4 hours at the Parc Hotel or Halekulani Hotel
Aloha/holiday attire
If you have dietary restrictions, special needs or questions please call (808) 956‑2389 or email [email protected].
Event highlights
- Enjoy a gourmet concept experience by the nationally recognized award-winning culinary arts program at Kapi‘olani Community College at the new fine-dining and learning restaurant, Lē'ahi Concept Kitchen
- Meet the culinary master and Kapi‘olani CC alumnus that leads Lē'ahi, Executive Chef Eddie Mafnas
- Delight your palate with highlights of Chef’s current concept menu of Hawai'i Pacific Rim cuisine such as Black Pepper Kaua‘i Shrimp with Big Island Honey, plantains, tropical fruit salsa, Chamorro red rice and black pepper molasses, Fresh Island Catch with ginger scallion crust, sweet corn succotash, Okinawan mash, sesame miso vinaigrette, and Ewa Farms Sweet Corn Cake with tomato salsa and tomatillo cream and more!
- See the culinary arts students in action as they artfully assemble the pūpū showpieces at each station
- Enjoy timeless and heart-warming Christmas classics and other familiar tunes by the pioneer and top performer of the dueling pianos format, pianist Keith Montross.
- Shop for holiday gifts at the Alumni-Made Pop-Up Boutique featuring the latest products made by local UH alumni artisans.
- Network, make new friends and reminisce about college and holiday memories!
About Kapi‘olani Community College Lē‘ahi Concept Kitchen
The Culinary Arts Program at Kapi‘olani Community College is recognized for its placement in regional and national culinary competitions, its focus on promoting and using locally sourced ingredients in their contemporary cuisine, their fair market costs, their multi-industry alliances, and the alumni who have become outstanding and successful chefs.
As a concept kitchen, Lē‘ahi will create multiple dining concepts that will become the model for the highly anticipated restaurant at the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head (Lē‘ahi).
Shop Our Alumni-Made Pop-up Boutique
Some of our alumni artisans include:
- Kapi‘olani Community College Culinary Arts Program – packaged delights created by future alumni of program
- Kumumea (UH Hilo)
- Makalani Creations (Honolulu CC and Leeward CC)
Facebook: Just Do Me a Favor, Instagram: makalanicreations - Malia Nakai Designs (UH Mānoa)
Etsy: malianakai, Instagram: malianakaidesigns - Malorie Arisumi (UH Maui College)
Instagram: maloriearisumi, Facebook: maloriearisumi - Manakai Studio (UH Mānoa)
Instagram: Manakai_HI, Etsy: ManakaiStudio - UH Mānoa Glass and Plants – creative collaboration from the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the Art department
- Windward Community College Visual Arts Program – art pieces created by alumni & friends
About Chef Eddie Mafnas
Chef Eddie Mafnas developed passion and love for the culinary world while working at his family-owned bakery in Guam. At the young age of 19, Chef Eddie had the opportunity to open multiple restaurants in a variety of international cities: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, and Cape Town, South Africa, to name a few. To further expand his knowledge of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Chef Eddie attended and graduated from the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapi’olani Community College with an A.S. degree in Culinary Arts. During his education, he was the captain of the competition team which won a gold medal in regional competition. Chef Eddie is also the owner of Mafnas Catering, co-owner of the Aloha Poke Shop, and co-owner of the Firehouse Food truck. As a caterer, he has worked for several A-list celebrities, including Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Jay Z, and Beyonce. Excited for the opportunity to teach students and create local dishes, Eddie is honored and humbled to be impacting students and the community at the Le’ahi Concept Kitchen. Understanding the use of fresh, local ingredients and actively promoting the Farm to Plate movement is Chef Eddie’s main focus. His passion is to stay connected to the land and utilize each ingredient to its fullest potential. He enjoys collaborating with other chefs in the community and donates his time by teaching students local Hawaiian cuisine via the Kupu environmental organization and Nihon University.