Lunch with King's Hawaiian at Catalyst

I recently attended a special lunch featuring King's Hawaiian bread at Catalyst in Cambridge. Chef William Kovel cooked up some creative dishes enjoyed by all. With most of the population leaning more toward a low-carb diet, King's Hawaiian has been increasingly successful and growing despite this trend. What sets the company apart is not only a delicious product, delivering sweetness and quality, but for decades, the company has remained true to their core family values. Starting with a small bakery back in the 1950s, Robert Taira and family have expanded to five locations across the United States. Moving from Hilo, Hawaii in the 1970s, the company set up shop in Torrance, CA. You can enjoy some authentic Hawaiian cuisine in their restaurant which pays homage to the original bakery the family started back in the 50s. You can read the rave reviews by loyal customers and get a sample view of the dishes, specifically their Paradise cake, which consists of guava, lime and passion fruit. I know I will be stopping by the next I am in the area! For the luncheon, we sampled some dishes created by the talented chef William Kovel of Catalyst exemplifying the versatility of the bread. You can find recipes and more information about the company on the King's Hawaiian website. There you will learn how the company is dedicated to contributing to various charities such as Make a Wish Foundation, Go for Broke, and Meals on Wheels. Their products can be found in the deli section of most supermarkets.

Courtney Taira, granddaughter of Robert Taira, walked us through the history of King's Hawaiian and demonstrated how to make their legendary bread pudding with Chef Kovel. Courtney went to culinary school and clearly shares the same passion for the King's Hawaiian product. 

Chef Kovel served up a flavorful menu ranging from liver mousse on toast triangles, bread salad incorporated into a lamb tenderloin dish, a lobster roll, burger, and finally a sinfully delicious bread pudding. One recommendation was to make the bread pudding, and use the leftovers to make french toast. Time to increase my biking mileage after this 4th of July holiday! I know I will be trying this recipe! 

Catalyst 

Seared ahi tuna with King's Hawaiian Crostini

Lamb Tenderloin with King's Hawaiian bread salad

Catalyst Burger with King's Hawaiian sweet hamburger bun

Lobster roll with King's Hawaiian sweet hotdog bun

cooking demo

King's Hawaiian White Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

'ohoiho!