Monday, July 15, 2013

King's Hawaiian Brunch at Catalyst

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that carbs are my jam. Even with my wedding under four weeks away (gasp!), I still manage to eat my bodyweight in carbs on a daily basis.

So, when the folks at King's Hawaiian bread asked me if I wanted to attend their brunch event at Catalyst, I couldn't say no.

King's Hawaiian is a family-owned business that began back in the 1950's (you can read all about their history here). Repping for the company at this brunch was Courtney, the granddaughter of King's Hawaiian's owner and founder (Courtney's dad is currently the company's CEO). Courtney was sweet, hilarious, and extremely proud of her family's product and business model. 


For this brunch event, Catalyst was basically transformed into a Hawaiian getaway. Hawaiian music was playing through the restaurant's speakers, and the table decor included vibrant flower centerpieces and bright orange tablecloths. It was stunning.




Our meal began with guava mimosas (not pictured) and a few passed appetizers. I sampled the Fig and Blue Cheese on King’s Hawaiian Crostini with Cassis Syrup, as well as the White Gazpacho Sips, which were garnished with a grape and a Crispy King’s Hawaiian Garlic Chip. Some King's Hawaiian bread was also blended into the gazpacho to give it an extra creamy (not to mention interesting) texture.



After the passed appetizers, we all sat down for our plated meal. Catalyst Chef William Kovel had prepared several courses for this event, all using King's Hawaiian bread. Our first course was the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad with local greens, tomato, cucumber, and sheep's milk feta topped with black olive tapenade and King's Hawaiian crostini. The tuna was incredibly fresh, and I loved the varying textures and flavors in this dish.


For our second course, we had several entree options, but I went with the Maine Lobster Salad served on King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Hot Dog Bun, with house-made chips on the side. 


Filled with fresh herbs and lightly dressed in mayonnaise, this was one near-perfect lobster salad roll. The sweet, buttery bun paired with the obviously fresh lobster beautifully. It was also a bonus that the roll was piled high with the delicious crustacean.

Finally, for dessert, we had King's Hawaiian White Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with caramel sauce, which Chef Kovel and Courtney showed us how to make before it was served to us. 



I'm not typically a big dessert person, but I ate every last bite of this one. Somehow, it wasn't overly sweet, but wonderfully decadent and full of white chocolate and caramel flavors.

This was such a fantastic event, and I loved learning more about King's Hawaiian bread and the family behind it. In the Boston area, I've seen their products at Shaw's and some Star Markets, to name a few - you can also find a retailer near you that carries them by clicking here. I definitely recommend giving their products a try, especially for your next BBQ!

Friendly reminder for the local folks: I'm partnering with the Boston Wine School this Thursday for a six-course wine dinner. I'm doing the cooking, and the wine experts will be pairing a different wine with each course. I hope you can join us, or at least share this event with your friends! Tickets can be purchased here

Catalyst on Urbanspoon


8 comments:

  1. I was disappointed to miss this one! looks like such a great meal, really digging the Hawaiian theme!

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  2. I'm bummed I didn't get to go to this event - everything looks delicious!

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  3. I've LOVED King's Hawaiian rolls for years!! We always use them at my family events! This bread is so good you could eat it by ITSELF! LoL! How fun that you got to be a part of this and learn about their family business history!

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    1. It was my first time trying their breads, and I was really impressed!

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  4. I really enjoy King's Hawaiian rolls, so I was bummed to miss this event. It sounds like it was really fun and informative. (P.S. I feel like I ate a ton before my wedding but the stress kept me from gaining any weight!)

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    1. Haha, perfect!! The stress + this humidity should help me to burn off everything I eat between now and then. ;)

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  5. I was so sad to miss this! I have been in the mood for a hearty brunch. I can not believe your wedding is so close. . . eek! I hope you enjoy all of the time leading up to it!

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  6. Wow! This looks incredible. Love that they changed up the whole vibe of the restaurant to give you the full experience.

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