Business Monday: Inaugural Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge winners announced at Veg Fest

Seven years ago, Alyssa Caravalho of Hōlualoa began cutting meat and animal products from her diet.

She is happy her transition to veganism has happened during the same time vegan menu options at restaurants have increased and establishments wholly dedicated to veganism have bloomed in the greater Kona community.

This lifestyle and growing trend on the Big Island has led to events that cater to vegans and vegetarians, including the 3rd annual Big Island Veg Fest on Saturday in Kailua-Kona.

And at the Veg Fest, the winners were announced for the inaugural Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge, a one-month contest held in August in which participants created food that did not contain meat and animal products such as eggs, milk and dairy cheese.

Nine restaurants competed in the first challenge, which was designed to show the creativity and innovation of participating restaurants and the chefs who were tasked with cooking up delicious new vegan dishes even carnivores would devour.

Overall winners of the first Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge were:

1. Mauka to Makai Eatery, 95-1910 Kaalaiki Road, Nā‘ālehu.
2. Journey Café, C-106, Kona Inn Shopping Village, 75-5729 Ali’i Drive, Kailua-Kona.
3. Alebrije Hawai‘i, No. 111, The Shops at Mauna Lani, 68-1330 Mauna Lani Drive, Kohala Coast.

Each of the overall top 3 winners will receive prize bags including new knife sets and a cutting board.

Other awards:

• Best Presentation and Special Event: Fair Wind Cruises, 78-7130 Kaleiopapa St., Keauhou.
• Diner’s Favorite: Herbivores, 75-5722 Hanama Place, Kailua-Kona.
• Best Vegan Chili: Island Organic Cuisine, 213 Kalaniana’ole St., Hilo.
• Best Smoothie and Bowl: What’s Shakin’, 27-999 Old Māmalahoa Highway, Pepe‘ekeo.
• Best Vegan Comfort Food: The Veli, 15-2958 Pāhoa Village Road, Pāhoa.
• Best Customer Service: Sweet Cane Café, 48 Kamanā St, Hilo.

Each of these winners received a certificate.

Caravalho cheered on her favorite restaurant, Herbivores Vegan Café in Kailua-Kona, which won the Dinerʻs Favorite award. Since opening nearly seven years ago, it offers a menu of healthy plant-based fare from the island to “guarantee a delightful culinary experience that nourishes both body and soul.”

Caravalho said a non-vegan member of her family, who she is trying to convince to make the switch, conceded that Herbivores is “almost better than the non-vegan food.”

The challenge was organized by Magical Creatures Sanctuary of Laupāhoehoe, a nonprofit animal sanctuary that now rehabilitates and cares for 90 residents, which were rescued from slaughter or neglect, have special needs or where orphaned or injured in the wild.

Promoting plant-based foods and eating also has a positive impact on animal welfare and climate change, helping to preserve the island’s natural beauty and resources.

Alex Dant of Fair Winds Cruises, the challenge’s sponsor and a participant, said: “We’re trying to bring the idea that a healthy human eating a healthy diet participating in a healthy Earth” is what will get people back on track and “regenerate the next generationʻs worth of nutrition.”

He said the mindsets of many people now is short-sighted, “looking for what’s going to feed us for that day and things like that, and we’re really not thinking that far.”

The Big Island challenge also was sponsored by Vegan Outeach, an international nonprofit working to end violence toward animals by promoting a vegan lifestyle. The organization reignited the Vegan Chef Challenge program in 2022 nationwide.

Antoinette Ortiz, owner of Herbivores, said she loved the challenge of creating something news. For the challenge, she made vegan carne asada burritos, vegan chick’n pesto pasta and soft serve ice cream.

“I’m just so grateful and appreciative,” she said about those who voted for Herbivores as Diner’s Favorite. “It’s very inspiring and it’s just going to motivate me to continue doing what I love to do.”

Jen Dant, the Fair Winds chef who created the vegan Philly cheesesteak sliders offered during the challenge, said getting people interested in vegan food is all in figuring out new and creative ways to enticing the palate of even the common meat eater.

“It’s just create something that everyone will love using things that we can hopefully get locally or start growing on the property to someday be supplementing our menu out on the boat,” she said. “But it’s all about the flavor.”

The Philly cheesteak sliders were made from scratch with hearty jackfruit, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions all marinated in a flavorful sauce and baked to perfection. It was topped with au jus and a nut-free “cheese” sauce.

“We love to cook,” Jen Dant said. “We’re always in the kitchen.”

Lydia Green, director of sanctuary operations at Magical Creatures Sanctuary, said: “A lot of the restaurants went above and beyond with their creativity, creating dishes that people traditional associate with meat and veganizing it. … Our main focus is to get non-vegans interested in trying vegan food.”

Green hopes the Vegan Chef Challenge can expand to 20 or more participating restaurants next year. She also wants to see the Big Island event inspire other vegan chef challenges throughout the islands.

Green already heard from an O’ahu sanctuary interested in possibly organizing a challenge.

“I hope that more businesses participate, especially non-vegan businesses because that’s who we’re really anchored toward and trying to get them to come up with new dishes,” she said.

Certificates and awards will be sent to the winning restaurants that were not present Saturday to accept them in-person.

For information about the Big Island Vegan Chef Challenge or how to organize one, contact the Magical Creatures Sanctuary at 808-758-7500 or email Green at lydia@magicalcreaturessancturary.org.