Folded Foods Festival

Sunday, April 2, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Nichiren Mission of Hawaiʻi (33 Pulelehua Way, off Pali Highway)

Free Admission

Parking & Shuttle Service: Park at Nu‘uanu Elementary School and ride a shuttle bus to Nichiren Mission, or walk with caution especially at Pali Highway traffic light crossings.

Preparing and serving foods using folding methods is common throughout our Pacific region. Join us at partner site Nichiren Mission to watch demonstrations, talk story with chefs, and sample the foods of our multicultural island cuisine. There will also be folding activities and performances to enjoy. Note that food samples will be small bites in limited quantities – first come, first served.

Opening Performance 

10:00 am | Nakama Taiko on the Nichiren Mission front entrance.

Demonstrations & Small Bites 

10:15 am | Joong/Zongzi (Chinese) 

Lynette Lo Tom, Cookbook author and Honolulu Star-Advertiser “Crave” columnist 

Wrapped in bamboo leaves: Sweet rice steamed with salted duck egg, lap cheong (sweet sausage), black-eyed peas, and pork belly, steamed for eight hours. 

10:15 am | Otak-Otak (Southeast Asian) 

Keaka Lee, Chef/Owner of Kapa Hale restaurant 

Wrapped in banana leaves: Fish paste flavored with lemongrass, chilies, and turmeric. 

11:15 am | Lawalu (Hawaiian) 

Mark Noguchi, Chef/Teacher/Director of The Pili Group 

Wrapped in ti leaves: Whole fish or fillets, flavored and placed on hot coals. 

11:15 am | Katupat (Chamorro) 

Mary Hattori, Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at EWC 

Woven with coconut fronds: Diamond-shaped pouches used to steam rice. The Marianas Chamorros were the only Pacific Islanders cultivating rice in the tropics since ancient times. 

12:15 pm | Lumpia (Filipino) 

Gay Bisch-Timon, Practitioner of Filipino cultural arts 

Wrapped in banana leaves: Fried whole bananas in spring roll wrapper. The Turon variation is glazed and filled with sweet potato or ube. 

12:15 pm | Fekei mar ma ‘a‘an (Rotuman) 

Peter Mario, Member of Rotuman community 

Grated taro and starch, often wrapped in banana or ti leaves, cooked in the koua (earth oven), unwrapped and mixed with coconut milk and sugar. 

Folding Activities 

Star, Butterfly & Crane – Make and take these paper objects with help from Temari Hawai‘i, Sadako Peace Project and Nichiren Mission volunteers. 

Food & Beverages 

In addition to limited free food samples, 

I ♥ Buns will offer coffee, tea, and other beverages for purchase. 

Presented by the East-West Center Arts Program, Temari Hawai‘i, and Nichiren Mission with the generous support of Hisashi and Sally Matsumoto. A special event of the exhibition In the Folds. 

Folded Foods Festival

Sunday, April 2, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Nichiren Mission of Hawaiʻi (33 Pulelehua Way, off Pali Highway)

Free Admission

Parking & Shuttle Service: Park at Nu‘uanu Elementary School and ride a shuttle bus to Nichiren Mission, or walk with caution especially at Pali Highway traffic light crossings.

Preparing and serving foods using folding methods is common throughout our Pacific region. Join us at partner site Nichiren Mission to watch demonstrations, talk story with chefs, and sample the foods of our multicultural island cuisine. There will also be folding activities and performances to enjoy. Note that food samples will be small bites in limited quantities – first come, first served.

Opening Performance 

10:00 am | Nakama Taiko on the Nichiren Mission front entrance.

Demonstrations & Small Bites 

10:15 am | Joong/Zongzi (Chinese) 

Lynette Lo Tom, Cookbook author and Honolulu Star-Advertiser “Crave” columnist 

Wrapped in bamboo leaves: Sweet rice steamed with salted duck egg, lap cheong (sweet sausage), black-eyed peas, and pork belly, steamed for eight hours. 

10:15 am | Otak-Otak (Southeast Asian) 

Keaka Lee, Chef/Owner of Kapa Hale restaurant 

Wrapped in banana leaves: Fish paste flavored with lemongrass, chilies, and turmeric. 

11:15 am | Lawalu (Hawaiian) 

Mark Noguchi, Chef/Teacher/Director of The Pili Group 

Wrapped in ti leaves: Whole fish or fillets, flavored and placed on hot coals. 

11:15 am | Katupat (Chamorro) 

Mary Hattori, Director of the Pacific Islands Development Program at EWC 

Woven with coconut fronds: Diamond-shaped pouches used to steam rice. The Marianas Chamorros were the only Pacific Islanders cultivating rice in the tropics since ancient times. 

12:15 pm | Lumpia (Filipino) 

Gay Bisch-Timon, Practitioner of Filipino cultural arts 

Wrapped in banana leaves: Fried whole bananas in spring roll wrapper. The Turon variation is glazed and filled with sweet potato or ube. 

12:15 pm | Fekei mar ma ‘a‘an (Rotuman) 

Peter Mario, Member of Rotuman community 

Grated taro and starch, often wrapped in banana or ti leaves, cooked in the koua (earth oven), unwrapped and mixed with coconut milk and sugar. 

Folding Activities 

Star, Butterfly & Crane – Make and take these paper objects with help from Temari Hawai‘i, Sadako Peace Project and Nichiren Mission volunteers. 

Food & Beverages 

In addition to limited free food samples, 

I ♥ Buns will offer coffee, tea, and other beverages for purchase. 

Presented by the East-West Center Arts Program, Temari Hawai‘i, and Nichiren Mission with the generous support of Hisashi and Sally Matsumoto. A special event of the exhibition In the Folds.