Class Act is the name of the dining room of the Maui Culinary Academy, the culinary program at the University of Hawaii Maui College campus. The students learn both back and front-of-the-house skills over 16 weeks, and also get to experience working in a real world restaurant setting with paying guests, which is Class Act.
We attended their December 2016 semester finale 6-course dinner complete with wine pairings. It started with a tour and mingling of the garde manger kitchen where the students were preparing and serving hors d'oeuvres from five different stations, which included chicken satay, deviled eggs, beef tataki, pate grand-mere, and smoked salmon pizza. I had to contain myself as I was starting to get full off of these delicious starters alone!
ATMOSPHERE:
The dining room and kitchen are located on the second level of the Pa'ina Building on the UHMC campus, which also houses the school's diverse cafeteria on the lower level. The dining room is modeled like a traditional restaurant with host stand, configurable table seating, bar, and kitchen. High ceilings and big windows bestow airiness.
BEVERAGE:
Not being a fan of wine, I brought a cooler of beer. Sorry, no wine review.
COURSE 1:
Salmon Tartar - Sliced discs of raw salmon were paired with blinis (tiny, thin pancakes) and served with a dollop of sour cream, American caviar, and a side mixture of diced herbs and hard boiled eggs for sprinkling. Subtle, smooth, and very fresh & light.
COURSE 2:
Seared Diver Scallop & Kauai Prawns - Holy bageezuz, the saffron seafood broth with melted leeks and confit tomatoes it sat in was simply divine. The scallop was perfectly seared and the shrimp cooked perfect. I almost did the bowl to lip thing.
COURSE 3:
Hickory Smoked Duck Breast - The slices of breast were super moist with a texture similar to filet and sprinkled with a little sea salt. A half wreath of diced butternut squash, greens, and cranberries in a bacon maple dressing garnished the plate. Very nice mixture of savory and sweet flavors.
COURSE 4:
Herb & Mustard Crusted Lamb Rack - The 2 chops were cooked to medium rare perfection with zero gaminess, over a red wine demi glace with sides of scalloped potatoes, fresh green beans, and baby carrots. Magnific!
COURSE 5:
Morbier & Compressed Persimmon - Two things I've never tried before have been conquered lol. The morbier cheese tasted similar to gouda with with its smoky and mildly sharp flavors. Yes, I've never eaten a persimmon before as I'm not a big fan of fruits, however, I really liked its light sweetness and almost pear-like flavor and low acidity. Feeling stuffed from the previous 4 dishes and hors d'oeuvers, I didn't eat the slices of ficelle bread that accompanied it.
COURSE 6:
Dessert - A trio platter of desserts was our reward for consuming all this wonderful food. A half scoop of velvety smooth tiramisu gelato sat over cookie crumbles, and was my favorite as I love ice cream. Standing next to it was a solid chocolate tower filled with a mocha creme anglaise that tasted like melted coffee ice cream. And last but not least was a super moist chocolate souffle dusted in powdered sugar which I couldn't finish more than 1/4 of.
SERVICE:
The front-of-house students looked sharp in their black uniforms, and provided excellent and professional table service. Our waters and wines were always filled, and dishes explained when placed.
The kitchen students did a great job during the garde manger kitchen mingling and hors d'oeuvers, answering questions and kept up with our demanding appetites. Dinner food was amazingly prepared and expertly presented.
Dining Room Instructor Mark did an outstanding job of warmly greeting us before the doors opened, and explained what we were going to experience that night. He also went around the dining room conversing with patrons, helped with food and beverage service, emceed throughout the evening, and thanked us as we exited. You can tell that his teachings have rubbed off on the students.
Chef Instructor Tom obviously molded the students well, with the delicious food and presentation as proof. All the dishes were perfectly cooked and seasoned. He also helped emcee the evening and mingled with diners.
The sommelier, sorry I forgot his name, was friendly, knowledgable and introduced each course's pairing with a little bit of the wine area's history.
OVERALL:
World-class food and service, and a great start for the chef's and restaurant proprietors of tomorrow. Highly recommended! read more