Uber Factory takes top honors in Rice Fest 'Riceipe' contest

Nadine Kam photos
The team of chef Andy Dalan of Uber Factory and KITV4's Brandi Higa took top honors during the Riceipe cooking competition that was part of the 7th annual Rice Festival that took place Sept. 25.

Chef Andy Dalan of Wahiawa's Uber Factory dessert shop successfully defended his Riceipe champ title, taking home first place honors for a second consecutive year during the 7th annual Rice Festival's Riceipe cooking contest that took place Sept. 25 on Auahi Street fronting Ward Centre.

Dalan, also a chef consultant at Waimea Valley, was teamed with KITV4's Brandi Higa for the task.

Chef Andy Dalan's winning dish of pineapple and rice crème brulée. As good to eat as to look at.

The event featured four chef/TV celebrity teams vying for the top spot, with recipes judged on criteria of taste, creativity, simplicity of preparation and visual appeal. The other teams were Johnny Kai (Treetops Restaurant) and Hawaii News Now's Lacy Deniz, Maile Sengoura (Maile's Thai Bistro) with KHON2's Kelly Simek, and Robbie "Rbz" Acoba (Side Street Inn on Da Strip) with OC16's Tiny Tadani. All three presented variations of fried rice.

Dalan differentiated himself from the pack by presenting a surprising pineapple and rice crème brulée tart. Rice is used as a basis for dessert throughout the world, but not so much in the U.S., so it did get curious audience members coming up to the stage area to see just how good a rice brulée could be.

And that's the whole point of the fest, to see this food staple in a new light, look beyond the basics and appreciate rice in all its forms.

Spam Musubi Man was there, soaking up the love we have for the Spam and rice combo.

Chef/restaurateur Maile Sengoura cooks up a meaty fried rice with KHON2's Kelly Simek.

Sengoura's beautifully plated fried rice.

OC16's Tiny Tadani was teamed with Side Street Inn on Da Strip's chef Robbie Acoba, to create the second place "Japa-Pino Pride" rice dish below, notable for the sweetness of corn and flourishes of nori and bonito.

Hawaii News Now's Lacy Deniz sautés onions while helping Johnny Kai with his fried rice dish, below.

Among dishes being offered by vendors were arancini from Mega-Load burgers.

Da Bolalohan and BBQ Grill was featuring dishes such as a beef brisket fried rice loco moco and a spicy grilled pork rice bowl.

There was a line for Sweet Creams genmaicha roasted rice ice cream rolls and below, strawberry rolls that were later topped with Rice Krispies, strawberry mochi and a fresh strawberry.