HONOLULU (HI Now) - One of the winners of Hawaii News Now’s competitive cooking show, “Kitchen Scraps,” is cooking up a delicious barbecue feast this weekend.
Stephen Kina is teaming up with Whiskey Smoke 808 in Kaneohe for a special pop-up menu that blends the flavors of his Hawaii roots with his current Montana home.
“We’re doing a brisket with miso sauce that I served at the Kentucky Derby. We’re going to do a pulehu steak with my miso chimichurri that was featured on the ‘Kitchen Scraps’ episode, and I’m also bringing some Montana flavors to Hawaii with huckleberry pork belly,” Kina said.
Another unique item: smoked alligator.
“Alligator is what got my name out there outside of my brisket in Montana,” Kina explained. “I smoke whole alligators all the time, and so to kind of be able to bring that also back to Hawaii, where not a lot of local people probably get to eat an alligator every day, and so to be able to kind of experience that is cool for me, and I hope that local people get excited about that too.”
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Kina says his collaboration with Whiskey Smoke 808 represents a full-circle moment.
The Waipahu native moved to Montana more than a decade ago, and in 2021, opened 406 BBQ, a food truck serving Asian fusion barbecue. His growing success led to an invitation to cater the Kentucky Derby last year.
“Being able to come back home, and being able to share my flavors with my followers, my family, my friends, is really special to me,” said Kina. “It’s especially meaningful because my dad was a chef here all his life.”
You can meet Kina and enjoy his dishes this Saturday, May 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Whiskey Smoke 808, 45-1118 Kamehameha Hwy.
And don’t miss “Kitchen Scraps” Sundays at 7 p.m. on K5 and online here.
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