Chicken Wings Eating Contest at ‘Taste’ on June 10

Participants and judges of the Kadun Pika (spicy chicken) Cookoff at the 24th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden on June 3, 2023, at Garapan Fishing Base. (MVA)

Ten competitors will face off against 200 chicken wings each this Saturday, June 10, at the 24th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden on Saipan, when the Inas’ Kitchen Fried Chicken Wing Eating Contest will pit competitors in a challenge to see who finishes first.

The Taste of the Marianas, the largest food festival in the Marianas and an annual signature event of the Marianas Visitors Authority, is being held every Saturday in June at Garapan Fishing Base. The festival offers affordable dishes from local hotels and restaurants, live entertainment, and arts and crafts sales from 5pm to 10pm nightly and until 11pm on the final night.

‘The Inas’ Kitchen Fried Chicken Wing Eating Contest [is] at 8pm, you won’t want to miss it!” said MVA acting managing director Judy C. Torres. “Whoever finishes those 200 wings first within one hour will take home the title and $500 cash, so it’s going to be very exciting.”

Complete rules and registration forms are available on The Marianas Calendar at www.mymarianas.com/the-marianas-calendar or by contacting MVA Community Projects specialist Ray Villagomez at rvillagomez@mymarians.com or 1.670.664.3200. If no contestant finishes the 200 wings in time, those who eat the most will receive a $300 gift certificate (first place), a $200 gift certificate (second place), and a $100 gift certificate (third place) for Inas’ Kitchen.

This Saturday’s entertainment lineup will be Hopwood Dance and Music Production (4:30pm), Grandpa Grandson Saures (5:30pm), Saipan Studio Ballet (6pm), Francisco M. Sablan Middle School Gen-Alpha (7pm), Korea Junior Show Choir (7:30pm), Inas’ Kitchen Fried Chicken Wings Eating Contest (8pm), Marianas High School Refaluwasch Cultural Dancers (9pm), and Tattoo (9:30pm).

At last Saturday’s Kadun Pika Cooking Contest, Oh My Grill – OMG – Saipan served up the best entry to win $500 for first place. Entries were judged on taste/flavor, tenderness, use of local vegetables, presentation, and cleanliness. The winning duo of Kent Kalen and Eric Palacios were followed by Distorted Miniz winning $400 for second place and Hula Pika taking home $300 for third place.

The Marianas Variety King of the Grill contest will be held on June 17, and the HANMI/NMTech Chamorro Bisteak Cookoff will be on June 24.

Participating food vendors this year are Bistro Boyz 670, Chagi Norf, Chow Time, Cristianos Kitchen, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Furusato Restaurant Saipan, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Island Grinz, Java Joe’s, Kamakazee’s, Kinpachi Japanese Restaurant, Saipan Cup Bab, Restaurant Loco & Taco, Majesty Restaurant, Mariana Lighthouse, Matty’s BBQ, Pho Tam, Oh My Grill – OMG – Saipan, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Surf Club Saipan/Great Harvest Bread Co. Saipan, T-Bar CNMI, The Hut, Tyler’s Gelatte Stone, and Vi-lynn’s BBQ. Drink vendors are MARPAC, WESTCO, and Napu Brewing.

The event is co-organized by the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands. Platinum sponsors are Marianas Variety, Dave Electronics, and Turnkey Solutions. Gold sponsor is Hawaiian Rock Products. Silver sponsor is Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan. Bronze sponsors are EST Rental, Jonny’s Bar & Grill, New XO Market, Triple J Five Star Wholesale, M&C LLC Construction, Joeten Enterprises, and Northern Marianas Technical Institute. (MVA)