Kadun Pika cooking contest at ‘Taste’

Cooks and chefs, you’re up!

The Marianas Visitors Authority is inviting entries for its Kadun Pika Cooking Contest on June 3, 2023, at the 24th Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden at Garapan Fishing Base, Saipan.

Registration is free, open to participants age 18 or older, and limited to 10 entries. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top winners: $500 for first place, $300 for second place, $200 for third place, and $100 for fourth place. Participants must provide their own gas stove, pots, ingredients, and any other equipment needed, and the MVA will provide one family bag stewing chicken and one 8-foot table. Participants may register one or two people per entry. Entries will be judged based on taste/flavor, tenderness, balance of spiciness, and presentation.

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 (670) 664-3200.

“Every year the entries in our cooking competitions seem to get more tasty,” said MVA Community Projects manager Martin Duenas. “We encourage our local chefs and home cooks to sign up for a chance to win some great cash prizes and bragging rights at this year’s Taste.”

File photo shows the entry of Pika Me to Win wins first place in the Kadun Pika Cooking Contest at 23rd Annual Taste of the Marianas International Food Festival & Beer Garden on June 18, 2022. (MVA)

The Taste of the Marianas is slated for every Saturday evening in June 2023. The HANMI/Triple J Five Star Wholesale NMTech Culinary Bisteak Competition Cook-off will be held on June 24. Additional events are being planned for June 10 and 17.

The Taste of the Marianas features highlights of the various cuisine found in the multi-cultural Marianas. The festival will feature affordable dishes from local hotels and restaurants, live entertainment, and arts and crafts sales from 6pm to 10pm nightly and until 11pm on the final night.

Participating food vendors this year are Chagi Norf, Chow Time, Cristiano’s, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Furusato, Herman’s Modern Bakery, Island Grinz, Java Joe’s, Kamakazee’s, Kinpachi Restaurant, Korean BAB, Loco Taco, Majesty Restaurant, Matty’s BBQ, Pho Tam, Shirley’s Coffee Shop, Surf Club/Great Harvest, T-Bar, The Hut, Tyler’s Gelatte Stone, and Vi- lynn’s BBQ. Drink vendors are Marpac and Westco.

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