Punahou Alumni Luau - 2010

This is how it appears on the Calendar of Events:

The Luau
Punahou School, Rice (Middle) Field
5-9 p.m.

etc., etc.

The Middle Field location is new to me, since I'm more used to it being held on Lower Field.  But Middle turned out to be nice, since we're further away from the traffic on Wilder.  Small tent to the left in photo is band setup, beverage tent is next to that, small blue booths to the right are far right.  Main dining tent is 180 degrees from this view.  Chapel is far background left.

In the main dining tent, the reunion classes have tables reserved.  Here are the class of 1980's tables, in the calm before the storm.  There's a pic of the tent at the height of the dinner service below.

Reunion classes have their pictures taken.  Here, another class has its picture taken on the Pauahi Hall steps.

And, here, the class of 1980 takes "the stage."   You get pics like this by holding your camera up above your head, aiming, praying, and shooting.

The luau plates include (from upper left):

1)  Squid luau.  It's not as soupy and had less coconut milk than others I've had.  Because it had a somewhat firmer consistency, made up for the lack of a lau lau.

2)  Chicken long rice.  I've got two bowls because Maryann (who was in front of me), is a vegetarian and generously passed it along to me (thanks, Maryann!).  (No word on what she did with the kalua pig . . . )  This version had lots of chicken, very, very thin (too thin?) noodles, and not a lot of ginger.  Perhaps more like a chicken soup, than chicken long rice.  No problem eating both bowls, regardless.

3)  Poi. It turns out that visitors to the islands are not necessarily enamored of local cuisine, poi in particular.  So, if you're scrounging more food at a luau, sit near some visitors.  And/or some vegetarians).  You might end up more than you bargained for.  I ended up with three containers of poi, three of poke, and three lomi salmon.  (*urp*)  And, no, I didn't plan on that!

4)  Poke.  This version more of the rock salt, green onion, no shoyu variety.  I prefer the shoyu, but no problem at all with this style.

5)  Lomi Salmon.  Really nice, with lots of salmon.  Really, really, good dumped into the poi (which is why I had three of each).

6)  Kalua pig.  You really have to eat it with a starch of some sort, so I ate it with poi, or else the sweet potato.  It didn't have a lot of fat, which is good in a health sense, but I always liked having some of the grease, for the flavor and the "mouth feel" of the dish.

 At the end of the night, the band played on . . . and, I should mention that they played a cover of "Lucky Man" (Emerson, Lake, and Palmer).  Seriously, who covers that???  It was awesome.  And an awesome night in general.

Next:  Reunion Family Picnic Day at Mokuleia.  It's gonna be cool.  Peace.