Halekulani Presents " A Taste Of Imperial "

Halekulani, acclaimed luxury hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii, is proud to partner with iconic and legendary Imperial Hotel Tokyo to present "A Taste of Imperial." Imperial Chef Eiichi Oura, in conjunction with Halekulani Executive Chef Vikram Garg and Orchids Chef de Cuisine Darryl Fujita, will present a special tasting menu featuring the "best of the best" of Imperial's most storied dishes. The menu will be available from October 1st through October 31st at Orchids, Halekulani's elegant oceanfront restaurant.

"A kitchen is the heart of a hotel," says Halekulani Executive Chef Vikram Garg. "This is a great opportunity to let Hawaii diners experience something so special to the Imperial hotel. If you can't go to the Imperial, let the Imperial come to you."

The exclusive three-course lunch and dinner menus feature historic offerings from the Imperial, including the Chaliapin Steak and the Prawn and Snapper Gratin "Queen Elizabeth." The Chaliapin steak was created in 1936 in honor of famed Russian opera singer Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin, who enjoyed the dish so much that he ordered it throughout his stay and allowed the Imperial to name the signature steak after him. To this day, the steak remains a favorite of Imperial diners. The original Imperial Queen Elizabeth, featured a wine-steamed prawn wrapped in sole, and was created in preparation for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the hotel in 1975. Given its popularity, the British Embassy permitted the Imperial Hotel to name the dish after Her Majesty.

Menus will also feature international-award winning cocktails, including the Mount Fuji and the Tinkerbell. The Mount Fuji cocktail is an Imperial original, invented in 1924 as Japan's first-ever original cocktail. In a nod to the Imperial Hotel's American ties, the Tinkerbell cocktail was designed in 1990 after the Walt Disney animation artist who illustrated its namesake. So impressed by the cocktail during his stay, he provided the bar with an original watercolor of the iconic fairy.

"A Taste of Imperial" showcases the alliance between Halekulani and Imperial Hotel Tokyo, which commenced last year. The partnership aims to create an exciting synergy and an expanded service platform for these legendary hotel companies, providing new levels of enhancements to their brands.

The Imperial Hotel Tokyo chef team will be in residence at Orchids from October 1 through 6. In addition, they will prepare special dishes for the ever-popular Orchids Sunday Brunch on October 3. For reservations, please contact Halekulani Dining Reservations at (808) 923-2311 or visit www.halekulani.com to place a reservation on-line. Orchids is open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for dinner from 6 - 10 p.m.

About Halekulani

Since its inception in 1984, Halekulani has received more than five hundred accolades, awards and honoraria, and is consistently ranked among the world's finest hotels. SpaHalekulani, amongst many others, earned the coveted Mobil Four-Star rating, the highest bestowed upon any spa by the Mobil Travel Guide, and was ranked the #2 Best Resort Spa in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. Halekulani's fine dining restaurant, La Mer, is Hawaii's longest ranked AAA-Five Diamond restaurant. Halekulani is managed by the Hotels and Resorts of Halekulani, a brand management division of the Honolulu-based Halekulani Corporation, which also manages newly redesigned Waikiki Parc Hotel. Halekulani is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and is aligned with Tokyo's legendary Imperial Hotel. For reservations and information, please contact a travel planner, call Halekulani at (800) 367-2343 / (808) 923-2311 or visit the Halekulani website (www.halekulani