Page 2 - Dining Out - Oct 31, 2021

Restaurant Insider with Anne Lee
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ANNE LEE
speaks with executive chef at The Kahala Hotel & Resort
JONATHAN MIZUKAMI
and farmer/owner of Mountain View Farm
DAVID WONG
Photos by
ANTHONY CONSILLIO
Tucked away in Waianae Valley lies Mountain View Farm, a place where farmer/owner David Wong implements natural techniques and mi- croorganisms to cultivate the soil to cre- ate magical moringa plants without any herbicides or pesticides. The end result is a product that is absolutely pure and free of any toxins. The natural farming methods are also used to raise pigs, which eliminates the use of antibiotics, vaccines, steroids and farrowing crates. As one of the largest pork producers on the island, their pigs are fed a diet of 100% fruit and vegetables, and used by some of the top restaurants in Hawaii.
Executive chef Jonathan Mizukami and his culinary team at The Kahala Hotel & Resort are avid supporters of local farmers and will have a Harvest Celebration dinner featuring Mountain View Farm products on Nov. 10. Seating is 5:30-7:30 p.m. and is limited to the first 100 guests. I spoke with David and chef Jonathan to talk about the menu and what guests can expect for this family-style dinner.
AL: David, please tell me more about the benefits of the moringa plant. DW: The moringa plant is a very healthy, most nutritiously dense food. It’s the only plant food that has all eight amino acids for human protein. We
are raising it without any fertilizer or toxic chemicals. We utilize the whole moringa plant. When this plant ages, it produces seeds. We harvest and dry the leaves to make a moringa powder that we make into capsules, and we take the oil from the seeds and produce a moringa oil. The oil is an effective nat- ural skin conditioner and has powerful medical benefits. The moringa powder has helped many people get off of med- ications such as insulin, as it balances your microbiomes and improves your immunity.
AL: What is the difference between natural farming methods versus organ- ic farming?
DW: I want to make sure that people understand the difference: organic farming still uses hazardous pesticides and herbicides. These chemicals are absorbed by the plant, leaving residu- al toxins and killing off any natural en- zymes and microbes. Natural farming techniques completely eliminate the use of herbicides or pesticides. Natural farming was pioneered in Asia and uses natural micro-organisms to cultivate the soil and nourish the plant.
AL: Where can our readers find out more information about your farm or buy produce?
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Dining Out
/ Oct. 31-Nov. 6, 2021