For the sixth year, Leeward Community College’s fine dining restaurant The Pearl is being recognized with a Honolulu Star-Advertiser ʻIlima Award. The Pearl has been recognized for five years as “Rising Star” and one year as “Critic Choice” (2011).
The ʻIlima Awards, organized by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, recognize outstanding restaurants in Hawaiʻi. The “Rising Star” award pays tribute to the ambitions of Hawaiʻi’s chefs-in-training and the dedication of their teachers. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser states, “The student run restaurant offers upscale yet economical dining as it provides training for the next generation of Hawaiʻi’s chefs and restaurant managers. We salute the ambitions of the students and the dedication of their teachers.”
“I am so incredibly proud of our culinary arts program,” said Chancellor Manny Cabral. “This past summer, The Pearl was featured on a national segment of Island Explorers on the Travel Channel. The ʻIlima Awards’ continued recognition is a tribute to the dedication and hard work of the students, faculty and staff. It’s great to see them being acknowledged in this significant way.”
- Related UH News story: The Pearl on the Travel Channel, June 28, 2016
Additional Information
The Pearl is open Wednesdays through Fridays for lunch. The menu changes every two weeks with entree prices $16 and under. Call (808) 455-0475 for reservations.
A Thanksgiving buffet is offered November 16–18. Also, occasional special event dinners are featured.
—By Kathleen Cabral
