Hawaii’s Local Favorite Katsu – Veganized at VegFest Oahu

At VegFest Oahu 2016 we wanted the festival cuisine to entice even the skeptics into trying new plant-based dishes, so that’s the challenge we proposed to our food vendors.  We loved Honolulu restaurant Peace Cafe‘s version of a Hawaii Local Favorite made vegan – Tempeh Katsu.  Keeping the traditional Japanese method of breading with panko and frying, the meat was replaced with a cutlet of tempeh, a fermented soy product.  Served on shredded cabbage with katsu sauce, it was a familiar local taste but with a much lighter carbon footprint. Check out this short video clip of Peace Cafe owners making Tempeh Katsu at VegFest Oahu. 

At VegFest Oahu 2016 the food was so good that many of the vendors sold out and had to call for backup from their restaurant staff, then sold out again as the number of festival goers swelled throughout the afternoon with island residents curious about vegan cuisine.

VegFest Oahu food vendors provided a variety of types of food that demonstrated the diversity of vegan dining. Highlights included: Indian curries, Hawaii favorites veganized (like tempeh katsu), unique falafel bar with Moroccan and Mexican sauces, gourmet Sliders in 3 different flavors, Ceasar salad, gelato, brownies and even fresh cut coconuts.  Local food entrepreneurs offered their island made products such as: fresh lemonade made with tropical fruits, cultured Macadamia Nut cheeses, salads made with polynesian produce such as ‘ulu potato salad and taro dips. Click here for a complete list of food vendors who came to VegFest Oahu 2016.

Check out this write-up with photos of VegFest Oahu from one of our sponsors, Positive Media Hawaii.

Here’s a vegan recipe for Soy Katsu with sauce from Tasty and Meatless, the original home of Hawaii’s Local Favorite’s Made Meatless cooking DVDs. (Contact Us for a special discount code for VegFest Oahu subscribers!)