Immerse yourself in a five-day, hands-on culinary experience crafted for chefs and foodservice professionals seeking to elevate creativity and strategy in menu development. This dynamic course integrates culinary artistry with innovation methodology, guiding participants through design thinking principles, flavor system exploration, and disciplined menu research and development practices.
Through a blend of lectures, collaborative discussions, and curated kitchen sessions, participants will learn to define and apply innovation in a culinary context, utilizing the Stage/Gate process to bring new menu ideas to life. Recipes and techniques drawn from regions around the world and ingredient-driven, plant-forward cooking. Emphasis is placed on how ingredients shape flavor profiles, kitchen operations, and menu structure.
The course culminates in a freestyle challenge, where teams use a basket of ingredients to design a plant-forward menu concept based on strategic criteria introduced during the program. Throughout, participants will refine their skills in sensory evaluation, storytelling through food, and artistic presentation.
Graduates will receive a certificate of completion from The Culinary Institute of America and the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, demonstrating their expertise in culinary innovation and strategic menu development.
Must be 18 years of age or older, demonstrate three years of culinary experience, and a Hawai‘i state resident or active military personnel stationed in Hawai‘i.