The celebrity competitive eater Raina Huang will dine her way through Hawaiʻi this week with seven public appearances in three days.
With 1.3 million followers on her Instagram, she has made stops in Hawaiʻi previously, including in May of 2025, when she participated in an eating contest at Oh My Grill McCully.
“I enjoy meeting my Hawaiʻi fans and getting together with my friends on the Island,” she told Aloha State Daily via email.
Her favorite kind of eating contest?
Dumplings, she said.
The events — four contests and three meet-and-greet events on Oʻahu — kick off this Friday, Aug. 7, at 1:30 p.m. at Waikīkī Beach Walk Plaza. As part of the event, she will take photos with fans while IL Gelato offers complimentary gelato samples, while supplies last. Later that afternoon at 3:30 p.m., she will head to Nori Bar Waikīkī to eat a towering stack of handrolls in five minutes or less.
On Saturday, Aug. 8, Huang will participate in two signature competitions at the Korean Festival Hawaiʻi. There, she will be part of the Kimchi Eating Contest and the Jajangmyeon Eating Contest, which start at 2 p.m. and are followed by a meet-and-greet events with fans.
Finally, Huang will participate in the third annual Oh My Grill Burger Eating Contest at McCully Shopping Center at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. Contestants will compete to see who can eat the most burgers on the clock. Eight contestants — including local food personalities, members of the public, and special guests visiting Hawaiʻi for Korean Festival weekend — will battle for a $1,500 grand prize and the championship title. The contest will be followed by a meet-and-greet event for fans.
Follow Huang on Instagram and YouTube.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
