A New Renaissance... Hopefully

Almost 20 years ago, a group of a dozen chefs started a culinary movement that has been called Hawaii Regional Cuisine. With an insistence on local, sustainable farming, the use of the hawaiian waters and a desire to show that Hawaii deserves to become a culinary destination, they paved the way for a younger generation of chefs. Chefs such as Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong have become the face of this movement and continue to produce great cuisine. 

I have been fortunate to be able to learn from many of these godfathers of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. They have set such a great foundation for the younger generation to build on and take the local food scene to unprecedented heights. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work in great food cities such as New York and San Francisco, thus being exposed to incredible talent. Chef Tony Liu of Morandi Restaurant is one of the best cooks in New York City having honed his craft at Daniel and Babbo. He has quickly become a rising star in one of the best food cities in the world and he started like many in the kitchen of Roy's Hawaii Kai. Chef Deven Hashimoto is another incredible chef, he being the Chef de Cuisine of Alex Restaurant in Las Vegas. For people who don't know, this establishment holds 2 michelin stars and is considered one of the best in the country. 

The emergence of local talent on the mainland is truly beneficial as is the arrival of a respected restauranteur Hank Adaniya. Many people know him for his "Chicago" style hot dogs, but he ran one of the most innovative and progressive restaurants in the world. He has a knack for fostering and recognizing talent. His arrival has brought positive light to the local food scene and will hopefully push everyone to realize that we haven't reached our potential. 

I have spent the past 4 years working for Chefs Ron Siegel and Thomas Keller. Almost weekly, hawaiian products would be featured on their menus, such as Hearts of Palm, Maui Pineapple and Kona Kampachi. Hawaii truly has first rate ingredients and up and coming talent. Hopefully, these two can meet to produce a new excitement for a progressive regional cuisine. 

The return of talented chefs such as Tony and Devin, coupled with the emergence of homegrown talent will no doubt create a new food renaissance that Hawaii deserves. 

Till then, good eating. 

CK