2009 MIHF Chef Demos & Recipes

Photo: courtesy of the Made in Hawaii Festival

Chef Demo emcee Derek Kurisu. Photo: courtesy of Made in Hawaii Festival.

Friday, August 21^st

Ronnie Nasuti, Roy's Restaurants

Ronnie Nasuti is the Executive Chef at Roy's Restaurant, Hawaii Kai. He leads a team of 30 plus kitchen staff members and is responsible for executing a regular menu featuring Roy’s signature items as well as a nightly special menu that showcases the many local and Asian flavors and products that continually inspire his quest for new and creative dishes.

His advice to aspiring chefs, “Be sure you love it whole heartedly. If you don’t, you won’t make it. If you do, it will be a more than gratifying experience and career choice.”

Recipe: Grilled Miso Marinated Hawaiian Fish & Waimanalo Sweet Corn Pudding with Dean’s Greens and Hawaiian Honey & Vanilla Vinaigrette.

Dean Okimoto, Nalo Farms

Dean Oklimoto is the owner/president of Nalo Farms.  Today, Nalo Farms supplies approximately 130 restaurants with over 3,000 pounds of their tasty greens each and every week.

“I really believe that if people taste local products side-by-side with mainland stuff, they are able to see the difference. Freshness makes a huge difference to taste.” - Dean Okimoto

Recipe: Grilled Miso Marinated Hawaiian Fish & Waimanalo Sweet Corn Pudding with Dean’s Greens and Hawaiian Honey & Vanilla Vinaigrette.

Patrick Yamaguchi, Big City Diner

Chef Patrick Yamaguchi is the Executive Sous Chef for Big City Diner. A native of Pohnpei Island, Chef Patrick chose to relocate to the Hawaiian Islands in order to attend Hawaii Pacific University. His decision to pursue a career in culinary arts grew out of a love for eating and cooking great food.  Chef Patrick joined the Big City Diner Ohana in 2006, where he supervises both restaurant and catered events as well as the development of new recipe and menu items. Big City Diner is a locally owned and operated restaurant with five locations throughout O‘ahu.

Recipe: Seared Ahi Wrap with Cajun Aioli

Jon Matsubara, Azure

Jon Matsubara joined the culinary team at The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, as the Chef de Cuisine for the new fine dining restaurant, Azure. An award winning Chef, Matsubara most recently was the Executive Chef for the Stage Restaurant.  While at Stage, Matsubara received the Hale ‘Aina Award for Best New Oahu Restaurant, Silver. Chef Matsubara started his culinary career at Roy’s Restaurant, honed his skills as Chef de Cuisine of Canoe House Restaurant in the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel; served as Chef de Partie in the famed New York kitchens of Restaurant Jean Georges, Tabla, Bouley and Honolulu’s acclaimed Alan Wong’s Restaurant.

Recipe: Akolea Smoked Sturgeon, Deviled Peterson Upland Farm Egg, Pickled Kahuku Seaphire

Saturday, August 22^nd

Marc Anthony Freiberg, Mariposa

Chef Marc Anthony Freiberg is the chef de cuisine of Mariposa at Neiman Marcus. With 18 years of experience in Hawaii, Freiberg looks for ways to include tastes sampled from his extensive travels. Using fresh, island-grown products, he adds a unique twist to classic dishes.

"Keeping Mariposa diners coming back for more, with a simple but inventive menu - where Mediterranean influence meets Hawaii regional cuisine - is our goal," says chef Freiberg.

Recipe: Kamuela Tomato Scaled Tilapia, smoked Kauai shrimp potato salad & Lilikoi brown butter

Chai Chaowasaree, Chai's Island Bistro and Singha Thai

Chef Chai is the owner/chef of Chai's Island Bistro and Singha Thai. Chef Chai is one of Hawaii's best known chefs and is the host of a popular TV show "Dining Out with Chef Chai". He is one of the founders of Hawai‘i’s Island Chefs (HIC), an organization devoted to promoting agriculture and aquaculture in Hawai‘i, and a promiment figure in Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine,

Chef Chai opened his first restaurant, Singha Thai Cuisine in Waikiki, 20 years ago. A decade later, he followed with Chai’s Island Bistro at the Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu, which has won a Hale Aina Award in every year since it opened.

Recipe: Fresh Aloun Farms Corn Chowder

Rodney Uyehara, Beachhouse at the Moana

As the Chef de Cuisine in charge of the two Sous Chefs on staff, Uyehara’s responsibilities consist of the management of daily culinary department functions at the restaurant, along with creating menus for holidays and special events. With an infectious smile and optimistic attitude, he works to maintain only the highest quality cuisine for the Beachhouse at the Moana. Born and raised in Hawaii, Chef Uyehara always finds the best locally grown products to bring from the farm to the table.

As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Chef Uyehara has nearly two decades of kitchen operational management experience. He has been the executive chef at local restaurants Bistro at Century Center, Chai’s Island Bistro and Cascada restaurant.

Recipe: Stuffed chicken breast with a Hamakua Mushroom risotto

Ed Kenney, TOWN and Downtown

Chef/Owner Kenney of TOWN sold all of his worldly possessions after a successful six-year stint in the commercial real estate field, and embarked on a year-long globetrotting adventure that resulted in a realization over a bowl of pho in Hanoi about the profound manner in which food unifies people and his desire to play a role in doing so.

Following his philosophy of “Local first, organic whenever possible, and with aloha always”, Chef Kenney’s guests can dine with confidence that what is on their plates is the freshest product available and handled with love.

Recipe: Kulana beef chuck roll (recipe unavailable online)

Sunday, August 23^rd

Ryan Loo, Twist at Hanohano

Executive Chef Ryan Loo has brought Twist at Hanohano to new culinary heights with his innovative cooking concepts of bringing the farm to the table. A native Hawaiian, Loo was honored in 2002 as the regional recipient of the Commis de Cuisine award in the Chaine des Rotisseurs professional cooking competition in Hawaii.

Loo’s career with Starwood began in 1999 at The Royal Hawaiian hotel. Loo also worked with Hoku’s at The Kahala and held an apprenticeship at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. In 2007, he joined Hanohano Room as sous chef, which lead to his ascent as executive chef at Twist.

Recipe: SOUP & SALAD - Kona Lobster and hearts of palm bisque  and a Lehua honey glazed Waimanalo beets, Maui surfing goat cheese, Baby arugala, Ka’u oranges, and peppered mac nuts salad

Elmer Guzman, Poke Stop

Elmer Guzman is the Chef/Owner of two Poke Stop restaurants and thriving catering business on the island of O‘ahu. Chef Guzman, born and raised on the island of Maui, gained real world “hands-on” experience in the kitchens of fellow master chefs Alan Wong, Emeril Lagasse, Sam Choy and at the Greenbrier—one of world’s most difficult and prestigious culinary programs. Chef Guzman is equally comfortable in a fine dining setting as he is prepping local-style comfort food for his growing fan base.

Recipe: Pork cracklings & Foil wrapped mahi with shrimp and anchovy garlic butter