The cuisine of Hawaii incorporates five distinct styles of food, reflecting the diverse food history of settlement and immigration in the Hawaiian Islands.
Roy Yamaguchi is a Japanese-American celebrity chef, restaurateur, and founder of a collection of restaurants, including 30 Roy's Restaurants in the United States and Guam, the Tavern by Roy Yamaguchi and Eating House 1849. He is one of the founding members of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement.
Rick Bayless is an American chef and restaurateur who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine with modern interpretations. He is widely known for his PBS series Mexico: One Plate at a Time. Among his various accolades are a Michelin star, the title of Top Chef Masters, and seven James Beard Awards.
Spam musubi is a snack and lunch food composed of a slice of grilled Spam sandwiched either in between or on top of a block of rice, wrapped together with nori in the tradition of Japanese onigiri.
Poke is a dish of diced raw fish tossed in sauce and served either as an appetizer or a main course.
Sam Choy Sr. is an American chef, restaurateur, and television personality known as a founding contributor of Pacific Rim cuisine. Sam sold his Kai Lani restaurant on Big island 2 years ago per an employee in late September 2023, and in October 2023 they announced it was permanently closing.
George Mavrothalassitis is a chef and restaurateur known as one of the cofounders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine in the early 1990s. Mavrothalassitis is particularly known for individual pairings of wines with each dish in a multicourse meal.
Hubert Keller is a noted French chef, who is known for his signature restaurants, Fleur de Lys in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Blossoming Lotus is a counter-service vegan restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It was founded in Kapa'a, Hawaii, in 2002. At its peak the company had three restaurants, but now only operates in Portland at 2 locations, a Northeast Restaurant, and a Northwest Cafe and Juice Bar.
Roy's is an upscale American restaurant that specializes in Hawaiian and Japanese fusion cuisine, with a focus on sushi, seafood and steak. The chain was founded by James Beard Foundation Award Winner Roy Yamaguchi in 1988 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The concept was well received among critics upon inception. The concept has grown to include 21 Roy's restaurants in the continental United States, six in Hawaii, one in Japan and one in Guam.
Matsugen is the name of several Japanese restaurants owned by the Matsushita brothers located in Tokyo, Hawaii, and New York City. The New York Matsugen is co-owned by the Matsushita brothers and Jean-Georges, and received three stars from the New York Times.
Hale Aina Awards are Honolulu Magazine's annual dining awards. The Hale Aina Awards are voted on by magazine readers and subscribers and published annually in the January issue of Honolulu.
Daniel Patterson is an American chef, restaurateur, and food writer, considered a leading proponent of California cuisine.
Peter Merriman is a chef, restaurateur and one of the 12 founding chefs of Hawaii regional cuisine. In 2011, he and the other Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs were inducted to the Hawaii Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.
Canlis is a fine dining restaurant serving New American and Pacific Northwest cuisine in Seattle, Washington. Situated in the Queen Anne neighborhood, the restaurant has views of Gas Works Park and the Cascade Mountains. It was built by Peter Canlis in 1950, and remains family-owned. The restaurant currently employs over 100 people.
Bev Gannon is a Hawaiian cuisine chef, restaurateur and author. She is one of the dozen chefs credited with the development of Hawaii regional cuisine in the 1990s. Her restaurants on Maui include Hali'imaile General Store, Joe's Bar & Grill, and Gannon's. Several of her cookbooks have been published.
Mark Ellman died February 26, 2023, was a Hawaii-based restaurant chef. His first Hawaiian restaurant, Avalon, is on Maui; he became its owner in 1991. By 2011 he had sold that restaurant, and had founded or purchased into several other similar establishments.
Shep E. Gordon is an American talent manager, Hollywood film agent, and producer. Gordon is featured in a 2013 documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, which was directed by Mike Myers.
Australian Chinese cuisine is a style of cooking developed by Australians of Chinese descent, who adapted dishes to satisfy local Anglo-Celtic tastes. Its roots can be traced to indentured Chinese who were brought to work as cooks in country pubs and sheep stations.
