Culinary
TREASURE Chef Alan Wong words KRYSTAL KAKIMOTO
Listening to Chef Alan Wong talk about his memories of growing up the son of a single mom and remembering his days working on the pineapple plantation, you get lost in the fact that you are speaking with one of the most highly decorated chefs and one of the strongest advocates for local and sustainable culinary practices in Hawai‘i. Born in Tokyo and brought to Hawai‘i at age five, his mom moved his sister and him to Hawai‘i so her children could receive an American education and a chance at the “American dream.” Little could she have known that her son would one day apprentice at the illustrious Greenbrier Hotel, become a James Beard award-winning chef, be the guy who cooked a lū‘au at the White House, and play a major role in the Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine movement that ultimately changed the way Hawai‘i eats.
59