Fete_Best_Chef_Northwest_Pacific

Chef Robynne Maii 

Born and raised in Honolulu, Robynne Maii is the chef and owner of award-winning restaurant Fête in Honolulu’s Chinatown. A proud alumna of Punahou and ‘Iolani School, Robynne pursued modern dance and English at Middlebury College before obtaining culinary and pastry arts degrees at Kapi‘olani Community College. She began her culinary adventure at Kaimuki’s 3660 on the Rise, cooking under Chef Russell Siu and Padovani’s Bistro and Wine Bar, in Waikīkī where she transitioned to full-time pastry cook under Chef Pierre Padovani before leaving to New York for graduate school. After earning her master’s degree in food studies from New York University, Chef Robynne went on to work at Union Pacific and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. Robynne has also worked for Gourmet Magazine, Kitchen Arts & Letters Bookstore and played an integral role in developing and teaching the culinary program at The Art Institute of New York City and CUNY’s Kingsborough Community College. She was named the 2022 James Beard Award Foundation Best Chef for the Northwest and Pacific Region on her first nomination. Robynne is the first Hawai‘i-born recipient to win this award in 19 years and is the first Native Hawaiian woman to win a James Beard Foundation award

 

"We love Hawaiian kanpachi—it is very forgiving and versatile and here at Fête we use it in a variety of ways. When we grill the filets, it makes a stellar sandwich paired with gribiche or a succulent entree served along side Okinawan sweet potato mash, sea asparagus lomi, and chili-lime butter sauce. For the bellies, we salt cure and poach them and then into a “bacalao” style fritter with a harissa dipping sauce. And lastly, kanpachi is terrific raw or seared. It remains one of our favorites! We are so grateful to have access to such a delicious and sustainably-farmed fish!"

-CHEF ROBYNNE MAII

VIEW HAWAIIAN KANPACHI RECIPE