Flavors Unknown

French-Japanese Influence in Honolulu, by Chris Kajioka

Chef Chris Kajioka

In today’s episode, I talk to Honolulu native, Chef Chris Kajioka. His French-Japanese inspired restaurant Miro Kaimuki and his more casual concept Papa Kurt’s have quickly become popular local institutions in Hawaii.
You’ll hear him share his passion for Japan, his experience attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and what it was like coming up next to some of the greatest chefs in the business. He shares his unique Japanese-Hawaiian culinary influences and reveals his favorite food spots in Honolulu.
Listen to my conversattion with chef Chris Kajioka on Apple Podcasts here!
Listen to my conversattion with chef Chris Kajioka on Spotify here!

What we learned from chef Chris Kajioka

Where the name Miro Kaimuki originated (3:11)
The concept behind the menu (4:49)
His experience in culinary school (5:56)
Why the discipline at CIA was good for him (7:37)
Why he prefers to hire cooks with no experience (9:03)
What it’s like to work with Thomas Keller (10:57)
The important role Roy Yamaguchi played in his career (13:22)
The city he can’t stop returning to (18:08)
The Japanese influences in his food (18:28)
The flavors he’s infusing with his Dashi (19:39)
Why the menu at Miro is vague (21:51)
Where to find the “best” bread in the country (22:55)
A peek into his creative process (24:14)
What makes Hawaiian food stand out (25:55)
Why ingredients matter (26:47)
Why technique wins over creativity (27:20)
The list that shaped his career (30:29)
What longevity can teach you (31:26)
The challenges he faced during the pandemic (33:33)
Where the name Papa Kurt’s comes from (35:33)
The secret ingredient that gives their mayo a punch of flavor (38:05)
A restaurant tour of Honolulu (38:58)
His kitchen pet peeve (43:24)
A goal he’s aiming for one day (44:08)
Series of rapid-fire questions.
Link to the podcast episode on Apple Podcast

Links to other episodes in Hawaii

Interview with chef Sheldon Simeon

Conversation with chef Roy Yamaguchi

Conversation with chef Jean-Marie Josselin in Kauai

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The older I get, the more I’m inspired by Japan. I'm Japanese and I've been traveling there now off and on for about eight years, pretty religiously. 

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I always think that the only time that you really grow is when you're uncomfortable. 

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I hire on attitude. And that's pretty much it. We can teach people the basics, we can teach them skills. You can't teach a good attitude. 

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The way we print our menu is very vague. Normally we just state a protein and a few flavor profiles. It doesn't lock us into a specific ingredient necessarily. If a farmer grows only so much, then that's what we'll use, and then we'll change it. That flexibility is really what has made the restaurant a little bit more dynamic. 

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If you don't start with good ingredients, no matter what you do to it, it's not going to work out. 

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This generation wants instant gratification. They want to work in five different places in five years, and then open their own restaurant when they're 26. You're building a resume, but you're not really becoming a good cook.

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