Podcast Episode

Jean-Marie Josselin – Made in Kauai

Chef Jean Marie Josseling at JO2 in Kapaa Kauai

“At one point I had a lot of restaurants. I had six or seven restaurants. When I sold everything I decided to go on a trip. When I came back two or three years later and decided to open another restaurant not much changes happened while I was away. It almost felt that the “Hawaiian Regional Cuisine”, the movement that we started 20 years ago stopped and really the progress that we made stopped and there was nothing else. So my first step was to meet with farmers and I met with some very young farmers. I did all the farmers market on Kauai. And every time I saw a new guy I approached him and invited him to the restaurant and I started to build a network of farmers that wanted to work with me to try new vegetables.“

What we covered in this episode

  • Chef Jean-Marie Josselin has more than 30 year of cooking experience. Cooking is his life. His passion.
  • Importance of coaching and teaching the new generation of chefs.
  • The new generation of chefs sometimes doesn't realize the time it takes to become a chef.
  • Some are very creative but they lack in depth and believe that the profession is easy.
  • Chef Jean Marie Josselin compare the systems in place to become a Chef between France, Japan, and the US.
  •  He mentions how much the country (USA) has changed in the almost 40 years that he lived here when it comes to cooking and restaurants.
  • In this business trends change every five years or so. It is important to stay open-minded and try new cuisines.
  • Establish a library of new flavors where you can build up new ideas new dishes and keep your your mind being creative.
  • France is so rooted in tradition that sometimes it's difficult for a young chef to get out of that.
  • JO2 is focused on natural cuisine. Chef Josselin desire is to evolve the restaurant into a vegetarian restaurant.
  • In Hawaii the prices for fish and meat are going to be very high in the future that it make sense to focus on vegetable dishes.
  • The restaurant JO2 has 38 dishes on the menu and 50% is vegetarian. And in the other dishes with fish or meat, the vegetable component is very important.
  • Chef explains how his quest for milk to make his own cheese led him to the Hindu monastery in Kapaa, Kauai.
  • He believes that chefs are going to be almost like doctors in the future . They will have to provide food to people that is  nutritiously interesting so people can go to a restaurant and experience vegetable like they experience meat today.
  • He used to have 6 to 7 restaurants. One day he sold them and went on a trip to Asia (Japan, China, India) and South America (especially Peru).
  • When he came back he started to establish his network with the local farmers in Kauai.
  • They worked with the University of Hawaii and brought new seeds to create a vegetable garden he can buy from.
  • The natural elements in Kauai are tough to grow vegetables in a consistent manner.
  • He really want everything to be as natural as possible. His goal  is to come up with a food and a cuisine that would be the matrix for new chefs to come in and replicate it.
  • Chef talks about his experiences in Japan, China and Peru.
  • Key ingredients for him are: Kaffir Lime, Lemongrass and Coconut Milk.
  • He is currently exploring Indian spices.
  • 5 rapid-fire questions!

Links to other episodes in Hawaii

Chef Roy Yamaguchi – Roy's

Subscribe to Podcast

Download your FREE itinerary ​

No need to go through the hassle of searching in Google Maps for each locations mentioned in this episode. We have done it for you!

Planing a trip to Kauai? aLooking for the best places to discover delicious local food? Just bring this one pager with you!

CLICK HERE to download you free pdf. Easy!     

Click here

Chef Jean Marie Josselin new cooking's philosophy.

“I believe that chefs are going to be almost like doctors in the future . They will have to provide food to people that is nutritiously interesting so people can go to a restaurant and experience vegetable like they experience meat or fish today.

How can I evolve into a vegetarian restaurant or a restaurant that is much more vegetable focused without killing my business because I still have to survive.  People still don't want 100% vegetarian dishes. How can I mix the two to start building clientele that one day I can become just a vegetarian restaurant”

Chef Jean Marie Josselin
JO2 Kauai Seafood Combo
JO2 Kauai Seafood Combo
JO2 Kauai Seafood Combo 3
JO2 Kauai
JO2 Kauai veggies
JO2 Kauai Braised Waygu Beef Cheeks
Kapaa Kauai

Click to tweet

JM Josselin – At the end of the day, it's a commitment, it’s love for the work, and for the job. And if you don't have that, then you cannot succeed in this business.

Click To Tweet

Everybody should remember to stay open-minded and not be afraid to try different cuisines and establish a library of ideas where you can build up new dishes from and keep your mind creative – JM Josselin

Click To Tweet

JM Josselin – I am working on Indian spices now. Nobody uses spices like they do. Garam masala, Cumin and Mustard Seed. Indian food will come up in the next few years

Click To Tweet

Social media

JO2

Instagram Facebook

Links mentioned in this episode

JO2 website

Subscribe to Podcast
Emmanuel

Share
Published by
Emmanuel
Tags: coconut milkHawaiiJapanJO2kaffir limeKauainatural foodvegetable
6 years ago

Recent Posts

Dinara Kasko: Redefining Pastry with 3D Art

In this episode of Flavors Unknown, host Emmanuel Laroche sits down with Dinara Kasko, the…

5 days ago

Nancy Silverton: Culinary Icon on Cooking and Travel

In today’s episode of Flavors Unknown, I’m delighted to sit down with the iconic Nancy…

3 weeks ago

Top Chef Winner Danny Garcia on Leadership and Legacy

Today on Flavors Unknown, I’m sitting down with Chef Danny Garcia, the Top Chef Season…

1 month ago

Robbie Felice Talks Wafu Italian and His NJ Restaurants

In this episode of Flavors Unknown, I sit down with Chef Robbie Felice, the New Jersey-based…

2 months ago

Shota Nakajima Talks Top Chef, Taku, and Japanese Food

In this episode of Flavors Unknown, we sit down with Chef Shota Nakajima, the culinary…

2 months ago

AI in Kitchens: James Passafaro and Opsi.io Lead the Way

In this episode, I’m joined by Chef James Passafaro, co-owner of the revolutionary app Opsi.io,…

2 months ago

This website uses cookies.