The (semi)-traditional career path in the culinary world is: culinary school, food prep, line chef, sous chef, leading to eventually head chef for a big restaurant or owning one's own restaurant. This path doesn't always work for people, either by choice or by economic conditions.

On my visit to Oahu last month I was introduced to two local chefs that are making their own way in the Honolulu area food scene. Andrew Le and Mark Noguchi have both worked as chefs at Mavro and Mark at Town as well before leaving to pursue divergent paths. Andrew has been doing a pop-up restaurant called The Pig & The Lady while Mark went to the windward side of the island to take over a small 'deli' and general store on He'eia Pier.

 

(What is a pop-up restaurant? It is another food trend happening mostly in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. That doesn't mean we haven't had them here too. Basically it is a temporary restaurant. Pop-ups happen when a chef is without a restaurant and wants to put together a special menu featured at a temporary location for a few nights. Locally we've had an example with Pajo Bruich when he had been serving out of a commercial kitchen every so often before he moved to Lounge on 20.)