Chef Sheldon Simeon is as passionate about music as he is about bringing Hawaiian food to a new generation. On the Season 2 premiere episode of The Shift List podcast, Chef Sheldon revealed that if he could do anything other than be a chef, it would be a ukulele player.

“My cooking’s heavily inspired by music, for sure,” Simeon said on the podcast. “Like a song, food can tell a story, and that’s what I’m trying to do. With my food, I’m just trying to tell the story of Hawai’i, on the level of Ka’au Crater Boys,” he adds, laughing. “The greatest (Hawaiian) band ever!”

Chef Sheldon Simeon’s Shift List:

Ka’au Crater Boys - “On Fire”

Ka’au Crater Boys - “Brown Eyed Girl”

Ka’au Crater Boys - “Are You Missing Me”

Ka’ikena Scanlan - “Smoke All Day”

Ka’ikena Scanlan - “Utu Bang Bang”

The Green - “Good One”

The Green - “All I Need”

Ledward Kaapana - “Radio Hula”

Cultura Profetica - “La Complicidad”

Three Plus - “Who the Cap Fit”

Content to jam on the ukulele with friends in his spare time, Sheldon came to prominence on the mainland when he competed in the 10th season of “Top Chef: Seattle,” making it to the finals, and winning Fan Favorite. He returned to the show again in 2017 for season 14 of “Top Chef in Charleston,” once again winning Fan Favorite.

In 2016, Sheldon opened his very first solo restaurant, Tin Roof, in Kahului, Maui, where he serves up local dishes in take-out bowls, and last summer he opened Lineage, a full service concept for dinner that brings his interpretation of family-style dishes typical of a Hawaiian luau.