The Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Podcast Presented By SilverShark Media

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with Eric Faivre, Executive Chef at Montage Kapalua Bay.  In this podcast Eric talks about his early culinary influences while growing up in France,  his travels that stretched from all over Europe to places like Guam, how he first came to Oahu and then made Maui his home, the importance of building relationships with local farmers, the importance of balance when designing a menu, what goes into the "perfect" meal, and what it has been like leading the culinary team at Montage Kapalua Bay.

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with Naomi Smith, Western Regional Manager for Champagne Laurent-Perrier about the upcoming Kapalua Wine and Food Festival.   In this podcast Naomi talks about her 20 year career in the wine industry,  a brief history of how Champagne first came to be, how it has developed over the years, the innovative ways that Champagne Laurent-Perrier is able to consistently produce top quality bottles, and how Naomi will be leading a few different events this week at the upcoming Kapalua Wine and Food Festival including a cheese pairing with Haleakala Creamery and a lunch tasting at Montage Kapalua Bay. 

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks with Mary Anderson, President and co-owner of Koholā Brewery.  In this podcast Mary talks about her path from Silicon Valley to Koholā, the differences and similarities in running a brewery from her previous work, what it was like to take over in August of 2020, running the brewery while simultaneously working with capacity restrictions, the challenges in getting out of state distribution, their new partnership with Merriman's and Monkeypod restaurants for a new exclusive beer on tap, how that partnership will contribute profits to the Polynesian Voyaging Society, her advice for anyone who has the dream to open a brewery, her favorite beer on tap at Koholā, and how people can keep up with the brewery on social media.  

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with Chef Jeff Scheer.  In this podcast Jeff talks about moving to Maui in 2004 and enrolling at the Maui Culinary Academy, starting a catering company while at MCA, his passion for the farm to table approach, becoming Executive Chef at The Mill House, winning the 2015 Aipono Award for Chef of the Year, how he spent his time during the pandemic, why pizza was a good fit for his new restaurant Marlow that will be opening in Pukalani, what goes into the perfect neapolitan pizza, how he hopes Marlow and Mahalo Aleworks Brewery will complement each other once they open, and his advice for up and coming chefs.  

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with restaurant owner Paris Nabavi.  In this podcast Paris talks about his path growing up in Tehran, moving to Maui in 1989, opening Pizza Paradiso, how he gave employees a pay increase during the pandemic, the challenge he faced keeping his restaurant open in 2020, his extensive support of Maui non profit organizations, what it was like to receive an Aipono Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2015, and his advice for younger chefs and restaurateurs.  

Jason Evans speaks with Kevin O'Brien of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project.  In this podcast Kevin explains what the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is and why it is an important part of the Hawaiian Island chain, the size of the PMNM, the importance of protecting delicate island ecosystems, the types of debris they find on their cleanups, the most recent expedition which collected over 47 tons of marine debris, the challenge of keeping up with the debris that accumulates in these remote areas, how the PMDP began, the logistics that go into setting up these larger expeditions, how people can get involved, and where they can learn more online and via social media.  

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with Dean Wong, the Executive Director of Imua Family Services.   In this podcast Dean talks about the mission for Imua Family Services of assisting children & families to overcome developmental learning challenges in their most critical formative years, the different types of ways the organization helps the local community, the challenges of fundraising for a non profit over the past year during the pandemic, why it's important for non profits to have multiple revenue streams, the decision to purchase the historic Yokouchi Estate in Wailuku for a future classroom and garden, how they pivoted to virtual fundraising, and ways for people to contact and/or support Imua Family Services. 

Diane Woodburn of Maui No Ka Oi Magazine speaks with Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino.  In this podcast Mayor Victorino talks about the state of the Maui economy and how this past year has provided a reset to how we approach certain industries, how he's tried to protect the vulnerability of the local economy over the past year,  why he's implementing the mandatory 2nd test upon arrival,  how they are moving towards a vaccine exemption that would allow fully vaccinated travelers to bypass the pretest and arrival test requirements, how vaccine exemptions may be applied to inter-island travel soon allowing fully vaccinated passengers to bypass the 72 hour pretest for inter-island trips, what it will take to begin loosening capacity restrictions for restaurants and activities, the challenge travelers are facing with rental car shortages, and his hopes for the continued economic recovery of Maui County.   

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks with Kumu Maile Naehu of Ka Hale Hoaka, a new Hawaiʻi-inspired learning environment that explores cultural beliefs, traditions and practices rooted in a Hawaiian perspective.  In this podcast Kumu Maile talks about growing up on Oahu, what it was like to go from attending Kamehameha Schools to the public school system, how she found her connection to Hawaiian culture, how she aims to teach traditional concepts of culture through contemporary mediums, why sustainability is so important on her home island of Moloka'i, what the past year has been like on Moloka'i dealing with the pandemic, how she was inspired to launch virtual classes teaching Hawaiian language and culture, the types of classes that are available for their upcoming series in April, how people from all across the world have been tuning into her virtual programs, and her tips for anyone who might be intimidated trying to learn the Hawaiian language.  

For more information on Ka Hale Hoaka visit:   www.kahalehoaka.com

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media is joined by Waicoco General Manager Justin Eddy and Executive Chef John Taube.  In this podcast Justin and John talk about their career paths in the culinary industry,  the challenges they faced in opening a new restaurant during the pandemic, the approach to designing a menu and atmosphere for an oceanfront location at Westin Maui,  the importance of sourcing local products, building a takeaway / to-go version of the Waicoco menu, how the restaurant will be expanding their menu and hours over the coming weeks, and their goals for the future.