The Maui Nō Ka ‘Oi Podcast Presented By SilverShark Media

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Tom Houston, Director of Food & Beverage at the Fairmont Kea Lani.  In this podcast Tom talks about what his role entails, his first introduction to the hospitality industry, his path from Ontario Canada to the Fairmont Kea Lani, starting his new role at Fairmont Kea Lani weeks before the start of the pandemic in 2020, industry innovations and challenges that have resulted from the pandemic, the inspiration for opening a new food truck ('Opihi) on property at the Fairmont Kea Lani, how the beverage trends have evolved over the past few years, details about the upcoming Easter Brunch at Kō, the impact of the late Chef Tylun Pang on Tom, what advice Tom would give those who are interested in the hospitality industry or those who currently work in hospitality and want to work their way up, and how to learn more about Kō and the rest of the Fairmont Kea Lani Food & Beverage operations.   

Diane Woodburn speaks to recently retired Chef / Restaurant Owner Bev Gannon.  In this podcast Bev talks about her decision to retire from the restaurant industry, what it was like opening the restaurant at Hali'imaile General Store in the late 80's, how she navigated the early days of running a restaurant, the challenge of navigating the early stages of the pandemic in 2020, how the effects of the pandemic reinforced her decision to sell her restaurants, how the industry has evolved in the past few years and where she sees changes continuing in the years ahead, how she first started her career in the entertainment industry prior to working in the culinary field, reacting to the recent passing of friend & colleague Mark Ellman, and her advice for chefs trying to work their way up in the restaurant industry.   

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks with John Carty, Vice President and co-founder of the Save Honolua Coalition.  In this podcast John talks about the inspiration behind starting the Save Honolua Coalition, why Honolua is such an sacred place, the original intent for the moorings set up at Honolua Bay for boats, his reaction when he first learned of the yacht that was grounded over the past few weeks, the importance of community involvement to protect natural places, how the response system for an incident like the recent grounded yacht can be improved, the need to have cultural practitioners as part of the decision making process with the county, ways to prevent an incident like this from happening again, his reaction when he saw the boat removed from Honolua Bay, his thoughts on the vessel sinking in the channel, what’s next for the Save Honolua Coalition, and how people can learn more and get involved.  

Diane Woodburn speaks to Raul Bermudez, Executive Chef at the Kula Lodge.  In this podcast Raul talks about being a part of the new management team that has taken over the Kula Lodge, coming to Maui from the Philippines when he was 8 years old, his path working in the restaurant industry on Maui that led him to Kula Lodge, how the restaurant industry on Maui has evolved over the past few decades, his goals for dining options at Kula Lodge, insights on a few of their current menu items, his process in designing a menu, the importance of sourcing local ingredients, the challenge of rising costs for restaurant ingredients, and how his working partnership with new Kula Lodge owner Simon Vojdani has worked so well over the past few decades.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Kumu Kapono'ai Molitau, founder of Native Intelligence.  In this podcast Kapono'ai talks about growing up on Oahu, his early influences, his path to becoming a Kumu Hula, what the role of a Kumu can entail, what it's like participating in Merrie Monarch, how innovations in technology over the years can impact hula, what inspired him to open Native Intelligence in Wailuku, how perseverance was so crucial to get the business up and running, how Native Intelligence works with local practitioners, what it was like navigating the business through the early stages of the pandemic, and how people can learn more about Native Intelligence.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Flip Nicklin, a National Geographic photographer and one of the world's leading photographers of whales.  In this podcast Flip talks about his introduction to the underwater world, the evolution of photography gear from when he started to modern day,  one of the biggest surprises he's witnessed with whale behavior, the conditions that need to be in place to take a good underwater photo, what was one of his most memorable assignments, what makes Maui such a great place to study humpback whales, what inspired him to be part of a team that started the annual Whale Tales event that will be held at The Ritz-Carlton Maui Kapalua this weekend, what people can expect at the event both in person and virtually, and how to find out more about Whale Tales 2023 taking place February 17th-20th.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Executive Chef Lee Anne Wong of Papa'aina at The Pioneer Inn.  In this podcast Lee Anne talks about her path from New York City to Maui, what it was like opening Papa'aina in December of 2019 only to have to temporarily close a few months later due to the pandemic, challenges the restaurant industry is still facing due to the pandemic, how deconstructing costs can help educate customers on menu prices, what led her to the strategy she developed at Papa'aina for grab and go vs brunch options, a silver lining for the industry that developed due to the pandemic, what it's been like winning the Aipono Award for Best Breakfast and being nominated for a James Beard Award, her upcoming participation in Food Network's Tournament of Champions Season 4, additional TV appearances on Food Network and on Magnum PI, her advice to anyone looking to advance in the restaurant industry, and some of her favorite brunch and dinner items that are served at Papa'aina.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Andrew Rogers, the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua.  In this episode Andrew talks about how he started in the hospitality industry, the path that led him from Jamaica to Maui to China and back to Maui, what it's like transitioning as GM from a business hub like Shanghai to the resort destination of Kapalua, what it was like navigating through the early stages of the pandemic, innovations in the industry from the pandemic that will stick around, challenges from the pandemic that the industry is still working through, what went into the recent $100M property transformation, some highlights of new enhancements on property (the club lounge, guest rooms, lobby, dining options), the importance of sustainability improvements for a property, upcoming events (Whale Tales in February, Celebration of the Arts in April, Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in June), and his advice for anyone who wants to advance their career in hospitality.  

Diane Woodburn speaks to Lisa Paulson, Executive Director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association (MHLA).  In this podcast Lisa talks about what the MHLA does, the path that led her from training as an opera singer to Maui, how collaboration is a crucial part of her role, the revenue the MHLA sends back to the county through taxes, the negative impact of illegal vacation rentals, the MHLA commitment to charity programs such as the annual charity walk, the importance of sustainability and conservation for MHLA partners, the goals for the future, and how to learn more about the MHLA.  

Jason Evans of SilverShark Media speaks to Isaac Bancaco, Executive Chef at Pacific'o on the Beach.  In this podcast Isaac talks about his early culinary influences, how he decided to pursue a career in the culinary industry, working with highly regarded chefs like Ming Tsai & Roy Yamaguchi, his experience being on Iron Chef on the Food Network, what brought him back to Maui, the importance of consistency for a restaurant, the process of designing a menu, working with owners Louis Coloumbe and Michele & Qiana DiBari, winning the Aipono Chef of the Year award in 2014, traits he admires in fellow chef of the year winners and peers Kyle Kawakami/Perry Bateman/Jeff Scheer/Sheldon Simeon, working through the industry impacts of the pandemic, and what to expect at Pacific'o including details on a few of his favorite dishes.