Chef Roy Yamaguchi: Creating Exquisite Cuisine, Culture & Community

Extraordinary Ordinary People

On today’s episode, Andy shares with us the honor of sitting down with renowned Chef Roy Yamaguchi, as he shares his story. Chef Roy shares his experiences from coming to the United States for the first time to attend culinary school, starting his first restaurant in Los Angeles, and finally creating Roy’s in Hawaii.

Listen in as Roy shares with Andy, as well as the rest of us, his passion, his mission, and his hopes for the future.

Show Highlights:

• How HomeEc sparked Roy’s culinary path
• The moment he decided to commit to cooking and pursue Culinary school in America
• Roy shares his first experience of New York compared to living in Japan
• The reason Roy went with his gut on opening his restaurant in Hawaii, when everyone told him not to
• What Roy took away from Cheers and the influence that played in creating his restaurant
• Roy shares the value of having a team and the importance of everyone having a voice
• Why sometimes you’ve got to let ideas marinate
• The difference in what makes a great Chef versus what makes a great Cook
• How social media has helped Roy personalize his guests’ dining experience
• How Roy manages to balance his work and personal life

Resources:

Roy Yamaguchi

Roy's Story

Roy's Fish & Seafood Cookbook

Roy's Feasts from Hawaii Cookbook

Roy's Hawaii Cooks Cookbook

Roy's Twitter

Roy's Facebook