The Splendid Table: Conversations & Recipes For Curious Cooks & Eaters 774: On the Road – Hawaii with Chefs Sheldon Simeon, Ed Kenney, Robynne Maii and More!
Jan 23, 2026
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Hawaii Cuisine Is Layered And Local
- Hawaii cuisine is a layered fusion of original canoe-crop Native Hawaiian food and later immigrant plantation cuisines.
- The cuisine reflects each person's neighborhood, community ties, and shared recipes rather than a single fixed tradition.
The Two-Part Lunch Tin Symbolizes Sharing
- Francis describes receiving two-part lunch tins used on plantations for communal sharing of dishes on top of individual rice portions.
- The tins symbolize the plantation-era culture of sharing across different ethnic lunchers in Hawaii.
From Modern Dance To Community Culinary Training
- Robynne Maii told how she left Middlebury, pivoted from pre-med to modern dance, then found culinary school and community college kitchen training.
- She credits community college culinary programs for practical, debt-free food education and career entry.