meet the chefs
James Watts
I have loved cooking as far back as I can remember. I was born in Chicago to a large family and we would gather often at my grandmothers to feast. My mother taught me at an early age to make my own scrambled eggs or sausages and rice. I eagerly spent my afternoons in the kitchen attempting to make cakes and muffins. We moved to North Carolina when I was 8 and I quickly fell in love with barbeque and sunday ice cream socials at our neighborhood church. At the age of 18, I was lucky enough to receive a paid internship at The Swag Country Inn with no formal cooking experience. Chef Fray saw something in me and took the time to mentor me in classic french technique. I learned to tend the garden, roast whole pigs, make stocks, and everything in between. Since then, cooking has taken me around the world. I spent six months in New Zealand, a year in Australia, over a decade on Kauai and Maui, and have traveled to over 30 countries. My free time is spent fishing, hiking, kayaking, and enjoying nature with my wife and son. These experiences strengthen my understanding of the connection between the land and the plate. Maui No Ka Oi!
matthew kmak
As an avid diver and spear fisherman I draw inspiration from the sea. I have fished and foraged for wild ingredients since I was a young child a which helped me to win the Maui Wild Food Challenge in 2017. I am an artist and musician and use my creativity to think of new ways to combine ingredients and cooking techniques. I am heavily influenced by Maui’s immigrant fusion cuisine which combines the freshest ingredients with Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, and Hawaiian cooking roots. I have worked alongside Maui’s top chefs and catered some of Maui’s most prestigious events. I coordinated the juicing program for the Andaz Resort and I have been a nutrition and wellness advisor for high allergy clientele. My focus is on clean, healthy cuisine that is locally and sustainably sourced. I might even spear a fish for you!
ASHLEY ARELLANO
