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Jon Matsubara

FEAST by Jon Matsubara - Honolulu, HI

Jon Matsubara has been making his culinary mark throughout Hawaii for the past 20 years, and is currently the Chef/Owner of FEAST, an award winning island style, refined grinds restaurant located in Manoa Valley. FEAST is best known for their FAMOUS Lobster Roll, voted as the Best Lobster Roll on Oahu, Frolic Hawaii.

Named one of the “Top Chefs to Watch” by Modern Luxury Hawaii, Matsubara created the first chef-driven restaurant for Bloomingdale’s as the Executive Culinary Director of their Ala Moana location in 2016.  He was previously the opening Executive Chef of Merriman’s in Honolulu, Chef de Cuisine at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach’s Japengo, and Executive Chef of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel’s Azure, where he was pivotal in helping the restaurant win HONOLULU Magazine’s 2010 Hale Aina Award for “Hawaii’s Best New Restaurant,” the 2010 Ilima Award for “Hawaii’s Best Restaurants Critics Choice” and in 2011 Hale Aina Award for “Oahu’s Best Restaurant Bronze.”  Prior to Azure, Matsubara was an Executive Chef for Stage Restaurant, where he was awarded with 2007 Hale Aina Award for “Best New Restaurant.”

He has been featured at the James Beard House in New York City and on the Food Network, Travel Channel, Zagat and the Today Show.

Matsubara began his culinary career as a dishwasher at Honolulu’s acclaimed Alan Wong’s and Roy’s Restaurant, honed his skills and served as Chef de Partie in the famed New York kitchens of Restaurant Jean Georges, Tabla, Bouley and as Chef de Cuisine of CanoeHouse Restaurant in the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. He attended the French Culinary Institute in New York and graduated with distinctions.

In May 2023, Matsubara beat Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli in both rounds on the Food Network’s show “Alex v. America”.  He is the only chef contestant to beat Iron Chef Guarnaschelli twice!

 

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