Profiles: Wilhelm "Willy" Pirngruber

Wilhelm "Willy" Pirngruber
Executive chef, Hilton Waikoloa Village

Born: Austria

Culinary background: Apprenticed in Austria; worked in Germany, Switzerland, Mexico, Chile, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Maui and the Big Island.

My style is: "Fusion cooking, melting all my diverse cooking experiences into my own style, which is heavily influenced by Pacific Rim. I love to cook with taro root, fried as a garnish, diced as hash, mixed with mashed potatoes and in a salad with macadamia nuts and coconut."

Favorite food: Chocolate, any way possible

Favorite comfort food: Canned peaches

Favorite cookbook: "The French Laundry" by Thomas Keller

Favorite television cooking show: "Ming Tsai: East Meets West"

Favorite kitchen tool: A blender

When I'm hungry I grab: "Whatever is closest to me, people excluded."

When I'm not working I like to: "Work in the yard, play golf and watch a movie."

When I go out to eat, I like to go to: "Kirin. They have great dim sum."

If I could invite any three people to dinner, I would invite: "John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth, the last Austrian empress."

My dream job in the culinary world is to be: "A corporate chef for a small, exclusive resort company."