By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Columnist

There was a time not too long ago when most of the chefs at the big hotels in Waikiki were European. Now, between the huge Sheraton Waikiki and sister hotel Royal Hawaiian, there are five locally born, raised and schooled chefs. The difference, they say, has to do with the increasing strength of the Culinary Arts program at Kapi'olani Community College (all five are graduates of KCC) and the growing number of Hawai'i food growers and products.

Brooke Tadena is the executive sous chef at the Hanohano Room at the Sheraton. Long before he was coming up with menu items like ahi carpaccio with wasabi tobiko in tartar, Brooke was a McKinley High student washing dishes at Zippy's.

Dwight Yoshioka grew up helping with his dad's restaurant on Kaua'i, the venerable Mike's Cafe that used to be in Hanapepe. Yoshioka is now executive sous chef in charge of banquets for the Sheraton. He can plan meals for hundreds, even thousands, but swears he can't cook for just one person. "No can," he says. "By the time I pau, the pot is this high already!" He indicates a very large pot with his hand. "When I cook at home, always gotta' throw 'em in the freezer!"

Curtis Ogata is executive sous chef at the Ocean Terrace at the Sheraton. He started out washing pots and pans and cleaning vegetables in the kitchen at St. Francis Hospital. "When I talk to kids at career day, I tell them this is a good choice because you're surrounded by food. You'll never starve," he says.

Alfred Cabacungan is executive sous chef at the Royal Hawaiian. He is readying a menu to present to the James Beard House Foundation this summer, and asked his dad, who was for many years a chef at the old Kaua'i Surf, to critique his dishes. "Never again!" he says, laughing. Dad takes the role of food critic very seriously.

Warren Uchida, executive sous chef for the Surf Room at the Royal Hawaiian, first studied to be a jazz guitarist. He went to KCC later in life and was classmates with Yoshioka. "I was 18 at the time, and I remember looking at Warren and thinking, 'Wow, get the old guys in our class!' Nah, Warren. Nah."

The five don't have much time to get together. "Warren works 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Yoshioka says. "The rest of us, it's only 9 a.m. to 9 p.m." The good thing about working so many hours is that they have a ready excuse not to cook for family parties. "I tell them, 'Sorry, I gotta' work night time,' " Tadena says. When friends and family ask for a special dish, Uchida says, "We just take it from here... nah, nah, nah!"

They do cook at home, but "mostly comfort food," Ogata says. "Yeah, like saimin and tuna sandwich," says Yoshioka of the only things he knows how to make small.

The old-style principles of the European chefs are still in place. "Fundamentally, it's still the same," Yoshioka says. "But we're local boys. We put patis in everything." Cabacungan says, "Beer, too."

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.