Chef Robynne Mai‘i of the Honolulu restaurant Fete on Monday was named the 2022 James Beard Award winner for the “Best Chef — Northwest and Pacific” category, becoming the first woman of Hawaiian ancestry to win the honor.
The win puts Mai‘i in the limited company of chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong and George Mavrothalassitis. The last Hawaii chef to claim a James Beard trophy was Mavrothalassitis, in 2003.
Born and raised in Honolulu, the 1992 graduate of ‘Iolani School is considered a pioneer in the male-dominated culinary industry, as the chef and owner of Fete, located in Chinatown, as well as the new Waikiki restaurant Heyday, at the White Sands Hotel.
Also nominated as a finalist in the award category was chef Sheldon Simeon of Tin Roof on Maui.
The mission of the renowned James Beard Awards is to “recognize exceptional talent and achievement in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive,” according to the program’s website. The award’s “Northwest and Pacific” region also covers Alaska, Oregon and Washington.
Mai‘i earned her culinary and pastry arts degree from Kapiolani Community College and a master’s degree in food studies from New York University. She trained at 3660 on the Rise and Padovani’s Bistro on Oahu, as well as Union Pacific and the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, according to a news release.
Mai‘i also worked for Gourmet magazine and City University of New York, according to the Fete website, and has been a cookbook judge for the James Beard Foundation Awards since 2004.
