Episode 144 STEPHEN KINA ( BBQ Pitmaster & owner 406 BBQ )

Imagine taking traditional Hawaiian flavors, combining them with southern-style barbecue techniques, and adding a dash of fearless culinary creativity. That's what Stephan Kina brings to the table every day as a Hawaiian-born pit master who's making waves from his unexpected home base in Montana.

Stephen's story is one of transformation and discovery. Though his father was an executive chef, he didn't start cooking himself until just five years ago. With no formal culinary training to constrain his imagination, he's pioneered dishes that culinary traditionalists never dreamed possible—oxtail laulau, palusami with brisket, miso chimichurri, and even mountain lion manapua. His content has exploded on social media, where Hawaii locals have embraced his innovative take on familiar flavors.

The conversation takes us from Stephen's initial challenges winning over skeptical Montana customers to his triumph cooking for the Kentucky Derby, where he prepared 275 briskets and introduced mainland palates to flavors like guava barbecue sauce with li hing mui. We explore his methods for cooking exotic meats, from alligator to mountain lion, and the creative ways he sources hard-to-find Hawaiian ingredients in the continental U.S. Beyond technique, Stephen shares his philosophy of cooking without boundaries: "It's important to honor traditions of the past, but if you want culture and food to grow, you gotta push it forward."

For Hawaii food enthusiasts, there's exciting news—Stephan is bringing his culinary magic home for a special pop-up at Whiskey Smoke in Kaneohe on May 3rd. Don't miss this chance to experience fusion cuisine that's redefining what's possible when Hawaiian soul meets open-fire cooking expertise. Follow @406_BBQ on Instagram to witness culinary boundaries being broken daily.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:08):
okay, welcome to another edition of the above the
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Aloha Okay, this week on myshow.
I'm more than excited for thisguest.

(02:16):
I've been a fan of hisInstagram since I seen it
started following it.
He's a barbecue chef that livesin Montana, but he's locally
born and raised.
Stephan Kino.
What's up, man?
Thank you for coming on my show.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yeah, thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (02:34):
I said your name correct, right.

Speaker 1 (02:36):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Stephan.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Okay, okay.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
You call me Steph, everyone calls me Steph.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
I'm a little disappointed you're not just in
your apron showing the guns, butit's all good.
I appreciate you taking timeout of your day.
I know it's later on and youlive in Montana, correct.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, yeah, so we're four hours ahead now.
Okay Time change.
Okay Time changed so.

Speaker 2 (03:03):
So the only thing I know of Montana, which probably
like most local people here, isI watch Yellowstone.
That's about it.
How did you end?

Speaker 1 (03:15):
up in Montana.
I was living in the Bay Areaactually, and then COVID hit.
And then, you know, the ruleswere so strict that I told my
wife we have to move.
Um, and we had visited montana,uh, the year before, um, you
know it was cool.
But then we got, you know, uh,we got um, what's it called?

(03:36):
We got like promotions for ourjobs in the bay.
So then we couldn't movebecause, you know, the money was
too good.
But but once COVID hit, we werelike no, we got to go.
And so we came here.
You know, we really didn't knowmuch about it, but we just took
a chance, you know, took a leapof faith.

Speaker 2 (03:52):
Oh, OK, I mean it's a beautiful place from what I've
seen and heard about.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Yeah, it's beautiful but it's cold, Like most of our
winters is, like you know, six,seven months and we got like
three nice months, three to fournice months of the year.
Oh wow yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
So you're oh wait, first thing you're from, you
were in the Bay.
You're a Niners fan.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
I was cheering.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
Yeah, my dad.
Actually he worked at SantaClara Marriott, so the 49ers
would stay there every home gamebecause it's right across Santa
Clara Stadium.
So, he would cook for them andstuff.
Oh, wow, yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
So you have local roots, though, here in Hawaii.

Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, you know, I was born and raised on Oahu.
I went to Moanalua MiddleSchool, high School and then a
little bit UH until I moved, youknow, to the mainland after
that.

Speaker 2 (04:53):
Oh, wow, okay, that's kind of cool.
My mom used to be the viceprincipal at Moanalua High
School.

Speaker 1 (05:01):
Oh yeah.
Yeah, mrs Park, I don't know ifthat was, I was my.
I graduated six.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
I don't know oh okay, yeah, it might have been before
that, yeah, but so I have somemoanalua ties they have a good
team right now, but oh yeah,I've seen that yeah, so you
started your love for cookinghere on Oahu.

Speaker 1 (05:25):
No, actually I was too lazy to cook in Hawaii, you
know, like I've been too lazy tomicrowave my food Like which is
funny because my dad is theexecutive chef.
He was at JW Marriott Ihilani.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Oh, wow.

Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yeah, so my dad has a huge culinary career, you know.
But for me, my mom didn't wantme to cook, so he didn't teach
me.
So my ties to the culinaryworld I didn't have any, you
know.
So, yeah, I really only startedcooking like four years ago,
like almost five years ago, 2020.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh wow, and you developed your passion
immediately, or kind of was justyou was missing hawaii food, so
it's like I gotta cook thisstuff no, yeah, it's, you know
it's a.

Speaker 1 (06:13):
It's a crazy thing because I didn't even take a
culinary route.
I took the barbecue, likesouthern style barbecue, um, you
know, because in hawaii wedon't have that, you know, when
we were growing up, um, yeah,but recently there's, you know
some.
You know, like whiskey, inHawaii we don't have that, you
know, when we were growing up,um, yeah, but recently there's,
you know some, you know, likewhiskey, smoke and stuff, um,
coming up now, but before that Ididn't even know what brisket
was until, you know, I startedto learn about barbecue, which

(06:34):
is crazy because I think that'sa lot of the case back in the
day, for for for us local people, um, so it was really just
traditional southern stylebarbecue and that's why I fell
in love with it.
And then that's the kind ofskills I was trying to teach
myself, um, when I first wasgetting into it oh wow.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well, you develop a way of doing your local recipes,
incorporating with um kind ofmainland style barbecue which
you just talked about.
The transition from that inMontana must have been crazy,
because nobody there, I assume,understands Asian or local

(07:15):
Hawaii flavors.
How did it cross over?

Speaker 1 (07:28):
um, you know, first we established I, as you know,
first I established myself, asyou know the barbecue spot in,
you know, montana.
Um, and I think from there, asI continue to grow, you know, in
being a pit master and myculinary skills, then I could
start to introduce these otherflavors, you know, and we mainly
run a food truck before.
So, you know, I kept the menupretty simple.

(07:49):
Um, we would do like an asianfusion rice bowl, so I would do
like brisket, smoked brisket onrice.
Do a sriracha mayo, uh, housesriracha mayo with some pickled
veggies, you know, and that'sstuff that they didn't used to.
But they yeah, and I put thefusion in there just to draw
them in, because they like thatword fusion you know that's a,

(08:11):
that's a good eye catcher, yeahyeah, just fusion.
They're like oh, yeah, you know,uh, and, and so then I started
to introduce flavors and and,really, like I wasn't
incorporating Hawaiian flavorsand Asian flavors until last
year, oh wow, yeah, you knowit's.

(08:32):
It's just kind of been a growthfor myself as you know,
somebody that works with foodand flavors I just started to
kind of draw back on top all thelocal flavors and stuff that I
grew up with, you know.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
So what people do as their form of art, like one of

(09:09):
my best friends, dj hoppa boyand he, how he perceives music
is art and how he plays, howpeople draw or whatever, but
cooking is is is a huge art form, in my opinion.
And to create flavors and to todo stuff that people like, that
transcends uh, generations andalso um cultures like to be in

(09:33):
Montana, I would assume it'sjust like a big sea of white
people and to incorporate whatyou're doing can, can hit
because it tastes good, likegood food, can transcend
anything.
It can make people happy.
It's just something.
All they got to do is bewilling to try it, and once they

(09:56):
try it, then it's the.
It's that.
That's the technique.
But how easy was it for you toget people to try it?
Or you just kind of startedmixing it in with what you were
originally doing?

Speaker 1 (10:09):
you know, I, when, originally, when we first
started, you know, I faced a lotof, uh, stereotype, stereotypes
, uh, you know, some adversity.
Because you know, here I am inmontana, like you says, you know
, all like white people, and butI'm trying to sell Southern
barbecue, and so it would lookat me and they would be hesitant

(10:32):
, you know, or they would comeup to my tent and then they
would start talking to you know,my friend, who was, you know, a
tall white guy, asking himquestions, you know, and my
friend goes well, I'm not theowner, like you know, talk to
him, you know.
And and my friend goes well,I'm not the owner, like you know
, talk to him, you know.
And so it was.
It's pretty difficult at first.
Yeah, because I'm trying tolike, how do I win them over?

(10:52):
I know my food is good, youknow, and and that's what you're
saying like, just win them overwith food.
And I think that's how you knowI've, that's how we became very
popular here, not only from thelord blessing, but that I
started winning them over withmy flavors and my flavor
profiles.
Um, and then, you know, once wewere established and I started

(11:13):
introducing them to, you knowthe agents.
I mean I do whole alligators.
You know I cook a wholealligators here, uh and you know
that's also something different, but it's also something that
they haven't seen before, and sokind of what.
I started to build my businesson doing things that nobody's
seen before or tasted before.

Speaker 2 (11:34):
Yeah, it's totally outside the box.
Honestly, your food and flavorsare outside the box for local
cuisine.
That palusame lau, like I would.
I wouldn't even understandwhere that came from.
Like how would you just eventhink to, oh, I'm gonna try this
.
Like like, a lot of your dishesare like that, like I'm you had

(11:56):
a spam waffle and that I showmy fiance that I'm like, babe,
we gotta try this.
Like this looks good, and she'show does he think of that?
I'm like babe, we got to trythis.
Like this looks good.
And she's how does he think ofthat?

Speaker 1 (12:06):
I'm like I don't know .
But I'm going to ask him.
Yeah, like you know, I have,and it just it's.
And I tell my wife and peoplethis is it's because I don't
have a culinary background, so Idon't have a box that I try to
work in.
Oh you don't't that makes sensethat even for, you know, texas

(12:27):
style barbecue, like when you'retrained like as a pit master,
this is it right, these are theflavors you use.
You don't go outside that box.
But because I have nobackground in any, any of those
things, like the sky's the limitfor me, you know.
And so my approach when I lookat a dish is not the traditional
way I I try to view dish is notthe traditional way.
I try to view it in another way, like an outside view type, you

(12:49):
know, from another angle, evenwhen we do prepare it or cook it
.
You know how can I do it in away that, you know, I put a show
on, because a lot of stuff weused to do before was, uh, for
public events.
So I would have my bigargentina open fire grill and
I'm, and I'm utilizing the wholespace putting on a show for all

(13:10):
the people, um, and so now what?
As I'm a content creator, that'show I think of things.
Like you know, people are like,hey, try this, palo sami.
And I was like what is thatvoice?
You know it's like the coconutmilk, corned beef, and you know,
uh, potatoes, just, you knowstuff like that.
And I was like, oh, why can't Iput oxtail?
Or why can't you do brisket?

(13:31):
You know like, why is it justthis?
Because there's differenttechniques, you know, and so,
and that's how I kind of dothings.
I'm like, well, why can't I dothis or this?
Um, the first thought I thinkof for a dish, I'm like, well,
that's what everyone wouldprobably do.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
So let me think of something different that's super
cool, and I was gonna bring upthat oxtail lau lau too, because
, bro, I gotta stop watchingyour content at work because I
lose it.
Bro, I'm thinking like I'mshowing my co-workers look at
this like this guy made anoxtail lau lao Bro some of your

(14:04):
stuff just blows me away.
But I feel like how come nobodyelse has never thought of it,
Because it seems like it wouldwork and I'm thinking I wish
this guy was still in Hawaii,because I'd be at his restaurant
every week.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, like, and that's the thing too, right,
because first, when I startedoff, it was just traditional.
And then I'm like, okay, how canI blend Asian flavors with?
You know, southern barbecue, andand now that I'm continuing to
grow and you know, kind ofreaching back into my local
culture you know being in Hawaiiand you know Japanese I'm like,

(14:42):
well, how can I introduce Texasstyle to like Hawaiian cuisine,
hawaiian cuisine, you know,especially like Laola, why is it
so one dimensional?
Yeah, there's so much flavorprofiles that you can do to it,
and you know there's alwaysthose people, those
traditionalists, that are like,well, you know it, this is the

(15:04):
way you can't do that, you know,and there's some of them in my
comments.
But like, and I and I pointedit out too like you know, it's
important to honor thetraditions of the past, but if
you want culture and food togrow, you gotta like, push, push
it forward and do new things.
And and so I think that's beenone of the biggest blessings for

(15:26):
me that I was able to reconnectwith you know Hawaii, with
local people from Hawaii,because I my dishes before, if
you look back, they're, they'restill.
I was still trying to find myway like yeah, kind of what
focus area?
um, and then once my my videoskind of hit in hawaii, like then
I my, my vision was I knew whatto do and it also got a new

(15:50):
like love for food in me becausenow I had direction and now I
have a connection back to peoplefrom hawaii yep, and it works.

Speaker 2 (15:59):
You got me connected.
Um, I wanted to talk a littlebit about your content and the
way the world of social mediaworks now, and it can go both
ways.
It could be very negative, verypositive, I think.
From your videos personally, II feel your aloha and I also

(16:19):
feel your passion, but you'regiving away your secrets.
So that's that's what aloha isright, like getting people to
challenge themselves as well asshowing them what you're doing
step by step, where they couldtry it at home, and that's what
I really liked.
I like the fact is like youcould just show what you're
doing, but you do it step bystep so people can try it.

(16:41):
To me, that's what growth isand that's what Aloha is.
And how has being like a socialmedia content creator,
influencer, whatever you want tocall it like impacted your
business?

Speaker 1 (16:59):
It's kind of crazy because usually people start off
as, like, a content creator,influencer and then, as they
grow, then they can build theirbusiness on it.
Like I was the completeopposite.
Like I never even touchedsocial media until I started,
which is only like five monthsago, you know, and I did have an

(17:21):
edge because I was alreadyfriends with all these big
barbecue influencers and contentcreators, so that when I did
start, you know, I did have thatsupport.
Yeah, but it's been crazy, man.
Like you know, it's been fivemonths and like it feels longer,
but, like you know, I've beenreally blessed with like getting

(17:44):
some brand deals, um, even justyou know, uh, connecting with
other influences and countrycreators in hawaii.
Um, even with, like connectingwith you, you know yeah um, and
I never thought it was possiblelike I, five months ago, I was
too scared to stand in front ofa camera to film.
I was so shy, you know, I wasbreezed up.
Uh, you know, and now I'm I'mtrying to, you know, in the

(18:07):
camera doing what you know,whatever, to just continue to
keep building yeah, I definitelythink your content resonates
with hawaii people.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
How has it resonated with um mainland people and and
people in montana?

Speaker 1 (18:23):
you know it's weird in Montana, like, the population
is a little bit different.
It's kind of like older people,so my reach isn't really here
in Montana For the barbecuecommunity.
That's where you know a lot ofyou know my comments will come

(18:43):
from.
They've been enjoying itbecause they haven't seen these
dishes before.
You know a lot of you know mycomments will come from um, they
, they've been, they've beenenjoying it because they haven't
seen these dishes before.
You know, yeah, I'm, I'm alsolike introducing them to our
culture and our flavors and ourdishes.
Um, because it's been one soone dimensional, um, and that's
why, like um I don't know if youfollow him, but his name is
TFTI Tone Barbecue.

(19:04):
He's Filipino, he does Filipinoand Cajun-style barbecue.
My other friend, chuck, likeFlavor Train, he does Asian and
he's really good with differentflavors.
No-transcript with thesedifferent.
You know, like, even for me,like because I've been doing

(19:26):
different, like hawaiian style,um, it kind of opens up these,
it opens it up to the world toto have see different types yeah
, yeah.

Speaker 2 (19:37):
How hard is it getting ingredients so that you
can try these asian and localdishes in montana?

Speaker 1 (19:47):
um, I was actually just thinking about that today.
I was like man, how am I gonnakeep Asian and local dishes in
Montana?
I was actually just thinkingabout that today.
I was like man, how am I goingto keep doing these dishes?
I'm not going back home for awhile.
You know, lua leaves is hard.
So whenever I do go, I go toCalifornia quite a bit to see my
you know, my friends.
We do videos and stuff.
So I go to Sifu City, grab asmuch stuff as I can, um,

(20:07):
whenever I go back hawaii, Ilike stock up, yeah, um, but
luau leaves it's the hardest.
But that's where most of mycontent's been, because that's
what has been showing to them.
There's been more interactions,more shares and likes and stuff
yeah um, and so that's kind ofwhere my focus has been.
But yeah, it's hard man, likeeven corned beef.
I brought three cans back fromHawaii in November.

(20:32):
I've been holding on to themtight.

Speaker 2 (20:36):
So if anybody hook you up like couple cases corned
beef, I didn't know they don'thave that there.
Yeah yeah, hold on, that's likegold.

Speaker 1 (20:46):
You know they go to Seattle once every couple months
to stock up and they sell.
But it's hard to get papayaHawaiian chilies.
I can't get that Stuff likethat.

Speaker 2 (21:02):
What about spam?
Is that big in Montana?

Speaker 1 (21:08):
I mean it's not locked up.
That's a trip, bro, I know.
But I came and I was like whyis it all locked up?
It's crazy, it's a crazy world.
But we have it at Costco, butstill I feel like people just
buy it at Costco, you know.
But still I feel like peoplejust, you know, buy it to eat

(21:29):
but they don't understand.
You know the significance forus growing up with it and stuff.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
That's funny.
I know what I want to ask youand this is a personal question,
because I barbecue.
I'm not anywhere nearprofessional or anything like
that, but I try to make goodstuff and I have a smoker.
What is your take on, like thewoods that you use in in the

(21:57):
mainland, versus the woods youwould use here, because I know
kiawe is mesquite primarilyright?

Speaker 1 (22:04):
yeah, yeah, but is.

Speaker 2 (22:05):
Is there a difference between hawaii, kiawe and
mainland mesquite?

Speaker 1 (22:11):
yes, see, that's the thing like too, because I
haven't really worked with youknow, kiawe, because I didn't
start barbecuing till I leftyeah, um, but so when I was
looking it up, it is part of themesquite family, um, but I I
don't know how much there has tobe a difference, where enough,
where you know that's noticeable, where they distinguish one

(22:34):
from the other, but I do knowit's part of the same, yeah,
same family, um, but even that,like you know, it's hard to find
that out here because you knowwhy ship it up when you already
have, like mesquite, yeah,mesquite.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
And then, yeah, nobody trying to send you a
stump of kiawe, that would costsome money.

Speaker 1 (22:55):
I'm not trying to carry that on the airplane, you
know.
Yeah, yeah, it's so heavy.

Speaker 2 (23:00):
But like guava and stuff.
Can you get like guava wood andstuff like that up there?
No, I wonder, though, I think,if you get like guava wood and
stuff like that up there or isit's no, I wonder.

Speaker 1 (23:07):
I wonder, though, um, I think if I do, it would be
from mexico.
Um, because luau leaves that Ibuy in the mainland.
They're from mexico.
That's why they're a lot bigger.

Speaker 2 (23:17):
They're a lot way, way bigger yeah, easier for rap
yeah, I like him yeah, um, doyou use like a traditional
smoker or one of those pelletlike the Traeger I?

Speaker 1 (23:31):
got.
I have a 500 gallon offset fromTexas.
Oh, wow, I have Traegers.
You see it in my videos too.
I work with Masterbuilt.
That's the gravity bed.
I actually like that more thanthe Traeg.
Or I actually I work with Ican't say trigger, because I
don't work with them.
I work with green mountaingrill.

(23:51):
Okay, the big egg, it's a goodone.
Yeah, green mountain grill andthat's a good pellet one.
Um, the gravity fed I like,because you use real charcoal so
you can use real wood, so youget the real wood flavor, um, so
that's that's the reason why Ilike the master built um.
But yeah, I'm versatile, likemy favorite way of cooking is

(24:14):
actually open fire.
Um, it's just more, much moreof an art because you're
controlling the fire.
You know you're controlling theway the meat cooks by how you
hang it um, and so it's just alot more fun.
It's a lot more show and no, no, not much people do it.
So you know you, you, you canassess, you know people can

(24:38):
smoke meat, but to control afire is a lot harder for sure oh
yeah, and I cheat, I use a sousvide to uh, so I can't, I can't
overcook, I can't undercook, soyeah, yeah I would do brisket
or prime rib.

Speaker 2 (24:52):
I'll sous vide it for a couple days with the spices
or whatever, and from there I'llput it in a uh, ice bath and
then I'll throw it in my smokerwith kiawe chips in the bottom.
And kiawe is a pain in the askto cut by the way, it's the most
dense wood and, um, it comesout good like for me.

(25:12):
I know from what I've learnedfrom my dad is that when you use
kiawe it has to be a flavor it.
It can't be to cook your meat.
You know I mean like you wantthat flavor, but not that bite
where you that's the only flavoryou're getting.
So I learned some stuff fromhim in that aspect.
But, um, I like the fact thatyou can, you're versatile and

(25:37):
can do an open flame becausebecause that could go south real
quick like you could, you couldmess up your food real quick if
you're not paying attention orwhat so like that's legit, like
that's legit pit master.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
You know what I mean yeah, like, yeah, and that's
kind of where I started to growcreativity wise.
Um was open fire cooking.
Um, you know, I'm friends withsome of the biggest open fire
names in this country.
Um, and, like I, I cook a wholecow on an argentina cross.
Uh, I help my friend he buildsthose crosses and then he cooks

(26:13):
whole cows on them, like a 24cook, you know, um, and and I
get to help them with that.
You know we.
Or like whole pigs, wholealligators, even whole mountain
lions, you know, I've got to bea part of doing those type of
things.
So you know, and so it means alot now that I can reconnect
with people from hawaii becauseI'm doing all these cool things

(26:36):
and and you know, and they don'tknow, yeah, yeah, but you know,
now as I grow, they canunderstand all the work that
I've been doing to try torepresent them.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
You know, in the main line, yeah, and I did see your
video with chef khaled.
You had a mountain lion,mountain lion, monopole right
yeah, yeah, you guys literallyput cat in monopole.

Speaker 1 (27:02):
That was fun, man I had to taste it.
My friend uh, she's the onethat made the Manapool dough and
stuff and had the idea, bro, Itasted just like Manapool, like
I wouldn't even know.

Speaker 2 (27:14):
That's scary, bro.
Yeah, yeah, but to do that, howdid you just?

Speaker 1 (27:21):
Mountain Lion is a meat you can buy at the store in
Montana, like is is a is a meatyou can buy at the store in
montana, like any like is um,well, don't the so mountain, so
I do like bear, bear andmountain lion those are the wild
animals I cook here.
Um, and those are all wild game.
So hunters donated to me.
I go and hunt but I haven'tkilled a bear yet.

(27:42):
Um, I'm hoping to this year, uh, that's, that's like on my
bucket list to do.
Um, but yeah, and they,everyone knows like I I love to
use wild, especially bear.
I take bear everywhere I go.
Um, so, uh, they, they knowthat I love to work with that,
so they donate it to me andstuff.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
So oh, I never had bear.
I don't think I did read.
Like different parts of thecountry, bear tastes different
because of the way they eat,like berries or whatever yeah,
yeah, um, like here, uh, inmontana, we have the
huckleberries, so bears love toeat huckleberries.

Speaker 1 (28:21):
Um, you know, of course, when you go down to
florida, it Florida, the greenis real scarce.

Speaker 2 (28:29):
So the flavor can be different.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
I don't know what kind of stuff they eat in
California and Washington andOregon, but yeah, black bear is
my favorite.
I don't even hunt venison orelk, I just look for bear each
year.

Speaker 2 (28:47):
Hopefully you catch one.
What do you do?
Shoot gun or are you gonna bowand arrow?
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (28:51):
yeah, no, no, shoot uh, just rifle, yeah, yeah
that's pretty.

Speaker 2 (28:55):
That must be a rush to see a bear, I don't know.
Yeah, that's crazy.
Um, to get back to your contentcreating, I was gonna ask you
how has I know that you got alot of positive feedback, but do
you get a lot of negative?
You said, like, you get someweird comments about being

(29:15):
traditional, but you get a lotof haters on on your instagram
or your content.

Speaker 1 (29:23):
Um, yeah, man, this, this, each video I've done where
it's, it's done really well.
I think there's like four orfive people, most of them with
the lao lao ones.
It's like not enough leaves,not enough leaves to dry, and I
like one one of them I put it in, you know, the thor's hammer

(29:43):
one.
Yeah, I put it in mydescription.
I needed more leaves, you know,but it's my first time doing it
.
So, yeah, yeah, what do youexpect?
I put a whole bunch on it, andso you know there's not enough
leaves, that's so.
Those are the most annoyingones.
Um, where now I'm just like bro, I'm just like they're just
angry people because looking forsomething like here's this cook

(30:05):
that nobody's done before andthe only thing you care about is
not enough leaves, like youknow, like bro, like be a little
bit more happier or somethingin your life.
Yeah, that's what I was goingto ask you Like?

Speaker 2 (30:18):
do you let those negative comments affect you?
Where like you engage it?

Speaker 1 (30:26):
I was before, you know I was engaging.
Uh, my wife was like you know,because I love jesus right and
that's right top center, so so,like she's like you can't be
like too mean, you know.
Like it's because sometimes Iwas just the most annoying ones
is like this one guy called me ahowley.
This guy was like, oh, fake,because your pigeon isn't, you

(30:49):
know, heavy or something.
You know like they call me aclown.
It's like those are the onesthat like trigger me.
Yeah, yeah, I don't have to doit anything like those are the
most ignorant because you knowlike and so so, yeah, those
those ones get me triggered.
But now that I see it moreoften it's easier to kind of let
go um, at first I was justgoing after everybody that's the

(31:09):
, the local boy, and you likeyeah, where are?

Speaker 2 (31:13):
you staying like?

Speaker 1 (31:13):
send me a location, bro, we'll talk yeah, yeah, yeah
, you know, and so, but, yeah,but those are the ones you know
that really, like you know,still like middle school days
attitude, like calling someone ahaole yeah, you know I'm not,
you know, yeah, or like yeah, orjust judging me by the way I
speak, like those are the onesthat you know.

(31:36):
But you see, they do that toeverybody in holy and those are
the.
You just see them.
Those are just the toxic peoplethat just stay toxic and I
agree.

Speaker 2 (31:47):
I I've experienced that doing my own stuff and I've
learned that through my life,the more haters you get means
the more you're doing somethingright.
And it's it's weird because youcould get a million positive
comments and happy, but the onesyou remember is the one guy
being negative and it's likeI've learned to tune it out and

(32:12):
don't engage or respondpositively.
We're like, oh, a great idea oroh, thanks, but thank you for
showing me that.
Or, you know, I mean like.
Instead I'll be like what yousaid, cuz like I'll call me a
house right now.
You know, I mean it's hard to,it's hard to let them get the
better of me now when they couldeasily have before.

(32:32):
And I always ask that questionbecause of how I grew in that
aspect, because I mean I'm alocal boy too, from kaneo, and
like nobody talks to people likethat without no consequence and
like nobody could tell that toyour face.
Like a lot of people, they'rekeyboard warriors and, yeah,
they hide behind the screen.

(32:54):
And that's one thing about thisgeneration.
Like nobody can be heldaccountable face to face because
everything's over a screen yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly because
when you're growing up, somebodytalk, talk trash that they
might get slapped, you know, Imean, yeah, there's a uh, there,
there's a possibility of thathappening, so it wouldn't happen

(33:17):
as much.
Versus now people like, likeyou said, they don't, they're
not too happy with themselvesand they just sit behind their
keyboard and talk trash andsomehow that makes them feel
good, I guess, I don't know.
Yeah, well, I'm glad to hear,like you know how to handle that
kind of stuff and, like yousaid, you put jesus first and

(33:37):
I've been learning to do that alot more in my life and it's
been working out.
It's, uh, a process and itlearning.
But as you're doing that andcreating what you're creating,
do you find like your familybeing involved with your cooking
as well?

Speaker 1 (34:00):
You know, my dad lives just down the street from
me.
Oh nice, you know, once we hadour first son, um, and so um,
you know, because our whole lifewe never connected it with
cooking.
Now that I started my owncooking business, he's been a
huge part of it, you know.
And so that's been a blessingfor me because now I have this

(34:23):
other chance, because, to youknow, bond with him over cooking
, uh, where, oh, wow, oh, life,I never had that right.
We, we bonded over likebasketball or sports, but now
this, what, what his wholecareer was, and now, you know,
I'm starting my own career, uh,with Pat, like the Kentucky
Derby, like I got to do thatwith my dad, how, how crazy, you

(34:44):
know, that's so crazy to that.
We, we did that together tolocal boys from Hawaii doing
that the biggest sporting eventin the world, you know.
And so it's been a hugeblessing, me and my dad, we, you
know, bump heads a lot Likehe's culinary, I'm out of the
box.
He has a way of doing things.
Mine is totally different.
So we argue a lot, you know, um, but you know I would never

(35:11):
trade these times that we haveand still have, you know, this
uh opportunity coming up inoctober.
Um that I just got an invite.
I don't think I can say it yetbecause you're still in the
process, but you know it's.
It's been a dream of mine to doit.
My my dad did it, so now we getto share it together.
It's just been special that hegets to be a part of this part
of my life.

Speaker 2 (35:32):
Wow, that's awesome.
I'm sure he's proud.
I guess that you go woodbuttheads with the style
Strictly regimented chef in arestaurant versus I'm going
gonna do whatever I want to doand this is gonna work.

Speaker 1 (35:49):
like yeah, you know, but I guess you're, you're also
opening his mind up a little bittoo right yeah, yeah, you know,
I think the one of the biggestcompliments he gave me was like
oh, I don't know, you know,you're you're way so out of the
box, which is is a compliment,you know, trusting me to execute
it in an out of a box way.

(36:11):
I think a couple examples waslike we were just like three or
two or three months into ourbusiness and I've been wanting
to do a cook, a whole alligator,you know.
And and my dad and my wife waslike, oh, I don't know that, you
know that probably won't gowell, you know.
And I'm like no, I'm going todo it, you know, I'm going to,

(36:32):
I'm going to do this wholealligator cook.
And it went really well.
Like, and then people start toknow me as the brisket alligator
guy, cause I cook alligatorsall the time, you know.
And and just like a bear, I'mgoing gonna do this with.
You know, I'm gonna do thiswith bear.
Or you know, I do misochimichurri, that's something
that nobody does.
Yeah, right, and so I'm like, Itold my dad this is what I'm

(36:52):
gonna do, and so now he kind ofjust I give him these ideas.
He's just like, oh, yeah, youknow, he doesn't say no, or he,
he may think it, but it's just,we just have a different process
.
Um, and so it's been.
I think it's been good too thathe gets to see this kind of
different side, my creative side, you know.

Speaker 2 (37:11):
Yeah and it's in, it's in your dna from um um
cooking.
Yeah, how, how crazy was doingthe conduct?
Kentucky derby and, like yousaid, that's one of the biggest
sporting events on earth andthat's the biggest horse race
that you can think of.
Like, yeah, what did you get todo?
And how, like, what happened?

(37:32):
Like whoa, how did you even getto do that?

Speaker 1 (37:35):
yeah.
So you know, like I said, mydad was a chef executive chef
Ihilani.
But he started when they openedjust as a regular chef.
Um, there was, uh, one of hisfirst executive chefs there.
Uh, he was a ceo of a companythat does events.
Um, so I just reached out tohim last year in the beginning
just was like, hey, you know,I'm, you know, chef jason's son,

(37:56):
uh, and this is what we do, um,and I didn't expect anything of
it, uh, and then, like a couplemonths later, I got an email.
They're like hey, you want todo the kentucky derby.
And I was like I thought it wasa scam, like I was like what
the hell is this?
like I was, I was literallysearching yeah, I was google
searching this guy's email likewho is this?
Like you know, because kentuckyderby came out of nowhere, like

(38:18):
you know, it wasn't even on ourradar until I realized who it
was.
And I was like you know,immediate, yes, like no, you
know immediate, yes, like nohesitation, you know.
And so I cooked 275 brisketsjust by myself to take down.
I, you know, had to, you know,finance the whole thing because
we put a lot of money into it.
I had to fly like 20, 20different people out to help me

(38:42):
my friends, some of the biggestnames in barbecue came out, you
know, to help me, um, and so Iwas planning it.
You know, we were in fourdifferent spots in the derby uh,
two in the paddock, that'swhere all the rich people are.
Two in the infield, that'swhere all like the non-rich
people are.
Oh, yeah, yeah, but there'slike 80 000 people down there,

(39:03):
um, and so it it was like sostressful.
My truck broke down on the waythere to missouri.
In missouri, where I had, like,my trailer full of all my
briskets that were cooked andall my perishables.
It was like one of the worstlike experiences, you know, to
get there and and stuff.

(39:24):
But you know, like I represented, represented Hawaii, like I,
they, they, they specificallyasked me to can you do Asian,
like Hawaiian fusion type ofbarbecue?
And I think that's where Istarted to pull from.
You know Asian, hawaiianflavors.
Um, and we did our miso sauce.
Uh, I came down.
Nobody puts miso on brisket.

(39:45):
I made a sauce for the brisketand that sounds amazing.
I try to bottle that Like.
That's probably one of my goalsthis year is to bottle that
sauce.
Yeah, and, and we did a guavabarbecue sauce with our pulled
pork and that's to I use Lee himaway in it, like nobody puts
Lee him away, you know, in theirbarbecue stuff.

(40:05):
But I needed something toenhance the flavor of guava and
so you know, there's just, itwas just so fun being creative
with these flavors and stuff andso, yeah, man, like the
kentucky derby, like is braggingrights for me oh yeah, for sure
nobody, even when I tell peoplethey, they're just like it goes
over their head because theydon't think it's the kentucky

(40:27):
derby, you know?
yeah, yeah, it's though.
It was really cool.
It was a really cool experiencethat's super cool.

Speaker 2 (40:34):
How did your food come off with that crowd?
They must have loved it, uhyeah, you know.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
Another thing is with that skepticism when they see
me because I'm like, hey, havesome brisket, they're like.
They look at me and they'relike ah, I'm good, I'm like, bro
, just like, just try it, youknow like I'm talking to my kids
, just just try it and then Iknow you're good, but you could
be better.
Yeah, yeah you know, and theywould, I would see them and
they'd be like, okay, I'll justtry it, and they come and they

(41:02):
eat it, and they come back to meand be like you know, that's
the best brisket I ever had.
You know, they would literallycome back to and tell me just
how good it was and it just feltgood because, one, they don't
know what, what miso was, youknow, yeah and two, here I am
giving them the best brisketthey've had.
Uh, you know just some guy thatdidn't even know how to cook
brisket, like three, three yearsago, um, and so it it.

(41:26):
It just solidified that I knowI'm doing the right things yep,
I agree.

Speaker 2 (41:32):
And, like I said, like good food you can't like.
If it tastes good, then that'sthat, it is what it is.
People gonna love it.
Like you can't give out junkfood and be hopeful, you know, I
mean like yeah, yeah you know,if you know it's good, then it's
good.
Um you, you're telling me likeyou use a lot of alligator.

(41:53):
How much does the alligatorcost?

Speaker 1 (41:54):
that's what I want to know like I'm good, I think so
I'm gonna do like a 35 or almost40 pound one.
Uh, when I do my pop-up with uhkorea whiskey smoke.
Yeah, that should be likearound 600 oh okay, not crazy
not too bad.
Yeah, yeah, but yeah, um, youknow, for the alligators you

(42:18):
can't.
Uh, the yield is real smallbecause all the meat is in the
tail, but there's four parts ofthe tail and then there's two
tenderloins at the very bottomthat the parts of the tail cover
and that's where a majority ofyour meat is going to come.
And then you get the back strap, but that's super thin, super

(42:38):
thin piece of meat.
You get the legs, but that isusually a little bit more
overcooked by the time the tailis done because of how small it
is.
Um, and then you get like gatorjaw, the jaw, um, that's super
small, you know, um, but uh,actually, when I think I was
telling you like I came up withthis, no, when, when I do

(42:59):
alligator is always hispanicinfluence or cajun because it
comes from the south, yeah, andyesterday I did, I was like how
can I make this like asian?
And so I did a unagi sauce onthe alligator and that stuff was
so good, man, like, I'm likedamn, why hasn't nobody done it,
you know before?

(43:20):
And so that's, I think we'regonna do that for whiskey smoke
like unagi rice.
You know, the portions don'thave to be big because you know,
it's just something for peopleto taste.
Yeah, like I was eating eel.
That's how similar the meat,the meats are eel and alligator.
Yeah, yeah, and so I'm superhappy that you know I was like

(43:43):
bro.
How did I come up, you know?

Speaker 2 (43:46):
That's crazy, and you told me when I talked to you on
the phone that you're coming towhiskey smoke.
Is it may, right in may?

Speaker 1 (43:54):
yeah, uh, may.
So I'll be down that first weekof may, but may 3rd is gonna be
.
That's what we're.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
We're planning right now is for the pop-up oh okay,
I'm writing that down right now,because whiskey smoke is
literally two minutes from myhouse.

Speaker 1 (44:10):
Yeah, corey and the family, they've been great.
You know, when I presented themwith the idea, they were like a
hundred percent down and so I'mexcited.
Like I said, it's a full circlemoment.
You know, I left Hawaii becauseI was getting a lot of trouble,
you know, drug addict and stuff, and I've been so distant From

(44:30):
Hawaii and the culture and I'vebeen off Doing my own thing and
so to come back, you know I knowmy friends Are gonna come out,
my family, and so it's just Fullcircle moment that's awesome
Coming back home yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:44):
And without all that, pilikia pop up.
What else are you doing?
Because I'm hoping you canbring all kind, because I like
try everything, bro, likeeverything on your instagram.
I like try, you're okay?

Speaker 1 (45:01):
yeah, you know I was.
I was telling cory like hey,maybe we should do a giveaway,
like we can do two thor's hammergiveaways, you know, for free,
uh, with the lao lao, and then Ithink, probably like a palusami
type of dish, because I wasn'tgoing to do Lala, but like I
think that's what everyone wouldbe expecting.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, so we'll dosomething like that, but then

(45:23):
also like, um, I'm going to, uh,he has his steak dish, uh, um,
so I'm going to make a misopapaya chimichurri for that.
Oh, wow, um, and that'sactually when I made it I was
like I can't believe this works,you know, like miso and papaya,
you know, but it works.

(45:44):
So I'm going to do that.
I'm going to bring some of myhuckleberry sauce that we do to
make pork belly bites I don'tknow if you follow, like Black
Rif coffee and stuff, oh yeah,um, but, um, the owner, matt,
best he ate it.
My huckleberry, he's like, isone of the best huckleberry, I
mean best pork bellies I've everhad, and so I'll do that.

(46:07):
I'll bring my miso sauce forthe brisket.
Um, I'm gonna see if you know,I can do my seasonings that I do
for the brisket to give it someflavor.
The alligator, you know we doit like a Donbo, and so, yeah,
and then the yeah, probablyPolisami, just, I love the
coconut flavor.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
Oh yeah, I love coconut milk.
Yeah, I definitely am excitedfor that.
I definitely will be there, ahundred percent, as long as I'm
on the island.
I'm definitely gonna be therebecause I've been wanting to try
your food.
I I want to ask, like, have youever missed?
Like you're trying some flavorsand you're like, oh no, this

(46:47):
isn't, this isn't it yeah, yeah,actually one.

Speaker 1 (46:50):
So I one of them, I I try to.
I was trying to do like a Asianpastrami, so I would take out
all the pickling spices andreplace it with Asian flavors
like star anise and stuff.
Oh, okay, that one did not turnout well at all.
Like I made the video and I hadto, I didn't even, you know, I
had to throw it all away thevideo, the food, and I think one

(47:11):
of that was I didn't brine itlong enough, so the flavors
didn't get through.
The brisket was way too small,um, so it just what didn't have
enough fat, it was just dry, thecow was too young oh, I see
yeah, so I was experimenting alot before um, because I was
still kind of trying to find myway.

(47:32):
Um, actually, one video I thinkit hit four million um was my
caveman steak.
Uh, lao, lao.
Um, that one turned outterrible man, like it was,
because my son was like needed,wanting me to sleep with him
already, so I had to stop tocook.
So I was like, okay, I'll tryto finish it.
The thing was so tough still Ilike I gave all that meat to my

(47:53):
dad.
It's like just make stew.
Um.
So yeah, like I don't try tonot like if the video I'm making
is good quality.
If it doesn't pan out, I justI'll post it, you know like yeah
show hits because, yeah, that'snot cooking, is you know?

Speaker 2 (48:11):
yep, I was gonna say you gotta those when you, when
it doesn't come out and it'slike ah, I tried, we'll try
something else Like wait for thenext one.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
Yeah, yeah, but I try not to, you know, I try not to
like, lead them on like in thatvideo I was like, yeah, it
didn't turn out, you know yeah.
Yeah, yeah, just let them know,but it hit 4 million, so I
don't know.

Speaker 2 (48:33):
People like to see failure.
Maybe people like to seefailure.
Maybe, yeah, yeah, I think so.
How did you learn how to docontent creating and like who's
filming all?

Speaker 1 (48:46):
your stuff.
You know, I mean, like, yeah,um, like, so I film everything
myself, I edit it all, um and uh, you know, like I said like
five months ago, I didn't, whenI I don't know how to to, I
don't know how to film, I don'tknow how to edit, I I never
thought that I would be makingcontent because of how
illiterate I was with technology, um and and so.
But you know, like I saidbefore, like I've been really

(49:08):
blessed with the friends, uh,who are content creators and
influencers, who, like mentor meand guide me.
Um, I I mean, I talk to themlike almost every day.
You know, I flew out to tfti'shouse to get, you know,
instructions and, and you know,advice on how to film and stuff,

(49:30):
and so a lot of studying.
Like I think for the first threemonths I've been, I was
studying how to film, how toedit, how to do different camera
angles, um, and just I justkept upgrading my, my equipment
because I was like I, I justwant to push out the best
quality that I can.
Um, you know, and I think thattranslates from when I was doing

(49:53):
food, it's like I just want tokeep getting better, and so that
went into content creatingwhere you know I'm, I'm, I'm not
happy where I'm at, but I'mhappy, I'm, I'm happy of the
progress yeah, and that's whatlife is.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
You always, you can't be complacent, does um.
What do you use that?
Oh sorry, what do you use toedit?

Speaker 1 (50:17):
uh, right now I use cap cut.
Oh okay, you know I there's astream deck that helps me edit
it real fast, yeah, and sothat's what I use.
But you know, with that forthat little while capco is gone
oh yeah, you know, and so I waslike shoot, um.
But like there's like thoseother ones like adobe premiere,

(50:38):
adobe pro, yeah, those are justkind of uh intimidating for me
because it's kind of like 10levels above cap cut, yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:49):
But I think the next goal for me is learning how to
color grade, where then I canget these bigger, you know
programs and stuff yeah, andsame with me when I I had a
producer when I first startedthis show and he got promoted so
he couldn't um his time,availability was was bad and he

(51:09):
he reluctantly had to stop.
So for me to continue I had tolearn my own stuff.
And my friend, uh hoppa boy, hedoes video.
I don't know if you remembertiny to donnie, that's his dad,
yeah that's his dad, so he, helearned he edited the dad show

(51:30):
and he's a broad.
Just edit your own stuff.
And I'm like okay, what do I do?
He's like just use uh, imovieon apple because it's free.
So I did it and within twoweeks two episodes.
He's like bro, you outgrew that, go go buy final cut pro.
I mean, there's no way.
That thing is 300 bucks.
Like I'm not trying to buy aprogram I don't even know how to

(51:52):
use.
He's's like dude, just I'llhelp you and, of course, the
university of YouTube.
You can learn anything.
I took the risk and and justkind of learn.
I'm still learning.
There's no way I'm where I wantto be, but every week I'm
learning something new, adifferent, a different key or a

(52:13):
different thing you can do, or atrick or, and it's been cool to
learn something new as you getolder and being excited about it
.
So it's it's kind of two,twofold.
You're learning different waysto cook your food and, like you
said, you're learning how to bea creator and it it resonates
with your fans and and you'regrowing quick.

(52:35):
Five months you got like almost20 000 followers and the thing
that resonates with me is thehumbleness you're.
You're very humble and yourdelivery is very local and I
like that.
And right here, I wish youcould.
There was a app where you couldsmell what is going on, because

(52:56):
some of your stuff is like brad, that that thing looks amazing
and it's it's.
Yeah, I I was talking about yourbrisket.
You could, you didn't even needa knife to to get into it is I
don't know.
In your future, what do you seelike I.
I could see you in one of thoseshows I watch on TV, like pit

(53:19):
master or the barbecuechampionships or one of those.
I think you would flip thatgame upside down with all their
traditional ways of doing it.
You'd come in and just wreckhouse and they would.
I mean you would impress a lotof people, man.
I hope that's in your future.

Speaker 1 (53:39):
Yeah, Like.
Well, you know, like I told you, I think in next week, the 23rd
, you know, I'll be on KitchenScraps.

Speaker 2 (53:48):
Yep Chef Khalil, I'm excited for that yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:51):
I'm not challenging him, but that's the one he was
on.

Speaker 2 (53:54):
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (53:54):
Yeah, and so I'm not challenging him, but that's the
one he was on.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and so I'mexcited for that.
That's out of my wheelhousebecause I'm not much culinary,
you know, I don't work on astove, I work with fire and
smoke and wood.
But that was fun.
You know I could have donebetter.
But yeah, like I've been tryingto get on TV, like I was in
talks with Netflix for BarbecueShowdown.

(54:18):
That one was pretty much a surething.
I was talking with the castingdirector and she was saying I'm
going to do everything to getyou on.
I don't think that they'regetting renewed.
Oh, I see they're gettingpushed back of.
Let's wait until the new yearfor a start date.
Then I tried Food Network, thebarbecue brawl, um, and I

(54:41):
thought, because of how well Idid with netflix, I would have a
good chance with them and Imade it through majority of
casting but I didn't make thefinal casting, which I was
pretty upset about.
Um, yeah, I know some people,that's like, my friend delivered
equipment for that show and he,you know, he let me know that
kind of some people there and Iwas, and I knew there was going

(55:04):
to be one agent there, rightCause they got to pick you know,
agent, and I was like what?
other agent could they havechosen?
It's a me Cause I I've really,like you said, like I'm not'm
not trying to brag, but I've Ican bring stuff that nobody else
has been doing.
Yeah, so I thought that theywould want that, um, and they
didn't.
And the person that theybrought, I, you know, I, I, I

(55:27):
still don't know why theybrought that person, um, you
know, so, you know, but, uh, youknow, I've been trusting god up
to this point.
My vision for this year was tobe on tv and then take let that
take me over for followers andstuff and um, I think I just

(55:49):
have to.
It's just he's telling me Ijust have to grind it out.
You know, even though I waskind of looking for a shortcut
through tv, you know, know, it'snot going to happen.
So now I got to work harderthan I was planning to.
But you know, just, theopportunity came yesterday, like
I was telling you that I'msuper excited about, and that's

(56:09):
a dream come true, and we have alot of other big things planned
in the barbecue world.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
That's cool.

Speaker 1 (56:16):
Yeah, but Hawaii was never in our picture until my
videos hit, you know, and somaybe you know.
So I don't know what God hasfor that for Hawaii, like you
know, yeah, somehow maybe hebrings us back.
You know, that would be like asuper divine intervention,
because the cost of living andeverything oh, yeah, yeah, but

(56:37):
if he wants, you know, thatwould be like super divine
intervention, because the costof living and everything, oh
yeah, yeah, but if, if he wants,you know, if he wants us there,
we'll be there and and so, yeah, it's just kind of unknown.
We're just taking it.
This this year is just step byfaith, walk by faith.

Speaker 2 (56:46):
So that's awesome, and you have to learn how to um
realize the science, and that'swhat I've been learning like.
I've been learning to listen tothe science of, of how god is
kind of trying to shape yourlife.
Yeah, I don't think like you,the year's not even half done
yet, bro, like you still couldbe on tv and, yeah, like

(57:08):
grinding it out.
That'll never change.
I feel like you'll still begrinding out, even if you was on
tv, and it couldn't be ashortcut, it could be just
another step in your journey.
You know, I mean, and like youcould have your own show on food
network for all we know, likesky's the limit, there's no cap,
and because, like you said,you're thinking outside the box,

(57:28):
the there's not muchcompetition for what you're
doing, because nobody's doingwhat you're doing.
You know, I mean, and yeah, I'venever seen one oxtail lao lao
on food network, bro a hundredpercent yeah, yeah, would it be
cool, like it would be cool tosee you on chopped or something
like that, and yeah I stillscared, you know, like yeah yeah

(57:52):
out of my thing.

Speaker 1 (57:52):
but you know it just helps me learn and so I think,
any opportunity, I'm never goingto say yes to barbecue brawl
just because you know they turnme down.
So for me it's turn me down.
I'm not going to give you mytime again.

Speaker 2 (58:06):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:07):
And so and that's fine, you know.
But yeah, you know, I wouldlove that spotlight.
I just want to show people whatI can do.
Um, you know, even thoughcontent creating is part of it,
it's hard.
The algorithm kind of dictates,but on tv, you know, you're
there.

Speaker 2 (58:28):
So yeah, well, sky's the limit.
Um, yeah, you could.
You could do whatever, bro.
Especially one thing good aboutcontent creating is you have
total control yeah and you canmake your content how you want
it.
You don't have to rely on aproducer or whatever.
Um yeah, yeah what?

(58:49):
What would the title you wouldlike?
What is the title that youwould give yourself like chef
pit master, like, do you, do youeven think like that?

Speaker 1 (59:00):
well, my dad says I can't be a chef because I didn't
go culinary school.

Speaker 2 (59:04):
See, that's what I, I thought, but I know a bunch of
people that call themselveschefs.

Speaker 1 (59:09):
That yeah, I you know I, I wouldn't call myself chef.
Uh, it took a while to you know.
Calm, call myself a pit master,because even though I started a
barbecue business, I wasgrowing in my skills as my
business grew, so yeah, I don'tknow man I'm just, I'm just me
is, and I think that math isyeah, that's all that matters

(59:31):
bro that's super cool.

Speaker 2 (59:34):
Um, you seem very busy, but what do you do on your
free time?

Speaker 1 (59:39):
I don't I don't have any time man, you know, because
our catering business that's,you know, the soul of our income
.
Um, you know, in the summer Ithink we have like two to three
weddings almost every singleweekend, um, and and so you know
that takes up a lot of my time,and now that I'm doing content,

(01:00:00):
creating, that's what I doduring the week um, just shoot
and then edit, shoot and edit,and so, yeah, right now it's
just another grind, like I didwhen I started my business.
It's my brand business now, andbut I love it.
Like if I'm not doing somethingI get too bored and then yeah,
you and me both, bro, that'sfunny.

Speaker 2 (01:00:22):
Well, I think um you're going in the right
direction.
And what you really don't like?

Speaker 1 (01:00:28):
pineapple on pizza somebody told me the thing today
about this guy called hismeatloaf a Hawaiian meatloaf
because he put pineapples on itand he wrote beef.
It's just bacon, jalapenos andbeef and he wrote it up and
called it a meatloaf.
And now I'm going to be thepineapple guy.
They're going to send mepineapple videos or something

(01:00:51):
yeah, I seen you just postedthat.
They put it in there like what's, oh man yeah, they put it in a
pineapple to cook it, and andyou know, I'm like I don't want
to be mean, cause I don't likewhen trolls troll me, but I'm
like, hey, at least if you'regoing to do a Hawaiian, look
into it.
Like, yeah, Like, look intoflavors it was brought here.

(01:01:17):
We grew it, but it's not.
Yeah, you know what I mean?
Yeah, that's what I say.
We don't have salmon here.

Speaker 2 (01:01:22):
Yeah, exactly how is this hawaiian right butterfish?

Speaker 1 (01:01:26):
is from hawaii, right , yeah, that's our source.
So, like in the comments, oh,where's the butterfish?
Like I mean, you know, it'sonly traditional after
immigration and stuff yeah,exactly, it's super funny, bro.

Speaker 2 (01:01:40):
At least the main thing is whatever lau lau, you
may get fat inside, you knowyeah yeah, yeah, can it be dry?
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:01:49):
I know that's because I'm gonna get like I, and when
I do the videos I always makesure it don't look dry, cause
I'm like there's going to be oneor two, yeah, telling me like,
dry, dry, like, yeah, I know,okay, like gotta have that shine
on there.

Speaker 2 (01:02:03):
I know Well, we've been going for about an hour and
I, I definitely appreciate yourtime.
I, I, even I know it's laid upthere.
One more time when are yougoing to be here in Hawaii For
that whiskey smoke?

Speaker 1 (01:02:19):
So for our whiskey smoke it should be May 3rd, may
3rd at Whiskey Smoke 808.

Speaker 2 (01:02:26):
And that's here in Kaneohe.
And for your content, where canpeople find you?

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
on Instagram or whatever social media you got
406 underscore BBQ.
I'm yeah, that's uh.
I'm just gonna build my otherplatform, so right now,
instagram is my main one and forus.

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
Our website is atbpodcom.
You can check us out oninstagram above the bridge
podcast.
Our youtube for all thesevideos are above the bridge
podcast and my instagram isthaddy, daddy, hi.
All right, and what I want toknow is two things when is your
cookbook coming out, because Iwant that, and then when, um,

(01:03:08):
you start selling your sauces?

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
that's gonna be, that's gonna be unreal yeah, um,
I'm still trying to find asupplier or producer for my
sauce, um, but that's my maingoal my cookbook.
You know, if I get bigger I'llput one out.
Um, but you want to stay tuned.
I'll do a plug for my friendtfti.
His cookbook comes out in may.

(01:03:30):
You can find them on, you know,amazon.
Uh, it's cajun, uh, filip stylebarbecue.
So that's awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:03:37):
I don't want to ask you are you sponsored by anybody
?

Speaker 1 (01:03:41):
Um, you know I work with brands uh.
So you know, master built uhlocal cookers.
Local cookers is my main umambassador program that I'm with
, so yeah, what about Aloha?

Speaker 2 (01:03:53):
show you Cause you've , you've been blowing up.

Speaker 1 (01:03:56):
Yeah, I've been, you know, communicating a lot and
you know I'm actually gonna govisit them Next week in Vegas oh
nice, in the interior of thewarehouse.
So, you know, hopefully we cantalk some stuff.

Speaker 2 (01:04:07):
Yeah, they need to get you Locked in, because Even
my fiance was like, oh, he mustbe sponsored by Aloha Shoyu
Cause.
My fiance was like, oh, he mustbe sponsored by Aloha Shoyu.
I was like, no, that's probablyjust because it's the best soyu
.

Speaker 1 (01:04:19):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, you know they send mestuff and I want to use it, but
that's the brand that I want tobuild a good relationship with.
Yeah, for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
Right on.
Well, thanks again for comingon.
I will definitely be there May3rd, bro.
I don don't think I'm I'm gonnabe off island and if I don't go
, I'm gonna kill myself for nottrying, like I've been waiting
for you to.
At when I first seen your stuff, like I like you were doing
that stuff with chef khaled andI was like, oh, he's here, he's

(01:04:49):
on hawaii.
And then I'm looking like, oh,no, he's not here.
But, um, I definitelyappreciate you taking time out,
I definitely appreciate youbeing down to come on my show
and I I hope more people inhawaii gets uh in tune to what
you're doing and I think you'regonna blow up big brah.

(01:05:12):
I think I'm just uh when you'rehave your own show on food
network and stuff.
You got to come back on my show, man yeah, garren's, very
garren's, but I appreciate Iappreciate the support, man.

Speaker 1 (01:05:24):
It means a lot, all the support from everybody you
know, the whole way, um, Iwouldn't be here without them,
really, um, and so I'm gratefulto you and everybody.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
So thank you yep, and next time.
Uh, you're on my show.
We're both wear uh aprons andI'm on tank tops, yeah, yeah
yeah, I'll, I'll get a littlemore, uh, jacked up because,
brian, you look intimidating onyour videos and then people see
you or hear you talking.
It's like, oh, that guy's juststraight cool.

(01:05:52):
Yeah, yeah, I don't know.
Some people sometimes withtattoos and like big is like
what is this guy doing?
Like yep, anyways, uh, shakasfor the cameras, we're out.
Shout out to the artist groupnetwork aloha.