S2E5, Robynne Maii, Fête

The co-owner and executive chef, Robynne Maii of Fête was the first female chef from Hawai‘i to win the prestigious James Beard Award for best chef. Robynne Maii’s love for cooking sprouted while watching her parents cook meals and host gatherings at their ‘Āina Haina home. She saw how they demonstrated love and care through the presentation and delivery of food. She and her husband, Chuck Bussler, opened Fête in Honolulu’s Chinatown district in 2016 with a commitment to fixing problems they saw in the broader restaurant industry. Fête sources most of its ingredients from local producers, and because the produce it gets is sometimes imperfect, cooks must get creative to maintain the high standards of the restaurant’s dishes.