Cook Real Hawai'i A Cookbook

The story of Hawaiian cooking, by a two-time Top Chef finalist and Fan Favorite, through 100 recipes that embody the beautiful cross-cultural exchange of the islands.

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Taste of Home, Vice, Serious Eats

Even when he was winning accolades and adulation for his cooking, two-time Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon decided to drop what he thought he was supposed to cook as a chef. He dedicated himself instead to the local Hawai‘i food that feeds his ‘ohana—his family and neighbors. With uncomplicated, flavor-forward recipes, he shows us the many cultures that have come to create the cuisine of his beloved home: the native Hawaiian traditions, Japanese influences, Chinese cooking techniques, and dynamic Korean, Portuguese, and Filipino flavors that are closest to his heart.
 
Through stunning photography, poignant stories, and dishes like wok-fried poke, pork dumplings made with biscuit dough, crispy cauliflower katsu, and charred huli-huli chicken slicked with a sweet-savory butter glaze, Cook Real Hawai‘i will bring a true taste of the cookouts, homes, and iconic mom and pop shops of Hawai‘i into your kitchen.

Sheldon Simeon is the chef and owner of Lineage, a restaurant that explores the ancestral roots of Hawaiian cuisine, as well as Tin Roof, where he serves contemporary Hawaiian dishes in a casual setting, both in Maui. In 2019, Lineage was named one of Bon Appétit's Top 50 Nominees for America's Best New Restaurants. Sheldon was a finalist on Season 10 of Top Chef: Seattle, becoming a finalist en route, and later competed on Season 14 of Top Chef: Charleston. He was voted Fan Favorite on both seasons.