Hawaii’s renowned chef Peter Merriman has opened a relatively new restaurant in the Poipu area of Kauai and is in need of an Executive Chef. So, Merriman teamed up with the Food Network’s Carrie McCully of the new docu-reality series, Chef Hunter, to find his chef.
Starting tonight, you can watch two chefs compete to become Merriman’s Fish House’s Executive Chef. Their assignment is to re-invent the current menu items and run the entire dinner service for one night. What pressure! The chef who proves that he/she understands the cuisine and culture of Hawaii, while performing well under the pressure, wins the Executive Chef position.
I’m excited to share with you that Go Visit Hawaii was offered an exclusive interview with Carrie McCully, the Chef Hunter’s host! Here’s the summary of our Q&A:
How was Chef Hunter attracted to Kauai?
“Kauai is a paradise of splendor that we knew Chef Hunter viewers would enjoy seeing. It was great timing for us that Peter Merriman asked me to find a chef.”
What was the biggest surprise the chefs faced?
“That this was a job interview like no other. They were surprised to find out that they would be given the keys to the restaurant for one night and that they had to do all of the work associated with being an Executive Chef, including serving a full dinner service to some of the Island’s business and community leaders. Peter Merriman is an Icon of Hawaiian Cuisine and that in itself is intimidating.”
Did the chefs prepare any Hawaiian dishes?
“All of the dishes the chefs created needed to be reflective of Peter and Regional Hawaiian cuisine. There were no exceptions; this is Merriman’s after all!”
Were locally grown ingredients used in the menu items?
“The Chefs sourced all of their produce and proteins from local purveyors. There was a true sense of excitement in the kitchen after visiting with local Fisherman and South Shoreganics…. Kauai is a Foodie’s Heaven!”
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Mahalo to Carrie for taking the time to answer our questions.
This Kauai episode airs tonight at 10pm ET/PT. If you miss it, it airs again on December 2 at 1am ET/PT and on December 8 at 11pm ET/PT. Check your local listings and schedule for Chef Hunter on the Food Network.
Sheila Beal
