Chef Choy is an internationally recognized Hawaiian celebrity chef known for his colorful personality, exceptional creativity, and true Hawaiian heritage cooking.
Chef Choy has authored 16 cookbooks, is a four-time nominee for the James Beard Best Pacific Regional chef award, winning in 2004, has spent over 20-years mastering his craft in the kitchens of noted hotels & resorts on the mainland and Hawaii, and appears on his weekly cooking show, Cooking with Sam.
One of the most recognized names in American food, Emeril Lagasse has spent decades championing the bold, ingredient-driven cooking that defines cuisines like Hawai’i’s, rooted in place, technique, and tradition. The founder of The Emeril Group and chef and proprietor of restaurants across New Orleans and Las Vegas, Lagasse is a pioneer of American food television, having hosted more than 2,000 shows on the Food Network and starred in the award-winning Amazon original series Eat the World. His flagship New Orleans restaurant earned two Michelin stars in October 2025.
A James Beard Foundation ‘Humanitarian of the Year’ honoree, Lagasse has also dedicated significant resources to food education through the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, which has awarded nearly 500 grants totaling over $22 million to schools and children’s charities.
Chef Sheldon Simeon is a two-time “Top Chef” finalist (Seasons 10 and 14) and Fan Favorite winner both times. Chef Simeon is also a successful chef and restaurateur in Maui, Hawaii, known for his “Hawaii Classics” cuisine, and is the author of the cookbook “Cook Real Hawaii”. He and his wife, Janice, also own and operate Tiffany’s Maui which was featured in the New York Times’ 2023 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States.
Chef Simeon has also been nominated for a James Beard Award, is a proud father of four, and is well known for his strong focus on local ingredients and supporting local farmers, fishermen, and artisans.
Chef Ronnie Rainwater worked with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse in Las Vegas for more than two decades starting as executive sous chef and now oversees all of Emeril’s Las Vegas concepts as well as Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse. A graduate from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Oregon, Chef Rainwater is known for his love of simple and fresh ingredients which he uses to help him craft ambitious nightly tasting menus for his guests.