After graduating from a community culinary school in California, Jacqueline Lau came to Hawaii for a brief vacation - - and decided to stay.
She began working for Roy Yamaguchi a few weeks after he opened his original Roy’s Restaurant in Honolulu in late 1988. Beginning as a pastry chef, she quietly became adept at all phases of Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion cuisine, rising to the position of Yamaguchi’s first Chef de Cuisine - - responsible for creating 20 – 25 new dishes a night - - by mid 1992. So impressed was Yamaguchi that in the fall of ’92 he sent Jacqueline to Japan as the opening chef for his first international restaurant, Roy’s Tokyo.
After spending two and a half months in the far east, Jacqueline returned to Honolulu and resumed her rein in Hawaii Kai, only to leave six months later, again at the request of Yamaguchi, to open his second international restaurant, Roy’s Guam.
With the exposure she gained during her two stints abroad, Jacqueline was beginning to solidify herself as one of the key players in Roy’s young and growing company. So to giver her a larger outlet - - a restaurant of “her own” - - in which to explore her culinary instincts, Yamaguchi awarded Jacqueline with the position of Executive Chef of Roy’s Nicolina on the island of Maui in 1993 and again with Roy’s Waikoloa Bar & Grill in March of 1996. Jackie has also helped open other Roy’s Restaurants on the mainland and is now also the Corporate Executive Chef for Roy’s Restaurants Hawaii.
Jacqueline has participated in many outstanding culinary events across the country and abroad
including: events for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Sagebrush Classic, Aspen Food and Wine Festival, The James Beard House and the The World Gourmet Summit. She has had the opportunity to cook with some of the best chefs in the world including: Paul Bocuse, Nobu Matsuhisa,
Emeril Lagasse, Charlie Trotter, Wolfgang Puck, Ming Tsai and George Morrone. Jacqueline has been featured in several television series including: the Great Chef series (Great Chefs of Hawaii and Great Chefs of the World), Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi and Island Chefs. She has also been recognized in the Hawaii Business News as one of the leading women chefs in Hawaii.
Jacqueline attributes much of her culinary influence to her Hispanic upbringing in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and the blending of Asian-Pacific seasonings to her elbow-to-elbow working relationship with Roy Yamaguchi and her locally born husband, Cleighton Lau.
Roy on Jackie: “Jackie came to us straight out of culinary school, and over that span produced literally hundreds of dishes, and entire nightly menus, that were always strikingly original and wonderfully resourceful. The interesting part of what she did for us in Honolulu, and now what she does full-blown at Roy’s Waikoloa, is how she applies her own completely natural feel for California-Southwestern flavors to our own Hawaiian Fusion style.”
Kampachi Tataki Ingredients
1.5 lbs of Kona Kampachi Blocked into 1” X 1” pieces
1/2 cup Inamona (kukui nut) toasted and finely minced
1 oz of Hawaiian Salt
Preparation
Season Fish well on all sides with Hawaiian salt and inamona and sear blocked fish in a hot pan quickly on each side for 10-20 seconds. Leaving the fish rare in center. Chill until completely cold. Wrap with plastic wrap tightly before slicing into 1/2 inch slices. Keep wrapped until ready to plate.
Hamakua Hearts of Palm Salad Ingredients
6 oz Fresh Hearts of Palm (bottom section) thinly slices on a Mandolin
3 oz of Hawaiian Sea Asparagus blanched and chilled
2 oz of Hawaiian Ogo (sea weed)
1 cup Cilantro Leaves
1 medium Maui Onion Julienne
4 oz of Japanese Cucumber thinly slices on a Mandolin
Preparation
In a bowl combine hearts of palm, sea asparagus, ogo, maui onion, cilantro leaves, and cucumber and keep chilled.
Hawaiian Vanilla Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 oz Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water
3 oz of Rice Wine vinegar
3 oz of Lilikoi Concentrate
2 Tbl Macadamia nut oil
1 Piece of Hawaiian Vanilla Bean seeded
1 oz of Fresh finely Julienne Young Ginger
1 Tbl Yuzu Juice
2 oz of Kabavaki Sauce
Roasted Black Sesame Seeds
Preparation
In a mixing bowl combine chili pepper water, rice vinegar, lilikoi concentrate, yuzu juice, and young ginger together with the seeded Vanilla bean. Using a wire whip add in Macadamia nut oil and blend together well.
Assemble
Remove plastic wrap and arrange 4 oz of sliced Kampachi Tataki on a chilled plate.
Lightly toss Hearts of Palm salad with just enough vinaigrette to coat.
Arrange salad and spoon a little of the vinaigrette around the fish and salad.
Sprinkle with black sesame seeds and drizzle with Kabavaki sauce.
