CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF ANNOUNCES WAIKIKI RESTAURANT

Honolulu -- Free-Press-Release.com-- Feb 7, 2012 -- HONOLULU, HAWAI‘I – Celebrity Master Chef Hiroyuki Sakai , famed for his role in the original Japanese television series “Iron Chef”, announced his first restaurant in Hawai‘i last Wednesday (01 Feb 2012). The open-air bistro-style restaurant – approximately 3,500 square feet, seating 150 people – will be located at the DFS Galleria Waikiki (Kalākaua Ave. at Royal Hawaiian Avenue) with a summer 2012 opening. The restaurant will be named Sakai of Hawai‘i and is Sakai’s first venture outside of his native Japan.

“This is very humbling and exciting to be able to share Chef Sakai’s talents with Hawai‘i and everyone who visits here,” said Miho Makimura , president of Chef Sakai USA. Makimura said “this is the right time to take Chef Sakai’s fusion of Japanese and French cooking out of Japan – and we believe that with local produce and fresh seafood, Hawai‘i is the right place to create this opportunity.”

The restaurant is a joint venture between DFS Galleria Waikiki and Chef Sakai USA. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to partner with such a respected name in the food service industry and provide a unique experience to visitors and kama‘āina (locals) that combines leading international cuisine with the best of local world-class produce,” said David Charles , Managing Director of DFS Hawai‘i. DFS Galleria Waikiki, celebrating 50 years in Hawai‘i this year, comprises three luxury shopping floors including Duty Free Shopping on Floor 3 and non-duty free shopping for all visitors and Hawai‘i residents on Floors 1 and 2.

Sakai of Hawai‘i will be open for breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea service and dinner. Agreeing that Hawai‘i is a perfect destination to open a restaurant, Chef Sakai said, “all the cultures come together here, just like my food. We will use the seafood from the ocean around us and make it a point to provide great food using local ingredients.” Sakai continued by saying, “our approach will be farm-to-table and ocean-to-table – we will work hard to find the best ingredients grown here in Hawai‘i.”

In 2005 Chef Sakai – known as the “Delacroix of French Cuisine” – was bestowed with the high honor of Chevalier in the Ordre National du Mérite Agricole (National Order of Agricultural Merit), a merit awarded to an individual by the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of France. In 2009 his home country honored him with the Gendai no Meiko (Contemporary Master Craftsmen) award – granted to those who are considered Japan’s foremost artisans.

Chef Sakai would visit La Rochelle, France – a seaport on the Bay of Biscay. While on visits to the western France city, Chef Sakai grew a deep appreciation and affection for La Rochelle. Chef Sakai operates three acclaimed restaurants in Sanno, Minami Aoyama and Fukuoka. The highly regarded restaurants are named after the city in western France city.

Sakai of Hawai'i is available on Twitter at @SakaiOfHawaii and for Facebook, click here.

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Please route all press and media inquiries to Malia Pacheco of Pae ‘Āina Communications at malia@paeainapr.com or 808.529.9580.

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