Young
& by Ann BAgEL STOrck , mAnAging EdiTOr
hungrY
HOTELS canvaSSEd THE gLObE TO find THE mOST prOmiSing cHEfS agE 35 and yOungEr . THiS LiST Of 10 rEprESEnTS a rangE Of prOpErTiES and pOSiTiOnS , buT THEy aLL prOvE THEir appETiTE fOr SuccESS iS nOT LimiTEd by THE LEngTH Of THEir ExpEriEncE .
Isaac Bancaco chef de cuisine , Ka ’ ana Kitchen , andaz Maui at Wailea , haWaii Isaac Bancaco ’ s deep roots in Maui are reflected on his menu at Ka ’ ana Kitchen , where 85 % of ingredients are sourced on the island . Yet Bancaco has achieved success in the wider world as well , even serving as Ming Tsai ’ s sous chef on “ Iron Chef America .”
Age : 33 Hometown : Kula , Maui , Hawaii
Education : Western Culinary Institute , Portland , Oregon
Career highlights : Named 2014 Chef of the Year in the ‘ Aipono Restaurant Awards by Maui No Ka Oi Magazine ; named among Top Young Chefs to Watch by Hawaii Hospitality magazine in 2011
Best part of your job : “ It doesn ’ t feel like a job . I have the perfect symbiotic relationship with our ownership , Andaz senior management , guests and our Ka ’ ana Kitchen staff to put out a product we all can be proud of and , more importantly , a product that sells .”
Biggest challenge as a chef : “ Life balance . The trick is enjoying the day-to-day details of the job .”
Why you became a chef : “ Growing up , I always loved to eat , and both of my grandmothers were excellent cooks . As my career progressed , I learned about different cuisines , languages and cultures , and that hit a note with me .”
Where you want to be in 10 years : “ I ’ d like to be on the corporate level of the Andaz resort brand traveling worldwide and expanding what we ’ ve been able to accomplish at Ka ’ ana Kitchen .”
50 HOTELS July / August 2014 www . hotelsmag . com