Food & Wine Best New Chefs alumnus Ravi Kapur
believes in the aloha spirit.
FOOD DESTINATION:
YOUR KITCHEN
CHEF RAVI KAPUR OF LIHOLIHO YACHT CLUB
in San Francisco believes in an intangible measurement
of hospitality: the “aloha spirit.” “It’s welcoming, and
suggests wanting to share,” says Kapur. “It’s that idea of
people gathering around the table—no matter where
you’re from or what you do—everybody has a seat.
Everybody is welcome.”
For Kapur, every culture and learned experience is
welcome at his table, which is why he describes his
restaurant as “heritage-driven,” not “Hawaiian.” His
recipes are a blend of everything he’s learned, both
from his Chinese and Hawaiian mother and his Indian
father, as well as from his childhood in Hawaii and his
adulthood in San Francisco. “The beauty about being
heritage-driven is that you can be open to the
experiences and infl uences of others,” he says. Chef
Kapur grew up around a sharing of cultures and tastes
in Hawaii. “It wasn’t like, ‘This is the way to do it.’ It was
like, ‘This is how my family does it.’ Heritage is not only
your bloodline, but your accumulation of experiences.”
That welcoming together, or “aloha spirit”—and
memories of his grandfather grilling in Hawaii—inspired
him to create a pork shoulder dish that can be
shared with others. It’s a simple cut of pork, sustainably
raised, that’s elevated with a marinade. “Most meats
that are grilled or roasted in Hawaii are marinated
fi rst, and that brings out a balance of sweetness and
salinity,” he says. “You’re adding fl avor and complexity
to a simple ingredient.”