Famed Local Chef Chris Kajioka to Lead Culinary Operations and Experiences at Ward Village®

TOKYO, JAPAN (July 21, 2019) – The Howard Hughes Corporation® (NYSE: HHC) announced today at the Tokyo American Club that acclaimed Chef Chris Kajioka has been tapped as Ward Village Chef to curate culinary operations and experiences at its award-winning, 60-acre master-planned community Ward Village located in Honolulu. Kajioka’s expertise adds yet another signature element to the community, elevating the overall experiences of both residents and visitors throughout the neighborhood. 

“Ward Village is rapidly emerging as one of the culinary hot spots of Honolulu, attracting James Beard Award Winners and Michelin Star Chefs,” said Simon Treacy, President, Hawaiʻi of The Howard Hughes Corporation. “Chef Kajioka’s depth of knowledge and expertise will take the epicurean vision for our growing community to the next level, ensuring a high bar of excellence at every step.” 

A native of Honolulu, Kajioka will curate the development of a diverse food scene for the neighborhood that spans fine dining to fast casual. Kajioka will establish universal benchmarks for Ward Village branded events – including menu development, recruiting and training talent establishing a uniformly high level of service and quality standard. The Ward Village residential community will benefit from the ongoing partnership through special event culinary classes, exclusive recipes and in-home chef recommendations.

“I look forward to sharing my passion for food with this progressive community revitalizing urban Honolulu,” said Chef Chris Kajioka. “It is an honor to work alongside the amazing chefs and restaurants already present at Ward Village, and to join them in creating a foodie destination that will rival cities worldwide.”

Kajioka’s style of contemporary French cuisine reflects both his classical culinary training and affinity for his own cultural heritage. His cooking emphasizes the beauty of local ingredients with a Japanese sensibility. Kajioka received his formal training from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.  After working in top restaurants across the nation – including Ron Siegel’s Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton, Mourad Lahlou’s Aziza in San Francisco and New York City’s Per Se, Thomas Keller’s iconic restaurant, Kajioka returned to Hawaiʻi as Executive Chef at Vintage Cave. In 2014, Kajioka teamed with Chef Anthony Rush to co-create one of Honolulu’s critically acclaimed restaurant, Senia.

“Ward Village has always been known locally as a favorite place to meet family or friends for a meal,” said Todd Apo, Senior Vice President of Community Development for The Howard Hughes Corporation. “As our community grows, Chef Kajiokaʻs expertise will ensure we are offering the best food and beverage experiences to our residents and guests.”

As the largest LEED-ND Platinum-certified master plan development in the country and the only one in Hawaiʻi, Ward Village is at the forefront of sustainable community development and will feature public amenities at a scale not offered by any other urban development in the state. At completion, Ward Village will introduce approximately one million square feet of unique retail experiences and more than 4,500 homes in an environmentally sustainable, integrated community that honors the distinct history of the land.

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PRESS CONTACTS

Megan Tsuchida
Bennet Group Strategic Communications
808-286-3183
[email protected]

Andrea Galvin
Senior Director, Media Relations, Ward Village
808-426-7724
[email protected]