CHEF MCKIVOR The Other Half of Honokowai Okazu Ya

In a professional kitchen, it is hard to imagine having two executive chefs working side by side unless it was for a fundraiser or something. After all, Joe Montana and Steve Young couldn't be starters. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird couldn't share the same time on the same team playing together except for the 90's Dream Team. Top pros in any business usually have their own followers or students learning from them. So seldom would you have 2 expert chefs in their own rights share the same kitchen. For 9 years, the man on the left Chef John McKivor my brother in-law, an executive chef at many fine restaurants shared the kitchen with my brother Harold who also was an executive chef. The creation of the Honokowai Okazu Ya in Honokowai Maui, was one of the best local businesses. The food was talked about from all over the world. Located north of Kaanapali, surrounded by resorts and condos, the Okazu rocked big time with lines of hungry diners out the door. I always said to myself, "Shit this ain't gonna work, how in the world will two chefs of that caliber work together for a month?" They pulled it off for 9 years before selling the joint.


Harold passed away in July (2011), Chef John in the picture grills salmon for the family a day after Harold's ashes were spread over his home town of Lahaina. With talented chefs and egos, it was a miracle that those two lasted together that long. I worked in kitchens along with friends, and we all made bets, "Your brother and brother in-law ain't gonna last a month working together!" Yeah let's collect the cash, this is not going to work never ever will two execs last in a kitchen for a long time. NEVER.... Wrong, it lasted 9 years, and then it was move on to other places, try different things.


Yeah, two head strong individuals with talent can get along, seldom it does... remember Shaq and Kobe? And they lasted just a few years. Seldom, very seldom can you get two talents to last a long time. Seldom.

John works the hot grill in the back yard of my sister Joyce and her husband Greg. The char marks, it's all about the char marks when grilling.












John sautees shrimp and puts it over the grilled salmon, and then juiced it up with a Thai kind of sauce