The chef de cuisine of Butcher’s Block shares his love of Hawaiian cuisine, and where he visits to indulge when he is back home
Originally from Hawaii, USA, Jordan Keao left for California when he was just 18 to pursue his passion for culinary arts at The Art Institute of California. There, he focused on Hawaiian fusion cuisine and practised the art of Japanese-style wood-fire grilling, before refining his skills in contemporary French cooking under chef Roland Passot of now-shuttered one Michelin-starred restaurant La Folie.
Before settling in Singapore, Keao worked at Google’s Bon Apetit cafeteria, in Silicon Valley. During this period, he also opened his first pop-up restaurant, Aina, in San Francisco, which served modern Hawaiian cuisine.
Today, he helms Butcher’s Block, and he and his team provide guests with an avant-garde wood-fire experience starring dishes that showcase his Hawaiian heritage.
Read more: Why Butcher’s Block Chef De Cuisine Jordan Keao Is All Fired Up
What do you miss most on the food/drink front when you are away from Hawaii or haven't been back for a while?
Jordan Keao (JK): I miss the local food and fresh fish, including poke.
What are your favourite heritage dishes and where in Hawaii do you go to enjoy them?
JK: I love Lau Lau, Kalua pig and Poi. Lau Lau is salted fish and pork wrapped with taro leaves, ti leaves, and banana leaves, and cooked in a fire built in the ground. Kalua pig is a whole pig that is also cooked in a wood fire dug into the ground. These dishes are hard to find as only a few restaurants prepare them properly. The places you can find these dishes are in people’s homes and at family gatherings. I typically enjoy these dishes at Helena’s Hawaiian Food.