Chef Yumi Teraguchi

My focus of the culinary path is to HEAL. Heal by eating right while we heal earth. I invite you to experience the oneness and wholeness with the island and your soul through a beautiful culinary experience with me. Celebrating the ultimate abundance of the pristine island of Kaua’i. Nurturing your wellbeing while you build intimate connections with islands by enjoying the beautiful meals, will make your vacation on Kaua’i unforgettable. 

My culinary training started with my mother when I was 5 years old in my beautiful historical hometown, Kamakura, Japan. We bought fish from fishermen directly as meat and vegetables. Tofu trucks came by every day, and we would bring a bowl out for fresh tofu which was made in the early morning. It trained me to be in tune with the fresh ingredients without packaging and develop an ability to know what they want to be as a meal in my visions and dreams, and I am sometimes even able to taste it in my mouth before I create it. I started creating my own recipes at age 6. 

I have been studying and practicing Eastern food medicine, Ayurveda and Macrobiotic for over 25 years. Those medicines taught me how to wisely and effectively choose spices, ingredients and combinations of them and how to cook them to bring the balance back. 

I never went to culinary school, however I was already peeling an apple with a knife without breaking a peel at my age 6. 

I never have chosen to work at the restaurant, because I choose my cooking environment to be very ZEN. 

I am also a Hawaiian cultural practitioner and I teach Hula(dance), Lomilomi(bodywork) and Ho’oponopono(conflict resolution). 

I launched my personal chef and catering business on Kaua’i in 2016, after I ran the kitchen to host the historical arrival of Hokule’a(Hawaiian voyaging canoe) at one of the valleys in the remote untouched wilderness, Na Pali Coast. We fed 200 hungry Hawaiians and Polynesian out of coolers in the camp kitchen under the canopies.

If you are looking for a real Hawaiian experience through food and culture, I am your person!