Bao Tran

Giovedì - Honolulu, HI

Bao Tran is the Chef and Co-Owner of Giovedì, the nationally recognized Honolulu Chinatown restaurant reshaping Hawaii’s dining landscape through a deeply personal fusion of Italian technique and Asian sensibility. Alongside his wife and business partner, Jennifer Akiyoshi, Tran created Giovedì as an extension of the intimate Thursday dinner parties they once hosted for friends and family. The restaurant has become known for food that feels both technically rigorous and emotionally resonant, driven by Tran’s identity and personal storytelling.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Tran honed his craft for over 10 years in some of New York City’s most influential kitchens under acclaimed chefs including Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Andrew Carmellini before relocating to Hawaii with Mina Group in 2017.

Since opening in 2024, Giovedì has earned widespread recognition, including being named one of Bon Appétit’s “The 20 Best New Restaurants of 2025” and receiving Gold for Best New Restaurant in Honolulu Magazine’s 2025 Hale Aina Awards. Tran was also recognized as a 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist for Emerging Chef, cementing his place as one of the country’s rising culinary voices.

Bao Tran is deeply committed to the future of Hawaii’s culinary community, with a belief that food can educate and inspire others to create a better future, using Giovedì as a platform to nurture the next generation of hospitality leaders.