Jacqueline Lau

Sysco Hawaii - Honolulu, HI

Jacqueline Lau began working for Roy Yamaguchi a few weeks after he opened his original Roy’s Restaurant in Honolulu in late 1988. Beginning as a pastry chef, she quietly became adept at all phases of Roy’s Kitchen operation, rising to the position of Yamaguchi’s first Chef de Cuisine. Chef Yamaguchi then sent Jacqueline to Japan as the opening chef for his first international restaurant, Roy’s Tokyo.

This was the beginning of her culinary adventure traveling the world with Chef Yamaguchi, working side by side at many of the countries top culinary events, and opening his restaurants in Hawaii and abroad. Lau was Executive Chef at Roy’s Original Honolulu restaurant, Roy’s Nicolina, Roy’s Waikoloa and then Corporate Chef for Roy’s Hawaii restaurants for 16 years. Over the 27 years working for Roy’s she opened over a dozen restaurants and organized many of the restaurants special events as well providing assistance to Chef Roy’s guest appearances on the mainland and internationally.

Lau has participated in many outstanding culinary events across the country and abroad including events for the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, Sagebrush Classic, Aspen Food and Wine Festival, The James Beard House, Great American Seafood Challenge and The World Gourmet Summit. She has been featured in several television series including: the Great Chefs series (Great Chefs of Hawaii and Great Chefs of the World), Hawaii Cooks with Roy Yamaguchi and Island Chefs. She has also been recognized by Hawaii Business News as one of the leading women chefs in Hawaii. Lau is also active with speaking in public schools both at the elementary and high school levels regarding careers in culinary. Most recently she has been honored by her peers at the Hawaii Restaurant Association as an Inductee to the Hawaii Restaurant Hall of Fame.

Jacqueline Lau has been the chef organizer for many events in the state of Hawaii and on the mainland.  She was the Executive Chef for the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival during its first five years, and was responsible for organizing the culinary needs of over 100 world renowned chefs, placing an emphasis on utilizing local Hawaii products for the guest chefs to feature in the menus during the festival. Currently she works for HFM Foodservice / Sysco Hawaii as a Culinary Specialist and has her own company Chef Jax Kitchenette where she does restaurant consultation as well as menu development, teaches private culinary class, private dinning events and product development for startup business in Hawaii.