James Babian

Pueo's Osteria - Waikoloa, HI

James Babian was born into a large family of talented cooks and food-lovers—Sicilian on his Mother’s side and Armenian on his father’s. One of his first memories in the kitchen was the traditional Sunday dinner, handed down by ancestors from Campofelice di Fatalia, in the province of Palermo, where his great great grandfather was rumored to be the mayor. As an aspiring young chef, Babian often helped his Nona’s and family in the kitchen, further immersing him in the ingredients and traditions of the great cooks who came before him.

After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Babian worked for Chef Joyce Goldstein, chef/owner of Square One and two-time James Beard Award winner. Building on this, Babian has been a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York City, promoting the Island of Hawaii. As an award-winning chef, he has done numerous TV appearances including the Today Show, Food Network and local networks. He is also a Gold medal culinary competitor, two-time local chapter president of the American Culinary Federation, and a former culinary instructor at Hawaii Community College.

In 2013, Babian and his wife Christine opened Pueo’s Osteria, reflecting Babians Sicilian roots and love of all things Italian while maintain a sense of place by passionately supporting all things local. Today, his steadfast philosophy is to create dining experiences that are culinary adventures for the soul. He is committed to the local farming community and holds to a strict commitment to the regional, seasonal and artisanal approach to procuring foods. Babian imports some of the finest products from Italy to meld with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients, from the plant to the plate.