Jason Peel

Nami Kaze - Honolulu, HI

Raised on the island of Kauai, Jason Peel creates familiar island flavors of your favorite home-cooked meals with an elevated twist. Combining the values of his humble Japanese origins, with his strong Irish spirit, Peel discovered his passion for creating, and specifically cooking, at an early age. Upon graduation from Kapiolani Community College with a degree in Culinary Arts, Peel was mentored by Ian Russo of Michele’s at the Colony Surf. Under his tutelage, Peel learned the style of French Cuisine and worked his way up to Sous Chef. When Russo left the islands for New York, Peel found his way to Roy Yamaguchi, where Yamaguchi’s Pacific Rim Cuisine expanded his palate even further. Through Peel’s work with Roy, he had an opportunity to travel to Thailand, Korea, Dubai and eventually returned home to the islands where he opened Roy’s in Waikiki.

Following a productive tenure with Roy’s, Peel followed in his parent’s footsteps and became an educator at Kapiolani Community College for six years. During this time, Peel taught a variety of courses and traveled with students to culinary competitions across the nation, building the curriculum at KCC into a world-renowned culinary program and gaining recognition nationally. In tandem with his time at KCC, Peel teamed up with Roy Yamaguchi and his wife, Denise, serving as the Corporate Chef for the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival. In this position, Peel played an integral role in building Hawaii’s culinary scene, hosting chefs from around the world in the Hawaiian Islands, introducing them to the unique flavors of Hawaii, along with bringing a spotlight to Hawaii’s local chefs, highlighting their talents and style of cooking.

After decades of work in Hawaii’s culinary scene, Jason Peel began a new adventure as owner and partner in Peel Restaurant Group, overseeing the menu of Nami Kaze Hawaii. Bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience, Peel hopes these restaurants will continue to build Hawaii as a culinary destination, serving as a community for culinary enthusiasts and creating opportunities for Hawaii’s next generation of chefs while also building upon the values and foundation built by the veterans of the trade!