KUKUI’ULA — You might say that baking is in the blood of Emerson Tumbaga, 20, of Kapa’a. His father, Roger Tumbaga, is a baker at the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa. But until his parents forced him to enroll
KUKUI’ULA — You might say that baking is in the blood of Emerson Tumbaga, 20, of Kapa’a.
His father, Roger Tumbaga, is a baker at the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa.
But until his parents forced him to enroll at Kaua’i Community College, and he found the KCC culinary program to his liking, he may have been content to fall into the familiar Kaua’i pattern of young people taking on three jobs, forsaking college for the “real world.”
In May, Tumbaga will receive his associate’s degree in the culinary arts from KCC, and is already practicing his skills at both The Beach House Restaurant here, and at Tropical Burgers & More in the Coconut Marketplace in Waipouli.
In addition, he works as a busboy at the Smith’s Tropical Paradise lu’au, while taking 11 credits at KCC.
His supervisor at The Beach House, Executive Chef Scott Lutey, thinks the sky’s the limit for Tumbaga.
“Emerson has the talent to push for whatever he wants,” said Lutey.
“I always wanted to bake,” said Tumbaga, who hasn’t ruled out the possibility of owning and operating his own bake shop or restaurant, though for now he prefers to take things slowly, as they come.
“Learn what I can right now, and then we’ll see,” said Tumbaga.
At The Beach House, he hardly sees the finished product of his labors, working days as a baker’s helper, or assistant baker, making pastries, breads and other items that other chefs finish for presentation to guests at the dinner-only restaurant.
In addition, he cooks at Tropical Burgers & More, receiving KCC cooperative education credits for his time there.
That leaves little free time, which he spends talking story with friends, sometimes in person, but usually over the telephone.
He hasn’t decided what he’ll do after he receives his culinary certificate in May, but chances are he’ll be in the kitchen, or kitchens, somewhere on Kaua’i.
Tumbaga has no favorite food, either to cook or eat. “In the industry, you have to taste everything.”
Lutey, who could hold a reunion of KCC students and instructors in his kitchen, appreciates the training his staff receives from the college.
Junior Aiu, a sous chef, is a culinary instructor at KCC, and Art Rosqueta, another sous chef, is a former KCC student.
Those going through the KCC culinary program come into Kaua’i hotel and restaurant kitchens armed with knowledge that means Lutey and other executive chefs don’t have to spend as much time training them as they would off-the-street hires.
And in a kitchen as busy as The Beach House’s, time really is money. For the last several nights, the restaurant has done over 300 dinners a night, and last week there was a three-night wait for reservations. Set a short fork’s throw from the ocean along Lawa’i Road, The Beach House is most popular with sunset diners, Lutey said.
Tumbaga is part of a 20-person kitchen team, with another 25 employees working in the front of the restaurant.
Mike Hooks and Roy Dunn are the owners of The Beach House, and also own and operate The Plantation House Restaurant in Kapalua, West Maui; The SeaWatch Restaurant at Wailea, Maui; and The Bigwater Grille at Lake Tahoe.
Beginning this Tuesday, April 1, dinner hours at The Beach House are 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The KCC culinary arts program is now undergoing curriculum renovations, and another change is that it joins other community college culinary programs in the University of Hawai’i system under the umbrella of The Culinary Institute of the Pacific. A display of gourmet food that will be enjoyed by guests is set for this Friday, April 4, beginning at 6 p.m. in the KCC fine dining room. Proceeds benefit the KCC culinary arts department. Tickets are $75 per person, available by calling 245-8231. Lutey and The Beach House crew will serve up shrimp and ‘ahi chip, a combination of butterfly shrimp, raw ‘ahi, shrimp mousse, and Chinese shrimp chips, at the fund-raiser.
Business Editor Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
