Chef Connor And Kristin Callahan

Private Chef in Waimea

Chef Connor and Kristin are seasoned culinary professionals boasting over 12 years of diverse experience garnered from various kitchens in Seattle. Having recently relocated to Hawaii, Chef Connor and Chef Kristin nurture ambitions of venturing into entrepreneurship by opening their own restaurant. In the interim, their focus lies in curating dining experiences centered around locally sourced farm-to-table cuisine. Whether it be through family-style gatherings or meticulously plated courses, they aim to showcase the bounty of the region's vibrant culinary landscape.

For me, cooking is...

A lifestyle. Locally sourced ingredients and naturally cultivated products motivate our business.

I learned to cook at...

By experience in Hawaii, Alaska and Seattle.

A cooking secret...

The sharper the knife, the less you cry.

My menus

Mediterranean Breeze

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Goat cheese and tomato crostini (vegetarian)

Antipasti (labneh, pita, tapenade) (vegetarian)

Caesar salad with baby romaine, Parmesan, croutons (on the side), garlic anchovy dressing

Big Island Beef carpaccio, fried capers, chili, arugula, fried garlic, lemon, olive oil

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Big Island Beef Bolognese, rigatoni, basil, parmesan

Ricotta cavatelli with Big Island boar ragu

Goat cheese cavatelli with blistered tomatoes and fresh pesto (vegetarian)

Roasted cauliflower, salsa verde (vegetarian)

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Lilikoi panna cotta with cookie crumble and candied lemon peel

Olive oil cake with homemade ice cream

Seasonal panna cotta with cookies and fresh fruit

Chocolate cake with homemade ice cream

Big Island Flavors

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi belly crudo, local citrus, radish, chili oil, ginger, Garlic, and herbs

Kauai prawn spring rolls, dipping sauce

Big Island Beef carpaccio, fried capers, chili, arugula, fried garlic, lemon, olive oil

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmers Salad, Green Goddess dressing, Waimea strawberries, avocado, local goat cheese, Mac nuts

Caesar salad with baby romaine, crispy garlic croutons, anchovies dressing, Parmesan and Hamakua citrus

Green Papaya salad, bean sprouts, seasonal vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Local Fresh Catch, brown butter squash bisque, sauted kale, coconut rice

Rosemary flank steak with chimichurri and coconut rice

DESSERT

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Passion fruit panna cotta, candied lemon, cookie crumble

Brown butter mac nut cake with homemade ice cream

Chocolate cake with slow roasted strawberries and cardamom crème

Italy

STARTER

All inclusive

Sundog Sourdough Toast, whipped ricotta, Hamakua mushroom ragu

Eggplant and Mac nut pesto rolls

FIRST COURSE

All inclusive

Little Gem Salad, preserved lemon dressing, citrus supremes, Parmesan, toasted almonds

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Big Island Beef Bolognese, rigatoni, basil, parmesan

Local Roasted Pork loin, shiitake mushroom risotto

DESSERT

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Affogato- Mac Nut Gelato, Blue corner coffee

Olive Oil Cake, vanilla whipped cream, macerated berries

Island inspired menu (family style)

STARTER

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Ahi belly crudo, local citrus, radish, chili oil, ginger, Garlic, and herbs

Ahi poke, chili, lime, sesame, scallion, local fruit vinegars

Big Island Beef carpaccio, fried capers, chili, arugula, fried garlic, lemon, olive oil

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmers Salad, Green Goddess dressing, Waimea strawberries, avocado, local goat cheese, Mac nuts

Ahi tuna Caesar salad with crispy croutons, anchovies dressing, Parmesan and Hamakua citrus (Croutons can be made on the side)

Green Papaya salad, bean sprouts, seasonal vinaigrette with Kauai prawns

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Local Fresh Catch, brown butter squash bisque, sauted kale, coconut rice

Big island braised beef, charred zucchini, local sweet potato, red wine Demi

DESSERT

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Passion fruit panna cotta, candied lemon, cookie crumble

Chocolate cake with slow roasted strawberries and cardamom crème

Spirit of Waimea

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Tuna belly crudo, citrus, ginger, cilantro, mint, fried shallot

Amuse: avocado mousse, radish, citrus, pineapple sage, hamachi crudo

Kauai prawn spring rolls, dipping sauce

Vegan option: cucumber crudo, Dijon radish, papaya, fried garlic, chili (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Fresh Ahi tuna Niçoise salad: local greens, Kamuela tomato, long beans, kalamata olives, green goddess

Green papaya salad, sea asparagus, avocado, papaya vinaigrette, mac nut crumble (vegetarian)

Farmers Salad, Green Goddess dressing, Waimea strawberries, avocado, local goat cheese, Mac nuts

Ricotta cavatelli with Big Island boar ragu

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Big island beef tenderloin and grilled lobster tail, local farm veggies, salsa verde, drawn butter

Local market fish (whole), toasted coconut rice, salsa verde

Big Island Braised pork shoulder, Brown butter whipped potatoes, Charred zucchini, red wine demi glaze

Hearts of Palm steaks with coconut rice, charred zucchini, chimichurri (vegetarian)

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Chocolate cake with slow roasted strawberries and cardamom crème

Passion fruit panna cotta, candied lemon, cookie crumble (vegan option available)

Seasonal fruit sorbet, chocolate shell, coconut, pistachios

Deconstructed s’more (graham cracker ice cream, chocolate boudino, marshmallow)

Island Harvest

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi sashimi, wasabi, shoyu, ginger

Big Island Beef carpaccio, fried garlic, ricotta, arugula

Local prawn nasturtium spring rolls, papaya dipping sauce

Hamakua mushroom bruschetta (vegetarian)

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Green papaya salad, macnut, avocado, mint, cilantro, chili and lime dressing (vegetarian)

Caesar salad with Waimea baby romaine, crispy croutons, garlic anchovy dressing, Parmesan and Hamakua citrus

Ahi tuna carpaccio, citrus supremes, avocado, fried garlic, preserved lemon

Goat cheese cavatelli (homemade), mushroom ragu (vegetarian)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Big island braised pork shoulder, brown butter whipped potatoes, charred zucchini, red wine demi glaze

Seared fresh catch, toasted coconut rice, crab bisque

Braised Big Island beef, roasted potatoes, charred carrots and zucchini

Cauliflower steaks with chimichurri, coconut rice, charred carrots (vegetarian)

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Coconut and passion fruit panna cotta, cookie crumble

Chocolate Panna Cotta with fresh fruit and cookies

Seasonal fruit pie with ice cream

Lemon olive oil cake, slow roasted strawberries, cardamom chantilly

Big Island Flavors (family style)

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi belly crudo, local citrus, radish, chili oil, ginger, Garlic, and herbs( tomato carpaccio for vegan option)

Ahi poke, chili, lime, sesame, scallion, local fruit vinegars (tofu Pokè for vegetarian)

Fried eggplant stuffed pesto rolls

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Farmers Salad, Green Goddess dressing, Waimea strawberries, avocado, local goat cheese, Mac nuts

Caesar salad with crispy croutons, garlic dressing, Parmesan and Hamakua citrus

Green papaya salad, avocado, mint, cilantro, chili and lime dressing (vegetarian)

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Local Fresh Catch, brown butter squash bisque, sauted kale, coconut rice, vegan option available

Big island braised beef roasted potatoes, charred carrots, red wine Demi glaze (vegetarian option available)

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Passion fruit panna cotta, candied lemon, cookie crumble

Brown butter mac nut cake with homemade ice cream

Chocolate cake with slow roasted strawberries and cardamom crème

Waimea Roots

STARTER

Choose 1 dish

Ahi poke, chili, lime, sesame, scallion

Fresh catch ceviche, calamansi limes, fresh herbs, served with taro chips

Big Island Beef carpaccio, fried capers, chili, arugula, fried garlic, lemon, olive oil

FIRST COURSE

Choose 1 dish

Caesar salad with baby romaine, crispy garlic croutons, anchovies dressing, Parmesan and Hamakua citrus

Green Papaya salad, bean sprouts, seasonal vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Choose 1 dish

BBQ chicken, guava bbq sauce, coconut rice, grilled broccoli

Big Island braised beef, brown butter whipped potatoes, charred zucchini

Local fresh catch, squash bisque, sautéed kale, coconut rice

DESSERT

Choose 1 dish

Haupia (coconut pudding) with fresh fruit and cookie crumble

Brown butter mac nut cake with homemade ice cream

Lilikoi panna cotta with cookie crumble and candied lemon peel

Fresh fruit with coconut crème

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Chef Connor And Kristin's reviews

4.71

•

85 services

We loved our dinner with Chef Kristin! She was very personable and engaging with our family while also being very professional. She did a great job explaining the ingredients and preparation of each dish which made the experience very special for us. Additionally, the food was absolutely delicious and aligned with the type of menu we had requested. We would highly recommend her services!

A+ experience. Great meal that our entire group enjoyed!

Very satisfied

Connor was absolutely incredible! He was so prompt and kind - the meal was the best we had looking over a perfect sunset. We will definitely be using his services again when we’re back. He is so SO good, y’all!

Incredible. Personable. Friendly.

Chefs Connor and Kristen were amazing. They prepared 3 meals for eight of us during our week stay in Waikaloa. We picked a couple of their suggested dinner menus using local farm to table foods without changes and they were fabulous. We asked that some accommodation be made for our recently pregnant daughter and they were able to adapt without any compromise to quality or taste. For our final dinner of the week we asked the chef to make a pasta dish from a well known restaurant in Seattle where he had worked as part of the menu. He hand made the pasta on site and it was fantastic. I can’t say enough on how comfortable it was to have them in our home managing around 4 very young grandchildren that we were trying to feed at the same time they were preparing us our meals. Without asking, Kristen also made specialty cocktails from our liquor, bringing in local fruits to creat her own twist on known drinks. The food presentation and floral touches at dinner were lovely. Both Connor and Kristen were charming and engaging and left the kitchen spotless. We recommend them without reservation and will use them again.

Conner and Kristen were amazing! The food was delicious! Highlights were the mushroom toast appetizer, fresh catch seafood dinner, and dessert including fresh mango sorbet. They were very professional and engaging. They helped make our special occasion all the more special!!

Fantastic food and service. Connor and Kristin took our preferences into account while also curating a menu of fresh, local items. A lot of the produce was picked locally same-day. Highly recommend!

Kristen was extremely kind, professional, flexible and the meal was incredible. A perfect experience for our large party on our wedding night.

Chef Conner and Kristen were great! food, service and friendliness were all very good.

Everything was excellent. We would use this service again.

Every thing was very good. It was a tough emotional evening for our family due to the election and we appreciated their kindness. I would recommend them.

We loved Conor and would love to use him again soon!

Chef Connor was absolutely fantastic. He was incredibly easy to communicate with and flexible in creating a menu to accommodate a few food allergy requests for our large group. We really wanted a locally inspired menu and he delivered one of the best meals we've had on the island so far. My friends were raving about our dinner into the next morning. Would absolutely recommend Connor and look forward to hiring him for another meal soon.

Conner was incredibly friendly and flexible with our delayed timing. Food was amazing!

Connor was flexible, professional and prepared a great meal and signature drink for my family of 4. He also had excellent recommendations for exloring the island.

Kristin and Lu were wonderful - easy to work with, adjusted the menu for an egg allergy, friendly and warm to the guests and even brought anniversary flowers for my parents. The food was delicious and everyone raved about the poke and beef carpaccio. The kitchen was spotless when they were finished. Thank you for a wonderful dinner!

Kristin was incredible!

Our experience with Kristin and Connor was amazing! The dishes they prepared were delicious and we loved that everything was sourced locally and sustainably. They were attentive and engaging, which made the experience memorable and fun. I absolutely recommend their chef service!!

We had a fantastic dining experience at our Big Island rental house thanks to Kristin! She featured fresh ingredients scouted specifically for our requested menu at the local farmer's markets and from her own garden. Everything she prepared was delicious and top chef-quality in terms of both taste and presentation. The panna cotta (with candied lemon and mango topping) was the best we have ever tasted. On the logistics side, Kristen arrived on time and meticulously cleaned everything up when completed, wrapping up leftovers for us to enjoy the next day. When she returned a few days later to retrieve her serving dishes, she brought us a fragrant bouquet of herbs from her garden. In addition to her chef skills, Kristin is very personable and shared great recommendations for island activities and hiking spots known only to the locals. We truly enjoyed meeting Kristen and highly recommend her services.