Other
Michelle Karr-Ueoka
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Michelle Karr-Ueoka builds pastry from island flavors, textures, and local abundance. Her work treats place as a working ingredient: not decoration, but structure. In that register, authentic island flavors come through with clarity, with the ingredients and culinary traditions doing the heavy lifting.
The Path
Training at Punahou School gave Michelle Karr-Ueoka a base before a run of kitchens that tightened technique and widened her range. She externed at Alan Wong’s Restaurant, interned at Daniel, then returned to the Pacific for an externship at The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. After that came work on the savory side as chef at Alan Wong’s Restaurant, followed by a stage at Per Se in New York. Taken together, those steps map a career built on disciplined repetition, timing, restraint, and the mechanics that support refined food. That progression later expanded into roles that moved beyond the pastry station. Since 2013, Michelle has been co-owner of MW Restaurant. She is also co-owner of Artizen by MW, a member of ment’or culinary council since 2018, and Executive Chef of Hawaiian Airlines since 2020. The arc shows a chef working across ownership, advisory, and airline service without losing the standards set earlier in her career.
The Work Today
At MW Restaurant in Honolulu, Michelle Karr-Ueoka serves as Executive Pastry Chef, with desserts shaped by Hawaii Regional Cuisine and the restaurant’s focus on local farmers, sustainable practices, and authentic island flavors. The work reads as completion rather than flourish: dessert in the same key as the rest of the meal, built to fit the room and the ingredients. Since 2013, her co-ownership has also placed her inside the operational side of the restaurant, where the island’s products and point of view remain central. Her reach now extends outside the dining room as well. In 2018, Michelle joined ment’or’s culinary council, adding an advisory role to a career already marked by standards and precision. In 2020, she became Executive Chef of Hawaiian Airlines, a position that demands consistency, adaptability, and a clear culinary identity at scale. Across these posts, the throughline is the same: disciplined technique applied in different contexts.
Signature
Michelle's signature dishes include Haupia Tapioca and Butterscotch Cookies. Both work in the register of comfort, but with enough control and definition to signal a chef who understands how to make familiar flavors land with precision.
Acclaim
Michelle's honors include James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best Pastry Chef (2014) and Rising Star Chef Award as Pastry Chef. Those recognitions track with a body of work shaped by place, sharpened through training, and carried by a distinct pastry voice.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Michelle
What is Michelle Karr-Ueoka's current role?
As of 2026, Michelle Karr-Ueoka is Executive Pastry Chef.
Where did Michelle Karr-Ueoka train or study?
Michelle Karr-Ueoka trained at Punahou School.
What recognition has Michelle Karr-Ueoka received?
James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist for Best Pastry Chef (2014).
