Thomas B.H. Wong, professor of Culinary Arts at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, developed his passion for all things culinary in his grandma’s kitchen, where he learned to fine-tune the ingredients, spices, and stunning flavors of the Island dishes of Hawaii. Throughout his teenage years, he worked for two uncles: one owned a bakery in Honolulu, and another owned a Chinese restaurant in California. Quickly, he caught the cooking bug, and the die was cast: he knew he wanted to – had to - become a chef.

After completing his culinary education at Kapiolani Community College, Wong attended and graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. For the two years following his CIA studies, he apprenticed at the iconic Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, sparking his love for luxury hotels and their award-winning cuisine.

Now, with more than 35 years of culinary experience in the luxury hospitality industry, Wong has served as an Executive Chef capacity for a roster of prestigious establishments. He created “Flavors of Hawai’i,” a culinary concept adopted for all Sheraton Hawai’i hotels, emphasizing the use of fresh island products to allow the purity of the food to speak for itself, unhampered by heavy sauces or creams. His philosophy includes a strong commitment to sustainability.

Wong has been a guest chef at the highly respected James Beard House for their Great Hotel Series and has appeared in numerous prestigious television programs. He proudly shares the limelight with a prestigious lineup of Hawaiian culinarians as one of the featured chefs in the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs television series, "Great Chefs of Hawai’i," and its companion cookbook.

Language spoken: English