Barbara was raised on a farm in Ohio and is one of four children. Her mother was always baking, and her father’s garden would end up in jars for the winter months.
She originally entered a travel industry school in Florida in 1982. Soon after, she took a part-time cooking job in Toledo, Ohio to support herself through school. She realized she was happier in the kitchen than behind the desk. She is a self-taught chef, learning her art through a variety of chefs who have come and gone throughout her life.
Her culinary journey brought her to Hawaii in 1989, where she first met Alan Wong at the Canoe House Restaurant at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and Bungalows, and has since spent her career here in Hawaii with Alan. For a short period of time, Barbara was the Sous Chef of the CanoeHouse while Alan opened up the Le Soleil Restaurant, and she participated in all of the Cuisines of the Sun Events held at Mauna Lani.
In 1994, she departed from Mauna Lani and spent a short period of time in Honolulu working as a Corporate Sous Chef prior to becoming one of the opening Sous Chefs of the Alan Wong’s King Street Restaurant in 1995. From 2000 to 2005, Barbara assisted Alan as his Chef de Cuisine, consulting for the Aloha Airlines’ food program. Barbara also assisted in the opening of the Pineapple Room Restaurant in Macy’s Ala Moana and the HRC Marketplace in 1999.
Barbara’s work with Alan has taken her overseas to various different countries. She spent three months in Japan assisting with training the kitchen staff of the Alan Wong’s Hawaii in Japan. She has traveled to Taipei, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and many mainland destinations representing the Alan Wong Restaurants, Inc.
Over the years Barbara has continued to learn and grow with in the company and has now found herself working with the Front of the House as one of the restaurant managers of the Pineapple Room. She no longer creates recipes just for food; she is busy creating recipes for a memorable dining experience.
