Aloha! I had the honor of traveling to Maui to sous-chef for Harlem’s legendary Chef Melba Wilson of Melba’s at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival. I knew it would be special to watch her bring the spirit of Harlem together with Hawaiian mana — energy, spirit and power — in one dish.
Arriving a day before, Chef Melba gave me time to meet the legendary chef restaurateur and festival co-founder Chef Roy Yamaguchi and take in the island’s beauty. The festival, now celebrating its 16th year, spans multiple Hawaiian islands. It was my first return to Maui in more than 40 years, but this time I was there to work.
Our first night together, Melba and I attended the festival’s “Caviar, Pearls & Aphrodisiacs,” caviar-centered tasting of food, wines and spirits. There, NYC’s Chef Leah Cohen of Pig & Khao and Chef Jonathan Waxman of the iconic Barbuto were showing all the way out with delicious bites. But the next morning, it was back to the kitchen and the rhythm of service.
Fresh Kaua‘i shrimp, part of the final shipment from a farm devastated by hurricane damage, await preparation for Chef Melba Wilson’s signature shrimp and grits.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Kysha Harris, culinary students Kashmir and Magic, and Chef Melba Wilson celebrate their collaboration at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Chef Nyesha Arrington and Kysha Harris at the festival’s Maui brunch event.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Kysha Harris with chef-restaurateur Susur Lee at the Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Chef Leah Cohen of New York City’s Pig & Khao with Kysha Harris at “Caviar, Pearls & Aphrodisiacs.”(Kysha Harris photos) 
Chef Timon Balloo of The Katherine in Fort Lauderdale presents uni and lobster congee with local daikon, long beans, furikake and herbs.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Chef Jayse Sato of Umi Sushi in Wailuku, Maui, presents Moloka‘i wild venison nigiri with Tsar Nicoulai caviar, truffle butter and Hamakua ali‘i mushrooms.(Kysha Harris photos) 
Fresh tuna served with vegetables and accompaniments during a waterside dinner at Merriman’s Kapalua, Maui.(Kysha Harris photos)
With our talented local culinary students, Magic and Kashmir, and the team of chefs, I helped prepare for an event called, “No EGGScuses, Let’s Brunch!” Our assignment was to use local ingredients wherever possible and incorporate eggs. There are no eggs in Melba’s signature shrimp and grits, a dish featured in her first cookbook, “Melba’s American Comfort,” so local fish roe became our inspired answer.
Then the shrimp arrived with a story none of us could have imagined. We learned that we received the final order of Kaua‘i Shrimp after their farm was devastated by a recent hurricane. Suddenly, these shrimp represented more than an ingredient — they were history. We cleaned them carefully, then decided to fortify our chicken stock with their shells, drawing every possible bit of flavor from a precious delivery.
Our grits honored Nalo orange corn, grown in Hawai’i. Since it is not milled for grits in the islands, festival chefs sourced it from the mainland. Atop these grits sat a pool of shrimp-fortified gravy, a plump Old Bay-seasoned shrimp cooked à la minute in butter, local chives and our “eggs” of smoked trout roe. The dish was a beautiful expression of place and tradition. Melba also carried with her individual serving vessels resembling tiny cast iron-pots — just right for our four-ounce tastings.
We served approximately 300 guests, alongside an impressive roster of chefs including the multitalented and fierce Chef Nyesha Arrington and chef restauranteur Susur Lee. The response to Melba’s shrimp and grits was extraordinary, several guests called it their favorite dish. Working beside the students, sharing the story of Southern cooking, and seeing Harlem’s food traditions embraced in Maui made every hour worthwhile.
Afterward came a well earned swim in the Pacific and a waterside dinner at Merriman’s, a fitting close to a rich culinary experience. I returned home grateful for the invitation, the people I met, and the opportunity to represent Harlem in Hawai‘i alongside Chef Melba.
Mahalo Melba for all you do and for always bringing your “born, bred, and buttered in Harlem” spirit wherever you go.
Thanks for reading and happy eating!
Kysha Harris is a chef, culinary producer, and food editor for the NY Amsterdam News. As a consultant and owner of SCHOP!, a personalized food service in NYC for over 23 years, she remains on the hunt for the city’s next great bite.
Follow her on Instagram and on Facebook, @SCHOPnyc.
Questions, comments, requests, feedback, invitations! Email us at AmNewsFOOD@SCHOPnyc.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, @NYAmNewsFOOD.
