12:30pm-1pm Cooking (Main Cooking Area)
1pm-1:30pm Judging (Main Stage)

	Chef Hideaki "Santa" Miyoshi (Tokkuri-Tei) "Santa" Miyoshi was born in the small town of Kagawa, Japan, which is well known for their "Sanuki udon". His first job was as a $5/hour dishwasher at a popular Japanese Kappo Ryori restaurant. When they opened a new branch here in Hawaii, they appointed him the manager. Santa eventually left and became the Sashimi Cutter at Kengo's where he cut 200 pounds of sashimi a day. After a year of 10am-2am shifts, he quit and started a lunch wagon called "Munch Wagon" with his friend Kaz (Kazu "Kaz" Mitake). In 1989, Kaz found an investor which helped them open the first Tokkuri-Tei restaurant on Sheridan Street. Santa has won numerous cooking contests including the Aloha Shoyu and Sam Choy's Poke contests. Tokkuri-Tei, now at their Kapahulu location, just celebrated their 21st anniversary.
Santa is the 2010 "Riceipe" Cooking Competition Defending Champion
	Chef Wayne Hirabayashi (Kahala Hotel & Resort) Executive Chef Wayne Hirabayashi trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York. The recipient of a Hotel & Restaurant Union Scholarship, Hirabayashi's professional experience includes stints at the finest properties in the Pacific Rim including the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, The Ritz-Carlton hotels at Mauna Lani and Laguna Niguel and the Halekulani on Waikiki Beach. Prior to being named executive chef, Hirabayashi was the executive sous chef at Hoku's and was instrumental in defining Hoku's' award-winning culinary experience. Under Hirabayashi's guidance, Hoku's received Honolulu Magazine's 2011 Hale `Aina Chefs' Choice Award and has been named Best Hotel Restaurant in previous years. Hirabayashi aims to keep The Kahala at the crest of emerging food trends. For the past ten years Hirabayashi has expertly directed the Kahala's culinary operations, including its five restaurants, banquet services and room service.
	Chef Hector Morales (Turtle Bay) Hector Morales began cooking at an Italian restaurant in New Jersey at the age of 14 and was later accepted into the coveted Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts program. He served as Senior Sous chef at the Sydney Regent, Australia's premier Five Diamond Resort and in 1985, he transferred to Europe where he continued his culinary education under the direction of Master Swiss, German and Norwegian chefs. He moved to in Oslo Norway and served as the Banquet Sous Chef at S.A.S. Hotels Scandinavia as well as Banquet Sous Chef at the Sheraton Hotel. Prior to joining Turtle Bay Resort, he was Chef de Cuisine at the Stouffer Wailea Beach Resort on the island of Maui. and also served as Executive Chef on the S.S. Independence and on the S.S. Constitution, as well as on the American Hawaii Cruises.
	Chef Kent Thompson Kent Thompson likes to describe himself as old school just trying to keep up with the new class. Years before the Food Network, he used to watch Julia Child and his favorite, Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet. Besides his father, they were his early idols that inspired him to become a foodie. For the past twenty years or so, he worked in half a dozen places. He got his start at "The Great Wok of China" where he learned the fundamentals of being a "Wok Master." Since then he has worked as a fry cook, fast food line cook and the latest as a saucier at "Sam Choy BLC". He has won several recipe contests including eggs, chili, mangoes and a musubi contest. He is known for thinking outside of the norm, often politely called unique. He's a stay at home dad now but still loves entering competitions, and will always be a foodie at heart and in the gut.