Meet Chef Cory Stokes
For Cory Stokes, cooking has always been a family affair; growing up as the son of an accomplished chef he fell in love with the delectable Italian meals his mother and Sicilian grandmother would make for their family. Being raised on the fertile garden island of Kauai brought him much opportunity to enjoy fresh local ingredients year round, ingredients which he has grown to love and use in his own cooking. Now as a husband and father of five, he has become the accomplished family chef that loves to dazzle his family and friends with traditional family flavors as well as the tastes of the islands.
Stokes began cooking professionally at the age of 16 at a Hawaiian/Middle Eastern fusion restaurant. By his mid 20’s he had worked his way to cooking at the Pacific Café, Chef Jean Marie Josselin’s Hawaiian Regional restaurant in Kapaa, HI. Here, Cory learned the art and style of cooking with local Hawaiian ingredients and flavors using French technique. This position launched him into the next 10 years of cooking at the award winning restaurants of the Grand Hyatt Kauai. He cooked up sumptuous Hawaiian Regional delights at Tidepools Restaurant at the Grand Hyatt as well as lavish Italian foods at Dondero’s, the Grand Hyatt’s renowned Italian Restaurant. After his time at the Grand Hyatt, Stokes went on to cook at the award winning local restaurant Kauai Pasta, where he served up authentic palette pleasing Italian flavors to the island’s locals and tourists. These days, Cory prefers the artistic freedom of providing individuals with a unique in-house dining experience. As a private chef, he thrives on catering to the desire of the moment and loves to create the cuisine and environment that his clients are wanting. Stokes seeks to use the freshest local ingredients in all of his cooking and is also a talented gardener. He often brings herbs, greens, and vegetables from his own organic garden to compliment the fresh flavors he is cooking with. Kauai’s locals and visitors alike are always thrilled with his tantalizing culinary creations.
As your Personal Chef, Stokes can provide as low key of an environment as you may desire or as dazzling and lavish as you can think of. Whether you are interested in family style meals for your next relaxing vacation, or luxurious plated dinners sampling the flavors of the islands, Cory Stokes is ready to expertly craft exactly what you are looking for.