To pursue this dream, Chef Michelle began training at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Her talents caught the eye of none other than Chef Thomas Keller. He invited her to join the team at The French Laundry where she honed her craft. But the islands kept calling to Michelle. Eventually, she left the mainland and rejoined Alan Wong’s. Here she spent six years relishing the savory side of the business. Yet, Chef Michelle has always enjoyed the sweeter things in life. When Chef Thomas Keller invited her to join his team at Per Se as a pastry chef, she wholeheartedly accepted the career-changing role. After years of hard work and many moves around the country, Chef Michelle finally achieved her dream of becoming a pastry chef. Little did she know, this was only the beginning of many great things.
In 2012, Chef Michelle received the Rising Star Chef Award from StarChefs.com for her work as a pastry chef. It wasn’t long after that Chef Michelle embarked on a new adventure: in October 2013, she and her husband Chef Wade Ueoka opened their first joint venture, MW Restaurant in Honolulu specializing in Hawaiian regional cuisine. The two world travelers draw inspiration from their journeys, but none bigger than the melting pot of Hawaii and its exotic local bounty.
Chef Michael Mina caught wind of the delectable dishes at MW Restaurant and had to try them. To say that Chef Mina was blown away would be an understatement. He recalled, “After dining at Michelle and Wade’s celebrated MW Restaurant in Honolulu, I was completely inspired by everything they were doing and wanted to bring their authentic Hawaiian experience and ‘ohana spirit’ to San Francisco.” With the help of Chef Mina, Chefs Michelle and Wade opened Trailblazer Tavern in 2018 in the Salesforce East building in San Francisco’s bustling tech neighborhood. With lively dining and jaw-dropping desserts, the restaurant quickly earned the reputation as a hidden gem.
Chef Michelle has been celebrated by many critics. In February 2014, MW Restaurant was nominated by the James Beard Foundation in the category of Best New Restaurant, and Chef Michelle earned a nomination in the category of Outstanding Pastry Chef. In 2015, Chef Michelle was nominated for the second year in a row by the James Beard Foundation in the category of Outstanding Pastry Chef. Check out Chef Michelle’s awards and accomplishments below.
- James Beard Foundation
- 2014 Best New Restaurant (MW Restaurant, nominated)
- 2014 Outstanding Pastry Chef(Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Semifinalist)
- 2015 Outstanding Pastry Chef (Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Semifinalist)
- 2016 Outstanding Pastry Chef (Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Semifinalist)
- 2018 Outstanding Pastry Chef (Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Semifinalist)
- StarChefs.com –Rising Star Award
- 2012 Rising Star Chef Award (Michelle Karr-Ueoka, Pastry Chef)
- Ilima Award
- 2014 Best New Restaurant –Critic’s Choice
- Hale ‘Aina Award
- 2015 Best New Restaurant –Bronze
- 2015 Best Dessert – Silver
- 2015 Best O’ahu Restaurant – Finalist
- 2016 Best Tasting Menu –Silver
- 2016 Best Dessert – Silver
- 2016 Best O’ahu Restaurant – Finalist
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Like his wife, Chef Wade Ueoka was born and raised in Honolulu. He began his career as a celebrated chef in an unusual place: a fry cook at Zippy’s while he worked his way through Mid Pacific School, from where he eventually graduated. He also earned a culinary degree from Kapiolani Community College. All the best things come from humble beginnings, so after just two years at Zippy’s, Chef Wade landed a job as a prep cook at Alan Wong’s. After a mere few years, Chef Wade rose the ranks to chef de cuisine.
Chef Wade’s career journey continued with excitement and prestige. He lent his talents to The French Laundry and Las Vegas’ Alex. However, Chef Wade’s biggest inspirations – which drives him to this day – are the Asian delicacies that he his mother cooked when he was a child. That’s why in October 2013, Chef Wade Ueoka and his wife and partner Chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka opened their first joint venture, MW Restaurant in Honolulu. Having traveled around the world, the pair draws inspiration from their journeys and mixes that with their shared love of Hawaiian, Hawaiian culture, and the exotic local bounty of the islands. Hawaiian food is their passion and guests can taste their love in every bite.
Naturally, Chef Michael Mina had to visit MW Restaurant. Chef Mina fell in love with MW Restaurant and the Aloha Spirit. Inspiration struck and he felt compelled to meet Chefs Wade and Michelle and collaborate with them. Thus, the idea for Trailblazer Tavern was born and the team launched the loved restaurant in 2018. When asked about Chefs Wade and Michelle, Chef Mina explained, “Their background and experience make them the perfect team for us to partner with on this special concept. Our team is honored to carry out their vision and translate this to the guest experience at Trailblazer Tavern.”
Along with his stellar talent Chef Wade lives and breathes Hawaiian hospitality. He has won and been nominated for many prestigious awards. In February 2014, MW Restaurant was nominated by the James Beard Foundation in the category of Best New Restaurant. See below for additional awards.
- James Beard Foundation
- 2014 Best New Restaurant (MW Restaurant, nominated)
- StarChefs.com – Rising Star Award
- 2012 Rising Star Chef Award (Wade Ueoka, Chef de Cuisine)
- Ilima Award
- 2014 Best New Restaurant – Critic’s Choice
- Hale ‘Aina Award
- 2015 Best New Restaurant – Bronze
- 2015 Best O’ahu Restaurant – Finalist
- 2016 Best Tasting Menu – Silver
- 2016 Best O’ahu Restaurant – Finalist
