South Shore Chef

I have one huge regret: that I didn’t photograph every single thing Chef Michael made at our dinner party last weekend! Although, photos wouldn’t be able to convey the phenomenal flavors anyway. We have hosted multiple events in the Poipu area over the past few years and Chef Michael has been off-​the-​charts amazing for every single function. He is always quick to respond, flexible, professional, warm, and extremely talented. I can’t wait until our next event!

I found Michael on Unilocal (just like you!) and was thrilled he could modify his typical «private chef» nights for an evening cooking class. Once I had poke, I knew I wanted to make it at home and now I know how! Plus he offered some ideas on how to make laulau in Minnesota where ti and banana leaves don’t grown so well.
Booking the date was a breeze (last minute of course), he was flexible with times, and arrived completely prepared. He was extremely friendly and professional. And since he’s lived here for over 25 years has some interesting stories about the island. And not only does he clean up after himself, he left us the leftovers (Including fresh herbs from his garden) AND even put away the clean dishes.
I am inspired by people who take a chance on their dreams and do something they absolutely love for their work and I think Michael does just this. His passion comes through. This was definitely the «indoors highlight» of our trip.

Michael was awesome. He came highly recommended by a friend from our home town. We were staying at our Timeshare on the island and invited Michael to come cook for us one evening. What a great event! He showed up on time and had most everything prepped prior to his arrival. The dinner was the best. All five courses were absolutely delicious. He was a lot of fun and made sure we all had a great time. Michael cleaned up after his meal and was a delight to chat with.
If you’re looking for a personal chef for your vacation or need catering for an event, I would highly recommend Michael.

We were visiting Anini Beach on Kauai for several days and were interested in learning about Hawaiian food, and taking a cooking class. We found Michael Stauber on line. His communication beforehand was professional, thorough, and very clear; he provided us dozens of options for dishes we might like to try. He met us at a local farmer’s market and taught us about much of the local product and produce, and he clearly knew his way around the sellers and the local farmers and business people.
He came back with us to our rental and spent HOURS teaching us to cook the dishes we had chosen – a five course meal that was fun to learn about, fun to cook, and delicious to eat! He brought every single ingredient, all the equipment needed, dishes, seasonings, etc. Some things he had prepped in advance, and was completely prepared. Again, he was most professional in every aspect of his presentation, but also incredibly friendly and down to earth.
This was a special highlight of our Hawaii trip! Don’t hesitate to engage Michael for cooking lessons or for a private dinner. You will not be disappointed!

Chef Michael was amazing with his communication, menu planning and service! He catered a two day corporate event for 20 doctors. We received a ton of feedback from the doctors and many of them commented the food was excellent!

chef I’m so glad your husband recommended Chef Michael! The food was amazing. I would highly recommend if anyone is looking for a private dinner. The food was superb and he was wonderful. So thank you for the recommendation.

WOW! We enjoyed a very special «chef’s table» treat in our Kiahuna Plantation condo. Chef Michael created a meal and an evening to remember during our stay at Poipu Beach, Kauai.
The flavors were divine! Pupus of fresh Ahi 2 ways; 1– Poke– raw diced fish with scallions, sesame, soy, papaya, avocado, served with won ton chips (YUM!!). 2– Cajun spiced seared Ahi, sliced and served with tropical fruit salsa (AMAZING!). Next an aromatic, mouthwatering second course featuring Thai coconut curry soup with shrimp or chicken, lemongrass, kaffir lime, straw mushrooms, sooo good!
The entrée was an amazing treat featuring melt in your mouth — fresh Island Mahi Mahi baked in parchment with ginger-​wasabi aioli, fresh spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes, an amazing Coconut jasmine rice with kaffir lime and vanilla bean (unbelievable!) and long green beans with garlic Hold on for dessert! Banana lumpia (spring rolls) with cinnamon mac nut ice cream and honey-​caramel sauce. The most exotic and flavorful perfect finish to a magnificent meal! Each inspired dish was prepared with Chef Michael’s creativity and passion for food. His presentation and explanation of each dish was a special table side treat.
We can’t wait to come back and plan another great evening with his incredible food. We enjoyed several restaurant meals earlier in our trip, but South Shore Chef Michael’s food was far beyond what we had ordered in the area’s top restaurants!