Chef Yuda

Yuda Abitbol is a Hawai‘i-born chef whose work bridges wild foraging, indigenous knowledge, and contemporary gastronomy. Born in Kāhala‘u in 1992 to a French-Moroccan father and Mexican mother, Abitbol grew up immersed in multiple cultures that shaped his connection to food and land. His early experiences with his indigenous “calabash grandfather” and exposure to ceremonial practices instilled in him a deep respect for seasonal cycles, sustainability, and the sacred relationship between people and nature. This foundation has become the backbone of his culinary philosophy: sourcing ingredients through foraging, fishing, hunting, and small-scale farming, and treating food as both nourishment and storytelling.