Executive Sous Chef McKenna Shea of Pacific’o on the Beach specializes in fresh-caught dishes, salads, desserts and more. PHOTO BY CINDY SCHUMACHER.

LAHAINA — All of Hawaii is celebrating Lahaina’s Executive Sous Chef McKenna Shea of Pacific’o on the Beach. Recently crowned champion on the Season 54 premiere of the “Chopped” episode “A Bunch of Abalone” on Food Network, Shea brought home the $10,000 top prize.

One of four chefs from across the country who competed in the legendary “Chopped” kitchen, she won over the judges through a series of challenges with her innovative culinary skills.

To celebrate Shea’s momentous win, Pacific’o on the Beach is offering, from now through April 15 only, a special “Chopped”-inspired fried abalone dish made with Kula watercress, crunchy radicchio, and veggie-chip-breaded Big Island abalone on top of an ube nicoise vinaigrette.

Loving to cook and be in the kitchen since an early age, Shea remembers preparing for big feasts such as Thanksgiving ever since she could hold a pan. “Literally, I always loved to cook and took cooking classes wherever they were offered,” she recalled. “I was born in Texas, moved to Guam at age two, and then moved to Colorado, where I did high school and culinary school. Shortly after graduation, I began working at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver, and then they sent me to work all over the country. I moved to Maui four years ago, and working at Pacific’o on the Beach is a match made in heaven for me!”

In 2019, she joined Pacific’o on the Beach as their youngest leading female chef and soon became sous chef in 2020. She presently holds the title of executive sous chef.

As a follower of “Chopped,” she found that she held herself to very high standards and endeavored to win the competition from the very beginning when she was recruited by the show.

The show discovered Shea through social media, where she often posts things she’s cooking and eating, as well as news about her life as a young female chef. The process of interviews and figuring out which episode and competitors she would fit with best took about six months. In September, she flew to New York to film the “A Bunch of Abalone” episode.

“As a lifelong fan of the show and of cooking, I actually felt like I have been preparing for this competition my whole life,” she emphasized. “Even now, it’s still hard for me to process the moment I won. As soon as I got there, I started making plans, learning what was in the pantry, and thinking about the dinner and dessert route. I was strategizing for sure. I knew a salad was the way to go to highlight all the flavors and textures after seeing the abalone, which itself was new to me, and ube cheesecake.”

Shea admits that keeping her nerves under control was one of the main challenges that she faced while filming. After the first round, she really felt she had a chance to win. On the show, four contestants — one from New York, California and Texas, with Shea representing Hawaii, each received a mystery basket of ingredients that they must turn into an appetizer, entree and dessert over three timed rounds. They only had 20 minutes for the first round and 30 minutes for each of the next two.

“The best way to prepare for a show like this is to work with a farm-to-table concept because you never know what you’re going to get,” Shea reflected. “Your creativity needs to be ready at all times. You have to be able to cook on a whim and make things on the fly. With the mentorship of Chef Isaac Bancaco, the executive chef at Pacific’o, I’ve been able to expand my horizon in Hawaiian and Asian cuisine and fresh seafood, co-creating dishes with locally-sourced ingredients for an evolving and innovative menu. “For the competition dessert, facing off against a French chef who also had a background in pastries, I made an Asian pear raspberry compote and mascarpone whipped cream with worm salt on top of the pavlova — essentially a thin sheet of marshmallow that got crispy in a 500-degree oven. The judges loved it!”

Meeting her mentor, Chef Isaac, was momentous for Shea. She knew instantly that she had met her greatest teacher and friend.

“What I loved most about this last year with Chef Isaac is how he challenged me,” she said. “He constantly pushed me to stay focused and driven and to be better every day. When I found out he also made a career competing on cooking shows, I was even more excited.

“Chef Isaac was the mentor I have been waiting for all of my career. He is an industry giant, a true legend. He taught me many new recipes and techniques, and above all he has given me the confidence to put myself out there and fully trust myself as a chef. I couldn’t ask for a better teammate.”

Chef Isaac commented, “McKenna’s culinary maturity far exceeds her youthful exuberance and zest for the industry. Her ability to light up the kitchen with an energy that is 100 percent organic, but yet authentic, distinguished her as a “Chopped” Champion and will continue to propel her into her career. Proud doesn’t start to describe my feelings of victory, as this is only the beginning for McKenna. The world got an hour to witness what I have been a part of every day for over a year.”

Shea mentioned that a dream she’s always had was to be recognized as a chef on Maui doing business with islanders who grow wonderful produce. “Every year, I have been able to develop more and more genuine relationships with farmers, fishermen and other businesses by incorporating sustainable practices, supporting local farms and using every ingredient to its full potential to produce extraordinary farm-to-table dining experiences,” she explained.

“These community interactions foster a similar goal of sustainability, which is key when living on an island.” Shea has also designed an industry internship program, with the assistance of Chef Isaac, which hosts students from around the world. Currently, they have two students from the Culinary Institute of America in New York City for a 14-week work program.

“The students work onsite with the leadership team in the Pacific’o kitchen, learning cultural dishes and sustainability as a whole,” she noted. “I wanted to do an internship the way I have been mentored through Chef Isaac, a real pay-it-forward. Students can apply via e-mail. They can receive credits through their universities, and, at Pacific’o, receive a salary as well.”

As for the “Chopped” prize money, Shea mentioned that she and her boyfriend, Dominick Montelaro, a boat captain for Teralani Sailing Charters in Kaanapali, would like to do a chartering, catering, private dinner, restaurant boat business.

“It is my dream to one day buy a boat to do this type of open-ocean business, so I am saving the money towards that.”

Lahaina and Maui residents can visit Pacific’o on the Beach to try Chef Shea’s winning dish, as well as the other amazing meals she, Chef Isaac, and their team create.

Shea added, “We give the aloha spirit to everything we do. We try to cook incredible dishes, and, above all else, to have respect for all things around us.”