Chef Sheldon Simeon Brings Ohana Style from Maui to Chicago with Book Signing & Bento Boxes, May 15-16

Chef Sheldon Simeon will be in Chicago May 15 & 16 to celebrate the release of his new cookbook, Ohana Style (Clarkson Potter, March 2026). To mark the launch, Sheldon will be hosting two public events where media and readers alike can meet him, hear about the stories and traditions behind the book, and enjoy flavors inspired by the recipes inside, including:

Friday, May 15: Meet & Greet, Book Signing + Bento Box @ Kanin

• Tickets HERE

Saturday, May 16: Cookbook Book Signing @ City Lit

• Tickets HERE

Ohana Style reflects the spirit of Hawai‘i’s sense of family, community, and gathering around food. Chef Simeon invites readers back into his kitchen with over 100 recipes that celebrate the layered traditions of Hawai‘i while embracing the rhythms of everyday life. For Simeon, “ohana” goes beyond family in the literal sense — it extends to friends, neighbors, coworkers, and the larger community who give us a sense of belonging. That spirit runs through every page of Ohana Style. Inspired by the pandemic years of cooking three meals a day for his wife and four children while also feeding his extended restaurant family and community, Simeon rethinks what it means to cook as both a professional chef and a dad putting dinner on the table. The result is a collection of dishes that are simple and designed for a weeknight dinner or a big gathering.

As with his debut Cook Real Hawai‘i, Simeon’s cooking reflects the diverse influences of his home — Native Hawai‘ian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, and more — but here he leans into “small kine homemade,” a use-what-you-have philosophy passed down from his father. Twists abound, from plant-based ideas like Avocado Papaya Salad and Roasted Mushroom “Escargot,” to comfort foods with local influences — think Shoyu Hot Dogs, Garlic Furikake Fries, or Sizzling Salmon Sisig. Sheldon’s “small kine homemade” spirit shines through in dishes like Smoked Ahi Dip, Pimento Cheese Mochi Bread, and Mango Sticky Rice Waffles with Coconut Syrup, as well as hearty, shareables such as Palabucatini (topped with pork rinds), Black Pepper Tri-Tip Donburi, and the Filipino Spaghetti Bake. There’s even room for sweets and pantry items — from Black Sesame Sweet Rolls and Rainbow Sherbet “Finger Jelly” to Furikake Animal Crackers and Mandarin Microwave Mochi.

But Ohana Style is about more than recipes. Simeon reflects on the importance of passing food traditions forward, from taking over a neighborhood restaurant on Maui to rebuilding community in the wake of the 2023 Lahaina wildfires. For him, local food isn’t just tied to place — it travels wherever family and memory do. Ohana Style is a love letter to Hawai‘i’s culinary mosaic, a testament to resilience, and an invitation to cook for — and with — your ohana, wherever you are.