Community Highlights: Meet Sarah Liu of Kapu Haole

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Liu.

Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Hello, my name is Sarah Liu, and I am the Chef/Owner of Kapu Haole here in Nashville, TN. I was born in Taiwan but was adopted and raised in Southern Illinois. My family had relatives in Hawaii, where we spent a lot of our life on grandma’s farm, where my love for cooking essentially started. Living off the island and embracing the culture played a major role in who I am today.

After leaving Illinois over 13 years ago to a city I’ve never been to, I started to figure out where my passion was and had gotten plenty of opportunities to work alongside some amazing people. I spent 1 year in culinary school, which I quickly learned was not for me, and spent another year in Italy learning classic techniques. When I came back to Nashville, I worked at one of the best sandwich shops in Nashville, Silly Goose, under the tutelage of Chef Roderick Bailey. After they closed, I worked around Nashville in many different kitchens, learning as much as I could from some amazing chefs.

While working at Babo Korean Bar, I had the realization that I wanted to do food that I grew up eating with my family. Thus, Kapu Haole was born. I started off by doing two pop-ups a month within Babo on days they were closed. With the support and love from the industry and community, I continued to do pop-ups and events around the city to get our name out there, and offer Nashville more flavors they may not have been accustomed to.

After a hiatus to cook on tour with Eric Church, I ended up coming back to Nashville stronger than ever. Thus the start of Kapu Haole participating in Farmers Markets and eventually finding a residency within Bar Sovereign. Now, we are able to offer comfort Hawaiian/Asian Street food on a more regular basis. It has been a dream come true to be able to help teach Nashville about what I grew up loving to eat.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. As you may know, the restaurant industry is one of the most difficult industries to become successful at. It is even more difficult when you are starting off without any financial support or backing, thus everything is all on your hands.

That is where pop-ups made a lot of sense for a lot of people. Hosting a dinner here and there allowed for a more financial understanding of what you can offer, without all the risk of rent and utilities. If something doesn’t work, you change it for the next time you pop up or just nix things altogether. Another difficult part is finding ways to attract clientele. We love to showcase our food to the public who are looking to try something new.

We understand that not everyone is accustomed to this type of cuisine, thus it is hard for them to try something new. So, we must be patient and reach out to those who know what we offer or help guide those who may have a bit more hesitation on trying our dishes. At the end of the day, it is about balancing creating dishes that we grew up loving and items that people know and are willing to eat.

As you know, we’re big fans of Kapu Haole. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kapu Haole was a brainchild of Chef Sarah Liu. It started as a way to bring what my family and I enjoyed growing up to the city I am living in. We deliver comfort Hawaiian/Asian Street Food in an approachable way to Nashville. We specialize in dishes that are filling and full of flavor. From simple, classic items like Spam Musubi, to the mouth-watering Garlic Shrimp, and Hawaii’s favorite noodle dish, Saimin.

We take what we grew up eating, and deliver it in a way that is approachable for guests to enjoy and experience what we love. What really sets Kapu Haole apart is that our dishes are not overly complicated, but they deliver amazing flavor. We are not fine dining establishments. We offer amazingly delicious food, but in a setting where you can have fun with those around you and share in amazing conversations.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Have a plan. This industry can really eat most people alive. If you don’t have a solid financial plan or idea on how to execute effectively, things can go south quickly. So, before you go out and start your own thing, talk to those who have already started this journey.

Everyone in this industry is willing to help the next person. We all know the struggles that can come from opening your own place. Listen, take notes, and take the advice you receive. As great as your food is, if you make the wrong move, you may never get off the ground.

Find the right people who are willing to work with you along the way and make sure you are willing to accept their support.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.kapuhaole.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kapu_haole
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/kapu-haole-nashville