Anthony Rush to open a new restaurant in Hawaii with Chris Kajioka

Anthony Rush, currently head chef of Fera at Claridge’s, has teamed up with Hawaiian chef, Chris Kajioka, to launch new restaurant, Senia, in Honolulu this spring.

Anthony and Chris will run the restaurant jointly sourcing the highest quality seasonal and
local ingredients, they will work collaboratively to develop and evolve techniques and create original, inspired and beautifully presented dishes.

Anthony said: “We really want people to be spoilt for choice. We want people to read
the menu and think, ‘I want to try everything.’”

Senia will aim to celebrate the incredible bounty of produce that Hawaii has to offer in a comfortable, relaxed environment catering to all guests whether they are craving casual, approachable food or a more in-depth gastronomic journey.

Kajioka explains: "We want to create a restaurant that we would go to all the time.”

The two chefs first met back in 2007 when they were both working in New York at Thomas Keller’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, Per Se. Although Anthony chose to move back to the UK almost eight years ago, the two remained in touch.

With over three decades of experience between them, they have been working on a joint venture since 2014 after Chris left his tenure as Executive Chef at Vintage Cave in Honolulu where he was recognised with award nominations by both the James Beard Foundation and Food & Wine Magazine. They had been searching for the right location to launch Senia for over a year before finding somewhere in Honolulu last year which they say immediately "felt like home."

The main dining room will be open for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner Monday through Saturday. The more intimate Chefs’ Counter will serve a dinner only tasting menu that really showcases the chefs’ talents, Tuesday through Saturday.

The name Senia is a play on the Greek word “xenia”, the idea of guest-friendship that defines the Greek ideology of hospitality. The restaurant was established with a base of friendship and a mutual passion for hospitality, and once opened, it will bring people together to "share delicious food, well-crafted drinks, and genuinely good time in a comfortable, relaxed environment."