Photos by Randy T. Fujimori Windward Community College chef instructor Alan Tsuchiyama applied the fruits of his experience — and tools of his trade — to an ambitious renovation of his Nuuanu kitchen.

This wouldn't have been such an uncommon scene had it been taking place in the "labs" of Kapiolani Community College's Culinary Institute of the Pacific, where Tsuchiyama is a chef instructor. But this one took place in the comforts of the instructor's own newly built kitchen.

One of the counters was covered with all the necessary ingredients for a local-style luau for 150 guests. Another was lined with aluminum trays. Meanwhile, Alan Tsuchiyama, with the help of a friend and fellow chef from the Four Seasons Hotel on Maui, had all six oversized burners of the Wolf range arrayed with pots and pans.

This wouldn't have been such an uncommon scene had it been taking place in the "labs" of Kapiolani Community College's Culinary Institute of the Pacific, where Tsuchiyama is a chef instructor. But this one took place in the comforts of the instructor's own newly built kitchen.

"I've already held three parties here for groups of 40 guests," says Tsuchiyama. "One was for the contractors who worked on the house; another was for my neighbors who put up with all the noise; and the third was a housewarming for friends and family."

Completed in April, Tsuchiyama's new cooking area has expanded from a compact 100-square-foot room to a spacious 400-square-foot dream kitchen, equipped with all the bells and whistles any professional chef could want.

In creating this new kitchen — which was part of the Nuuanu residence's overall expansion from a single-story, three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath home to a multilevel, seven-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath living area — Nakasato Contracting had to perform extensive excavation, according to the 20-year-old company's president, Kim Nakasato.

Tsuhiyama softened the commercial look of his Viking appliances with black marble countertops and backsplash panels.

"Because the home is on a slope and there's a lot of clay up in this area, we had to build a new solid foundation for the extension," she says. "We had to also place a new retaining wall where the old kitchen used to be."

In designing his new "playroom," Tsuchiyama knew precisely what he wanted, right down to the lighting and fixtures.

But flow, he says, was tantamount.

"I went against the trend in modern kitchen designs by not placing an island prep area in the center of the room," says Tsuchiyama, who will be teaching Fundamentals of Cookery this fall at KCC. "An island just creates an obstruction and breaks up the rhythm."

By keeping the space as open as possible, Tsuchiyama can easily work in this area with two other people — without bumping elbows.

"And this is really important when you're handling sharp knives and hot pans," he quips. "The clockwise movement is efficient, and whoever is in here with me has easy access to all the equipment and ingredients."

Details, such as where to place the sink and appliances, were all determined by Tsuchiyama.

"He's the man," Nakasato says. "It was easy working with him because he knew what would and wouldn't work for him as a chef who does a lot of cooking at home."

Opting for the black granite countertops, Tsuchiyama cites personal preference in going with this material as opposed to the near-ubiquitous Corian.

"It's easy to clean," he says. "And it looks sleek, which I like since it complements my stainless-steel appliances."

The same granite was used for the windowsills and backsplash panels, which combine to deliver more depth and richness to the kitchen.

The dark material also serves to mute the commercial-looking, stainless steel appearance of the appliances, which include a six-burner gas stove, electric oven and state-of-the-art hood, all bearing the high-end Wolf emblem.

"I'm in commercial kitchens all day," Tsuchiyama says. "I want the professional stainless steel equipment, but I don't want to feel like I'm at work."

Soft, under-the-cabinet lighting; an overhead oval light fixture; recessed lights; and natural sunlight all but ensure that Tsuchiyama doesn't feel like he's under the fluorescents of one of KCC's labs. The location of his equipment, too, helps him feel at home.

Dropping the door to his electric Wolf oven, Tsuchiyama slides out a lower rack, demonstrating how easy it would be to remove a prime rib roast or Butterball turkey without having to stoop too low.

"This is the perfect height for the oven," he says, denoting his waist and closing the oven door. "As a chef, these are the types of details we keep in mind. It may be small, but it's something I had to have."

Another detail Tsuchiyama insisted on was the use of natural gas, which was the cooking source he grew up with on Kauai.

Sub-Zero/Wolf The Wolf range Tsuchiyama installed in his kitchen also has a center griddle option. Left: GE Profile refrigerator.

"I'm used to it and it's so much better," he says. "Pots and pans don't cool down as fast when you take it off the heat, so you have more control when you're reducing a sauce or sauteeing an ingredient."

In agreement is Tsuchiyama's mother-in-law, Amy Yamaguchi who, along with her husband, daughter, son and two grandsons, shares this Nuuanu residence.

"It's a lot quicker than electric, that's for sure," says Yamaguchi, who adds that she leaves the gourmet cooking to her son-in-law while she sticks with the basics, such as hamburgers and spaghetti. "I do like it a lot."

To accommodate the Wolf stove, a gas line was connected to two tanks that are controlled by a toggle switch that allows instant crossover from one tank to the other. The process was textbook, according to Nakasato, whose commercial projects include carpentry work at both Ruby Tuesday's and a number of local Subway sandwich shops.

"This was a pretty common project for us," she says. "Except for sub-contracting the electrical and plumbing, everything else we did ourselves."

Within three weeks of demolishing the old kitchen — which now serves as the family dining room, as well — Nakasato and her crew had installed huge 18 by 18-inch travertine tiles, all-granite countertops, lighting fixtures, appliances and cabinetry from Homeowners Design Center in Kalihi.

"They chose the maple Total Wood cabinets," says Homeowners Design Center sales division manager Joyce Doiguchi, who was pivotal in tying in all the elements to achieve a comfortable, cohesive space. "They wanted a look that would complement the overall floor plan. And since Alan is a chef, he wanted more drawers, including a built-in spice rack and a lazy Susan for all his tools of the trade."

And rather than panel his GE Profile refrigerator to match the maple cabinets, Tsuchiyama decided to keep it "cool."

"I like the stainless-steel look," he says. "If I paneled it, I would have gained another cabinet area above the fridge, but I think I have enough cabinets to store what I use."

Now this KCC chef instructor has enough counter and storage space, commercial-grade appliances, and the appropriate flow to allow him to do what he does best: cook. Meanwhile, taking into account his background as an instructor in the same discipline, the rest of us would be well served to learn something from Tsuchiyama's example.