Chef Sheldon Simeon (right) and wife Janice Simeon are the new owners of popular local hotspot Tiffany’s, which they reopened this weekend with a revamped look and new menu items while still keeping the local favorites that diners love. BRENDAN SMITH photos
Where does a celebrated local chef like to eat on his days off?
For Sheldon Simeon, it’s Tiffany’s, the “no frills” bar and grill where a tired chef can kick back a cold one and order the local comfort food he loves to eat and serve.
“I loved visiting it on my days off, and a lot of times you see a lot of chefs and people from the industry coming,” he said. “It’s a spot that you can be super comfortable in any way, coming off the beach, coming off of work.… It doesn’t matter whatever the occasion is, it was a spot that was welcoming to everyone.”
It’s why Simeon and his wife Janice are thrilled to be the new owners of Tiffany’s, a popular local restaurant on Lower Main that for years has served favorites like kim chee fried rice and sizzling steak bites.
The Simeons closed on the purchase July 1 and held a soft opening Thursday before opening to the general public on Friday.
The new menu at Tiffany’s will include longtime favorites like honey walnut shrimp and steak bites with sizzling onions as well as new dishes inspired by Chef Sheldon Simeon’s recipes, such as shoyu ahi poke with Maui onion and Yamasa sesame oil; stir-fried squid with spicy gochujang and toasted sesame; and roast pork with “gravy all’ova, Maui onion and choke pepper.”
“A restaurant like Tiffany’s has always been a dream of mine, and now that my wife is in it together it’s been a dream of ours,” Simeon said Monday evening. “A restaurant that is a neighborhood favorite, a restaurant that has generations that come through and dined here.”
Simeon said Tiffany’s “is his favorite way of dining,” with a large menu from which he always ordered way more than he could eat.
Diane and Howard Orite started the restaurant in the early 2000s and named it after their daughter Tiffany. Howard Orite hailed from the old Noda’s Market in Kahului, which is where they got the recipe for their fat chow fun noodles.
Simeon said the Orites reached out to him and suggested the idea of him taking over the place. He and Janice originally thought it was “out of reach,” but that things worked out and they were able to move forward with the purchase. He said he’s “still pinching myself” that they’re the new owners.
“The Orites, they had already established a legendary kind of following,” he said. “It’s inspiring. For me that’s the way I want to ride off into the sunset. Unfortunately a lot of people go away, retire, because they get burnt out from this industry or go bankrupt. These guys were on top of their game and I’m so happy for their retirement.”
The Tiffany’s interior got a fresh coat of paint, a new mural by friend and artist Gregg Kaplan and lettering by Honolulu-based artist Jeff Gress.
As a fan of the restaurant, Simeon sought to keep some of the original food and atmosphere while bringing in a fresh twist.
“I knew right off the bat that we weren’t going to be able to offer the 150 items (on their menu). I ain’t trying to rival Cheesecake Factory,” he joked.
The menu will be pared down to 50 items with dishes that take a page from his “Cook Real Hawaii” cookbook, including kim chee dip with won ton chips, shoyu ahi poke, mapo tofu, stir-fried squid, roast pork, loco moco and Wailuku saimin. They’ll keep Tiffany’s favorites like honey walnut shrimp, steak bites and kim chee fried rice. Simeon said he know if he took honey walnut shrimp off the menu while keeping Tiffany’s name, “I’d be wanted.”
He also hopes to bring in more Filipino-inspired fare and an array of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.
The restaurant’s full bar will feature “local beers, classic cocktails and creative shots,” according to a news release.
The 3,600-square-foot space with 120 seats, including a 12-seat bar, underwent a rapid renovation in three weeks, with a fresh coat of paint and an abstract pattern mural by friend and artist Gregg Kaplan, as well as lettering throughout the interior by Honolulu-based artist Jeff Gress that includes lyrics from some of the Simeons’ favorite songs, including “Two Person Party” by Three Plus.
A graduate of the Maui Culinary Academy, the Hilo-born Simeon has found a sweet spot in serving innovative takes on local-style favorites. He was part of the team that opened Star Noodle and Leoda’s, and went on to open Migrant and Lineage, which he later stepped back from in early 2020 before the pandemic. Simeon also competed on “Top Chef” twice, winning “Fan Favorite” both times.
He and Janice own and operate Tin Roof in Kahului, and while running multiple restaurants can be a challenge, he credited an energetic crew that includes none other than his wife, who “worked so tirelessly to make this deal happen,” and has used both her accounting and marketing background as well as her skills plating poke and scooping mac salad to help their Tiffany’s debut run smoothly.
Simeon estimated that the restaurant has about 30 employees in total. General Manager Lanui Villalon previously worked with Simeon at both Lineage and Migrant. Chef de Cuisine Nolan Gonzales has been working in the kitchen with Simeon for close to 10 years at both Tin Roof and Migrant.
The goal is to open up soon for lunch and dinner on weekends, as well as add takeout starting next week. Eventually they may go up to lunch and dinner five days a week, though he said they’ll take it one step at a time and grow alongside their staff.
Simeon recalls his uncle discussing how each person who makes poi brings their own style and flavor to the mix, and hopes his and Janice’s venture with Tiffany’s will be a fresh but familiar take for diners.
“We’re gonna tweak it a little bit, just because my uncle used to always say when they mixing poi li’ dat, they get good hand… They impart their flavor,” Simeon said. “Hopefully I have the hand for some of these things, but I know my style is a little bit different from theirs. But I hope people welcome the changes. We have a young talented crew here. These guys make me tired by their passion and dedication.”
Tiffany’s is open for walk-in dinner service only from 4 to 10 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Takeout will also be available via online ordering, as well as delivery down the road.
To contact the restaurant, call (808) 249-0052 or email tiffanyswailuku@gmail.com.
* Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com.
The new menu at Tiffany’s will include longtime favorites like honey walnut shrimp and steak bites with sizzling onions as well as new dishes inspired by Chef Sheldon Simeon’s recipes, such as shoyu ahi poke with Maui onion and Yamasa sesame oil; stir-fried squid with spicy gochujang and toasted sesame; and roast pork with “gravy all’ova, Maui onion and choke pepper.” 
The Tiffany’s interior got a fresh coat of paint, a new mural by friend and artist Gregg Kaplan and lettering by Honolulu-based artist Jeff Gress. 
Chef Sheldon Simeon (right) and wife Janice Simeon are the new owners of popular local hotspot Tiffany’s, which they reopened this weekend with a revamped look and new menu items while still keeping the local favorites that diners love. BRENDAN SMITH photosToday's breaking news and more in your inbox
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