Alfredo ‘Ped’ Cabacungan
Alfredo “Ped” Cabacungan, of Waipi‘o, passed away peacefully on Feb. 24, 2025, at the age of 85 years. Born in Makaweli, Kaua‘i and raised in Kaumakani on Sept. 10, 1939, graduated from Waimea High School, Kaua‘i, attended University of Southern California — Los Angeles and the University of Hawai‘i Kapi‘olani Community College.
Alfredo began his professional chefs training as a dishwasher on his home island in 1959 at a tiny resort, the Wailua Ranch Hotel, which had the first full-service restaurant on the island. He started at the hotel peeling and cutting vegetables and worked his way up. Alfredo’s parents hail from northern Luzon, though, and he was a well-traveled student (and eater) of Filipino cuisine.
From 1964 and 1994, he rose through the ranks at resorts and restaurants including the Coco Palms, Kaua‘i Surf Resort and the Waiohai Resort Hotel on Kaua‘i; John Dominis (which he opened in 1979) and Wai‘alae Country Club on O‘ahu, the Sheraton Ka‘anapali Beach Hotel on Maui and the Orchid Penang Hotel in Malaysia.
Alfredo was chosen to work under European chefs at the Kauai Surf Hotel and Coco Palms Resort. With the experience and skills, he acquired, Alfredo opened “Alfredo’s” his own restaurant. Shortly thereafter, he sold the restaurant and moved to Honolulu to help open the John Dominis Seafood Restaurant in 1979. He was the first executive chef there.
After two years at John Dominis, Alfredo moved back to Kaua‘i as an Executive Chef at the Waiohai Hotel. Once more he was offered an opportunity to broaden his expertise. He went to Malaysia where he worked in a continental restaurant. There he learned to prepare local dishes from the employees. Not one to let an opportunity slip by, he traveled extensively learning to cook Indonesian and Thai foods.
After a year, Alfredo returned to Honolulu and worked at the Wai‘alae Country Club for two years. In 1985 he moved to Maui and worked at the Sheraton Hotel. Since then, he has traveled to the mainland to open a John Dominis Restaurant, back to Honolulu to work for the Perry Smorgy’s restaurants and even spent a summer in Italy, learning to cook Italian food.
In 1994, he joined the staff at the Kapi‘olani Community College. His areas of teaching specialization are Asian-Pacific, fusion, Pacific-rim and Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine.
Alfredo retired as a Chef-Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Food Service and Hospitality Education Department, Culinary Arts, for the University of Hawai‘i, Kapi‘olani Community College. He represented the college as an exchange scholar in China, Sri Lanka, and Thailand to develop international partnerships with countries eager to learn Western culinary arts.
Alfredo’s said, “I find that I like teaching, especially to young students who might be working as chefs in hotels and fine restaurants someday.”
He is also an inveterate collector of cookbooks and combed through them to find these recipes in response to reader requests. Alfredo enjoyed hunting especially on Kaua’i and Lanai, he had the act of tracking, scouting, and preparing for a hunt, he found it to be incredibly rewarding, stamps and antique collecting, as well as reading, fishing, sports, especially football.
Preceded in death by mother Epifania Cabebe Cabcungan and father Alejandro Cabacungan, brother Rudolph Cabacungan, sisters Dolores Raymundo, Carol Espino.
He is survived by his wife Aurelia N. Cabacungan, daughters Sonya (John Anthony) Cabacungan of Kekaha, Tina (Eric) Unciano of ‘Ele‘ele, sons Alfredo A. Cabacungan, Alfred (Chikako) Cabacungan of Okinawa, Japan, stepchildren Lowena (Ferdinand) Bunag of Granada Hills, California, Russell Ibera of Waipi‘o, grandchildren Chastity Hada, Taylor Cabacungan, Waiyan Cabacungan, Issa Cabacungan, Aito Cabacungan, Meena Aurelia Bunag, Jianna Bunag, cherished great-grandchild Hunter Alexander Kostjuk who will carry on his memories, numerous loving nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins and friends.
A visitation will be held at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at The Resurrection of the Lord Catholic Church 94-1260 Lumikula St., Waipahu, HI 96797. Mass service will begin at 10 a.m. An interment will follow at 1:30 p.m., join family at Mililani Memorial Park & Mortuary at Ka Uka Blvd, Waipahu, HI 96797.
