Nelson Simpliciano

Nelson Simpliciano has been part of the LINEAGE culinary team since its opening in October 2018. He was born on Maui to Ilocano parents who immigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines. While attending Lahainaluna High School, he began to explore culinary possibilities in his parent’s kitchen. After earning degrees in Applied Science Culinary Arts and Applied Science Baking and Pastry at the University of Hawaii at Maui Campus, Nelson worked as line cook at Star Noodle in Lahaina then Migrant in Kihei until he found his stride at Morimoto Maui as a pastry cook. It was here where he fine-tuned his pastry skills by creating a variety of dessert dishes following the strict Morimoto standards. Working at both Migrant and Morimoto’s helped shape him in respect to his future as a cook and as a pastry cook. He then spent the next three years in Honolulu at the famed The Pig and The Lady restaurant under Executive Chef and owner Andrew Le, discovering the savory side of cooking and the ethics of running a kitchen. In 2018, Nelson was ready to return home to Maui and reached out to his friend Chef Sheldon Simeon, whom he had worked with at Star Noodle and Migrant. Chef Sheldon invited him to join the LINEAGE opening team as sous chef. Nelson brings his local sensibilities to cooking and enjoys collaborating on new dishes. You can experience his culinary creativity on the menu’s Garlic Szechuan Noodles that he refers to as his three-way garlic dish, which consists of garlic oil, fresh garlic and fried garlic plus green onions, Szechuan chili oil, umami seasoning and sweet soy sauce. His still hasn’t forgotten his sweet side and you can enjoy the LINEAGE take on Tapioca, consisting of white peach, lemon, nata de coco and a little umami flavor – all vegan, all gluten-free. When not in the kitchen, Nelson enjoys kayak fishing, free diving, and fishing from shore. He and his girlfriend, Rossel Estillore, reside in Lahaina raising their baby boy Grayson.

Emmanuel Eng

Emmanuel Eng, known to his friends as “Eman,” was born in Portland, Oregon to Chinese parents from Hong Kong and Mainland China. As a child, he enjoyed discovering his family’s pantry full of Chinese ingredients, such as star anise, sichuan peppercorns, dried orange peel, and a multitude of soy sauces.  Always curious as to how things would taste together, he would experiment with them for the family table. When deciding on a major in college, he decided to pursue the Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design.

He majored in Glassblowing but soon left to pursue a career in graphic design during the tech boom in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was here that he fell in love with the notion of a culinary lifestyle. In 2001, during the Dot.Com bust, he decided it was time to follow his passion. He walked into Indigo Restaurant on McAllister Street and asked to work for free, if the chef would teach him how to be a better cook. Within a short time, he was hired then promoted to line cook. He spent the next few years creating his own apprenticeship program moving from restaurant to restaurant until he landed a position as sous chef at the popular Boulevard Restaurant in the Embarcadero District. Owner and Executive Chef Nancy Oakes was a big influence in his culinary education and journey. She taught him how to be creative and really cook by feel as opposed to following a recipe.

It was at this restaurant where he met his future wife, Ann Hamm. He worked several years at Boulevard, with a short stint at Sons and Daughters Restaurant, before moving to Maverick Restaurant in the Mission District as Chef de Cuisine, then Executive Chef where he finally had the opportunity to create a menu from scratch. Emmanuel ended the Bay Area chapter of his life as the Executive Chef at Bix Restaurant where he worked for the celebrated restauranteur Bruce Hill, who taught him how to master running a restaurant and understand the financial and administrative side of it. Throughout his career, Emmanuel and his wife spent many a holiday on Maui and each time after they left the island, they felt homesick not realizing that one day Maui would be their home.

In 2019 they left San Francisco and moved to Maui where Emmanuel became the Corporate Chef for Bev Gannon’s Restaurants where he oversaw and managed daily operations for two restaurants and its catering company. He joined the LINEAGE team in early 2021 and finally has a chance to explore the cuisine of his heritage that he first discovered in his family’s pantry as a child. When not in the kitchen, Emmanuel is an avid rock climber and bicycle enthusiast. He and his wife Ann reside in Makawao with their parrot whose name is Ziggy Stardust.