I was initially drawn to food by the theatrics of it all: the symphonic clatter of silverware, the flow of conversation, akin to a post-ski day in the dining hall of Belle Époque. That still rings true for me today. Yet I have come to know that food is so much more. To say I am a cook would be myopic (but put dashi soy sauce on your popcorn and kimchi on your raclette and thank me later). Throughout my short career in food, I have come to see it as the nexus of all of my passions and hobbies—from climbing to surfing to traveling.

I experienced many firsts while spending my most formative years at LAS. I learned the importance of community at a young age—I would not have been able to make it through my first few years at LAS without the support of my closest friends. Some of my most important relationships to this day were cultivated at LAS with people whom I still see often in my life in New York. But, although it wasn’t clear to me at the time, the most important lesson I learned was one of the natural world. In Leysin, I experienced pristine, untouched nature as a given. Breathing in cold, unpolluted air in the mornings, being able to ski in fresh snow in the afternoons—I took these things for granted. 

However, through my travels to find the best restaurants and dishes, I find that nature is losing on every scorecard. Admittedly, I probably offset all of my good intentions with the plethora of flights I take, but my pursuit for food brought me to one of my deepest core values: I have a profound respect for what we can learn from nature and continuously search for ways to apply it in my day to day. This has led me to co-creating Portals, where I introduce travelers to new ecosystems, and has led to my newfound passion and goal of climbing big-scale mountains. 

So, if you ask me what wine to pair with your Hot Cheetos, I can give you an answer (try a Riesling). But food is so, so much more. 

Lisa Hair Konishi is a professional in the food industry. She is from Hawaii and Japan, and has lived in places such as New York, London, Shanghai, Lisbon, Paris, and Honolulu. She is a graduate of LAS class of 2017, holds a Masters degree in Gastronomy, and is currently pursuing an MBA at NYU Stern. She is the co-founder of Portals, where she curates transcendental travel experiences for the conscious traveler. She cooks for dinner parties, practices ceremonial tea, and is a wannabe adventurer in her free time. Learn more about Portals at portals.travel.