Philip 'Ippy' Aiona (Photo courtesy of Food Network)

Hawaii 24/7 Staff

Philip ‘Ippy’ Aiona, of Waimea, is one of the finalists in The Next Food Network Star: Season 8 and is safely through the first round of competition.

Aiona, 23, is the executive chef for his mother’s Italian restaurant, Solimene’s, on the Big Island.

The judges liked his warm mushroom salad and diners voted it their favorite of the night. The only criticism was Aiona’s energy level was a little low, so expect him to pump up the aloha next week.

After growing up in the restaurant business, attending culinary school was a natural fit for the laid-back yet still competitive Hawaii Preparatory Academy graduate.

Aiona injects Pacific ingredients into traditional European cuisine.

The show airs 6 p.m. Sundays on the Food Network channel.

Vote for Aiona as Fan Favorite: http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star-fan-vote/package/index.html

— Find out more:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-food-network-star/index.html