Tis the season of yummy food and gratitude. We know our fruity community are foodies, so read on to delight your senses!
We’ve sat down with Chef Ocean—the wonderful WFF-2026 gourmet
chef—to discuss his story, a delicious Thanksgiving recipe and the WFF-2026 menu
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Chef Ocean
At age 24, Chef Ocean struggled with severe cystic acne. Doctors prescribed medications that made him so photosensitive that prolonged exposure to sunlight resulted in severe burns. Despite already following a clean vegan diet, it wasn’t enough.
After stumbling upon a website which stated that high temperatures damaged proteins and introduced foreign substances to food, thus causing acne, he decided a raw, fruit-based approach was worth a try.
Chef Ocean said, “After two weeks of eating 1 kg of fruit a day, a large sprout salad, and a cucumber avocado tomato salad—no salt or spices—my acne finally cleared up.”
During his food journey, Chef Ocean also journeyed in faith, taking multi-month camping trips and studying Taoism and Buddhism. Both practices encourage fewer material possessions, which aligned with his newfound raw diet that uses fewer cooking tools, simpler ingredients and even foraged foods.
Chef Ocean began studying botany and herbalism with an emphasis on wild edibles, knowledge that would shape his culinary style to this day.
After 30 years of following this lifestyle, he said, “I’ve never considered it to be specifically raw or vegan, but simply something that allowed me to live in a way that I had always envisioned: a simple, pain-free life that kept me connected to nature.”
Good Energy and Creativity ☀️
Chef Ocean has worked in kitchens and restaurants since age 14 as salad chef, dishwasher, sous chef and line cook, well before he became raw. Upon moving to California, he earned a chef position at Juliano’s Raw—one of the earliest gourmet raw food restaurants.
“We made all of the dishes right in the front of the restaurant, so it was very fun to have a crowd of people watching me make raw vegan sushi, desserts and elaborate drinks”—foreshadowing his future slam dunk food demos at WFF, maybe?!
While he describes his style as California Fusion, he believes almost any traditional dish from different cultures can be transformed into a much healthier, raw-vegan version “with a little bit of imagination and motivation.”
Learning from others and testing his recipes was vital—Chef Ocean still has a copy of his first recipe book, scribbled on a few sheets of paper.
The culinary experience is so communal, “love and good energy used in the creation of a dish are a medium of self-expression, and that energy translates directly into the food.”
Testing Recipes and Edible Flowers 🪻
We asked: Is it fun creating and testing recipes? What is your favorite part of culinary practice?
“Yes, it’s really fun! I decide on a cuisine that I’d like to reinvent as a raw vegan version, then I book a trip to that area, such as Italy, Mexico, or Hawaii, and spend time at the farmers markets and fruit and vegetable stands to really understand how local ingredients define the cuisine.”
Chef Ocean uses the highest-quality local ingredients—even the drying power of the Sun in places with little electricity or tools—to make a dish.
He said, “I actually have an entire book based on Italian cuisine that doesn’t require electricity. All the recipes can be done with just a knife, cutting board, bowl, and simple tools like a shredder and a zucchini noodler.”
Chef Ocean said his favorite part of the culinary practice is plating: an artform often overlooked when cooking at home. All platings in his books feature edible flowers grown in his garden! 🥹
He said, “People eat with their eyes. The presentation of a dish decides whether someone eats excitedly or simply out of habit.”
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A Tasty Thanksgiving Recipe!
In honor of Thanksgiving, Chef Ocean shared his classic sweet potato pie recipe 🤤 It’s a crowd favorite that will leave you energized—not sleepy. Forget corn syrup and factory-made pie crusts when you bite into this raw but cozy treat!
A Sneak Peak at the WFF-2026 Menu!
Don’t miss Chef Ocean’s globally inspired WFF-2026 menu featuring:
Italian—lasagna
American—burgers
Japanese—nori wraps
Indian—mushroom matar
Mexican—tacos
Mediterranean—hummus
Thai—coconut curry
All dishes are nut, gluten, oil, and salt-free—yet still full of INCREDIBLE flavor by staying in their 100% raw, unadulterated state. Chef Ocean and his team spend months each year perfecting their menu items to bring new twists and flavors that our fruity community will love 🌿
The recipes he’s most excited about this year? A pair of zingy chutneys and protein-rich curry that he describes as, “almost indistinguishable from the cooked original.”
Chef Ocean has cheffed for WFF in years past and loves the opportunity it provides for us to connect with each other and build community.
“The festival is a week spent focusing on health, happiness and wellness from many different angles and from many different people—allowing us to feel more connected and less isolated on the vegan path.”
Let Us All Be Thankful!
We asked: What is one thing you’re grateful for this year?
“After living more than half my life eating raw, living foods, I’m thankful that I’m still able to participate in any sport or activity I enjoy—advanced yoga, skiing, 10k races, weightlifting, swimming, surfing, etc.—without any pain or deep fatigue! I’m thankful to my younger self for having the foresight to set me up for being able to live an active, fun lifestyle for many years to come.”
