E komo mai, welcome, to our monthly roundup on what’s going on on Hawaii. Want to know what to savor in Hawai‘i this fall? How about rum, food festivals and a top chef’s faves.
Once the kids go back to school, Hawai‘i becomes a haven for all kinds of adult travelers. Here are some fall offerings from around the islands that may appeal to the grownup in you, too, as well as Honolulu restaurant tips from a James Beard award-winning chef.
Hawaii Island
A taste for rum
Nicknamed the Big Island, the island of Hawai‘i has made a big name for itself among aficionados of craft breweries and distilleries. Kuleana Rum Company specializes in rum agricole — a distillation of freshly squeezed sugarcane juice, rather than molasses — produced from some 40 varieties of Hawaiian heirloom sugarcane grown in North Kohala. Some is sold as is, while the rest is blended with aged rums from around the world.
Earlier this year, the company’s Kuleana Rum Shack restaurant and bar at the Queens’ MarketPlace in Waikoloa Beach Resort debuted a private tasting room for its two “experiences,” the Rum 101 Guided Tasting ($25) and the Kuleana Mai Tai Making Class ($50). Both sessions include four half-ounce pours of four award-winning rums, but the latter adds hands-on instruction for making a 1944 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, which students then happily imbibe.
Now Kuleana Rum Company has partnered with two resorts on the island to create signature blends. You can find Hui Hui Hualalai Blend at Miller & Luxe and ‘Ulu Ocean Grill at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. Hui Hui means a gathering or constellation, and is also the name of one of Kuleana Rum’s most popular blends. ‘Ulu Ocean Grill is also one of LocalGetaways’ top sunset dining choices on Hawai‘i Island; its dining room is temporarily closed for renovations, but it’s serving sushi and robata-grilled meats and veggies by the King’s Pond. Guests of the resort can also opt for a two-hour, private guided Kuleana Rum tasting and cocktail class in their room or villa for $3,500 for up to four people, and can arrange private farm tours through the concierge.
Visit Honu’s on the Beach or Billfish Bar & Grille at the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Resort to sample its private-label Kuleana Monarch Blend in cocktails such as the Monarch Mai Tai, Tropical Mojito and Kumu Old Fashioned. A rum cocktail is the perfect start to Honu’s renowned prime rib and seafood buffet Saturday from 5 to 9pm ($75) and, as of Sept. 1, its lavish Sunday brunch buffet from 7am to 1pm ($58 adults, $29 ages 12 and under.) Adults may also appreciate bottomless mimosas and the Bloody Mary bar, $25 each. Note: While Marriott.com still lists the property as Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel, the hotel has rebranded to reflect its resort-like amenities.
Fine dining at the “Buffy” table
Celebrity chefs and an actual Hollywood celebrity will be on hand for the second annual Mauna Lani Culinary Classic at Mauna Lani, an Auberge Resort, a four-day festival over Labor Day weekend. Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Cruel Intentions”) co-hosts a luncheon on Aug. 31 called Ladies First, featuring light fare from Top Chef alumnae Lee Anne Wong and Stephanie Izard, with Kerry Bromberg as her co-host.
Bromberg’s husband Bruce is cofounder of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, one of the event’s sponsors along with beneficiary Mala‘Ai: The Culinary Garden of Waimea Middle School. The Blue Ribbon Sushi team will present a 17-course omakase dinner Aug. 29 ($739) and also takes part, along with Izard, Wong and others, in the festive Chefs on the Beach on Aug. 30 ($367). Bruce Bromberg and Wong will also talk story, as they say in the islands, in a free morning session called Off the Line, discussing their lives as chefs, including mental and physical challenges. Wong sadly lost her Lahaina restaurant Papa‘Aina in the 2023 fires, but still operates Koko Head Cafe, a beloved brunch spot in Honolulu.)
Yan can cook in Hawai‘i, too
Tickets often sell out early for the Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival, which remains the tutu kane (granddaddy) of all the Aloha State’s culinary festivals. Denise Hayashi Yamaguchi founded it in 2011, with a little celebrity chef help from husband Roy Yamaguchi and fellow Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine cofounder Allan Wong, and it now routinely gathers 100-some elite chefs, sommeliers and other epicurean experts in lively events across three islands.
This year’s festival kicks off on Hawai‘i Island on Oct. 18 at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel with a grand tasting dinner, Lucky Dragon with Martin Yan & Friends ($300 general, $400 VIP with early entry.) The celebrated cookbook author and PBS icon (“Yan Can Cook”) will join nine other Asian American chefs from Hawai‘i, California and the Pacific Northwest, plus elite mixologists and winemakers, in presenting dinner and drinks.
The action then moves to Maui with a sold-out golf tournament in Ka‘anapali Oct. 25 and the festival’s first-ever pickleball tournament plus barbecue brunch at the Royal Lahaina Resort Oct. 27 ($300 for pickleball and BBQ, $125 for BBQ only.) In between, on Oct. 26, the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa hosts Vita Lo Vino, a celebration of Italian and Mediterranean food and wine ($250 general, $350 priority with early entry, $500 VIP with lounge seatings and special tastings.) The festival had to cancel last year’s Maui events, for obvious reasons, but ended up raising more than $1.2 million for Valley Isle restaurant and hospitality workers affected by the fires.
The rest of 2024’s events take place on O‘ahu Nov. 6-10, including a Nov. 9 gala dinner with cocktail reception at Halekulani that benefits the Culinary Institute of the Pacific and honors its partnership with Culinary Institute of America ($1,500). The luxurious Halekulani has special room rates of $712, while its sister property Halepuna Waikiki offers a rate of just $387 a night over Nov. 3-13. Renowned for its fine dining and spa, Halekulani recently debuted its renovated SpaHalekulani, featuring spa butlers, three new treatment suites and custom wellness experiences.
Other event venues include the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort, Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, ‘Alohilani Resort and Disney’s Aulani Resort, which also provide festival discounts on rooms, as does Prince Waikiki, close to the Nov. 9 Behind the Cellar Door food and wine pairing at Hawai‘i Convention Center. Click here to see all the special room rates.
San Francisco Bay Area foodies will want to take note: Crystal Wahpepah (Wahpepa’s Kitchen), Francis Ang (Restaurant Abaca), Reem Asil (Reem’s California), Chris Cosentino (Acacia, Nick’s Cove), Belinda Leong (b. Patisserie) and Brandon Jew (Mister Jiu’s) are among the festival’s participating chefs, along with other luminaries from the continent (the preferred term for “mainland”) and the islands.
Oahu
Honolulu chef shares her off-the-clock favorites
Winner of the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific, O‘ahu native Robynne Maii will be on hand at both the Mauna Lani Culinary Classic and Hawai‘i Food and Wine Festival. She spent years cooking in New York before opening Fête in Honolulu’s Chinatown in 2016 with husband Chuck Bussler and also showcases local ingredients at Heyday, the couple’s whimsically retro restaurant at Waikiki’s White Sands Hotel. In October, Maii and her baker friend Katherine Yang (of New York’s Gigi Blue) will open Mille Fête, a bakery-cafe in Chinatown featuring baked goods, ice cream and some of Fête’s most popular desserts, all with fresh ingredients.
Known for dishes such as Korean bavette steak and a basil-strewn Caesar salad, Fête is naturally one of LocalGetaways’ top choices for lunch on O‘ahu. Maii is happy to throw some love towards her fellow chefs in Honolulu, too, with these suggestions:
For a satisfying breakfast:
Maii and Bussler queue up once a week in the fast-moving line for a “simple but consistently well done” breakfast at Cafe Kaila, next to the freeway in a shopping strip about 10 minutes from Waikiki. “We always get waffles or pancakes, especially the cornmeal waffles with strawberry butter, and my husband gets the Italian omelet and I usually get the veggie scramble,” she says. Note: Both Fête and Cafe Kaila are on LocalGetaways’ list of best gluten-free restaurants on O‘ahu.
For group get-togethers
Maii brings friends to Nami Kaze in Honolulu Harbor to share small plates such as chef Jason Peele’s spin on dynamite sushi rolls, seared baby bok choy, and his two deep-fried ‘ulu (breadfruit) dishes. “We love his culinary point of view and people really dig the brunch, too,” she says.
For cocktails by the beach
At Hau Tree, the beachfront restaurant/lounge in Kaimana Beach Hotel next to Kapi‘olani Park, “I will drink whatever (beverage director) Jen Ackrill puts in front of me,” says Maii, who goes there for cocktails and snacks. “And you can’t compete with the venue—it’s so relaxing,” she adds.
For good Greek food
The Olive Tree Café takeout-only counter in Kahala is “beloved, it’s ultra consistent, it’s always ultra fresh,” notes Maii, who went to school with owner Steve Iida. “The menu doesn’t change and that’s what we love about it—it’s comforting. I always get the fish shawarma, sometime shutome, sometime ahi, sometime ono or mahi. They also do braised lamb shank once a week.” Note: It’s only open for dinner and only takes cash or local checks.
New hotels and brands in, Trump out on Oahu
Hotels often change hands and names in Hawaii without changing much else. This year seems different though with the opening of a newly built hotel from one major brand in Honolulu, several substantial transformations in Waikiki and the rebranding of Oahu’s largest resort.
The 39-story Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa in urban Kaka‘ako is the first new-construction hotel in the city in more than two decades, as well as the only Renaissance-branded property in the state. It’s actually two luxury lodgings on one site: a 187-room hotel and a collection of 112 residences with full kitchens. They share access to the eighth-floor Sky Deck, which includes a full-service spa with Japanese ofuro soaking tubs, a heated 25-meter lap pool and saltwater swimming pool with two hot tubs, a fitness center and yoga studio, among other amenities. It’s a hike to the nearest sandy beach — Ala Moana Beach Park is an 18-minute walk—but concierge services include a Mercedes shuttle. Rates in mid-August start at $332 for a city view, $371 for an ocean view.
Renaissance falls under the Marriott umbrella of brands, as does Ritz-Carlton, whose Hawaiian properties currently only include the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, and Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua. So it’s big news that the 1,300-acre Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore — boasting championship golf, a surf school, community farm, stables and 650 acres of conservation land — will become a Ritz-Carlton later this month; rates start at $979 for resort view and $1,125 for ocean view. Marriott points users should also take note that Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, built on the site of the princess’ former residence in central Waikiki recently renovated the 664 rooms in its Ainahau Tower; rates start at $279 city view, $344 ocean view.
The fledgling Romer Neighborhood Hotels brand got its start in fall 2023 in Hell’s Kitchen on Manhattan shortly before spreading its wings to Oahu with the opening of its family-friendly Romer Waikiki at the Ambassador. Formerly the Ambassador Waikiki Hotel, the renovated hotel is just off Kuhio Avenue near its intersection with Kalakaua Avenue; mid-August rates start at $199 for neighborhood view and $234 for ocean view. In June, Romer House Waikiki became the island’s sole adults-only hotel, featuring local art and the popular Izakaya 855-Aloha restaurant on its ground floor as part of its renovation of the former Pearl Hotel Waikiki near the International Market Place. Rates start at $172.
The former Trump International Hotel Waikiki was not built or owned by the former president, but that did not stop it from having an image problem in the heavily Democratic state or with visitors of different political persuasions. The owners who originally licensed the brand and management services in 2009 from a Trump-owned company bought out the contract last fall and have announced renovations of the 38-story property for 2025. In the meantime, they’ve twice renamed the five-star hotel near the ocean and Waikiki Beach Walk, now part of Hilton Hotels & Resorts’ luxury division. While the inclusion of the Hawaiian god Wakea’s name in the first rebranding drew criticism for cultural appropriation, the Hawaiian words in the new moniker, Ka La‘i Waikiki Beach, LXR Hotels and Resorts, translate as “contentment” or “tranquility” and appear to have invoked the same. Rates start at $568 city view, $751 ocean view.
Kaua'i
Kaua‘i dining tips, plus new festival
Kaua‘i native Noelani Planas left for Las Vegas at 18 years old, training with Wolfgang Puck, Joël Robuchon and Michael Mina before returning home with skills that have served her — and her customers — well ever since. The executive chef at Red Salt at Ko‘a Kea Resort on Poipu Beach since 2016, Planas is known for concocting indulgent dishes with island flair, such as the Red Salt burger with Wagyu beef, lobster, pineapple and bacon and the breakfast favorite of lemon souffle pancakes. We recently asked her to share her preferred places to dine on her days off.
For fusion fare and infusion cocktails:
Opened last year, the Asian-Italian fine dining restaurant Naisla Kitchen and Cocktails on the Wailua end of Kapa‘a “is my favorite new spot for drinks and appetizers,” Planas says. “The tuna carpaccio with ponzu is so refreshing, and their cocktails are very creative; I love when they use the bubble gun to infuse flavors.”
For steak night with style:
Inside a small vacation club resort in Kapa‘a and open just five days a week, Hukilau Lanai is on Local Getaways’ list for where to find the best dinner on Kaua‘i, among other accolades. Planas calls it a “hidden gem,” adding, “I love that they work very closely with local farms.” She always orders the filet, served with “an incredible red wine sauce” made with MauiWine.
For fresh juice with good juju:
Planas also praises Kaua’i Juice Co, which started in Po‘ipū and now has three stores on Kaua‘i, for sourcing its “unique” blends of cold-pressed juice, hand-pressed nut milk, kombucha and bone broth from over 30 small farms on the island. “My go-to is the Omega, which really showcases our tropical produce with soursop, dragon fruit, pineapple and mango juice,” she notes. It also makes Local Getaways’ lists for best smoothies and where to find the best breakfast on Kaua‘i.
For new tastes, vintage scenery:
Planas worked with the chef of Plantation House by Gaylord’s (formerly Gaylord’s and 22 North), on the historic grounds of Kilohana Plantation, at another restaurant many years ago. “His menu here is very diverse, so you get the opportunity to try something new while surrounded by old Kaua‘i.”
Oenophiles and food fans should also check out the inaugural Calabash at Kukui‘ula, open to Kukui‘ula homeowners and guests of The Lodge at Kukui‘ula. Taking place Aug. 17-22, the series of special events will feature food, wine, spirits, music and wellness programs, wrapping up with the Ho‘ohuli Festival. The grand finale will include international food stations and a concert by Grammy-winning country songwriter Liz Rose and others. Enter CALABASH as a promo code for discounted lodging.
Maui
New reasons to visit Maui, new ways to aid Lahaina
A year after the fires that destroyed most of Lahaina and damaged the upcountry town Kula, tourism remains down in West Maui, in part due to the misconception that there’s not a lot to do or that it’s insensitive to travel there. While the weeklong commemoration of the events of Aug. 8 will understandably be somber, visitors who book hotel rooms, dine at restaurants and buy from locally owned shops nevertheless have good reasons to feel good about supporting the region’s economic recovery. Some highlights:
- Koholā Brewery, which debuted on Lahaina’s Front Street in 2016 to much acclaim, lost its home base in the fire but was able to start producing some of its beers three months later with the help of Kona Brewing Hawai’i on Hawai‘i Island. In July, it introduced its new Wailea Tap Room and Eatery in Wailea Village in South Maui, offering some 30 beers on tap and island-inspired pub food.
- The nonprofit arm of Hua Momona Farms, the island’s largest supplier of microgreens, will host the inaugural Maui Music & Food Experience Sept. 5-7 to raise funds for food, housing and mental health services for Lahaina fire victims. The events begin with an intimate wine dinner for VIP patrons at Hua Momona Farms in Kapalua, followed by a concert, silent auction and dinner by celebrity chefs at Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapulua, which also has special lodging offers for the event; and indoor and outdoor concerts at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center in Kahului, including a commemorating Jimi Hendrix’s 1970 concert on Maui. Tickets start at $150 for the concerts and $450 for the Ritz-Carlton celebration.
- The Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa is offering a lei of ceramic plumeria blossoms and wooden beads to guests who donate $100 or more to its Aloha for Sheraton Maui Relief Fund, which supports employees affected by the fires, many of whom lost their homes. The clay blossoms in various shades of pink —Maui’s signature hue— take a local artist four hours to make, according to a hotel spokesperson.
- The popular Old Lāhainā Lū‘au has reopened at its scenic oceanfront location at the north end of Lahaina’s Front Street. It now includes a special chant that honors Lahaina before the main show, in which both servers and staff participate, followed by a hula inspired by Lahainaluna High School. The beloved alma mater of generations of Lahaina residents, founded in 1831, also survived the 2023 fire. A portion of each admission ($220 adults, $134 children) benefits a Maui nonprofit involved in fire recovery. The same company that operates the luau is also reopening its Star Noodles restaurant — one of LocalGetaways’ top choices for dinner in West Maui — later this month, in the former Frida’s location on 1287 Front Street.
