Sourced In Maui: Seafood-Forward Local Cuisine Rules At Grand Wailea
These widespread integrations reflect the traditions of the region and even highlight some of the lesser known ingredients. With so many upgrades, in fact, Chef Urig finds it redundant to put 'Made in Maui' designations onto the menus. 'We are proud that the vast majority of our produce (80%) is local.'
Executive Chef Ryan Urig
Early 2024 saw the reopening of Kilolani spa with a renewed identity developed by the in-house wellness team and meant to actively integrate the Helu Pō, or moon cycles, from the Hawaiian calendar into various treatments. The spa features native botanicals and made-in-Maui products all while following the waxing and waning of the moon. This isn't limited to the spa, however. Seafood-forward restaurant Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, named after the a local reef trigger fish, debuted to much acclaim and just as many local ingredients the same year.
'We have worked to create local partnerships.' Says Chef Urig. 'Much of the locally sourced produce integrated within dishes has been grown under traditional Hawaiian practices aligning to the Helu Pō of the state. We work with local farms to highlight their masterfully raised product such as taro, pineapple and Kālua pig.'
A selection of fresh seafood served at Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
Each of the culinary stops serves up local flavors from Olivine's Italian-fusion to seafood-forward Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. By tapping into local restaurants like Sale Pepe, Maui's premiere Italian restaurant that was affected by the 2023 Wildfires, a partnership was born. Onsite Italian fusion restaurant Olivine utilizes pastas made by the Sale Pepe team. The point, according to Urig, is to make a 'wholly unique Hawaiian touch to a classic Italian dish.'
Fast-casual Loulu has a farm-to-table vibe with distinctive nods to the region and with Nobu soon to open, there are about to be even more options.
A cocktail served on the aquarium bar at Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa
How are they able to source so many local ingredients? It's a multi-pronged tactic sometimes with lesser know ingredients from Hawaiia. 'Through one of the artisans at our weekly jewelry and craft fair, we were introduced to Mother Mushrooms.' Chef Urig explains calling his mushrooms second-to-none.
Mother Mushrooms farm is located in Makawao on the slopes of Mount Haleakalā where they grow gourmet Oyster, Lion's Mane and Shiitake mushroom varietals. The chef also has a partnership with Blue Ocean Mariculture and Tropic Fish Hawaiʻi both programs that responsibly raise and cultivate local seafoods. Blue Ocean focuses on Hawaiian Kanpachi using submersible sea pens off of Keāhole Point in Kona located on the Big Island of Hawai'i. They are renowned for sustainably providing ingredients without harming the surrounding ocean biosphere. Hawaiian Kanpachi is a main draw but they also offer Kona lobster, abalone, oysters, sea asparagus and ogo. Tropic Fish is known for being a pelagic fishery with a remarkably sustainable footprint.
A snapshot of the offerings at Grand Wailea
It's not just seafood, however. Grand Wailea partners with a wide range of local farms and businesses including Surfing Goat Dairy, Kula Country Farms, Aliʻi Lavender Farm and Kumu Farms. As well as housing honeybees to contribute to the island's agricultural thumbprint. Alas, with food comes waste but Chef Urig has a solution even to that. In a nod to the full-circle approach of the moon cycles, Chef Urig affirms that they donate all food waste to local farmers.
Curious about what dishes at Grand Wailea use which mushrooms? See below for some of the not-to-be-missed favorites and where to find them:
Botero- Crispy Mushrooms (appetizer): Mother Mushrooms, Pea Tendril Salad, Chimichurri Aioli
Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa- Local Wild Mushrooms (side dish): Black Pearl Oysters, Lion's Mane Mushrooms, Maui Onion, Smoked Ponzu
Olivine- Harvest Wood Oven Pizza: Wild Local Mushrooms, Macadamia Nut Pesto, Surfing Goat Feta
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12 hours ago
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My teenagers loved our trip to Italy. Booking a guided group tour made it easy for me.
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This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). Crisp, fresh and satisfying, Caesar salad is a dish that's conquered dining outlets the world over, from your neighbourhood bistro and Pret A Manger to Michelin-starred marvels like Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. While mayonnaise-heavy iterations haunt room-service menus in hotels far and wide, Caesar salad purists live and breathe its original recipe: whole romaine lettuce leaves, crunchy garlic croutons tossed in a tangy, raw-egg-based dressing of minced anchovies and garlic, dijon mustard, lemon, salt and pepper, topped with shaved parmesan. This punchy salad's basic, accessible ingredients mean it's a fabulously flexible dish, easy to spruce up, adding extras to the core ingredients. That's maybe why, in 1953, the Paris-based International Society of Epicures hailed the recipe as 'the greatest to originate in the Americas in 50 years' and why it hasn't fallen off the restaurant radar in its 101 years of existence. Take LA's Bar Etoile, where the salad is transformed into a mighty beef tartare hybrid. Thick slices of toasted bread are layered with the dressing and raw beef mixed with speckles of anchovy plus freshly grated lemon zest and parmesan. But if you're a Caesar purist, you might want to instead sample the original at Quebec's Le Continental, complete with the spectacle of it being put together tableside. The original recipe of Caesar salad consists of whole romaine lettuce leaves and garlic croutons tossed in a dressing of egg yolks, anchovies, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon, salt and pepper, topped with shaved parmesan. Photography by Lisovskaya Natalia, Getty Images Origin The Caesar salad was born in 1924 in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, where Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini had opened Restaurante Caesar's to attract US visitors craving an escape from the prohibition laws. The story goes that on a bustling Fourth of July, the restaurant was running short on menu items, so Caesar snatched up the leftover ingredients, rolled them out in a dining cart in the presence of drunk, hunger-stricken Americans, and prepared an improvised salad with a theatrical flourish, tableside, distracting them from the random ingredients. It was an unexpected success. Word spread to the US, then across the world. Silver-screen celebrities including Clark Gable and Jean Harlow flocked to the border town to try it. When legendary 1960s US food broadcaster Julia Child made a pilgrimage, she called the dish 'a sensation of a salad from coast to coast'. While Caesar is credited with inventing the dish, some historians credit his brother, Alex Cardini, with creating the definitive version. They say it was he who added anchovies and dijon mustard to the dressing of the original recipe — ingredients still used in the salad to this day. Livio Santini, a cook at Caesar's restaurant, also threw his name in the ring, claiming that the original recipe was his mother's. The world may never know the true inventor, but historians do agree it's a Tijuana creation. Visit Caesar's today, and you'll find a portrait of Cardini hung on the wall opposite Santini's, commemorating the salad's legacy. Tijuana native, Frank Vizcarra, is owner of taco and cocktail joint, Lola 55, and serves up a Caesar salad that's seasoned with pasilla chilli salt for extra Mexican pizazz. How is it made? Traditionally, Caesar salad would be made tableside, showcasing the freshness of the ingredients, and adding dramatics to the diner's experience. In a large wooden bowl, the ensalador, or 'salad maker', adds each ingredient one by one. First, the diced garlic, then Worcestershire sauce, raw egg yolk, lime juice, cracked pepper and a pinch of salt. Next, the olive oil is slowly incorporated into the bowl while whisking, followed by grated parmesan. Once it's thickened into a creamy, tangy dressing, whole romaine leaves are added and tossed, then the croutons. The lettuce is then laid out on a plate, then croutons, before more of that precious parmesan is grated on top. Nowadays, most restaurants use Alex Cardini's variation of the Caesar, swapping out the Worcestershire sauce for anchovies minced to a paste; dijon mustard and lemon instead of lime (which was probably a translation error by Americans who thought 'limon' meant 'lemon'). And salad prep mostly stays in the kitchen, although those who revel in its history still offer the tableside show. At LA's Bar Etoile, the salad is transformed into a mighty beef tartare hybrid. Photograph by Kort Havens Where to try it Caesar's, Tijuana While the exact original recipe is no longer offered – today, the dressing uses Worcestershire, anchovies, Tabasco and lemon along with roasted and raw garlic – foodies still flock to Caesar's Restaurants to get the original tableside show. Last year, Caesar's celebrated the salad's 100th anniversary, with chefs including José Andrés and Dominique Crenn attending to honour the immortal dish. Paradise Point Resort & Spa, San Diego Paradise Point Resort & Spa serves what it calls the 'Original Caesar'. Romaine hearts and house-made croutons are tossed in a dressing that substitutes the minced garlic and lemon juice of the standard recipe for roasted garlic and lime. And it dares to test purists by offering additional protein: chicken, salmon or shrimp. Lola 55 Tacos & Cocktails, San Diego Tijuana native, Frank Vizcarra, is owner of this taco and cocktail joint that serves up a Caesar salad that's seasoned with pasilla chilli salt for extra Mexican pizazz and accompanied by a whole grilled lemon on the side. Dan Tana's, LA This stalwart Santa Monica Boulevard restaurant opened in 1964 and is one of few still offering the original tableside Caesar experience. 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