The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua Feature

FOOD

Culinary Honors For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, nobody does it like The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

The world’s finest resort pays homage to the diverse cultures of Polynesia.

Photographed by DANNA MARTEL & ROBIE PRICE

ou are on vacation. Perhaps even planning one. In your hands is a copy of the Maui Golf Review. You’ve scanned through its pages, seen some beautiful golf holes. Your appetite whetted by the sight of tropical greens, your thoughts turn to other tastes: where to wine and dine on Maui.

Good food, wine, and golf all have one thing in common: pleasure. And at the center of it, is you.

So where can you dine in style on Maui?

Given the profusion of quality food here, I could write about almost every restaurant on Maui. But there are specialist magazines that exist for that purpose.

Instead, I’ve opted to feature The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua.

Why? Because its overall approach to Maui, Hawaii, and the entire world of Polynesia is simply that good. Not to mention its location, facilities, service, and attitude which are, without question, second to none on Maui.

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The Place The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua, is set on fifty acres of lush, historic land. It is part of the 1,650-acre Kapalua resort community which occupies 23,000 acres between the West Maui Mountain range, and the inviting deep blue water of the Pacific Ocean.

Designed to compliment Kapalua’s tropical landscape, the 548-room oceanfront hotel’s two six-story wings are contoured to fit the rolling terrain. The decor is Plantation-style. Pastel interiors and airy open-plan architecture combine with original paintings and ceramics, created by local Maui artists, as well as traditional 18th and 19th century works.

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FOOD

Golf isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.

Continued from page 51 The hotel is rated as a AAA Five Diamond resort. Its oversized guest rooms feature private lanais with sweeping views of the ocean, golf www.ritzcarlton.com c o u r s e s , pineapple fields, and the neighbor-island of Molokai. Each room has an en-suite marble bathroom, and is outfitted with virtually everything that even the most demanding traveler is likely to need. If it’s not in the room, you can always call room service!

A Playground in Paradise As a guest at The Ritz-Carlton, you will find more than enough recreation to keep you busy during your stay. The 7,266-yard Kapalua Plantation Course, home of the PGA TOUR’s Mercedes Championships, ought to fill the bill. We haven’t heard anybody on TOUR complaining lately. Apres Plantation are the Bay and Village Courses.

The former is a past host to PGA TOUR and USGA National Championship events; the latter is the primary site of “Da Game.”

If you’re looking for a Da Game quick lesson, there is the Kapalua’s tradinew Kapalua Golf tional daily skins game, open to 12s Academy, with its expanor better, begins sive grass teeing areas, at noon. endless target greens, and 18-hole putting course. There, Head Teaching Pro Jerry King, and the state’s

largest staff of PGA pros, help golfers with every facet of their games.

But golf isn’t everything, and the Ritz knows it. That’s why there are so many other recreational facilities for guests to enjoy, whether you play the game or not.

In the back, behind the 10,000 squarefoot, triple-tiered cascading swimming pool, there is D.T. Flemming beach. White, silky sands cushion the feet, and ensure an even tan. While you’re there, you can explore the ancient Hawaiian trail that borders Hokokahua Bay, or even play a game of croquet on the finely groomed lawn.

For a truly sensuous experience there is the luxurious health facility, replete with private body treatment rooms, steam baths, sauna, and all the latest in fitness equipment. Those who indulge in the many spa services can choose from a selection of seven different massage therapies, and enjoy personalized training, body composition analysis, and even private yoga and meditation sessions. Sound relaxing?

There are also ten lighted tennis courts, all surfaced with a space-age material that is guaranteed to improve your backhand.

There are two outdoor whirlpools, a ninehole putting green, two churches, the Club and the Library. And, of course, the Concierge—your link to activities like helicopter tours of rain forests, para-sailing, deep-sea fishing, horseback riding, pineapple wine tasting, and more Maui activities

52 SUMMER 2001 MAUI GOLF REVIEW

than we can possible list here. And then, there is food.

The Food You’ve traveled a long way to get here.

Now you’re in Hawaii, why not eat Hawaiian style? The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua has nine different dining spots allowing you to enjoy indigenous cuisine, as well as food from those countries most influential on Hawaiian culture.

Dive into one of the Ritz restaurants, and you can expect to find yourself savoring authentic fare cultivated and prepared by chefs whose mission is to deliver the Hawaii you’ve been dreaming about - all on a silver platter.

One compelling reason you should eat here is because of the amount of research and development that the resort has put into the menus. Instead of the usual “fusionconfusion” served up around the island, the Ritz pays homage to the people of Polynesia, Japan, China, the Philippines, and the Americas with its impressive line-up of Pupus, and main courses.

Pupu Each dining spot within the Hawaiian meanhotel has its own unique fare. ing small food sampler.

The Anuenue Room Located just steps away from the open-air main lobby, The Anuenue (Hawaiian for rainbow) Room is the perfect place to enjoy what they call, “New Hawaiian Cuisine.”

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. © 1999

In a place Hawaiians call “The Beginning,” you may find your very own.

The word “aloha” is legendary for having many meanings. Our interpretation, perhaps, being the most special one of all. For reservations, please call The Ritz-Carlton at 1-800-241-3333. www.ritzcarlton.com

FOOD

Eclectic Asian with a Hawaiian touch.

Continued from page 55 versal appeal. From Grilled Parker-Ranch Beef Tenderloin, to Kalua Suckling Pig, Poached Kona Lobster, and Braised Uku and Watercress. No matter what the fare, a visit to the Anuenue Room at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is sure to please.

Up-country The areas of Maui located on the slopes of Mt. Haleakala.

The Banyan Tree

One of the greatest treats, when you are here on the island of Maui is to dine by the ocean.

And, while Maui offers a variety of ocean side restaurants, we know of only one whose mission it is to take their guests on what is aptly referred to as, “a journey through the Pacific.”

The restaurant is called The Banyan Tree, and it sits perched upon a grassy knoll above a rolling expanse of ocean. The combination of astonishing views, and a culinary presentation steeped in Pacific heritage, offers you a total dining experience of unparalleled quality and diversity.

The Banyan Tree is an homage to all of the influences emanating from Asia on Hawaii, and is best described as, eclectic Asian with a Hawaiian touch.

To encourage guests to sample as many of these distinct flavors as possible, nearly a dozen Pupus alone are offered. This is an

excellent way to start dinner.

At the helm of this newly-expanded ocean side masterpiece is lifelong student of regional cuisine Chef Jean Christopher Basseau. Raised in Gimont, a small village in the southwest of France, Basseau studied at the Culinary School of Auch, under Andre Daguin, the legendary chef from the Hotel de France.

“Daguin was like the mentor of the school,” Basseau says. “When I was growing up, I wanted to be like him.” Basseau got his start at La Renaissance in Magny-Court, under Chef Jean-Claude Dray. From there he joined Le Meridien Hotel in Paris, working under Chef Maurice Brazier, President of the French Toque Blanche.

Basseau’s early experience was traditionally French, but his culinary scope broadened with his travels. He left Paris, and went to work first at the Hotel Maadil Atlas in Morocco; then, the Le Meridien in Sudan; and finally, at the Royal Meridien in Bahrain.

In recent years, Basseau has worked at the Westin Rancho Mirage, Le Meridien, and the Four Seasons Hotels in Newport Beach. His international experiences have given him an uncanny ability to present varying regional flavors in such a way as to make them enjoyable for people from all walks of life.

“As we are here in Hawaii,” Basseau explains, “we want to make something interesting for the customer. We try to keep

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the ingredients as they are in Asia, but not too strong in the spice,” he says. Adding, “It is mild, but original in style, with a great presentation on the plate.”

One Hawaiian dish, called, “Ahi Papa Me Poke ($12),” consists of 3” circular Ahi Carpaccio medallions displayed elegantly atop tossed diced Ahi, julienned green pepper, julienned tomato skin, Maui onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and a cilantro lime ginger vinaigrette. Basseau personally checks and garnishes every dish served at the Banyan Tree. To this, he adds a drizzle of wasabe over the Carpaccio, and recommends Chateau Routas, Rouviere, Var, France, 1998 ($9). (Every dish at The Banyan Tree has its own wine recommendation, which is carefully selected to compliment the flavors of each dish, and Ahi Carpaccio is conveniently offered in a 4 Thin slices of raw oz. sampling glass. ahi tuna, flatBasseau’s presentation of tened with a chef’s knife.

Thailand is equally impressive. His “Yam Pla ($12)” is made from a local red snapper, called Onaga, that is thinly sliced and marinated with fresh lime coconut milk, Thai chili, Kaffir lime leaves, Thai basil, and fresh mint. Added to this are diced tomatoes, and green onions. The preparation is presented on top of a banana leaf set upon the plate, with toasted shred-

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FOOD Each evening, from six to nine-thirty, Executive Chef Stephen Marshall’s chefs showcase a unique array of “New Hawaiian Cuisine” dishes that embrace the hotel chain’s credo for “capturing the spirit of a hotel and its locale.” As he puts it, “The Anuenue Room is where ancient Hawaiian culture, and traditional Hawaiian ingredients, are prepared using today’s modern cooking techniques.”

Dinner at The Anuenue Room is served in three, four, or five courses ($65-$95), depending on how ambitious you are. Whichever you choose, you will have an opportunity to taste dishes of ancient Hawaii like never before. Take, for instance, a simple Pupu like the Spicy Chilled Opihi.

Opihi is harvested along the shores. It is an ancient Hawaiian delicacy; a kind of gastropod sea mollusk with a conical shell. The chefs season the opihi, and combine it with three different types of limu (seaweed).

The first, called Rat Foot Limu, is a thick,

meaty seaweed with a soft, Oyster-like texture. The second, called Short Green Limu, is florescent-green in color, opaque, and very crunchy. The last, known as Long Brown Limu, consists of long, pasta-like strands, and has a mild, salty flavor.

These flavorful delicacies from the briny deep are tossed with tomato batons, Pohole ferns, watercress, julienned maui onion, two wild Hawaiian berries: Akala, a Hawaiian raspberry, and Ohelo, a Hawaiian cranberry, and a dressing consisting of lemon oil, Hawaiian chili water, coconut water, and honey. The result is a clear, refreshing appetizer with the unique taste of the Pacific. Over a half-dozen other Pohole One of only three Pupus are offered, indigenous ferns and each is an found when the Hawaiians arrived in interesting story.

300CE Every night, The Anuenue chefs’ culinary brilliance shines when their main courses arrive at the tables.

Their ability to produce such multi-dimen-

sioned choices is why the Anuenue Room is so special.

The “Moi Lau Lau” is a perfect example of their seamless integration of ancient Hawaii and modern cooking techniques.

This main course features Moi, a white, delicate, mild-flavored reef fish that is charbroiled. Moi was caught in ancient times and reserved exclusively for Alii (royalty). In that era, the punishment for those not considered Alii who indulged in this delicacy, was death!

In the Maui Lau Lau, the char-broiled Moi is layed atop toasted Kukui nut butter, sweet potato and taro leaves, and bacon cracklings, mixed with Portobello, Chantrell, and Shiitake mushrooms from up-country Maui. If you think the dish is mouth watering to read about, you should taste it!

Other main courses include dishes of uni-

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Where ancient Hawaiian culture, and today’s modern cooking techniques unite.

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SUMMER 2001 55

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FOOD Continued from page 56

The Terrace Restaurant ded coconut. Basseau says, “It is like a Thai version of the Tahitian Poisson Cru.” Recommended wine: Wild Horse, Pinot Blanc, Monterey, 1998 ($10).

We suggest you leave room for one of the most anticipated dishes: the main course.

Basseau covers the region well, offering something from virtually all quarters.

From Hawaii, it’s seared lemongrass crusted Ahi ($28); from the Philippines, pomegranate lacquered poussin ($24); from Indonesia, it’s fresh grilled Opakapaka with sweet soy sauce; from Vietnam, shrimp with coconut and green mango curry ($28); from China, it’s seared Szechwan pepper crusted beef tenderloin stir-fry ($26), from Thailand, braised curried lamb shank with plantation banana and Pillao rice ($26); and, from Japan, it’s sake poached Salmon ($24).

It is worth going to The Banyan Tree Restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua for the views alone. Add to that the wonderfully eclectic regional Pacific cuisine, and you are guaranteed an unforgettable ocean-dining experience.

When you are on vacation, your dining desires will vary. After a day out on the links, you might prefer a more immediate and hearty meal. The Terrace Restaurant at the Ritz will be able to provide it for you.

Since July, visitors have been enjoying the Ohana Keiki Luau at the Terrace Restaurant.

The Luau takes place every Monday and Thursday and begins at 6:00 p.m.

This Luau is intended to make you feel like a guest in someone’s home. The experience is less commercial, and more genuinely Hawaiian. It is contrary to most other Luaus, because you are not watching a Luau which is happening 100 feet away on a stage. Instead, you are in the middle of it; you are part of the Luau.

When you arrive, there are performances in the entrance area, and a warm welcome is provided by four Keikis (children). A photographer takes your picture, which you can purchase at the end of the evening.

The actual Luau is a buffet served from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. During dinner, six Keikis hula dance throughout the restaurant,

giving you an excellent opportunity to watch the children. Music is provided by a three piece band.

The Keikis also conduct a hula class during their show, while an artist gives you, and especially your children, an opportunity to have temporary Hawaiian tattoos spray painted onto your skin (the dye is a washable food color).

At 7:30, the main show, “Tutu’s Tales,” begins. As is traditional in Hawaiian families, Tutu would always gather the family and Malahini (guests) to share wonderful and intriguing stories, history and legends about old Hawaii, “...and the way it was,” for that is the way it was passed on to her by her Tutu.

The show consists of a Tutu three piece band, six Hawaiian meanKeikis, three male dancers, ing the elder and three female dancers, wise grandma or auntie. three magicians and, of course, Tutu as the Master of Ceremonies.

There is no central stage. Instead, the show

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You ‘ll feel like a guest in someone’s home.

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FOOD

Their sushi is as much art as it is cuisine.

Continued from previous page. is performed throughout the restaurant, where every table has a view.

The grand finale is a torch lighting ceremony around the Terrace lawn which features a fire knife dance. The price for the Luau is $58.

In addition to the Ohana Keiki Luau, The Terrace Restaurant offers a wide variety of a la carte items, specializing in steak and seafood, to cater to those guests who prefer more traditional food.

The Terrace Restaurant also features the famous Seafood Buffet on Friday nights ($48), and the Italian Buffet on Sunday nights ($42).

The Sushi Bar Sushi, in the opinion of renowned Chef Norio Yamamoto, is as much an art form as it is a cuisine. Every Thursday through Monday, from 5 to 10 p.m., he combines ancient techniques, presentations, and the finest sea foods and produce available, with ornate Japanese china and traditional place settings, to create one culinary masterpiece after another, right in the hotel’s Lobby Lounge.

Yamamoto offers guests over 20 variations of the three most popular types of sushi: Nigiri-sushi, Maki-sushi, and Sashimi.

Sake, Japanese beer, and the Lobby Bar service compliment the made-to-order delicacies which begin at $4 per serving.

The Beach House

Other Eateries

Surf’s up, and afterwards there’s nothing like a cold tropical drink, and a bite to eat.

Fortunately, you won’t have to don your sandals, because the Beach House is right there on D.T. Flemming Beach, serving up a number of really local Hawaiian favorites.

Six delicious tropical drinks ($8 each) occupy one side of the 14 1/2 inch solid wood surfboard menu you’ll hold in your hands when you sit down for a quick bite between surfing sets, after swimming, or just taking a break from tanning. Old classics like the Lava Flow, Pina Colada, and Mai Tai, make way for local favorites such as the Lahaina Sunset, Kapalua Punch, and Lahaina Lemonade.

The Beach House restaurant offers five great pupus and snacks which range in price from $8 to $16. Dishes like Coconut Calamari ($12), Mai Tai Shrimp Cocktail ($12), and the Hawaiian Pupu Platter ($16) will easily take the edge off, so you can get back to the business of relaxing.

Three salads are offered: a Citrus Salad ($14), a Traditional Caesar ($14), and a mixed Kula Green ($8), and six main courses, which range in price from $12 to $16.

Plus, there are many other great local specialties. Of course, you can keep it simple and have the Grilled Bratwurst, or even a Cheeseburger. No matter what you choose, it is sure to make your day on the beach that much more enjoyable.

Guests who stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua can opt for a room on the exclusive Club Level, where a Club Lounge offers daily continental breakfast, lunch, early evening hors d`oeuvres, and late evening cordials and chocolates—all compliments of the house.

Those in search of a good cup of coffee, or a pastry, will find the Espresso Bar will do nicely with its wide selection of specialty coffees, fruits, and pastries.

The Lobby Lounge boasts some of the best views on Maui. Its “Magical Mixologist” bartender is always on hand to whirl up virtually any libation. Then, of course, there is the humidor.

The Pool Bar, with its array of sandwiches and snacks, all cleverly presented on a menu resembling a Hawaiian Aloha shirt, is at your disposal all day long, so you can focus on pool side activities.

The resort offers Hawaii’s only outdoor ballroom, as well as a 16,000-square-foot grand ballroom, 10 meeting rooms, and the island’s only hotel amphitheater.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua offers stylish and tasteful accommodation in an innovative and congenial atmosphere. The food is of the highest international caliber, as are the resort’s expansive recreational facilities.

Place all of this in one of Maui’s more spectacular settings, and you are assured a sensuous and stimulating island experience.

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