3 minute read
Kihei to Wailea PREVIEWS
MONKEYPOD KITCHEN is a place for foodies, beer lovers, and families alike. Enjoy their beautiful ocean views in cozy comfort at any of their tables and booths. Their menu selection consists of farm to table dishes crafted by the pioneer of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Chef Peter Merriman. With a focus on high quality, socially conscious ingredients from local farmers and artisans, you can enjoy favorites such as pumpkin patch ravioli, coco corn chowder, and lobster deviled eggs. Dinner choices range from hand-tossed pizzas, fresh caught fish tacos, house-made saimin, and seasonal steak and seafood specials. Make sure to save room for homemade cream pies. Enjoy their daily happy hour featuring select appetizers and pizzas, culinary cocktails, and 36 Craft beers served on tap at an optimal 29 degrees. With a knowledgeable and friendly staff, you’ll want to celebrate the craft of food, drink, and Merrimaking with Monkeypod Kitchen!
PENNY'S PIZZA & PASTA is South Kihei’s newest edition to the restaurant scene. This hidden gem features a Kiawe Wood-Fired Pizza oven where you can see your pizza cooking next to open flames. The open air restaurant also offers a delicious menu of pasta dishes and salads. You may want to try their already popular Chicken Penne in a garlic cream sauce or the delicious homemade Macadamia nut Pesto on pasta or pizza. If you are diet conscious, they also offer Gluten Free pizza crust and a gluten free pasta option. The restaurant looks directly out across Kamaole II Beach, with a stunning ocean view. If you’re there during the winter you can watch the whales breaching during the beautiful sunset. The full bar also features ocean view seating, so you can try a signature Italian style cocktail while relaxing into the scenery. Look the other direction into the garden and you will see some of the fresh herbs and veggies that are being cooked into their delicious sauces. This casual and affordable Kihei secret is not going to be a secret for long, so come try some of the delicious eats and drinks. Currently open for dinner service only starting at 4pm.
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see page 59 www.pitaparadisehawaii.com see page 53
PITA PARADISE has been a favorite among locals for 20+ years. Located in the Wailea Gateway Center, this bistro and bar serves flavorful Mediterranean cuisine with Greek and Italian specialties like Moussaka, Spinach Tiropita, Roasted Lamb Shank Gnocchi, and “Pita” crusted Chicken Parmesan. Specializing in “Farm and Sea to Table” cuisine that utilizes local organic produce and FRESH FISH caught by the owner! The famous pita menu features lunch favorites such as the Australian range lamb Gyro. Dinner choices include a variety of Kabobs, Johnny’s Fresh Fish Specials, Bolognese and an Appetizer Platter. Save room for the world-famous Baklava Ice cream Cake! Take out and catering available.
Wailea Gateway, Wailea | (808) 879.7177 | Open daily 11:00am—9:00pm | Happy Hour Daily 3:00pm—5:00pm | Menus / other info on website: www.pitaparadisehawaii.com
"Discover the flavors of the islands in our elegant alfresco setting with sweeping views of three Hawaiian Islands. The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea infuses its menu with a distinct and flavorful sense of place. Executive Chef Bryan McMahon’s “culinary casual” fare showcases the island’s freshest, most seasonal ingredients. Perched on the hillside above Maui’s south coast, the restaurant offers panoramic ocean views from the open-air upper lanai and intimate dining under the stars in the garden.”
Breakfast: 7:00am—11:00am • Dinner: 5:00pm—9:30pm
The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea
• 808.879.2224 • 555 Kaukahi St., Wailea • www.hotelwailea.com/rhw see page 68
Fairmont Kea Lani
Ko - the signature restaurant at Fairmont Kea Lani, is inspired by the vast collection of ethnicities brought together during Maui’s sugarcane plantation era. Through a masterful combination of the freshest ingredients, recipes that have been shared through generations. Offering a menu influenced by Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean and Japanese cuisine, Ko - has made its mark as a ‘must visit’ spot for travelers and locals alike. The restaurant has been repeatedly recognized across the island for its unique and exceptional preparations of seafood, beef, lamb and pork, earning the restaurant the distinction of best Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, Restaurant of the Year, as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award and Chef of the Year for the late Chef Pang.
Through the heart and hands of a chef, you can discover the true soul of a culture. For many travelers, this is what they seek when exploring a destination. For locals, this chef is their champion. The one telling their story. This is the passion, the craft of Chef Aris Aurelio has recently taken the helm of Ko - at Fairmont Kea Lani.
Chef Aris has worked in Fairmont Kea Lani’s kitchens since 1994 but his passion for cooking began as a child in Cauayan Isabela, Philippines. He grew up appreciating the comforting foods prepared by his parents and when his family moved to Maui when he was 15, they brought along their culinary traditions. After high school, Chef Aris attended Maui Culinary Academy where he learned to balance the nuanced flavors of Hawaiian cuisine along with the foods from his childhood.
Under the mentorship of Chef Tylun Pang, Aris became Chef de Partie at Ko - in 2013. Today, Aris utilizes his family recipes to inspire elevated menu items rooted in the foundation of his core cuisine.
“Ko - is truly a collaborative effort,” said Chef Aris, “To provide a culinary experience that represents all of us, who we are, where we came from and where we are going, is truly special. This collaborative concept, originally conceptualized by the late Chef Tylun Pang, is one we are all extremely proud of and eager to share.”
