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HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON, Part One
By Misha Mariani

NEW YORK CORNER
SISTINA
BY John Mariani




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HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON
 Part One
By Misha Mariani


Maui

    It was eight years ago that I walked through the doors of my first job as a young, ambitious, carefree line cook at The Modern in NYC, just the beginning of my career in the food and hospitality industry, but what I didn’t know when I started that day was that this would be the job that would jump-start the greatest journey one can embark on in life.
    I had been introduced to a dark-haired, dark-eyed girl with a heart and soul so genuine and sweet I had to question whether she was real. This girl later became the woman I would marry this past September.   Being that both of us are in the restaurant business--she's a pastry chef--there has been little time for vacations,  so when the time came to discuss where we wanted to go on our honeymoon, we agreed that we needed to go somewhere warm, beautiful, relaxing, white sanded, blue watered, with plenty of outdoor activities, and somewhere where we were going to eat well. It didn’t take much deliberation before we decided that Hawaii, more specifically Maui, fit the bill, and that it would be our honeymoon destination.
         Our wedding day was a glorious and memorable day. But weddings are a lot of work, so we could hardly wait to board our flight to Maui. Ten and a half hours later we touched down to the warm sun and blue skies of the Islands of Hawaii. We rented a car, rolled down the windows, slipped our sunglasses on,  and with warm wind in our hair, drove off,  zipping down oceanside roads and past sugar cane fields, finally arriving at the Grand Wailea Resort (right), where we were warmly welcomed with an “aloha” and the always charming offering of a lei around our necks, Priscilla’s made of orchid flowers, mine of kukui nuts.
    We then entered the sprawling open air plaza (above), adorned with orchids in every direction we looked,  with a shallow pool with a traditional Polynesian kayak settled in the middle of it, open to the Pacific’s blue waters.  We checked in and were quickly escorted to our room, where we settled in and took our first real breath of total relaxation.
       The Grand Wailea Resort, opened in 1991 (now a Waldorf Astoria property), is well named, for it is nothing short of grand, with luxurious design  in every detail, an abundance of sprawling open spaces, top-notch hospitality, and a plethora of amenities to take advantage of.  Room accommodations range from the  standard to suites with amenities such as dedicated concierge and access to two private lounges, even to your own private villa.  All rooms are elegantly appointed in a fashion to make you feel happy and at home, with their beige or cream colored walls, modern wood furniture, warm lighting, spacious bathrooms, comforting ceiling fans, and a marvelous view of the beach and water.
      After a restful night that took the edge off our jet lag, my new wife and I stopped by the resort’s Café Kula (above), one of  its grab-and-go dining facilities, and with coffee, bagels and smoothies under our belt, we headed to the Wailea Beach to settle in for a couple of hours of soaking up some Hawaiian sun  before heading back to the resort to indulge in some time at the spa.
      The Grand Wailea’s Spa is, hands down, one of the most luxurious and extensive spas I have experienced, with spacious steam rooms, saunas, cold baths, hot tubs of varying temperatures, waterfall showers, massage showers and a five-step salt bath. The options offered seem endless, and we spent a good deal of time pampering ourselves before we were led away for our couples massage, which began with some robed relaxation sitting out on a  balcony overlooking the ocean (right) and sipping freshly brewed iced tea. We were then escorted to our private room, picked out what scented lotions or oils we wanted to breath in as we settled into our hour-long session of uninterrupted pampering.
        Other amenities offered at the Grand Wailea consist of scuba lessons—I’d actually been certified here 20 years ago—and an elaborate spool water slide that winds around the pools. This vast resort has numerous dining options, such as the outdoor humuhumunukunukuapua (below)—named after Hawaii’s state fish.  Yes, it is a mouthful to say, so everyone calls it Humu for short.  Built over a million-gallon saltwater pool in which swim Hawaiian spiny lobsters that you can pick out for you dinner, the restaurant has a rustic design of dark wood with a thatch roof and looks out onto one of the most beautiful sunsets on the island.
     The menu is Hawaiian cuisine, utilizing local ingredients and prepared with a talented hand. A crudo of kampachi served with an avocado puree, ponzu, ginger and cilantro had a hint of smokiness with a pick-me-up from the citrus and great depth of flavor. Hawaiian prawns served with tapioca & shiitake mushrooms were a true regional delight to the palate.
       Humu’s wine list is a modest one with respect to its number of selections, but they are very reasonably priced, mostly California labels. The Bar opens at five p.m. nightly and reservations for dinner are available seven nights a week.
       Early one evening in our room, we popped a bottle of Champagne, poured two glasses, toasted to our new life together and got ready to head out to dinner at a restaurant in the Wailea Marriott called MiGRANT, where Chef Sheldon Simeon (below) is at the helm of the kitchen. Native to the Islands and trained at the Maui Culinary Academy, Simeon quickly acquired local recognition for his talents.  He spent some time in New York, where he expanded his knowledge of Asian cuisine by exploring all the top-notch noodle bars and ramen shops the city has to offer, then returned to Hawaii to lead a new venture called Star Noodle, which earned him multiple accolades, including more than one James Beard Award, for his unique and inspiring renditions of dishes based on Hawaiian ingredients and preparations.
       When we arrived at MiGRANT, we were whisked to our table on the terrace and greeted by an enthusiastic, well- versed, hospitable server, who we later learned had followed Chef Simeon from Star Noodle out of admiration for him.  That night we just put ourselves in the chef’s hands.
      To start, a large bowl of chicharrones  with Hawaiian spicy water was gobbled up as soon as it hit our table. A salad of local kale (below) bruised with Hawaiian sea salt to tenderize it exceeded expectations for flavor through dried white figs, crunchy pumpkin seeds, refreshing Japanese cucumber and slightly sweet miso dressing.
        For someone who doesn’t particularly care for oysters, I was delighted with an oyster shooter with kalamanzi juice, olive oil and a kick of spice to excite the palate. Well prepared with outstanding ingredients, if not so exciting, was a ahi tuna tartar with avocado, soy sauce and samba.
          Chef Simeon showcases his talent throughout the entire menu, but his main dishes really shine: such as his take on Korean Fried Chicken, perfectly crisped batter and a Filipino Kare Kare sauce;  his Filipino sweet pork with guava jelly and pickled onions;  Ay Kudesh! Garlic Noodles, of which the menu warns you about being overbearingly spicy, actually showed Simeon’s skill at balancing his flavors when accompanied with  his exceptionally prepared pork belly with tomato, red onions and shiso.
     The menu is in three sections: pupus, main and noodles.  Though a little limited in its selections, every dish is focused and carefully thought out so as to ensure you will not be disappointed with any choice.
         After dinner we retreated back to our room, trusting that the days of our honeymoon to come would be just as enjoyable as our first night.
      The island of Maui is filled with exciting new restaurants and ambitious, talented young chefs, and a restaurant that exemplifies this is  Ka'ana Kitchen (right) in the Andaz Maui at Wailea, a Hyatt property, that even has its own farm.
   Right inside the entrance is a table manned by bartenders/mixologists ready to prepare inventive and creative cocktails to satisfy any serious cocktailer.  Just behind them is an open kitchen, where we watched Chef Isaac Bancaco  and his staff diligently preparing our evening’s meal. Bancaco, Maui born, ventured out to other culinary cities in the continental U.S. to expand his repertoire and to hone his skills as a cook. Then he returned to Maui, first to take over as chef at the Grand Wailea’s Humuhumunukunukuapua, then to add to his résumé the title of Executive Chef at Ka’ana in 2013.
       Ka’ana is a sleek, newly designed restaurant that is not only redefining serious fine dining on the island but setting a standard as well. The modern design of the restaurant has both indoor and outdoor dining. The interior captures the living room feel of being at a friend’s home, with open kitchen.  The staff wears gingham attire. The dining room is very beautiful, lavished with dark wooden floors, a number of lightly upholstered banquette seats and dark leather strapped chairs [PIC 7]. Shaded hanging lights add a warm glow to the room and the activity from the kitchen keeps you entertained and adds an energy to your experience.
      The word Ka’ana means “to share,” and that is the concept behind this exciting restaurant,  with a menu built around that family-style concept. It is broken down into six different categories, e.g., Kona Cold Lobster or Kula Country Farms, with each one comprised of three dishes that represent its classification.  Grilled octopus (left) with local goat’s cheese, frisée, asparagus and grilled bread was a combo I had some trepidation about ordering, but Chef Isaac proved how well he conceived the dish, with its smoky notes and layered flavors. Abalone risotto with a poached egg was a dish I was excited to try and glad I did. With its complementing textures of the perfectly al dente risotto and subtle bite of the abalone, its creamy rich flavor and the slight brininess of the seafood, it was a justified hit.
      Were you ask me my favorite cut of steak, the answer would be a ribeye, mostly due to the generously marbled cap that wraps around the eye of the loin. Anytime I go to the butcher, I always ask for it to be cut closer to the shoulder side because that’s where the thickest part of the ribeye cap is. Chef Isaac must have known I was a sucker for this and had broken down his ribeye and offered it in two different preparations, Ribeye cap and eye of Rib-eye. Which do you think I chose? Yes, the ribeye cap. Wonderfully striated and grilled to a perfect medium-rare, the cap was accompanied by peanuts, green papaya and enokitake mushrooms, with an acidity that perfectly cut through the richness of the cap.
      Other dishes that are a must are Chef’s Hawaiian Lobster with grilled pineapple, mushrooms and fresh mint, and his Ahi Tuna with a fennel and citrus salad, bulghur wheat and baby carrots.
      Ka’ana delivers on all fronts, from professional and well-informed service, to exquisite food and an enjoyable ambiance. For those looking for a sophisticated, higher level dining experience without the pretense, Ka’ana Kitchen is a must.
    Part Two of this story will appear shortly.

Grand Wailea offers several Wedding Packages, which includes use of the Wailea Seaside Chapel and gardens and Hawaiian procession.  

Misha Mariani and Priscilla Scaff
were married on September, 26. 2014.

 

  




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