Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort ushers in a new culinary era on Hawaiʻi’s Big Island

The island of Hawaiʻi has a rich culinary heritage, made possible by a bountiful geological landscape and generations of farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who honed their craft over hundreds of years. With traditions focused on utilizing the many gifts of the surrounding land and sea, Hawaiʻi’s food culture is not only far-reaching but naturally sustainable, with an emphasis placed on responsibility and care. Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort takes inspiration from the history of the island and incorporates it into the food through a modern and elevated lens. From the faithfully revived Talk Story and Shipwreck Bars – remnants of the original Kona Village resort which have been thoughtfully brought back to life for the 21st century – to new concepts that offer a refreshed take on Hawaiian food and beverage. Each experience leverages the destination’s fresh ingredients, indigenous practices, and international influences for an immersive edible journey.

Across the resort’s five restaurants and bars, the guiding principle behind the culinary program is that food can be a lens for exploring and sharing culture. Spearheading the extensive offerings are Food & Beverage Director Dan Daughtry, Executive Chef Victor Palma, and Beverage Manager Jason Strich. Since arriving at Kona Village, they have worked to establish meaningful relationships with the island’s many purveyors to ensure the program is authentic while simultaneously supportive of the surrounding community. Coupling these connections and learnings with a commitment to Rosewood’s guiding A Sense of Place® philosophy, where the guest experience is influenced by the destination’s unique history and sensibilities, the team has worked to develop offerings that underscore how excellent food can inspire connection and have minimal impact on the environment.

Pacific Rim to Table

Situated in close proximity to its 1960s namesake, signature restaurant Moana extends an elevated, Pacific Rim-to-table dining experience available for guests to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Influenced by the ancient trade routes of Polynesia and the traveling seekers who shared the produce of the land and the bounty of the ocean, dishes are unexpected yet approachable. Taking inspiration from the many different cuisines introduced to the island via these trade routes over its extensive history, Chef Palma’s menu mirrors the melting pot that is Hawaiʻi, and he’s also tapped into his vast expertise gained from working in some of the most significant culinary markets across the globe. Influences from the Pacific Rim can be seen throughout the selection, which also highlights the fresh raw ingredients and time-honored techniques of The Big Island. The result is a bespoke dining experience that enhances the destination’s already unique culinary offerings.

At Moana, signature dishes include Loco Moco, a traditional Hawaiian breakfast plate of fresh fish, fried rice, and roasted mushroom gravy; Hokkaido Scallop Crudo with skua, green apple, and shiso; and Kampachi Collars with adobo, preserved lemon, herbs, and fermented pineapple. In another nod to the original resort, where buffets were iconic to the dining experience, breakfast will be included gratis for guests. Diners will be welcomed by a gorgeous selection of homemade pastries, jams and spreads, fruits, charcuterie, and local cheeses as they peruse the menu to select their mains.

Recreating the iconic silhouette of the original Moana restaurant, the architectural design is entirely distinctive while still blending seamlessly with the resort’s overall hale layout. The interiors prioritize natural and sustainable materials and feature nods to the communal concept of the previous dining experience, such as a sprawling singular table stretching down the middle of the restaurant made from Hilo-grown African mahogany and two in the private dining rooms made from Hawaiian Monkey Pod. Within these settings, guests can enjoy the creations under the roof of the open-air restaurant or outdoors on an expansive terrace while enjoying unobstructed views of Kahuwai Bay. Though the dishes and design are exceptionally elegant, the environment is relaxed, and guests are invited to come as they are, which is expectedly straight off the beach. Next to one of the resort’s two pools, Moana Pool Bar serves its own interpretation of the Moana menu with food and beverage selections perfect for enjoying poolside. A special seating area has been imagined exclusively for younger guests, in keeping with the legacy years of Kona Village where kids would meet and play together while their parents did the same. Moana Pool Bar’s laid-back atmosphere is quintessential of tropical culinary and cocktail culture, reimagined to feel fresh for today’s traveler.

A local approach

Influenced by the people who have cultivated the land over centuries, Kahuwai Cookhouse serves up a variety of dishes throughout the day inspired by The Big Island’s “paniolo” culture. In 1793, Hawaiʻi’s King Kamehameha was gifted with five longhorn cows that he allowed to roam and multiply across the island’s rolling hills, which eventually led to a booming beef trade and a high demand for ranchers in Hawaiʻi. Because of this, vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, arrived on the Big Island and Maui to teach the locals how to corral and raise cattle. Thus began the culture of the Hawaiian cowboy, known to us now as the paniolo. Tapping into this culture and history, Kahuwai Cookhouse features menu items that utilize Kiawe (similar to mesquite) wood-fired cooking, the choice cooking style on a paniolo ranch.

The offerings at Kahuwai Cookhouse are rounded out through age-old Hawaiian cooking techniques such as pickling, brining, salting, and preserving. All are evident across the menu, which includes dishes like Smoked Ahi Poke with cured tomato and pohole and Roasted Bone Barrow with pipikaula guava jam, herb salad, and grilled sourdough. A large deck as well as tables and chairs on the sand allows for these delicacies to be enjoyed in their most fitting environment, directly against the Kahuwai Bay for which the restaurant was named. Adjacent to the cookhouse is The Market, which centers around on-the-go beverages and sundry items. Here guests can grab an assortment of locally sourced bites for breakfast, lunch, or a midday snack, as well as unique pour-over coffees and espressos from the island’s most innovative roasters including Kona Coffee and Pacific Coffee Research.

A Return to the Original Art of Entertaining

Of the venues from the original resort that have returned in reimagined ways, legacy guests will perhaps be most eager to be reacquainted with Kona Village’s two beloved bars, Shipwreck and Talk Story. Once the schooner of the resort’s original owner Johnno Jackson, Shipwreck Bar has been lovingly restored to usher in a new era of hospitality. Today, Shipwreck Bar has been repaired to its former glory and returned to her resting place on the resort’s beach, a position that few bars in Hawaiʻi can boast. Nestled next to a grove of coconut trees, the bar offers a menu of elevated cocktails that are representative of Rosewood’s renowned bar program.

Talk Story Bar similarly evolves upon the experience of its namesake through the intangible feeling of reuniting with old friends. Sitting on its original foundation, Talk Story welcomes guests back to reconnect with friends and family at the exact same spot where many visited decades ago. This concept of coming together to connect over old memories and shared interests is the inspiration for the bar’s name: in Hawaiian Pidgin, to “talk story” means to talk and reminisce with old comrades. Talk Story’s talented bartenders will embody this idea through a bespoke style of service that reflects an old-fashioned approach to entertainment. Here, they are not only artisans but hosts, offering guests chilled varietals, classic island libations, and delicious gems from the sea.

Spaces for Celebration and Gathering

A major pillar of the overall Kona Village ethos is paying homage to the native traditions of Hawaiʻi, and the menus across all outlets seek to bridge together cuisine and cultural experience. This will also be the case at the Ho’okipa event space and stage, which will host lū’au – traditional Hawaiian feasts that were held in ancient times to celebrate victory in battle or a bountiful harvest but are now a way to celebrate life and its milestone moments. A nod to the traditions of the past, this space emerges a new cultural perspective, bringing travelers together on a journey of discovery. At Kiawe Grove & Imu guests will revel in a large banquet filled with Hawaiian staples such as freshly roasted kālua pig from the Imu fire pit, paired with performances of music, hula, and fire dancing. This intimate social venue focuses on an ancestral cooking method and the spirit of ho'okipa, or Hawaiian hospitality.

A sustainable approach to culturally significant cuisine

Underscoring the sustainable sourcing approach of the culinary program, and further emphasizing the strength of the Kona Village’s enviable setting, the majority of all ingredients come directly from The Big Island. Ten of the world’s 14 different microclimates exist here, a highly unique phenomenon that allows for a diverse bounty of produce, protein, and plants. Mushrooms from the rainforest, tropical fruits from the jungle, fish from the ocean: the natural resources are near endless. The property itself will be home to an onsite farm growing everything from coconut to lime to canoe plants, which were originally brought over by the natives when they first discovered Hawaiʻi centuries ago.

This farm is tended to by local farmers, following in the footsteps of the ancestral Kona Village, while seafood is delivered right to the property’s shores by resident fishermen, highlighting how integral the relationships with both people and planet are for the resort’s community. To this end, as part of Rosewood’s Partners in Provenance program, the team has tapped many of the island’s most skillful and sustainable culinary talents to enhance the offerings at Kona Village. Kona Sea Salt, Blue Ocean Mariculture, Hawaiian Vanilla Co., Wai Meli Honey, Big Island Abalone, Hirabara, Pacific Coffee Research, and Adaption Farms are just a few of the local leaders that contribute to the incredible program and affirm it as a true deep dive into Hawaiian food culture.

Beyond the menus, Kona Village has incorporated many more sustainable practices into the operations of its food and beverage spaces. The team has developed a waste management process where all organic material is transported to a neighboring pig farm to feed the animals

A Permanent Place at the Table

Food and drink have long been a medium through which humans connect, mark celebratory occasions, and immerse themselves in their surroundings. Culinary exploration allows travelers to interact with the traditions and cultures of a destination, taking home a better understanding of new areas of the world. This perspective that food should inspire people to connect and celebrate comes to life at Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort.