Latest news with #KohalaCoast
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
An Acclaimed Los Angeles Sake Bar Brings Beachside Bites To Hawaii
The culinary creatives behind L.A.'s Ototo sake bar are staging a restaurant residency at Mauna Lani in Hawaii through September 1, 2025. Noe DeWitt You never know what to expect from Ototo. Two years ago, the James Beard Award-winning Izakaya spot in Los Angeles dressed itself up as the fictional Netflix restaurant Midnight Diner for a Halloween homage. More recently, the Echo Park space transformed into a Japanese 7-Eleven with a one-night menu of crust-less egg salad sandwiches and custom canned chu-hi. Now, Ototo is popping up on the Big Island of Hawaii for a summer restaurant residency at Auberge Resort Collection's Mauna Lani. Between now and September 1, chef Charles Namba and his restaurant (and life) partner and beverage director Courtney Kaplan are overseeing a beachy, barefoot version of what the Los Angeles Times called 'L.A.'s best sake bar.' Each evening, Mauna Lani resort guests can enjoy sesame-seed fried chicken wings, chilled hiyashi chuka egg noodles and other Izakaya delights with their Kohala coast sunsets. Restaurant (and life) partners Courtney Kaplan and Charles Namba want to show how versatile Japanese sake and Izakaya flavors can be. Ototo The California-Hawaii-Japan connection certainly makes sense. With flavors that riff on Tokyo's casual taverns and yatai stalls combined with L.A. creativity (like a tasty spin on McDonald's Filet-O-Fish) and fresh-from-the-land-and-sea Hawaiian ingredients, Ototo's outpost is practically a tri-coastal flavor summit. Surprisingly, this is Namba and Kaplan's first trip to Hawaii, which makes the residency a real-world test of Ototo's playful ethos. I checked in with them to hear how they're adapting their kitchen techniques and keeping that three-way mash-up delicious under Hawaiian skies. David Hochman: You've done interesting pop-ups before but never anything outside Los Angeles. How did Hawaii happen? Charles Namba: I'm not really sure, honestly [laughs]. Our PR person thought it would be a good idea. Mauna Lani invited us to do it and we said yes. Courtney Kaplan: We've done collabs with friends and chefs in L.A., but to actually go someplace completely different was a brand-new experience. We thought it sounded really interesting to have this opportunity for people to eat our food and drink great sake on the beach, if only to prove how versatile these flavors can be. Drawing inspiration from Japan, Los Angeles and Hawaii, the menu is a three-coast flavor summit. Nani Welch Hochman: How does one pack for a three-month culinary residency in paradise? Namba: I packed one chef's knife and an apron. Mauna Lani took care of everything else. Kaplan: We're not there the whole time. We still have a restaurant to run in Los Angeles, and there's a great team in place that we worked with. For us, it was about figuring out how to get the most from the fresh ingredients on the Big Island and match those with delicious drink pairings. Hochman: What excites you most about what's available in Hawaii versus Los Angeles? Namba: We've obviously got great farmers markets in Los Angeles but things somehow feel even fresher in Hawaii. We're doing a grilled fish in ponzu oroshi butter, with farmers market vegetables that are just bursting with flavor. We've got a 'keiki cuke' sunomono cucumber salad that tastes very much like Hawaii. We're using watercress from a nearby farm. Kaplan: We're working with a local taro root farmer who's got a five-acre farm. He was showing us pictures of the hundreds of pounds of taro he's harvested. Namba: But he's also got incredible fiddlehead ferns. It reminds you how much you can grow beautifully on the Big Island. Hochman: You're pairing sake with burgers and fried chicken. What's the idea there? Kaplan: I want people to see how much range sake has. We brought over Shiokawa Cowboy sake from Japan to pair with the burger. The sake itself is meaty and savory. Tensei Song of the Sea Junmai Ginjo comes from a coastal brewery. You get some of that salt-water taffy flavor of a small surf town. Then you pour something like Kameizumi Junmai Ginjo Namazake and it's big, tropical, fruity, fresh. Hochman: What are you doing for fun? Must be hard concentrating on work with all those Mauna Lani beach chairs beckoning. Kaplan: Honestly, we've been pretty busy with the project. We did do some snorkeling, and got to swim and enjoy the landscape. You can hike near Mauna Lani and look at the petroglyphs close by. There are lava formations around the hotel as well. It's pretty incredible. Namba: We ate really well. The hotel has a restaurant called Canoe House that's run by Rhoda Magbitang, who was executive chef at Chateau Marmont and other places, and her food is excellent. She has this shokupan Japanese milk bread that I thought was amazing. The texture is perfect. It tastes like Japan. In Hawaii. Hochman: Does all this Hawaii livin' make you want to give up Echo Park and move to a tropical island? Namba: I love Hawaii. But after working at restaurants in New York and opening Ototo in Los Angeles—I have to say, I love the rush of the city. The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.
Travel Daily News
09-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Fairmont Orchid completes property transformation
Fairmont Orchid unveils a multimillion-dollar renovation blending Hawaiian culture with luxury across guest rooms, Fairmont Gold floor, and expansive event spaces. KOHALA COAST (HAWAI'I) – Fairmont Orchid, a luxury resort nestled along 32 oceanfront acres on the pristine Kohala Coast of Hawai'i Island, announces the completion of the property's refreshed guest rooms, Fairmont Gold floor and meeting & event spaces. The resort's multi-million dollar revitalization honors the rich Hawaiian culture through design elements that reflect the island's essence. Its fluid layouts mirror the ocean's natural flow, color schemes draw inspiration from the island's diverse landscapes, and textures pay homage to traditional Hawaiian craftsmanship. 'We're thrilled to welcome a new chapter for Fairmont Orchid with our property transformation that elevates every aspect of the guest experience,' shares Chris Sessions, Director of Sales & Marketing at Fairmont Orchid. 'This refresh is deeply inspired by the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of Hawai'i, and we've taken great care to infuse those elements into every detail. Notably, our newly reimagined Fairmont Gold floor, including the exclusive concierge lounge, residential-style guest rooms and suites, sets a new standard for oceanfront luxury along the Kohala Coast of Hawaiʻi Island.' The Fairmont Gold Floor lounge embodies a chic, modern Hawaiian aesthetic, offering guests an elevated oasis within an oasis. From sunrise to sunset, guests of Fairmont Gold can enjoy a tailored experience with indulgent amenities, locally-inspired cuisine, and unparalleled personalized service. This includes private check-in, dedicated concierge support, and hors d'oeuvres at golden hour on the lanai, ensuring a refined and memorable stay. The newly upgraded spaces at Fairmont Orchid feature refined enhancements, including contemporary lighting, refreshed carpeting, and stylish design elements, all crafted to elevate events of any size – from intimate occasions to large-scale celebrations. With 32,000 square feet of redesigned indoor space and 76,000 square feet of outdoor areas offering stunning views of the ocean, waterfalls, and lush gardens, Fairmont Orchid is the perfect destination for blending aloha hospitality with luxury for meetings, retreats, and corporate events.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Fairmont Orchid: A Lush 32-Acre Retreat on Hawaii's Kohala Coast
Fairmont Orchid resort on Hawaii's Kohala Coast With recently refreshed guest rooms, several oceanfront dining destinations, and countless watersports on gorgeous Pauoa Bay — plus 32 stunning acres of lush tropical gardens and lava-studded oceanfront on the Big Island's black-lava Kohala Coast — there's a lot to love about the Fairmont Orchid. Fairmont Orchid sits on 32 acres of oceanfront property Fairmont Orchid is located on the Big Island of Hawaii, on the majestic Kohala Coast. It's a short drive from many top beaches and Pololū Valley, and about 30 minutes by car from Kona International Airport (KOA). Outrigger canoeing Resort pool A recently refreshed guest room A renovation of the resort's 540 spacious rooms and suites was completed in 2024. The refreshed decor is quietly luxurious, with a fresh color palette of whites and tans layered with soft blues and pastels. All have seating areas, spa-inspired white marble bathrooms, and private lanais overlooking the lush gardens or shimmering ocean. Fairmont Gold lounge In addition to the standard guest rooms and suites, there are also 45 ultra-luxe Fairmont Gold accommodations. Fairmont calls this VIP level their 'oasis within an oasis.' Indeed, it comes with a whole host of services and amenities that start even before you get to your room with private check-in. The Gold level also includes personal concierge, and an exclusive lounge with complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening craft cocktails, and canapes — plus a well-stocked honesty bar. Brown's Beach House The resort's signature restaurant, Brown's Beach House, showcases island-inspired cuisine and spectacular sweeping ocean views — especially at sunset. The seafood-centric menus include 3- and 4-course options, as well as a la carte dishes like Kona prawns, local mahi mahi, and ti leaf-wrapped kanpachi with sweet potato, tiger shrimp, and bok choy in a coconut-orchid honey sauce. Binchotan Bar & Grill celebrates the confluence of Hawaiian and Japanese cuisines with craft cocktails, plus seafood, wagyu beef, and seasonal vegetables kissed by the flames of traditional-style robatayaki grills. Oceanfront Kahakai Bar The resort also offers guests several more casual options located throughout the extensive property. Orchid Court is the spot for breakfast and Hale Kai serves up more casual eats and cocktails under its thatched-roof huts. Kahakai Bar specializes in handmade tropical cocktails and small plates, and the popular Brown's Deli is the perfect grab-and-go option for iced coffees and matcha, morning pastries, and gourmet snacks. A thatched roof garden haler at the resort's Spa Without Walls Get pampered by booking one of the resort's oceanfront cabanas, or dreamy private thatched hales that are nestled in between waterfalls, lush orchid-filled gardens, and streams with koi and waterlilies. The Spa Without Walls menu includes Hawaiian-inspired facials, scalp and foot massages, and the signature lomi-lomi massage, which uses rhythmic massage strokes to help restore one's mana (energy). For guests who may have spent too much time basking in the sun without enough SPF, there's also the After Sun Soother, which uses a soothing gel mask made with active marine ingredients to help soothe and rehydrate the skin. Snorkeling and other water sports are available on-site Fairmont Orchid champions sustainability by eliminating single-use plastics like water bottles, straws, and individual bathroom amenities. Each guest room comes with two reusable water bottles, and refill stations are located on every floor. Every week, guests can join the Botanical Bees & Chef's Garden Tour to learn about produce grown on-site and the 80,000 bees that produce a delicious monofloral kiawe honey that is featured on the resort's menus. Oceanfront pool For more information or to book a stay, visit Fairmont Orchid.
