Page 2 - Dining Out - Dec 19, 2021

Restaurant Insider with Anne Lee
ANNE LEE
speaks withThe Kahala Hotel & Resort restaurant manager
WON BAE
and executive chef
JONATHAN MIZUKAMI
Photos by
ANTHONY CONSILLIO
When you imagine having after- noon tea, the one place that comes to mind is The Veranda at The Kahala Hotel & Resort. I was excited to hear that they restarted tea service this past September, and I had a chance to ex- perience exceptional service with restaurant manager Won Bae and The Kahala’s execu- tive chef Jonathan Mizukami.
The combination of sweet and savory sandwiches and treats and the artful combination of the locally sourced teas make it a delectable experience. It’s the perfect opportunity to dress to the nines and indulge in this incredible experience.
AL: Why did you restart tea service and what can guests expect?
WB: Mainly due to the request from our guests that enjoy our high tea service ($65 per person plus tax and service charge), which we had to stop due to the pandemic.
September is when we were able to re- start the service with Saturdays seatings at 2 or 3:30 p.m. Jonathan created a savory and sweet menu of delectable treats, from sandwiches to pot de crème. Due to popu- lar demand, reservations are highly recom- mended. There was a lot of intention behind selecting the teas, and Byron Goo of Tea Chest Hawaii was insightful on the choices
AL:Whatoptionscanguestchoosefrom?
WB: When we worked with Byron on select- ing the teas, our intention was to highlight the values of the property as many famous dignitaries have stayed here and continue to do so. We dug into the archives and re- searched the area prior to the hotel being here and we came up with a Decorated His- tory menu, which communicates the culture, values and sense of place in the blends of teas. One cultural value in our staff ’s training is sustainability and one ingredient that we repurposed were cacao shells — we literally
1
Dining Out is a weekly advertising supplement published by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Visit us at dining.staradvertiser.com
FOLLOW US ON
@DININGOUT_HAWAII DININGOUTHAWAII
SPECIAL SECTIONS MANAGER
Nicole Monton
Phone: 808-529-4857 diningout@staradvertiser.com
SALES MANAGER
Anne Lee
Phone: 808-347-1093 alee@staradvertiser.com
2 /
Dining Out
/ Dec. 19-25, 2021