where jess ate

Located in the swanky Andaz Maui hotel in Wailea, Ka’Ana Kitchen is serving up farm-to-table fare in an equally swanky space.

We decided to make the one hour drive from Kaanapali to Wailea to check out Ka’Ana Kitchen for my dad’s birthday. Upon driving up to the hotel, we were immediately impressed by the sleek and modern decor of it. We dropped our car off with valet parking (the only option) and walked through the impressive lobby to get to the restaurant, located on the lower floor.

The restaurant occupies a gorgeous space with an open kitchen and outdoor seating with a view of the pool. It’s a truly stunning space!

Ka’Ana Kitchen features farm-to-table fare using ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The menu is arranged in columns, grouped by the suppliers of the ingredients: “Barry Masuda”, “Ka’ana Classics”, “Kona Cold Lobsters”, “Upcountry” and “Butchers Block.”

We started off with the Grilled Octopus – Secret Sicily, watercress, asparagus ($21). If we’re eating with my dad and octopus is on the menu, it’s almost guaranteed we’ll be ordering it. It can be hit or miss since octopus can often be rubbery if it isn’t prepared properly. Thankfully this wasn’t the case here. Served like a salad, the grilled octopus was perfectly cooked and didn’t have a hint of chewiness. The pairing of the octopus with the Secret Sicily (a chèvre marinated with olive oil and herbs) was a match made in heaven. A great way to start off the meal!

Up next was another seafood and cheese pairing, the Ahi Tataki – haiku heirloom tomatoes, fresh burrata, Ono Farm’s lilikoi ($24). The tuna had a nice light sear and I absolutely loved the pairing of it with the creamy burrata cheese. You really don’t see seafood paired with cheese too often.

Another appetizer we shared was the Hanger Steak – Thai basil, green papaya, chili lime, peanut ($21). I was a little worried about the hanger steak being tough and chewy but this was surprisingly tender. We all really enjoyed the refreshing Thai flavours in the dish and would order this again in a heartbeat.

The last appetizer we shared was the Pork Belly – asparagus, bagna cauda, 62^oC egg ($19). It consisted of thick slabs of fatty pork belly which had a nice crisp exterior. The asparagus added some necessary greens to the dish and overall, it was a solid dish. Just nothing particularly memorable.

The Abalone Risotto – Onsen egg, saikyo miso, shiitake salt ($31) caught my eye so I decided to order it for my entree. The risotto had a nice consistency (not too runny or gluey) and contained sweet, tender pieces of abalone. After breaking open the egg, the yolk added an extra creaminess to the risotto. Delish!

Mike ordered the Lobster – with pineapple, pork belly, black pepper ($56) for his entree. The lobster and pork belly were both well cooked and the pineapple gave the dish a nice sweetness. The broth that it all sat in was also quite nice. However, for $56, we were expecting to be wowed and we weren’t. It was a fine dish but it wasn’t worth the steep price tag at all.

My mom went with the Buttermilk Fried Chicken – jalapeno, corn, waipoli greens ($35). It was pretty tasty, well-fried (not too greasy!) and the fried pieces of cornbread was a nice accompaniment. However, for what it was (and not to mention the small portion of chicken), I felt the price was rather steep.

For dessert, we shared the Apple Pot Pie – apple butter, salted caramel, crème fraiche ice cream ($12). While the apple filling and creme fraiche ice cream was delicious, I found the crust to be too thick for my liking.

I personally preferred the other dessert we shared, the White Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake – pumpkin cream, toasted seeds ($13). It consisted of three cubes of creamy white chocolate cheesecake which wasn’t too heavy on the pumpkin flavour.

Overall, it was a good meal but at these price points, I expected it to be an amazing dinner. The meal started off incredibly strong with several memorable appetizers but the entrees didn’t really blow me away. Bottom line, if you’re staying in (or near) Wailea and don’t mind the steep price tags, Ka’Ana Kitchen is worth a visit. Otherwise, I’d pass.

At a glance:

• Located in the swanky Andaz Maui hotel in Wailea
• Farm to table fare, sourcing ingredients from local suppliers
• Gorgeous space; very open and airy; combination of outdoor and indoor seating
• High prices; appetizers in the $15-$25 range, entrees in the $30-$55 range
• A good meal but not amazing…and at these prices, I wanted to be blown away

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 3.5 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 5 stars