Reservations are now available for Fairmont Kea Lani’s upcoming dinner series, an evening exploring the history of Hawaiian-style cuisine featuring Lanai Tabura, host of Cooking Hawaiian Style, alongside the chefs of Kō & Kea Lani.

The six-course, wine and cocktail-paired progressive dinner explores the history of Hawai’i through a culinary lens, paying homage to the diverse cultures that have influenced Hawai‘i’s cuisine along the way.

Limited seats remain for the two-night event, taking place Nov. 3 and 4 in Kō’s Palm Court at Fairmont Kea Lani.

Originally launched in 2021, this epicurean series was created to showcase the culinary talents and cultural heritage of Kō, alongside partners from the community who share a desire to perpetuate Hawaii’s local culture through food. For this specific collaboration, the resort’s culinary team, listed below, worked together to curate the experience:

• Chef Aris Aurelio, Executive Chef, Kō
• Chef Jeffery Ang, Chef de Partie, Kō
• Chef Amber Ching, Pastry Chef de Partie, Kō
• Chef Michael Lofaro, Executive Chef, Fairmont Kea Lani
• Chef Jonathan Pasion, Executive Sous Chef, Fairmont Kea Lani
• Chef Tiffany Naughton, Pastry Chef, Fairmont Kea Lani

Throughout the meal, each chef will execute a dish (or two!) that represents one of the many influences that make up Hawai‘i’s cuisine today. Guests can expect Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Filipino and Portuguese inspired courses. Tabura will enhance each chef’s presentation by talking story with the guests, taking them along on a journey and sharing the mo’olelo (stories) of the immigrant groups who have become the fabric of Hawai‘i today. 

“This dinner is truly a collaborative effort,” said Chef Aris, Kō’s new executive chef. “To create a meal that represents all of us, who we are, where we came from and where we are going, is truly special. This collaborative concept, originally conceptualized by the late Chef Tylun Pang, is one we are all extremely proud of and eager to share.”

Chef Aris Aurelio recently took the helm of Kō, voted Maui’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year, after having worked in Kea Lani’s kitchens since 1994. Aris Aurelio’s passion for cooking began in his early years as a boy in Cauayan Isabela, Philippines, where he grew up appreciating the comfort foods created by his mother and father. He later graduated with honors from Maui Culinary Academy, where he learned to expertly balance the nuanced flavors of Hawaiian cuisine with the comfort foods of his childhood.

Under the mentorship of Chef Tylun Pang, Aris became Chef de Partie at Kō in 2013. Today, Aris utilizes his family recipes to inspire elevated menu items rooted in the foundation of his core cuisine.