Dive Into Mediterranean Cuisine with an Island Twist at HāLani

In 2024, two chefs decided to deviate from Hawaiʻi’s regional fare, choosing instead to explore the cuisines and cultures of the Mediterranean. Through extensive research and dining experiences, they found similarities between Hawaiian culture and the cultures of the Mediterranean, especially when it comes to hospitality and the sharing of food. They also noted the abundance of seafood and locally grown ingredients used in both regions.

Excited to pass on what they learned, the chefs trained their team members—who were mostly raised in Hawaiʻi—sharing terminology, explaining new dishes and introducing them to cultures that they may not have been familiar with.

HāLani at Mauna Lani opened in January 2025 with an expansive Mediterranean menu primarily influenced by the foods of Italy, Greece and Spain. And the spirit of Hawaiʻi flows through everything. Executive chef Allan Nagun and sous chef Joey Lizama take special care to incorporate as many locally sourced ingredients as possible and present each dish as an opportunity to share food, stories and culture with diners.

“I don’t want it to be intimidating,” Lizama explains.” I want it to be approachable and fun.”

Mauna Lani, which means “mountain reaching heaven,” is located in the Kohala district, on the Kailua-Kona side of Hawaiʻi Island. Over 200 years ago, this area was a fishing village and retreat for King Kamehameha the Great. Lava flow walking paths still meander around Kamehameha’s historic Kalāhuipuaʻa fishponds, a 4-acre natural estuary stewarded by the resort, which is part of the Auberge Resorts hospitality group.

“For us, this location is very special,” says Sergio Caceres, director of operations at the resort. “When we talk about the piko, the center of gravity to us, it’s that we’re in this special mana around us, surrounded by these five mountains.”

HāLani’s open-air dining space is a calming place.
Photo: Courtesy of Mauna Lani

Mauna Lani was built in 1983 and in 2019 was sold to Auberge Resorts, which has invested $200 million in renovations over the years. Known for its culinary destinations, Auberge Resorts put extra care into elevating the dining experience at HāLani. The open-air dining space is a calming place, with lush tropical plants and flowers displayed atop bamboo and teak surfaces. Guests sit on soft ivory cushions either facing the sunset or an amber lit wall of shelves lined with ipu heke, gourd drums used during Native Hawaiian chants and hula performances.

Outside, near the front of the resort, is a garden filled with eggplant, lemongrass, green onions, squash, limes, bananas, papayas and a variety of herbs for the chefs to use.

Caceres says that because of the similar climates, many ingredients found in Mediterranean cuisine can be grown in Hawaiʻi.

Our server arrived with three pōhaku (stone) bowls filled with a variety of dips, including cool, creamy hummus topped with spicy ’nduja and drizzled with Agrumato lemon olive oil. Alongside, were hot “balloons” of Turkish bread, blistered from the 700-degree oven they were cooked in, finished with fragrant garlic oil and za’atar spices.

As the meal progressed, each dish complemented the next. Crisp zucchini chips arrived with tangy tzatziki for dipping. Chicken marinated in harissa and sumac-seasoned mushrooms were skewered into kebabs with a side of tahini dipping sauce. A rosy grilled porterhouse steak shared the table with creamy paprika-spiced potatoes, Peloponnesian orzo salad and whole branzino slathered in chermoula. Compressed watermelon atop whipped Big Island goat feta, crunchy sea asparagus and Castelvetrano green olives were served in a glass bowl, putting its palate-cleansing contents on display, top to bottom.

Hot “balloons” of Turkish bread.
Photo: Courtesy of Mauna Lani

The anchovy toast, topped with chopped tomato and onion, is a nod to Lizama’s childhood and the types of foods he ate growing up in a Filipino household.

Desserts by renowned pastry chef Helen Hong brought more excitement. Tres Leches cake was presented as semifreddo with raspberry and blueberry cream, fresh strawberries and mint and a scattering of crunchy white chocolate pearls. A delicate chocolate crémeux was layered with vanilla cream and lilikoʻi (passion fruit) and topped with shaved dark chocolate. But the showstopper was a riff on an Italian raviolo—chocolaty mascarpone mousse atop graham cracker crumbs and Waimea strawberries blanketed in a veil, or “raviolo skin,” made of strawberry-lemon consommé and garnished with vanilla-honey pearls and tiny edible flowers from Hong’s garden.

It isn’t just the food that makes a trip to HāLani memorable, it’s also the welcoming staff members, some of whom have worked at Mauna Lani for 30 or 40 years. They have a knack for making guests feel at home, like they’ve known them for years.

“They really represent the spirit of the place,” Caceres says.

In this new iteration, HāLani will continue serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Local residents receive 15% off all food and beverages, and visitors from off-island receive an experience worthy of writing home about.

aubergeresorts.com/maunalani/dine/halani, 68-1400 Mauna Lani Drive, Kamuela, Hawaiʻi Island, (808) 885-6622.