Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach Celebrates Earth Day With New Food and Beverage Offerings

Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach on Oahu is already known for providing authentic Hawaiian experiences.

Now, the resort is adding innovative and locally sourced food and beverage offerings from its new executive chef, Frederic Hoffmann. The new offerings include this week’s Earth Day launch of “Earth to Cup,” a sustainable food and cocktail series at Swell, the hotel’s 5th-floor rooftop bar.

Along with his more than 25 years of experience at renowned hotel restaurants — including Trace at the W San Francisco, Chefs Club St. Regis Aspen and Kauai Grill, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant at St. Regis Princeville — Hoffmann has brought his signature flavor-forward approach to new menus created specifically for Alohilani Resort. In particular, the chef has put his stamp on the rooftop dining experience at Swell with island-inspired dishes including ahi tartar, crispy pork belly, Hawaiian chili pepper chicken wings, an Aloha Aina (Hawaiian for “love of the land”) vegan bowl and a seasonal charcuterie board.

“I am thrilled to join the Alohilani team and look forward to highlighting Oahu’s local bounty as well as neighboring islands,” Hoffmann said.

Focusing on environmentalism and locality, the "Earth to Cup" Happy Hour menu features small plates created by the chef to highlight sustainable ingredients sourced from Hawaiian farmers. Each dish is inspired by one of the four Earth elements (land, sea, air and fire), with locally hunted venison from Molokai representing land; Oahu kampachi (amberjack) ceviche representing sea; “Surfing Goat Cheese Samosa” from the slopes of Maui’s Haleakala Crater representing air; and breadfruit sustainably grown on Hawaii Island representing fire.

The menu is paired with hand-crafted cocktails in partnership with acclaimed blogger Emily Arden Wells. The cocktails incorporate island-sourced ingredients such as fresh fruits and juices, as well as Kohana Kea Agricole Rum made from heirloom Hawaiian sugarcane and Ocean Vodka organically produced in Hawaii.

“We are working with a variety of local farmers to source the fare for our ‘Earth to Cup’ menu, paired with specialty cocktails that are hand-crafted for Alohilani — a unique twist on happy hour found only at Alohilani,” said Cheryl Williams, regional vice president of sales and marketing — Hawaii for Highgate, the parent company of Alohilani. “We are also proud to be able to support our local farmers as part of our ‘Earth to Cup’ program with $1.00 per check going to support them.”

As if delicious farm-to-table dishes and cocktails and spectacular happy hour views of Waikiki Beach from the rooftop at Swell aren’t impressive enough, “Light Monument,” the resort’s video art installation by Joseph Pa’ahana, an Oahu-based artist, designer and filmmaker, appears nightly after sundown on the Beachside tower wall, accompanied by a lineup of local musicians and DJs.

Another delicious new experience at Alohilani is located alongside the hotel’s iconic 75-foot, retro-style "Greetings From Hawaii" postcard mural. Here, clients will find food trucks presented by two popular Honolulu chefs: Piccola Onda from Chef Andrea Onetti (a mainstay at local farmers markets), featuring Italian specialties such as gnocchi ragu bolognese, spaghetti al pesto and eggplant parmigiana ciabatta — all made with local ingredients — and Chef Brandon Lee’s Double Fat Ice Cream, serving hand-spun ice cream and sorbets, including creative flavors such as honey furikake, yuzu creamsicle and lilikoi sorbet, along with island toppings like fresh fruit, mochi crunch and macadamia nuts. 

In addition to supporting these two Honolulu chefs, clients can create a unique souvenir by having their picture taken with the “Greetings From Hawaii” mural, courtesy of an aerial photo booth.

“Our new chef is bringing new innovations and creativity to the food and beverage scene in Hawaii, and we are very excited about these new food and beverage (options) at Alohilani,” Williams said. 

The Details
Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach
www.alohilaniresort.com