Sweet onions in poke and corned beef hash, juicy strawberries with milk and sugar — some of Isaac Bancaco’s fondest memories growing up in Kula revolve around food grown in that fertile Upcountry region of Maui.
“When I was young there were farms all around our house,” said Bancaco, executive chef at Andaz Maui. “Fresh, quality produce was readily available. My Hawaiian grandmother was always in the kitchen; she was an incredible cook. From small-kid time I learned that if I helped her cook I didn’t have to wash dishes.”
Bancaco didn’t consider cooking as a career, however, until he took a personality and psychology test as a high school junior at the Kamehameha Schools. “Culinary arts was the profession that popped up in my results,” he said. “I also love the intensity, camaraderie and challenges that are part of a service-oriented industry, so I have my dream job.”
Knowing that food is top of mind for many travelers, Bancaco has designed several innovative culinary programs at Andaz Maui, all of which are open to the public. Call 243-4703 to book or for information.
IF YOU GO: ANDAZ MAUI
>> Address: 3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea Resort, Maui
>> Nightly rates: Start at $449; in-room snacks and nonalcoholic beverages are complimentary.
>> Phone: 573-1234
>> Email: andazmauireservations@andaz.com
>> On the net: maui.andaz.hyatt.com
>> Notes: World of Hyatt members receive a 10 percent discount. Sign up for this loyalty program when booking online.
KA‘ANA CULINARY
During this interactive cooking class at Ka‘ana Kitchen, the resort’s signature restaurant, participants prepare a three-course themed lunch along with a chef. “Ka‘ana” means “to share,” and that’s the key to this experience — sharing knowledge, the work and later a healthful meal.
The theme for Thursday’s class is “Fruits of the Sea,” featuring delicacies such as Kona clams, tako (octopus), ahi (yellowfin tuna) and opakapaka (blue snapper).
Offered: Noon to 2 p.m. every third Thursday. For five to 20 participants; make reservations at least 24 hours in advance.
Cost: $150
Bancaco: “All of the dishes we make during Ka‘ana Culinary can be prepped, cooked and served in less than 30 minutes. Because the group is small, there are always lively conversations.”
BITTERS & BITES
A three-course meal in Ka‘ana’s open kitchen paired with cocktails made with each guest’s favorite spirit. Choose three savory dishes or two savory and one sweet.
Offered: On request at 6 p.m. nightly, limited to four guests. Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance.
Cost: $95
Bancaco: “The bartender decides what craft cocktails to make on the spot as guests watch, based on the input they provide. No secrets here — they’re welcome to ask questions about ingredients and techniques. Chefs decide what dishes they’re going serve then and there, too, so it’s all very casual and spontaneous.”
CHEF’S TABLES
Three tables in Ka‘ana’s open kitchen are set aside for this six-course dinner, which is based on guests’ preferences. Each course is paired with wine selected by the sommelier.
Offered: On request at 6 p.m. nightly, limited to eight guests. Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance.
Cost: $250
Bancaco: “Guests are close to the action in the kitchen. They can watch five courses — everything except dessert — prepared for them a few feet away. The sommelier explains his wine choices as he pours them, and the chef also stops by the Chef’s Tables often to talk about ingredients, seasonings and preparations.”
THE FEAST AT MOKAPU
This “luxury luau” at the oceanfront Laulea II Lawn features handcrafted cocktails and a three-course dinner served family style at tables set with linens, silverware and china. The menu is Bancaco’s take on local favorites; each course comprises multiple dishes. Among them: grilled breadfruit salad with macadamia nut dressing, black- pepper Kauai prawns, kalua pig, pulehu (broiled) rib-eye steak, soybean fried rice and Molokai sweet potato cheesecake.
An accompanying show tells the story of fishing villages that once were part of the area.
Offered: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays
Cost: $200, $100 for ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and under. Kama aina rates available.
Bancaco: “Most luaus are buffets for hundreds of people. With seating limited to just 150, the Feast at Mokapu is much more intimate, and the menu is a cut above standard luau fare. ”
SOAR + SAVOR
Accompanied by Bancaco (and a guest chef every quarter), participants board a helicopter for a flight along Maui’s verdant north shore, landing in a Hana rainforest where they forage for bananas, guava, lilikoi, lemons, pohole ferns, edible flowers and more.
From there they’re driven to a farm in Keanae where they can harvest papaya, taro and breadfruit and peruse other crops at a market set up by neighboring farmers. They also have a chance to meet and talk story with the farmers. Back at the resort, the group helps prepare lunch, using the ingredients they’ve chosen.
Offered: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 18, July 26 (guest chef will be Marcel Vigneron from Wolf and Beefsteak in Los Angeles), Aug. 10, Sept. 20, Oct. 11, Nov. 19 and Dec. 3 (guest chef Fabiano Viviani is affiliated with Siena Tavern in Chicago and Cafe Firenze in Moorpark, Calif., among other restaurants)
Cost: $1,200, limited to six people (five when there is a guest chef)
Bancaco: “On this full-day adventure, guests see some of the most beautiful spots on Maui as they learn about Hawaii’s history, culture and native plants. Many of them are amazed to see food growing in the wild; they usually buy their food from supermarkets.”
Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.
