Inside Kona Village’s Culinary Residency Series on Hawai’i (The Big Island)

Built into the lava fields of Hawaiʻi Island (the Big Island) with subtlety and intention, Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort is special.

Almost a year after my first trip, I took my daughter to Moana one night for dinner. As we drove into the property, I remembered how you zip around everywhere with bikes, the spa built into the rocks, the beautiful bay, and the many hale scattered and overlooking the coves. It was a windy night but clear, the palms trees rustling and the stars out in force. We hopped on some bikes (of course) so I could show her the chef's garden, with its baby pineapples, staked tomatoes, rows of happy kale and fans of Swiss Chard. Then it was on to Moana for dinner.

Chef Korae Nottveit now helms culinary at this restaurant on Kahuwai Bay, and features not only Kona Village's on-site farm (cue the Kona Village Living Greens Salad), but local purveyors and partners. After that salad, which I crave for its aliveness, we had a spectacular miso kanpachi with a swish of eggplant puree, fennel and pea shoots. My daughter also ordered the Shellfish Ramen, which came with Kona prawns and Manilla clams in a complex broth. For dessert, we had Moana's famous pineapple-upside-down-cake, anchored by a caramelized slice topped with a sumptuous vanilla ice cream, pineapple salsa, and candied macadamia nuts (we survived!).

I also learned that Kona Village is quietly building one of the most ambitious culinary programs in the islands, including a rotating calendar of chef and cocktail residencies.

Rather than importing celebrity chefs to recreate signature dishes, the new program pairs acclaimed chefs and bartenders with Kona Village's own culinary team, showcasing Hawaiʻi Island's remarkable ingredients—from produce grown on the resort's onsite farm to locally caught seafood and kanpachi from nearby Blue Ocean Mariculture.

Among the highlights, Austin's Kevin Fink brings his Michelin-starred, farmer-first philosophy to Kona Village, while Sonoma chef-vintner Dustin Valette returns for an immersive weekend celebrating Hawaiʻi Island's farms and fisheries. Pizza people can look forward to California-Italian weekends with Flour + Water's Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, followed by Daniele Uditi of Los Angeles' Pizzana, who brings his famous neo-Neapolitan pies to the Kona coast.

What's especially cool is that this new series centers the idea of inviting guest chefs to not only cook on the island, but with the island.

Upcoming Culinary Weekends at Kona Village

June 26–27 – Chef Kevin Fink (Emmer & Rye, Austin)
A Michelin-starred, farmer-first menu celebrating produce from Kona Village's onsite farm alongside locally sourced seafood, including kanpachi from Blue Ocean Mariculture.

July 3–4 – Julie Reiner (Clover Club & Milady's, New York)
Sunset cocktails at Shipwreck Bar and appearances during Kona Village's Fourth of July celebrations.

August 28–29 – Alex Jump & Stuart Jensen (Peach Crease Club, Denver)
Ingredient-driven cocktails and hospitality-forward experiences at Shipwreck Bar and Island Roots.

September 18–19 – Century Grand (Phoenix) & Flour + Water (San Francisco)
Immersive cocktails from the acclaimed Century Grand team paired with California-Italian pastas and wood-fired pizzas from Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow.

October 9–10 – Daniele Uditi (Pizzana, Los Angeles) & Rubén Rolón (Bar Colette, Dallas)
Neo-Neapolitan pizza meets award-winning cocktails in one of the series' most anticipated weekends.

November 21–22 – Bar BenFiddich (Tokyo)
One of the World's 50 Best Bars brings Hiroyasu Kayama's inventive, farm-driven cocktails to Shipwreck Bar.

December 11–13 – Chef Dustin Valette (Valette & The Matheson, Healdsburg)
A special weekend residency celebrating Hawaiʻi Island's ingredients through the lens of Sonoma wine country.

More from Hawaiʻi Island (The Big Island)

• Kona Village Makes a Spectacular Comeback
• Mauna Lani Review: Why This Big Island Resort Still Feels Like Hawai'i
• Inside Mauna Lani's New Frances Brown Club on the Big Island