Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant Awards Recognizes Two Four Seasons Resort Hualālai Signature Restaurants with Award of Excellence

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai, the first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star Resort on Hawaii Island, announces the recognition of signature restaurants 'Ulu Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge and Beach Tree with an Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurant. The annual honour identifies restaurants that show an uncompromising, passionate devotion to the quality and diverse offerings of their wine programs, as well as compatibility with the restaurant’s style and menu. Wine Spectator’s expert panel of judges evaluates the wine programs at hundreds of restaurants and honours those based on criteria such as menu pairings, location and quality of producers, size of wine list, price point and overall service. The Award of Excellence is received by Beach Tree for the first time and ‘Ulu Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge for the fourth year in a row.

“We are thrilled with the prominent new recognition of Beach Tree by Wine Spectator and the continued accolade of ‘Ulu Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge. This truly dignifies the excellence we dedicate to our wine programming, and we are thrilled to be featured among some of the world’s best restaurants,” says Charlie Parker, Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. “Our Resort has taken great measures to amplify our wine and culinary programming for our discerning guests. Among the incredible work and dedication by our culinary team throughout the Resort’s restaurants, we’ve set the Resort apart with our celebrated Winemaker in Residence series, enhanced in-suite culinary offerings and recently debuted in-villa wine cellars, creating a truly unmatched experience in Hawaii.”

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai boasts an acclaimed culinary program, offering a variety of on-property dining options introducing guests to the flavours and traditions of Hawaii and beyond. Overseen by Executive Chef Richard Polhemus, the Resort’s extensive culinary program features five dining outlets among special events and programming. Bringing his years of farm-to-table passion to the Resort, Polhemus sources 75 percent of ingredients used from Hawaii Island from more than 160 farms. To ensure the utmost hyper-local experience, Polhemus closely works with the Resort’s expert landscaping team to foster the on-site herb garden, which supplies various fresh herbs and vegetables, among a pond home to oysters and shrimp. The wine program at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai is extensive and thoughtfully curated by Resort sommeliers who have travelled the world tasting wines from top regions. The wide range of wines selected complement the flavours of the dining outlets throughout the Resort, and pair well with the natural bounty of Hawaii Island.

At the centre of the Resort, Beach Tree Restaurant is a lifestyle experience with the essence of barefoot elegance, offering the feel of a Hawaiian beach house, where guests can dine on the sand or in the open-air dining room, savouring Californian cuisine with an Italian twist. Signature dishes span the Kanpachi Cudo, featuring avocado, jalapeno, toasted corn and cilantro; the Kahua Ranch Lamb Agnolotti, featuring Hawaii gold parmesan and Hawaii Island mushrooms; and the Florentine-Style Porterhouse Steak for Two, with salsa verde, garlic confit, kiawe wood smoked salt and a red wine demi-glaze. Beach Tree has an exceptional wine by the glass list that is constantly rotating and updated to ensure guests can explore and taste their way through both new and favourite wines.

Offering a menu of local seafood with flavours inspired by the Pacific Rim, ‘Ulu Ocean Grill + Sushi Lounge’s cuisine is prepared oven roasted, flame grilled and wok fired, fusing the flavours of Hawaii with pan-Asian techniques. Its treasured menu includes favourites such as the Hawaiian Ahi Poke, with ogo, Maui onions, shoyu and sesame oil; the Charcoal Barbeque Octopus, accompanied by cucumber namasu; and the Misoyaki Kanpachi, featuring nori and black garlic emulsion, hakurei turnip, and a migoya and radish salad. In addition to its robust sushi menu, its omakase dining experience – led by Head Sushi Chef Nuri Piccio – offers a multi-coursed meal of small dishes reflective of the Big Island, combining both local and Japanese ingredients with traditional and innovative preparations.

Four Seasons Resort Hualālai has gone to great lengths to enhance its robust culinary and wine programming for guests. Following an impressive 2022 lineup, Four Seasons Resort Hualālai continues its legacy Winemaker in Residence series into 2023 partnering with the esteemed Harlan Estate wines. Throughout the year, the Resort has hosted intimate and educational wine tastings performed by representatives of the winery to celebrate its portfolio. Recent activations have featured Harlan Estate and BOND, with scheduled events with The Mascot and Promontory – which has previously never been sold in Hawaii – to follow. Furthermore, the Resort has introduced a new offering exclusive to guests staying in the Resort’s top three villas – Ho’onanea, Makaloa or Hawaii Loa Presidential villa – in partnership with Domain Harlan wines. Presenting private, in-suite wine cellars, the Harlan family has specially curated a selection of wines from their collection to be available to villa guests. The cellars are stocked with hand-selected wines from esteemed Napa Valley-based Harlan wineries. To celebrate this budding partnership, all 2023 villa guests will receive a special invitation to tour the Promontory vineyard in Napa, an invite-only winery.

To make a reservation, book online or call 808 325 8000.