The Runaway Success of Wailea is Headed for Bountiful Shores Next Summer
Of all the Hawaiian Regional Cuisine chefs, it’s possible the Peter Merriman commands the least pomp and circumstance. From Waimea to Waikoloa (on the Big Island) to Kapalua and Wailea (on Maui) or Poipu, Kaua‘i, Merriman churns out his comfort food twists on local fare—and he does it well. So when we walked into Monkeypod Kitchen—his newest creation, on the tony hillside at Wailea Gateway Center—a few weeks ago following the Maui Film Festival, it wasn’t long after passing through the door that the words “Why isn’t there something like this on O‘ahu?!” escaped my lips. Well, the wait is over. Almost.
Chef Merriman just announced the second outpost of Monkeypod will reside on the azure shores of West O‘ahu, at the Ko‘Olina Resort, mid-2012.