Tasty and Meatless | Restaurant Features

The golf clubhouse restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai has become my all-time favorite place for healthy vegan dining on the Big Island, or just about anywhere else in the world. Hualalai Grill evokes a bygone era of simple tropical elegance. Overlooking the ocean with a perfect sunset view, the open-air ambience is enhanced by spectacular bouquets of tropical blooms and comfortable, unpretentious furnishings. The upscale, yet casual, Hualalai Grill makes no claims to be a vegetarian restaurant, but it surpasses some self-proclaimed vegetarian restaurant in terms of quality, innovative dishes, service, attention to special dietary restrictions, ambience, and most of all FLAVOR. We were a party of six, each with our own set of dietary restrictions due to health issues and concerns. One person has severe allergies, another had survived a heart attack, and I am a cancer survivor. Three members of the group were not vegetarians, the other three are. But for that weekend, we all went vegan.

The list of requirements was long, so we planned ahead and spoke with the chef on the phone when we made our dinner reservations. He was delighted by the challenge of creating something fabulous within the imposed guidelines. Of course we asked for no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or dairy. In accordance with Dr. Dean Ornish's program for reversing heart disease, we requested virtually no added fats or oils. Other restrictions included no nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, or chili), no coconut milk, no soy, no flour, no wheat, and nothing refined. We agreed on a five-course tasting menu, trusting the chef to surprise us. We were looking forward to a culinary adventure!

A trio of chilled pureed soups was presented as our first course. Local produce was featured in this and all the dishes. The Carrot-Ginger Soup sparkled with natural sweetness and an intense ginger "kick.” The Watercress Soup was seriously watercress with a pleasingly spicy finish. And finally, the Asparagus Soup was velvety smooth and rich tasting. All three selections woke up our taste buds and set the stage for the next course, which was Green and White Asparagus Salad, served on red leaf lettuce with micro-greens and dressed with a roasted garlic vinaigrette. The asparagus was lightly steamed to crisp-tender, and the dressing added another dimension to this course. Roasting the garlic makes it mildly sweet and creamy, and diminishes the "bite.” I would love to figure out how to make this dressing at home!

A small, cylindrical "tower" of alternately-layered Kabocha Pumpkin and Caramelized Maui Onions accompanied by lemongrass infused brown rice provided yet another palate pleaser. Sensuous and satisfying, the creamy texture and hint of sweetness of the Kabocha paired with the indescribable flavor of the caramelized onions was comfort food at its best.

Spaghetti Squash tossed with an oil-free vegan Broccoli Pesto offered an intriguing contrast of textures. The squash looked like spaghetti strands, but the slightly crisp-tender crunch reminded us that this was definitely a vegetable, not a noodle! The rich, creamy texture of the pesto combined perfectly with the slight crunch of the squash, while the mild sweetness of the spaghetti squash contrasted and blended pleasingly with the garlic-herb pesto.

The grand finale was a refreshing Green Tea Tapioca embellished with mango, blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple. The delicate green tea tapioca complemented and balanced the naturally sweet-ripe flavors of these locally grown fruits, providing a perfect ending to a sumptuous guilt-free meal that show-cased the Big Island's perfectly-ripe, locally-grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

The service throughout the evening was impeccable: attentive, professional, knowledgeable, caring, cheerful, and unpretentious. The servers tantalizingly explained each dish in detail. They seem to truly enjoy their work, their food, each other, and the guests. The restaurant is the brainchild of Alan Wong, and the menu is not for those on a strict budget, but it is the perfect place for special occasions or a little splurge. In my experience, it is incomparable and worth every penny. After the meal, the chef (a humble, quiet, personable young man) arrived at our table to meet us and ask our feedback on his culinary creations. We expressed our sincere thanks and enthusiastic appreciation, and he reiterated how much he enjoyed the challenge of developing delicious recipes to accommodate our dietary restrictions. Each dish reflected the passion and imagination with which it was prepared. We are already planning to return to Hualalai Grill for another vegan culinary adventure!