When celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi announces he’s opening a new restaurant, the culinary community listens. And when those doors open, you can bet there will be a line of curious tastemakers and eager epicureans at the ready.
Well, folks, the wait is almost over. While the exact opening date is a mystery (I’ve heard three different dates), Yamaguchi’s Humble Market Kitchin at Wailea Beach Resort — Marriott, Maui, will open to the public very soon. By all accounts, sometime just before Christmas. I got a sneak peek at a recent soft opening on Dec. 16, and I gotta admit, I’m already ready for a second helping.
Yamaguchi was one of twelve chefs who founded Hawaiʻi Regional Cuisine in the early 1900s—and the first Hawaiʻi chef to win the James Beard Award. As one of the cofounders of the annual Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival, a premier epicurean event that promotes sustainability and food bounty, he has built a reputation on farm-to-table cuisine.
Humble Market Kitchin pays homage to Yamaguchi’s grandfather who immigrated to Hawai’i, with dishes that reflect his island roots and various local cuisines including Japanese, Filipino, Chinese and Hawaiian. The result is an internationally influenced, Hawaiian-inspired menu that looks a little something like this:
Check out this short video + photos from opening night:
