A Family of Flavor
At Lineage, staff meals, family roots and bold flavors
drive a menu that redefines Maui dining.
story and photographs by Chris Amundson
The pans rattle, the prep line hums, and just before service Executive Chef Emmanuel Eng gathers the kitchen crew. On the counter sits staff meal, hot, abundant and carefully prepared. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the day,” he said. “Cooking for my team reminds me why I cook in the first place.”
At Lineage, that means feeding nearly two dozen staff members – cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers – before the night’s guests arrive. Their menu isn’t printed, but it’s a ritual: rice, noodles, proteins, vegetables, enough to keep the team nourished through service.
The habit traces back to his days at San Francisco’s Boulevard, where staff meal wasn’t scraps but prime short ribs, fresh salads and sauces served buffet-style to 75 employees. When he once let it slip, Chef Nancy Oakes pulled him aside. “That day I became a believer,” Eng recalled. “Cooking for your people matters as much as cooking for the guest.” It’s a lesson that has stayed with Chef Eng, shaping how he runs his own kitchen today.
That same spirit defines Lineage, which opened in 2018 at The Shops at Wailea, just steps from Island Gourmet Market – ABC Stores’ elevated concept for bentos, wine and gifts. Lineage is owned by the same family that founded ABC, a fitting link given its name. Conceived by Top Chef alum Sheldon Simeon, Lineage was built as a tribute to Hawai‘i’s family table: hearty, shareable food polished enough to feel celebratory.
When Eng took the helm in 2021, he brought his own lineage into the mix. Raised in Portland and trained in San Francisco, he developed a style rooted in memory and composition. An art-school background shows on the plate. He thinks in terms of composition, proportion and contrast, the same way he once did with sculptures and glassblowing.
For Eng, memory is the most important ingredient. Inspired by a high school memory from the Pacific Northwest, Thai peanut noodles have appeared on Lineage’s menu as a vegetarian favorite. His grandmother’s Chinese braises inspire brisket perfumed with cinnamon, star anise and dried tangerine peel. Even a childhood curiosity about clam dip led to Lineage’s now-famous Kimchee Bacon Clam Dip. “I’m not chasing Instagram moments,” he said. “I’m chasing flavor and memory.”
That blend of memory and innovation hasn’t gone unnoticed: in 2025, Lineage earned Maui Nō Ka ʻOi magazine’s Gold ʻAipono Award for Most Innovative Menu, recognition that Eng and his team continue to push Maui dining forward while staying true to Lineage’s roots.
That same creative spirit drives Sous Chef Ryan Cruz, who brings his own sensibilities to the kitchen. With Filipino, Japanese and Guamanian roots and a California upbringing, he often suggests bold flavors or unexpected textures. “Ryan will throw out ideas, and it pushes me to think differently,” Eng said. “He reminds me to stay playful.”
Cruz described it as balance. “Some ingredients come with an opinion,” he said. “One strong voice, one gentler one – they meet in the middle, and that’s where harmony happens.” His approach is to learn how a culture has used an ingredient historically, then adapt with respect. That partnership – Eng’s refinement paired with Cruz’s spark – keeps the menu evolving.
Guests see results every night. The wildly popular Korean Fried Chicken is crisp and shareable. The shrimp and scallop croquettes feature a house-made chili spice and miso remoulade – a joint creation by Eng and Cruz. An Upcountry Farm Salad highlights produce from Lapaʻau Farms, while desserts such as pandan bread pudding, toasted coconut panna cotta and miso ice cream close the meal with creativity and restraint.
The beverage list mirrors that playfulness with calamansi spritzes, sake pairings and craft cocktails designed to echo the multicultural menu. The energy flows from the open kitchen, every eye drawn to the pass, where dishes are composed with the same sense of artistry Eng learned in art school.
Seven years in, Lineage has found its stride. Signature dishes anchor the menu while rotating specials keep creativity alive. Rooted in Maui’s farms yet shaped by global influences, Eng and his team know what great restaurants everywhere understand: food, at its best, isn’t just what’s on the plate. It’s about feeding people well, bringing them together and leaving them nourished – body, memory and soul.
Grandma’s Spiced Braised Brisket
