Business Monday Column: Oysters and Pearls my new favorite food at Four Seasons Hualālai

It was near sunset when I arrived at the Four Seasons Resort Hualālai in North Kona to sample the cuisine at its two restaurants, the reopened ‘ULU and the new Noio.

Sweeping views of the secluded Kona coastline, with crashing waves providing the musical entertainment, set the mood for dinner at the ‘ULU.

Considered one of the resort’s signature restaurants, ‘ULU opened about 12 years ago but temporarily closed last summer for a refresh. This month, it reopened with a reimagined menu featuring oysters grown on Hualālai’s property and topped with caviar.

With a range of cooking techniques — including oven roasting, flame grilling and wok firing — resort officials say the updated restaurant offers a selection of both new and returning dishes, “seamlessly blending Hawaiian flavors with innovative pan-Asian techniques.”

I had never tried caviar, and oysters have never been my first choice of seafood. But I was open-minded when the platter of oysters arrived on a bed of ice, with a lemon garnish and a circular tin in the middle holding the caviar.

Chef de Cuisine Chris Damskey came to the table, explaining the oysters are raised on the property in brackish water where they can control the salinity.

“Not a lot of places have that opportunity,” he said.

‘ULU emphasizes Big Island ingredients, with 75% of the kitchen’s ingredients sourced from the island, tapping more than 160 local Hawai’i farms.

Damskey, who has worked in Hawai‘i’s luxury restaurants since 2011, was brought on during the renovation of ‘ULU last year to help create and elevate the dining experience, including the creation of Noio, a sushi bar led by Nuri Piccio.

After squeezing lemon onto the shellfish and adding a dollop of caviar, I lifted the mollusk out of its shell with an oyster fork. And, with some trepidation, quickly sucked it up. My mouth was hit with zest. The chilled meat was soft and salty without being mushy or rubbery.

I ate half the platter.

A smattering of appetizers filled our round table, some were new additions for the restaurant’s menu and others were reimagined signature dishes.

“This is probably one of my favorite ones,” Damskey said, referring to the plate of caviar noodles tossed in shio kombu butter with garden basil and fresh chive.

There also was Alaskan King crab legs, with Damskey stating: “Who doesn’t like broiled crab leg in miso butter, right?”

He also created his take on the classic dish the abalone Rockefeller.

“We use a little guanciale pork fat, a little pureed lu‘au leaf, and a little bit of the abalone diced in it, stuffed in the shell and then poached abalone over the top with a bee pollen crust,” Damskey said.

I didn’t think I had it in me to eat any more, when I was led upstairs to the resort’s newest establishment, Noio, a Japanese sushi restaurant that opened this month.

There was an immediate change in the ambiance after leaving the open-air beach restaurant. Walking up the stairs, I entered a dimly lit eatery that felt romantic and exclusive.

At the sushi bar, Piccio prepared rolls in front of diners. He has worked at the resort since 2017, incorporating Hawaiian seaweeds and freshly caught fish in Hawai‘i and Japan to create authentic Japanese dishes.

The restaurant is named after the native Hawaiian bird, known to lead those at sea back to land. In line with this theme, the main attraction is the Omakase seven-course meal, where Piccio selects the sushi, prepares it, and serves it to diners.

The tables were set with sleek bamboo chopsticks and rests, tableware meant to keep the tip of the chopsticks from touching the table.

Hints of Hawaiian decor from the noio-shaped chopstick rests and seaweed and lu‘au leaf flavors compliment the Japanese sushi cuisine with a bamboo bento box of seafood straight from the Toyusu Fish Market in Tokyo.

Presented in custom-designed dishes were Black Cod Dolce in maple butter, ginger chili and Japanese sea urchin, Hokkaido uni; along with Luau Meshi, a blend of Hawaiian and Japanese snapper, coconut rice luau, yuzu and black truffle.

The samplers were washed down with nonalcoholic ginger mojitos, flavored with passion fruit and garnished with fresh mint.

The evening was topped off with a wagashi sampler of four small delectable desserts.

Noio is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Click here to book a reservation online.

‘ULU is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 to 11 a.m. and reopens for dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m., with the bar closing at 10 p.m. Click here to book a reservation online.

Call 808-900-6949 for more information and pricing.