Mauna Lani chef melds Hawaiian and Mediterranean flavors at resort restaurant

Last year, sous chef Joey Lizama was tasked with revamping the menu at HāLani restaurant, located in the Mauna Lani resort along Hawai‘i Island’s South Kohala coast.

When HāLani, which means breath of heaven in Hawaiian, first opened in January 2020 as part of the remodel of the resort, tourists were just returning to the Big Island after a shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pete Alles, Mauna Lani general manager, said the restaurant menu was Hawaiian inspired with a lot of fish dishes like tuna and kampachi, similar to other eateries on the island.

But it didn’t have a clear concept.

“It was kind of a hodgepodge of things,” said Lizama, who began working as a banquet sous chef for the resort before becoming sous chef for HāLani in early 2022.

He created a cream and mushroom chicken, huli huli smoked chicken, furikake salmon, kimchi fried rice and other items that he said “was a little bit more elevated than what you’d get at your local lunch place.”

But in 2024, Alles said the resort management decided the restaurant should change its menu to incorporate Mediterranean cuisine because “it fit a need of the guest in being able to make healthy, clean choices, as well as provide a menu for on-island residents to give them something that wasn’t available in great quality and quantity on the island.”

The Oʻahu born-and-raised Lizama did not know much about Mediterranean food but was excited to take on the challenge of the new menu, which would be served in the open-air dining area, which offers a nice breeze and purple, pink and orange colors streaking across the sky at sunsets.

The 32-year-old said he wanted the new menu to be comfortable and approachable yet elevated while also blending Mediterranean dishes with his Hawaiian background of family-style meals.

To create the menu, Lizama read a lot of books and reached out to chefs he knew in the industry who were versed in Mediterranean cuisine. He also went to Los Angeles for five days where he tasted authentic Mediterranean cuisine.

“I learned that most countries in the region aren’t much different than us,” Lizama said. “Everywhere that we ate in LA, I looked around at other tables, and just saw fellowship.”

Lizama recognized the family-style dining and mezze (appetizer) plates passed around in Mediterranean meals as comparable to poke, poi or the pupu (appetizer) table.

“When I built this menu, it was familiar to me because of the similarities in culture,” the chef said. “And my main goal was to create something that wouldn’t sacrifice the integrity of their culture, yet still put my Hawai’i touches on them.”

Lizama is proud of the new menu.

“Every night, I go out to the top of the restaurant towards the end of service and look out, and its so gives me so much satisfaction to see that come to fruition through food,” the chef said. “It’s genuine. It’s something to be proud of.” 

Alles said Lizama “had this eagerness to take it on to learn, grow and challenge himself.”

Lizama said one of his favorite new creations is anchovy toast. He puts boquerones – Spanish tapa marinated in anchovies – on focaccia bread.

Growing up, Lizama used to eat sardines and rice with tomato and onion. The anchovy toast at HāLani is an upscale version of this childhood favorite.

“And it flies out of the kitchen,” Lizama said. “It’s a pretty popular dish. I’m really proud of that.”

Lizama grew up cooking with his grandma and parents, making local plate lunch food such as roast pork, Mochiko chicken, drive-in style burgers and saimin, a noodle soup dish.

“That’s my comfort food,” he said.

Lizama started his cooking journey when he took a class in high school. After graduating from Mililani High School in 2010, he took a job as a dishwasher at Hoakalei Country Club.

“It wasn’t the most glamorous position, but I did it,” Lizama said. “And that’s where we all got to start. So I’m glad that that was my foundation.”

Before moving to the Big Island, Lizama worked in kitchen’s at popular restaurants such as Roy’s and Monkey Pod.

Lizama got his first job on the Big Island at Four Seasons Hualālai in 2019, before moving to Mauna Lani the next year.

Alles said Lizama is an amazing storyteller, drawing on his experience growing up cooking with his grandma and parents.

“One of the things that made him so excellent is he’s a true island boy through and through, from his cordial nature to the excitement he has for cooking,” Alles said.

With the relaunch of HāLani, Alles said the team wanted to create a place where community members could come and enjoy a nice meal and for guests to have one great meal as they enjoy their vacation.

“It’s two dining experiences. You can share a bunch of small things, or you can come in and have a single entree,” Alles said.

Alles said the dips are his favorite part of Lizama’s menu.

“You can save them throughout the whole meal,” Alles said. “They work on all the kebabs. They provide a lot of the flavor and excitement.”

He also loves the zucchini chips.

HāLani tries to keep all ingredients as local as possible, working with Big Island farmers to bring local produce and meats to the table. The kebabs feature Hamakua raised lamb and Kahua Ranch beef sirloin, the restaurant’s website said. 

Lizama said all the fish is fresh from Hawai‘i.

“Mauna Lani is just a real nice place to come and have a great dinner with family and friends,” Lizama said.

HāLani offers a 15% discount to kama‘aina. Click here to see the menu.