With a fresh new design and reimagined menu, Kō at Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui elevated the concept of island dining with fresh, locally sourced fare that tells the story of Hawaiʻi’s rich and varied cultural history. Bringing it all together is the signature restaurant’s executive chef Matt Dela Cruz, who shared his experience, inspirations and philosophy with Global Traveler.

Global Traveler: Tell us about “plantation-style” cuisine, and how tradition factors into your creative process.

Chef Matt: Plantation-era cuisine is the food born from the sugarcane fields of Hawaiʻi; a melting pot of Hawaiian, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese and Chinese flavors that workers from each culture brought to the table and shared together during “kaukau time.”

My upbringing is directly tied to that sugarcane era. My dad and family worked in the fields, and I grew up in a multiethnic family where potlucks were everything. Everyone brought their flavors and traditions to the table. That’s exactly how families and neighbors ate in the plantation days. They were humble ingredients, but people made the most out of what they had and created so many of the dishes we now know as “Hawaiian plate lunch cuisine.”

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My dad would use wild, local cow for his beef stew, and that meat is really tough. It takes a lot of love and time to make that dish good. My contemporary twist is to use beef cheek, more tender and a bit more upscale, but carries that same soul. That’s really my style: elevated comfort food, blending refined technique with the familiar flavors of my family and local cooking.

GT: Do you have a favorite flavor combination, and does it make an appearance on your menus at Kō?

Chef Matt: For me, it’s smoke and spice. I love playing with smoke as a flavoring component, like smoked butter or smoked soy, because it adds a depth of flavor that really heightens the umami. Soy is always involved when I think about my favorite ingredients, and so is ʻulu (breadfruit), one of my favorites for more than 30 years. You’ll see all of these come together on the menu at Kō in elements like smoked ‘ulu purée, smoked butter and black garlic sauce with soy. Hawaiian chili pepper water is another one that’s deeply personal. My dad would mix chili pepper water with soy and calamansi, that’s what we’d dip our fish in. It’s something my dad and uncles would quickly make up while they were cooking the fish. When I put my twist on that, I turn it into a composed vinaigrette that presents beautifully on the plate.

GT: You trained under legendary Chef Roy Yamaguchi. What do you feel is the most enduring lesson you learned from him and have carried into your own kitchens?

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Chef Matt: Roy gave me the opportunity to have a blank canvas, to put my own touch and style on dishes every time. That’s what allowed me to develop my own style and really cultivate it within his restaurants. It was always a treat for me as a young chef to get to work with the best ingredients and rub shoulders with the best chefs in the world. But the lesson that has stayed with me most is this: Always take care of your customers. They’re your bread and butter.

He taught me your style comes from yourself and your experiences, but you cook for other people too, not just yourself. That humility as a chef, and respecting who set the foundation before you, is something I carry every day. That philosophy became especially meaningful when I became executive chef of Kō Restaurant. There were already long-time customers with a deep connection to this restaurant, and I wanted to honor that. Roy always said to give customers what they want and add some of your own creations. Old classics and new always make the best menus, and I truly believe that.

GT: What do you hope diners will take away with them after dining at Kō?

Chef Matt: I hope they take away a sense of authentic Hawaiʻi, food seen through the eyes of someone who grew up here and became a chef. That vision has matured into what the menu is today. Hawaiʻi is where my family is, and they’re my influence. I’m trying to give you a taste of what I grew up with. Our food at Kō is full of storytelling and culture, and that’s what makes it so meaningful. What makes me most proud is seeing local people enjoy it just as much as visitors. They can come in, enjoy elevated comfort food they love and it takes them back to growing up here.