Kauai resort revamps restaurants to rev up hotel, local customer traffic

Nation's Restaurant News, March 24, 2003 by Carolyn Walkup

KOLOA, HAWAII -- The luxurious Sheraton Kauai resort on the Garden Island's south shore recently revamped its first-floor, ocean-view restaurants to feature a cluster of four different concepts.

In an effort to achieve a higher "capture rate" of resort guests, as well as to attract more local residents and off-property visitors, the Sheraton created its Galleria of Ocean Front Dining & Entertainment around one central hostess station. Guests may choose from the contemporary Italian Amore Ristorante, Naniwa Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar, Shells Steak & Seafood Restaurant and The Point Cocktails.

Before the revamping, Shells was the resort's primary restaurant, and Naniwa was tucked away in a more remote part of the complex located across the street, away from the ocean. "You can't get this kind of dining 30 feet from the ocean anywhere else in Kauai," according to a Sheraton spokeswoman.

Overseeing the entire operation is Steven Falsetti, formerly executive chef of Encounter, the restaurant in the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport. Before coming to Kauai, the Brooklyn-born, Johnson & Wales-educated chef cooked in Cancun, Mexico; the Philippines; Korea; Thailand and several domestic locations.

Falsetti, who has some 18 years of professional chef experience, said that working in Hawaii has had the greatest impact on his professional development because of its rich mixture of cultures and cuisine.

Shells, the largest restaurant of the four with 165 seats, is open for dinner and breakfast. Signature dinner dishes include spicy seafood chowder, prime rib, Black Angus steaks and sauteed or broiled island catch of the day, such as mahi mahi, opakapaka or ono, served with island relish or ginger beurre blanc.

Most dinners are accompanied by vegetables grown by local Kauai farmers. A seafood buffet is featured every Friday.

Amore, the newest restaurant in the group, provides an intimate candlelit setting for dinners that might include Italian classics such as lobster ravioli in a light lobster lemon reduction, osso buco or tiramisu. Falsetti has added personal touches from the home kitchens of his Italian heritage.

Authentic Japanese flavors are found at Naniwa, with many fish and other ingredients imported from Japan to supplement indigenous varieties. Chef Edwin Mizuno is a veteran sushi chef who has worked in Japan and Hawaii. He favors the Tokyo style of deeper-flavored recipes and especially enjoys preparing the Otsukuri dinner, which boasts seven kinds of seafood.

The Point cocktail lounge offers a 180-degree view of the ocean, which is especially spectacular at sunset. A torch-lighting ceremony is performed daily at 5 p.m. during the Point's Mai Tai punch hour, featuring live Hawaiian music and a hula show.

The lounge serves an all-day menu, indoors and out, of salads, seafood, chicken and steak sandwiches, as well as quesadillas and other light items. After dinner, the Point becomes a dance club with live or recorded music, ranging from Hawaiian contemporary to jazz and rock.

Obaynshi Corp. owns the 413-room resort, which is managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. The Sheraton Kauai on Po'ipu Beach is one of 14 Starwood Hotels in the Hawaiian Islands.