Sure, Naupaka Terrace caters mainly to the guests at Kauai Beach Resort.
But that doesn’t mean locals shouldn’t come see what’s cooking, said Resort Manager Mark Burson.
“Local people should come,” he said. “We have so much going on.”
He pointed to the “great deal” weekday dinner specials, starting at $21 for an entree with salad bar, and the “4-day weekend” specials. In addition to all-you-can-eat pasta on Thursdays, a seafood buffet on Saturdays and Paniolo Sundays, there’s a new highlight: Kona Lobster Friday.
“It’s not just for visitors,” said Burson, who returned to the islands four months ago for this job. “It’s for our local guys. C’mon down. We love it.”
And today, Valentine’s Day, there’s a whole menu of reasons to visit: an elaborately romantic prix fixe dinner, and a fully loaded buffet line.
“We’re doing the buffet because people on Kauai love buffets,” Executive Chef Mark Sassone said with a hearty chuckle. “But if they want to take it up a notch, we have a prix fixe.”
All prix fixe dinners include a glass of champagne, lobster bisque, pear arugula pancetta and strawberry mousse filled with dark and white chocolate hearts. The entree selections range from chicken and island fish ($60 per person), roasted grilled prime rib ($65) and heart-shaped lobster ravioli ($70), up to the crowning glory: a whole, 24-ounce steamed Maine lobster ($95).
The prix fixe is, Sassone admitted, “a little on the expensive side,” and he expects most diners will opt for the buffet.
There, they’ll be able to choose from chicken fettucine fontina, sliced paniolo steak, steamed crab legs and tempura shrimp. The Naupaka Garden salad bar, which offers about 20 items, will also feature lobster bisque, peel-and-eat shrimp, fresh poke and strawberry spinach salad. And for a sweet end, the buffet ($49 for adults, $24 for keiki 5 to 12) will include an ice cream sundae station, chocolate fondue and assorted petite pastries.
Because it is a holiday special, I couldn’t sample the Valentine’s Day menu ahead of time. But I learned why Sassone thinks Kauai Beach Resort’s cooking stands out from the crowd.
“Anything we can make from scratch, we do,” Sassone explained. “We buy very little, aside from ingredients. We do as much as we can, to keep it fresh.”
That means a lot of work for the 40-person kitchen staff, but Sassone said it is worth it. They bake their own desserts, cakes and breads — including a delectable brown molasses bread served warm with honey butter by the basketful to hungry Naupaka Terrace diners. Even the fresh Angus burgers served at Shutters Lounge and the Driftwood Bar & Grille are made by hand, as are the taro buns on which they are served.
And not only is the pizza dough handmade, it used to be hand-rolled as well, until Sassone figured that, since they were making 1,200 pizzas a month, a rolling machine could be justified.
“If I’m going to do pizza, I’m going to do the very best pizza I can do,” he said.
Sassone said the same careful attention paid to the a la carte plates is also given to the pans of food in the buffet line or served at a banquet.
“We don’t cook banquet style,” he said. “It’s a little bit harder on the cooks, because I push everything to the last,” but that commitment to quality makes a difference.
The Naupaka Terrace menu is designed to appeal to a variety of palates, Sassone said.
“We try to use what we have available to us, and give our guests the Hawaiian experience, and also give them something they aren’t expecting.”
As an example, Sassone pointed to his rigatoni, which is served upright and tied in a leek, which is “completely different than anywhere else you’re going to go.”
Sassone is a familiar figure around Kauai; he has been here about 30 years and has cooked in a number of restaurants, including an earlier stint at Kauai Beach Resort back when it was a Hilton property.
He feels an obligation to give back to the community, by providing rice for canoe clubs, or cooking turkeys for Easter Seals and veterans organizations during the holidays.
“These are the kinds of things that keep you grounded,” he said.
Kauai Beach Resort is at 4331 Kauai Beach Drive, Lihue.
Naupaka Terrace is open daily for breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m., and for dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Free valet parking is available for restaurant patrons.
For more information or reservations, call 245-1955, or go to www.kauaibeachresorthawaii.com
