Aqua-Aston Hospitality has announced the appointment of Alexander Dale to the role of executive chef at Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, a pristine 25-acre resortÊonÊKauai’sÊlongestÊeastern coast beach.
Dale hails most recently from the well-known Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s famed North Shore, where he served up a menu utilising ingredients from the island’s community-based farms to surfing royalty, guests and locals. A third-generation chef inspired by his family’s Italian culinary tradition, Dale maintains copies of the original recipes from his grandfather, Alfredo Dilisio, a silent film actor and chef who opened his own restaurant with a loan from the famed fellow silent actor, Charlie Chaplin.
While living in Newport Beach, California, Dale developed a deep appreciation for the sea and secured his first culinary job at the world-famous Newport Beach institution, The Crab Cooker. Dale’s early experiences shaped his approach to preparing the finest locally sourced cuisine. He also served as the chief culinary officer for Sea Legs Wine Bar which was awarded “Best California Cuisine” in four out of the five years that Dale was there. He graduated with high honours at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Los Angeles, California.
At Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, Dale will bring the same type of local influence to his signature dishes. ÒI look forward to elevating the cuisine at Aqua Kauai Beach Resort by sourcing my ingredients from local family-run farms and using global techniques with a nod to my Italian roots,Ó said Chef Dale. Some of his newly introduced menu items include sauted whole Kauai sweet prawns served with Portuguese sausage, smoked pineapple and creamy grilled polenta cake; Parmesan pasta topped with Wailua lamb and beef meatballs, smoked marinara sauce, and a macadamia nut pesto; and ÒThe WedgeÓ salad featuring Kauai butter lettuce, HauÔula grape tomatoes, pickled onion, blue cheese crumbles, candied bacon, and a Ògreen goddessÓ dressing.
The resort will formerly introduce Dale in his new position during a commemorative Chefs’ Collaborative Dinner Event on April 20, 2018, in partnership with esteemed Oahu-based chef Ed Kenney. Kenney is a successful restauranteur and five-time James Beard Award-nominated chef with four restaurants Ð including Mahina & Sun’s at The Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club. Kenney has previously cooked for former President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama and is the star of the hit PBS show, Family Ingredients.
