Jonathan De Paz has joined Hotel Wailea, Hawaii’s only Relais and Châteaux property as Executive Chef, to lead the culinary team for The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea, the property’s acclaimed signature restaurant, along with the all new Birdcage Bar, an open-air lounge concept with three-island views, and Hotel Wailea Cooking School.
Continuing Hotel Wailea’s tradition of incubating the next great culinary talents in the state of Hawaii, De Paz comes to Maui with an esteemed background having worked at French Laundry, Eleven Madison Park, and Restaurant Daniel. With De Paz at the helm, all-new menus have been unveiled at each of the dining outlets upon the resort’s reopening. De Paz is supported by the guidance of the hotel’s longtime Culinary Director, James Beard-nominated Chris Kajioka. In search of a new location where he can pursue his culinary creativity, De Paz infuses his signature style of culinary casual dining experiences throughout Hotel Wailea.
At The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea, De Paz’s menu pays respect to the bounty of Hawaii and pushes ingredients to their limits with dishes such as a refined version of poke with dragon fruit and scallions, a daikon and Asian pear “trail mix” with white chocolate and lemon, local corn agnolotti, charred cabbage with whipped tofu, chicken pressé and Opakapaka with crema and ginger scallions. De Paz ensures that all of his dishes can easily be converted to vegan or gluten free versions. For the Birdcage Bar, a newly transformed lounge experience, De Paz crafted a menu for the open-air concept that features Japanese-inspired Izakaya style bites paired with Japanese whiskeys and 180° views of the Pacific Ocean. Weekly sashimi specials along with classics such as gyoza and yakitori are available for guests to enjoy in a casual environment with comfortable lounge seating for small groups. At The Cabanas, De Paz’s revamped poolside menu includes a nod to his Central American roots with a fresh spin on fish tacos and pulled pork with moho dressing, along with a bounty of local seafood on the fruits de mer platter.
With many passions outside of culinary, De Paz looks forward to finding new inspiration for his artistic endeavors in Maui. A former graffiti artist, he spends his free time perfecting his photography and woodworking skills, when he’s not enjoying fishing and respectful hunting pursuits.
