The Kō restaurant at the Fairmont Kea Lani won three awards at the tenth annual ‘Aipono Restaurant Awards by No Ka ‘Oi Magazine. “’Excellence in food” translates to ’Aipono in Hawaiian. The menu of the luxury hotel’s signature restaurant is this year’s Best Menu for a Small Planet winner. Additionally, the restaurant also picked up a silver-level award for Best Epicurean Twist on a Local Favorite and tied for a silver-level award in the Best Hawaii’s Regional Cuisine category.
Kō‘s Executive Chef Tylan Pang won the 2012 Friends of Ag award. The special acknowledgement recognizes exemplary efforts of individuals who use local farmers’ produce for their restaurants. Sixteen local farms produce more than 85 percent of Kō’s produce. “Buying product from local farmers, ranchers and fishermen is the right thing to do,” said Chef Pang. “It not only allows us to serve the freshest and best tasting ingredients to our guests, we also have the opportunity to support Maui business. Living on an island, it’s important to look out for one another.”
