Hawaiian Harvest
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You might imagine Hawaii’s climate as nothing but an endless summer, but it actually features 11 of the world’s 13 climate zones – each with its own unique ecosystem. In just one afternoon you can experience humid tropical zones (perfect for growing fruit and honey blossoms), semi-arid hills (hearts of palm) and temperate regions at higher mountain altitudes (coffee beans and world-class chocolate).
What does this rich diversity spell for the menus at Beach Tree and 'ULU? An embarrassment of riches when it comes to ingredients – some seventy-five percent of the food at 'ULU is sourced locally.
“Living and working here in the Islands is just incredible,” enthuses Executive Chef James Babian. “The local resources here on the Big Island, from fish to fruits and vegetables to beef and pork, cheese and coffee, allow me and my team to create really special dining experiences.”
Indeed, we challenge every dish for regionalilty down to the marinade and sauce ingredients: Local honey or Maui brown sugar instead of processed white sugar, Maui onion instead of shallots, and local soy whenever possible.
And we’re constantly striving to go even further. We’ve recently circulated a wish list of items we currently can only get from the mainland with local farmers. In the meantime, we buy our grass-fed meats from Kulana Foods, a nearby ranch that dry ages one whole carcass for us per week; we also feature local wild boar that graze the macadamia nut fields nearby. And most of our sustainable seafood comes from NELHA, where cold, nutrient-rich seawater is pumped up from 2000 feet below.
