Inside Koʻa Kea, the Kauaʻi stay built around one of Hawaii's best restaurants
- Jake Nicholas
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
One of the best restaurants in all of Hawaii isn't in Honolulu or Maui — it's tucked inside a boutique resort on Kauaʻi's south shore.
Set directly on the sand at Poʻipu Beach, Koʻa Kea Resort sits closer to the ocean than nearly any other property on the island. The boutique, adults-friendly resort has built its reputation on intimacy and refinement rather than scale — and on a dining program anchored by Red Salt, widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in all of Hawaii.
Red Salt is the heart of the experience. The oceanfront restaurant has spent years as one of Kauaʻi's most celebrated tables, known for elevated, locally rooted cooking that pulls from the island's land and surrounding waters. Its profile only sharpened this spring with the arrival of Executive Chef Kenneth "Kenny" Giambalvo, who brings decades of global experience to the kitchen — time in New York, Los Angeles, and Singapore, the founding of Portland's acclaimed Bluehour Restaurant (which earned national recognition and invitations to cook at the James Beard House), and most recently the launch of a 300-seat seafood and steakhouse in Oregon. At Red Salt, his focus is a menu that leans harder into seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with a refreshed lineup debuting this summer.
The next chance to experience that cooking up close comes June 4, when Red Salt hosts its next Dinner Pa'ina — an intimate, five-course chef's table experience presented by Chef Kenny himself.
The series (the name translates to a Hawaiian dinner party) pairs a revolving multi-course menu built around seasonal inspiration with bespoke pairings curated by the resort's in-house sommelier, from elevated wines and cocktails to artfully crafted non-alcoholic options. Held oceanfront and open to the public, the dinners are limited in availability and run on a recurring basis — the first Thursday of each month, with the next seatings on June 4 and July 8. Reservations are available through OpenTable.
Beyond the table, the resort itself is also a massive draw for both locals and visitors. Koʻa Kea's accommodations are oriented around the water, ranging from oceanfront suites and deluxe oceanfront rooms to ocean-view and garden-view options, with a layout designed to keep the Pacific in constant view. The intimate scale is the point — this is a property built for couples, honeymooners, and travelers who want a quiet, design-forward alternative to Kauaʻi's larger resorts, recently refreshed through a multi-million-dollar renovation.
The Spa at Koʻa Kea offers a full treatment menu in a serene oceanfront setting, while the Kala Kai Pool Bar (also overseen by Chef Kenny as part of the resort's broader culinary program) serves new dishes and cocktails tuned to the beachfront setting. A pool with daybeds, direct beach access, surfboard rentals, and a fitness center round out the amenities, and the resort regularly programs experiences for couples, families, and celebrations, from babymoons to milestone gatherings.
Koʻa Kea sits on Poʻipu Beach in Koloa on Kauaʻi's sunny south shore — one of the island's most beloved stretches of coastline, known for calm swimming waters, nearly guaranteed sea turtle and monk seal sightings, and some of the most reliable sunshine on the island. With one of the closest-to-the-ocean footprints on Kauaʻi, a recently renovated property, and a culinary program now led by one of the most globally seasoned chefs to land on the island in years, Koʻa Kea is making the case that a boutique stay can deliver a dining destination worth traveling for on its own.
Book your stay at https://www.koakea.com/ and seat at Dinner Pa'ina at: https://www.koakea.com/savor/dinner-paina/
