A Maui native with a fierce attraction to blending the best of culture and cuisine, Hotel Wailea’s chef de cuisine Zach Sato has cultivated an inimitable enthusiasm for showcasing Hawaii’s history and culture by working with generations of homegrown flavors, both present and past. Chef Sato brings this unique passion to The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea, presenting an ingredient-driven menu in a beautiful garden setting overlooking Wailea.
A graduate of San Diego Culinary Institute, Chef Sato joined Hotel Wailea’s culinary team in the summer of 2016 after spending more than a decade working for the acclaimed Peter Merriman. In this capacity, Chef Sato had the opportunity to lead kitchens in nearly all of Chef Merriman’s restaurant concepts including the craft-focused Monkeypod Kitchen.
Chef Sato brings to The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea a belief system derived in sourcing the finest available ingredients as a means of crafting exceptional cuisine. Chef Sato utilizes seasonal, island-grown offerings and ingredients from the hotel’s own farming operation, and has forged and fostered close relationships with Hawaii’s farmers and artisans—a favorite is the Big Island staple Hirabara Farms with which he works closely to craft season-driven dishes.
“I aim to provide guests with not only a special dining experience but also a meal heightened with flavor fusions that are unexpected and executed perfectly,” says Chef Sato. “I take great care to ensure each dish is intentional and thoughtfully created around ingredients that are fresh and in season.”
When he’s not honoring Aloha in the kitchen, Chef Sato can be found traveling to the corners of the world, soaking up a bevy of enriching experiences. Chef Sato is always drawn back to the beauty of his native island and is often found at Maui’s Port of Wailuku or Honolulu Bay with a surfboard by his side and the salt-dappled breeze in his face.
