Turtle Bay Resort announced the appointment of David Intonato as chef de cuisine. Intonato will oversee the highly anticipated new signature restaurant Alaia, which is scheduled to open in summer 2020. First on Intonato’s list is consulting on the restaurant design layout and menu creation, which will feature locally sourced, fresh island flavors.

Intonato brings close to 30 years of experience to Turtle Bay Resort. Recognized early for his culinary talent, Intonato was just 22 years old when he was named executive chef of a four-star restaurant. A lifelong learner, Intonato has spent his career seeking out opportunities to train with chefs of diversified cuisine including French, Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican, Italian and plant-based. He racked up numerous accolades such as the DiRōNA Award of Excellence, Wine Spectator’s Best Award of Excellence and Snail of Approval (Slow Food) Award. He was also honored to guest chef at the renowned James Beard House in New York City.

Intonato’s strong culinary background and his family’s vegan lifestyle led Intonato to open the first vegetable-forward restaurant in Long Island, New York, The Purple Elephant. After selling the still-operating restaurant to consult in Nosara, Costa Rica, Intonato moved to Hawaii last year. Drawn by the islands’ healthy lifestyle, Intonato found Turtle Bay Resort a natural next step on his culinary journey.

“Agriculture and aquaculture are thriving on Oahu’s North Shore and Turtle Bay Resort has nearly 500 acres of their own land permanently preserved for farming,” says Intonato. “I am proud to be part of such a strong community advocate and look forward to showcasing the talents of our local farmers, fishermen, bow hunters and food artisans.”