Local, organic and farm-fresh may sound like old news as countless restaurants around the world embark on food ventures that hone in on growing and cultivation procedures. From cage-free eggs to grass-fed beef, gourmet eateries are latching on to the latest culinary trends, including Hawaii's premier chef, Alan Wong, who has just opened his latest venture in Maui: Amasia.

Utilizing farm-fresh and locally-sourced ingredients, the new restaurant will highlight Hawaii Regional Cuisine (HRC), which focuses on both the farming community as well as the state's unique culinary traditions. Branching off from the popular misconception that Hawaii's cuisine ranges from pineapples to coconuts, Wong has bridged together more than a century's worth of food traditions from Japan, China, Korea and Polynesia, creating a truly unique blend of flavors.

"Food brings people together, at the kitchen table or in the plantation fields in many destinations," said Wong. "I want to create an elevated local interpretation of this cultural exchange. Guests will experience a sense of place as they hear, smell and feel the melding of exotic flavors from around the world, featuring the best of Maui's bounty from the land and sea."

The open-air restaurant is surrounded by rocks taken from Mount Fuji as well as a tranquil pond filled with koi fish and small turtles. Akin to a traditional Japanese tea house, Amasia provides a soothing atmosphere for any diner staying at Hawaiian villas. Unlike the Alan Wong Restaurant in downtown Honolulu, which is unassuming and tucked away in the third floor of an office building, Amasia lets guests experience their food like never before.

Dishes like lomi lomi salmon, a staple of Hawaiian luaus, take a new spin under Wong's expertise and are served with local marinated heirloom tomatoes and sweet Maui onions. Or, if you want a true taste of the land, order the Maui Cattle Company's ribeye steak, made from grass-fed cows living right on the island, which is served with wild Hamakua mushrooms and a secret-recipe chili pepper butter.

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