PRINCEVILLE — With a number of lu‘au on Kaua‘i, the St. Regis Princeville Resort is doing something different with their new Mailani dinner show, which debuted in April. More intimate than most lu‘au, the occupancy is capped at about 70,
PRINCEVILLE — With a number of lu‘au on Kaua‘i, the St. Regis Princeville Resort is doing something different with their new Mailani dinner show, which debuted in April.
More intimate than most lu‘au, the occupancy is capped at about 70, Food and Beverage Manager Alice Allaire said. Hosted on the Makana Terrace, the background is stunning Hanalei Bay, and the foreground is an infinity pool of water with bunches of dewy bromeliads and blossoming vines spilling down from the rooftop. But the winning feature of Mailani is the performers, Urahutia Productions: the dancing, the costumes, the fire, and the story they weave specific to the North Shore and Hawai‘i.
Mi Nei Oliver is the choreographer and director of the Mailani dinner show and Urahutia Productions, which performs islandwide at other venues. Oliver and her performing group — who consists of mostly her family members — ran the lu‘au show at Princeville Hotel from 2003 to 2008, and then started again with St. Regis in April with the Mailani dinner show.
“‘Urahutia’ is the family name of a friend of mine from Tahiti who brought me there to learn from the Conservatoire Artistique Territorial of Papeete, Tahiti,” Oliver said, adding that the CAT is only open to residents of Tahiti. Three years later Oliver became the only American to earn a Dance Diploma from Louise Kimitete, dance professor of CAT.
“‘Urahutia’ actually means ‘the plucking of the red feathers,’” Oliver said. “These are very rare, and in ancient times were only used for royalty, so when I explain the meaning of Urahutia I usually say ‘selecting only the best fit for royalty,’ which is what I always try to do; select the best performers, choreograph the best dances and create the best costumes, all that would be best suited for royalty,” Oliver said.
Oliver, a 26-time winner of solo Tahitian competitions, gives guests a vibrant medley of Hawaiian history at Mailani, focused on the North Shore, including a homage to the paniolos (cowboys), as Princeville had the island’s first cattle ranch, a tribute to Hollywood’s love affair with Kaua‘i with dancers in sparkly sequins, and giving special significance to the North Shore area known Halele‘a, also known as “the house of joy.”
The show honors the islands of Tahiti at the end in a segment called “returning to the heart of Polynesia,” which is where the performance becomes really exciting. Towards the end of the evening, darkness has blanketed the air and the show takes on an electric energy, with a stunning fire performance, Tahitian dancing and rhythmic drumming.
It is called a “dinner show, however, and this is the Grinds section, so as dazzling as the show part was, let’s talk food.
The dining experience is split into three sections: appetizers, entrée and dessert. The appetizer section is a lovely contrast of local mixed greens with a medley of house dressings and creamy, rich corn bisque.
The entrée portion is a feast: ‘ahi poke, lomilomi salmon and a cucumber, tomato and avocado poke in assorted clear tumblers, chicken laulau, kalua pork, filets of mahimahi with a liliko‘i butter sauce, fried rice, jasmine rice, Okinawan sweet potatoes whipped with coconut milk, poi, and fresh scalloped corn with red peppers.
The dessert is surprisingly delightful with haupia “shooters” in liliko‘i sauce, and chocolate and sweet potato tarts topped with macadamia nuts. The food experience is diverse and each bite compliments the next. The only downfall of the dinner is it’s a buffet, which means you’re standing in line three different times, and you are watching visitors beside you pass on the sweet, fresh Hanalei poi, which they may have tried and discovered they liked if it was served to them on their plates.
The drinks are served generously all evening long, with quite a variety: mai tais to start, then Chardonnay or Cabernet carafes during dinner and flutes of bubbly during dessert along with coffee or tea. The St. Regis offers kama‘aina rates, and although on the brochure for Mailani it states “shared table seating,” most families and couples were sat at their own tables, which made for a relaxed atmosphere. The warmness and talent of the Oliver ‘ohana combined with the professionalism of St. Regis makes the Mailani dinner show a memorable night.
The Mailani dinner show is Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Makana Terrace.
For reservations or more information, e-mail mailani@stregis.com or call 826-2746.
