Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill has long been holding it down for good eats on Kaua‘i’s South Shore. And the North Shore has been getting all the buzz with Jim Moffat’s Bar Acuda and the St Regis Princeville’s Kaua‘i Grill and Makana Terrace. But with the opening of the Kukui‘ula Village mall, that’s changed. Packed into that one ye olde plantation shoppe are now Merriman’s latest branch (which features “fancy” upstairs restaurant and order-at-the-counter casual cafe downstairs), Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill and Living Foods Market & Cafe. And just down the road is Red Salt in the old-is-new Ko‘a Kea Hotel and Resort, where Ronnie Sanchez is creating interesting things (though I haven’t tried it myself yet). A big deal is being made of his coming from El Bulli, but I have yet to find out what he did there. Sous chef or microgreen sorter?

My new choice for an escape from HNL? A weekend at Ko‘a Kea! It’s where grown ups go. All the screaming mimis are screaming in the manmadelagoonmultipools at the Marriott next door, hurrah!