Chef Thomas Keller And French Laundry Team Help Raise Money For Hawaii

The phrase “It takes a village” was fully realized at Hotel Wailea in Hawaii last week when acclaimed chef Thomas Keller and his team from The French Laundry joined forces with hotel staff and chef Ryan Cruz for a nine-course benefit for Maui wildfire relief. Although the wildfires took place nearly seven months ago, there is still work to do to assist and support those who’ve lost so much and were displaced by the devastation. The benefit helped surpass the one million dollar mark in donations raised so far.

According to the EPA, the high winds and dry weather of August 8, 2023 caused the wildfires that affected 1,550 parcels of land and 2,200 structures. It is considered “one of the deadliest U.S. wildfires in the last century,” with areas of Lāhainā, Upper Kula, Pūlehu/Kihei and Ka‘anapali on the island of Maui changed forever.

Kokua Means Help

There have been numerous efforts since the wildfires, and yet help is still essential. As Keller, who has both personal and professional ties to Hawaii, noted in our recent conversation, “we need to continue to raise awareness because the struggles here in Hawaii continue.” The Kokua Restaurant & Hospitality Fund for Maui was set up to provide immediate assistance to restaurant, bar and hospitality workers displaced by the wildfires from West Maui communities in Lahaina to Kapalua, which hosts the annual Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.

Keller mentioned that he and Jonathan McManus, the Founder of Hotel Wailea and Private Label Collection, had been talking for some time about a collaboration. “We felt we could have an impact and continue to elevate the awareness,” Keller said. The timing to bring a culinary and philanthropic evening together, representing the bounty of Napa and Hawaii, finally came to be in February.

Many chefs consider Thomas Keller to be a living legend, one who has redefined what fine dining in the U.S. is today. Amidst his four-decade career, he has amassed numerous honors. He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple, simultaneous Michelin three-star ratings—for The French Laundry in Napa and Per Se in New York—and he is the first American chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France.

The collaborative benefit dinner showcased the talents, effort, and high-level technique of the teams led by Keller, Hotel Wailea Executive Chef Ryan Cruz and The French Laundry Chef de Cuisine David Breeden. Courses included The French Laundry signatures with native Hawaiian ingredients. Each course was paired with wines from Smith-Madrone, Pulido~Walker, Rivers-Marie, Dominus Estate, Massican, Schrader Cellars and Laurent-Perrier, all curated to complement each course.

From the Menu

Some of the dishes highlighted included: Cornets & Crackers with “Everything Bagel Tuile and Smoked Salmon Mousse; Sweet Garden Carrot Soup; Oysters & Pearls; and a Sashimi Kona Kampachi.

There was a silent auction held at the event which featured donations to bid on from other Relais & Châteaux properties and wineries to also benefit the West Maui relief funds. Each guest of the benefit went home with a box of hand painted chocolates, courtesy of The French Laundry.

Two culinary teams came together to do great things. They had never met, they had never worked together before, and yet, as Keller said, “they created a dance while operating at the highest level.”

We’re lucky to witness good deeds like the recent events at Hotel Wailea; they serve as reminders that magic can happen when positive forces come together. When discussing the nature of chefs who do just that, to help, to feed, and to step up, Keller remarked, “As we saw during 9/11, there are the first responders like the firemen and police, then there are the chefs as second responders who feed them. Historically, we’ve always been there; it’s in our nature. It’s what we do.”

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