Local chefs desire regional, seasonal, and artisanal products: Chef James Babian
Chef Babian shows the local produce stored in the chill room at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.James Babian
Executive Chef, Four Seasons Resort, Hualālai at Ka‘ūpūlehu, Kailua-Kona
When Chef Babian came to Hawai‘i Island 14 years ago, he informed hotel management that his style is centered on supporting the local agricultural community through sourcing food “from the region, buying things that are in season, and using products from small artisan farmers, such as Kona coffee, goat cheese, and honey.” The concept of supporting local producers Babian feels is an ancient concept that chefs are rediscovering around the world, bringing the restaurant industry “back to the ground roots” and developing strong farm to table programs.
Chef Babian oversees four restaurants at Four Seasons Hualalai, including 'Ulu Ocean Grill & Sushi Lounge and Beach Tree, and sources produce, meats, and fish from over 150 local farms and ranches. The cuisine at Pahu i‘a is centered around Pacific Island fare and places a strong emphasis on locally grown food, with over 80% of the ingredients grown in Hawai‘i. Beach Tree’s focus on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine with California and tropical influences means that many of the ingredients are imported from overseas, such as olive oils and cheeses. Despite Beach Tree’s needs for imported ingredients, they continue to purchase over 60% of their ingredients from local farmers.
While a large percentage of Babian’s ingredients are grown by local farmers, he is still forced to stock items such as carrots, celery, and onions from mainland producers. Chef Babian would like to see local producers experiment with these crops as well as asparagus, artichoke, fava bean, snow pea, and berries. “Hawai‘i is one of the most beautiful places on the planet,” remarks Chef Babian, “and with 11 of the 13 climate zones, there’s not much that doesn’t grow here.”
The chefs at Hualalai continue to challenge themselves to use more locally grown produce and meats in their menus. Recently, local beef and wild boar have become popular menu items, along with farmed fish such as moi and kampachi, when available, from Maui and Hawai‘i Island. Chef Babian frequently visits farmers markets to discover new and exciting products, such as pipinola shoots or giant shiso leaves, and has helped establish relationships between growers and distributors to facilitate a product’s use in his restaurants. As local food appears more consistently on menus throughout Hawai‘i, Chef Babian sees himself playing an important role by finding great local products and helping chefs incorporate it into their menus.
Chef Babian emphasizes the importance of good relationships between restaurants, distributors, and farmers. Developing trust among all members of the food distribution chain is necessary to ensure sufficient product can be supplied as needed. Equally important is the responsibility of the distributor or restaurant to inform a farmer if they decide to discontinue or scale back purchasing of an item, so the farmer does not waste resources in planting a crop that is no longer in demand. He sees great value in having initial face-to-face conversations with farmers, visiting their farms, and sampling their products. Chef Babian continues to encourage farmers to think about pricing and how to cover their costs, while stressing the importance of providing a consistent high quality product.
Editor's note: You can see Chef Babian's November 2012 Farm to Table Wish List here.
This market profile was excerpted with kind permission of the authors from:
Elevitch, C., N. Milne, and J. Cain. 2012. Hawai‘i Island Farmer’s Guide to Accessing Local Markets. Hawai‘i Community College Office of Continuing Education and Training, Center for Agricultural Success, and Permanent Agriculture Resources. http://hawaiihomegrown.net/pdfs/Hawaii-Island-Guide-to-Accessing-Markets.pdf