The Fairmont Kea Lani (from $525 per night) is a place of great optimism. And not just because the sprawling resort sits on Wailea Beach, Maui, sharing some of the world’s most expensive and gorgeous oceanfront property with other luxe hotels such as the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea Resort. Nearly every restaurant at the Fairmont is completely outdoors, taking advantage of those spectacular vistas and salty breezes. What happens when it rains, we wondered? We asked a waitperson the night we dined at Kō, a restaurant that celebrates the eclectic cuisine of Hawaii’s sugarcane plantation era. She laughed, and explained that the showers (though rare) last just a few moments and everyone takes them in stride, scrambling to move tables and dishes inside the lobby if they must. Much as we respect the concept of planning for a rainy day, we love the idea of anticipating eternal clear skies and then improvising, with good humor, when it does rain.

Dinner at Kō began with a complimentary starter of something green, creamy, luscious and light – like a cross between guacamole and hummus, but with an unidentifiable twist. We kept dipping in with the crispy housemade lavosh flatbread, and finally asked what it was we’d been gobbling. It turns out to be the restaurant’s signature Edamummus Dip, though we think of it as eda-mole or hummus-mame. See below for the easy recipe, then tell us: What’s your favorite healthy starter to a meal?

Edamummus Dip
(Recipe courtesy of the Fairmont Kea Lani)
1 16-ounce bag shelled soybeans, cooked until tender (or 2 cups precooked soybeans)
15 cloves garlic, roasted and peeled
1 ½ tsp. Hawaiian salt (or sea salt if not available)
1 tsp. chili pepper flakes
2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Slowly add olive oil in a fine stream until completely blended. Serve with toasted pita bread.

Tags: Appetizers, Arab cuisine, Barbajuan, Cuisine, cups olive oil, Dips, Food and drink, food processor, Hawaii, Hospitality/Recreation, Hummus, Mediterranean cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine, olive oil, USD, Wailea Beach, Wailea-Makena Hawaii