Last year on our vacation to Kauai, we really enjoyed our stay at the Westin Princeville. This year, we decided to celebrate our 7th anniversary with dinner at Nanea, the restaurant at the Westin.
The entrance to the Westin Princeville is as you might expect: beautiful landscape and valet portico. No building on the island of Kauai can be built taller than the coconut palms, so the result here is a low-slung plantation style ambience.
Nanea means “to relax” in Hawaiian. The setting, adjacent to the main pool area of the resort with a view over the cliff to the ocean beyond, is very relaxing.
We asked to be seated outside next to the waterfall area, expecting to be entertained by the enormous koi. We weren’t disappointed!
Avian visitors, the perky red-breasted cardinals, also joined us from time to time during our visit.
Nanea’s Hawaiian tasting menu is served two nights per week. It’s a good value compared with ala carte pricing on other menu items.
When you’re in Hawaii, there is nothing like choosing from a variety of tropical cocktails:
The salad courses were beautiful. Pete had a beet salad (more spinach than beets to be fair) and I had the Caesar.
While we waited for our entrees, we were serenaded with lovely Hawaiian music and hula.
Pete ordered the ribeye, which came on a bed of sour cream mashed potatoes with asparagus in a Madeira demi glace, topped off with crispy onions. My seafood fettuccine had rock shrimp, fresh fish, scallops, Honshimeji (Japanese mushrooms), and tomatoes in a sherry cream sauce with a Macadamia nut pesto mixed in. Delicious and very, very filling!
Our server, Christina, was born and raised in Michigan. We run into so many midwest people! We love comparing notes about living here on Kauai. She let us know that the restaurant was graciously comp-ing our dessert because of our special day. Our candied Macadamia nut brownie came presented in a raspberry coulis with ice cream, pineapple and fresh berries.
We finished our meal just as the torches and candles were being lit for evening.
Our experience at Nanea was a lovely way to spend our anniversary with a special dinner. Diners who aren’t guests at the resort can still earn SPG points in the bar and restaurant, too. Aloha!
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Our beautiful anniversary dinner at Nanea (Westin Princeville on Kauai) http://t.co/TzXEy341dH
Wow, Betsy. What a wonderful way to spend your anniversary. Beautiful scenery. That red-breasted cardinal is gorgeous.
This was an evening fit for a King and Queen. I love the presentation of each dish — especially the desserts. It really makes a difference how things are arranged on a plate.
Happy anniversary to you and Peter!
Hi Davina – Thank you! Yes, the dessert was magnificent! We would love to scheme out a plan so that we could permanently reside at this resort. Probably not going to happen! 🙂