Chef Aristotle “Aris” Aurelio, was named executive chef at Kō after having worked in Kea Lani’s kitchens since 1994. Kō at the Fairmont Kea Lani was recently voted Maui’s 2022 Restaurant of the Year. Aris Aurelio’s passion for cooking began in his early years as a boy in Cauayan Isabela, Philippines, where he grew up appreciating the comfort foods created by his mother and father. He later graduated with honors from Maui Culinary Academy, where he learned to expertly balance the nuanced flavors of Hawaiian cuisine with the comfort foods of his childhood. Under the mentorship of Chef Tylun Pang, Aris became Chef de Partie at Kō in 2013. Today, Aris utilizes utilizes his family recipes to inspire elevated menu items like Kampachi Kinilaw, rooted in the foundation of his core cuisine on Cooking Hawaiian Style.