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3 6 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t right," he says. With toppings like fresh lilikoi (passionfruit) juice, housemade coconut hau- pia foam, vanilla bean milk, and the crunchi- est, nuttiest roasted coconut flakes you could ever ask for, it should come as no surprise that Baptiste has a fine-dining background: The chef has worked in prestigious kitchens from Michelin-starred Melisse in Santa Monica, California, to Kauai's best resorts. "If you understand food, you can bring that to anything," Baptiste explains. "Texture, flavors, viscosity, and balance are all part of the fundamentals of good cooking, whether you're making a steak dinner or shave ice." Baptiste is so serious about making the best shave ice in the world that his staff undergoes two weeks of training before taking over the RV window. "It's all about being passionate about the product and doing it well, whatever it is," Baptise adds. Once you've eaten your weight in shave ice, you'll be ready for a relaxing dip in the pool, so head over to Aqua Kauai Beach Resort for a poolside Piña Colada before dinner at Nau- paka Terrace. Executive Chef Alexander Dale brings local ingredients to the plate as often as possible; the day of my visit, that included an 80-pound ahi tuna he worked into a variety of dishes. "When it comes to locally sourced ingredients, not only does it better support the local economy, but it's just a far superior product," Dale says. I can't help but agree when he serves that ahi topped with the most delicious lilikoi glaze—the ideal balance of sweet and tart— with sea asparagus, sticky rice, grilled bok choy, Aloun Farms corn salsa, and a ginger beurre blanc. It's simple, tropical perfection personified and a spectacular match with the Jordan Vineyard & Winery 2014 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. Dale and his team work to establish and maintain relationships with local farmers both to ensure steady access to the seasonal pro- duce (the sous chef's family farm provides the mushrooms) and help keep the island's culi- nary ecosystem in balance. He even works with local pig farms to provide slop for the animals. "We don't waste food," Dale says. "It's part of the cycle and balance of life here." A Tropical Bounty If you're a foodie on vacation, you go on a farm tour. If you're a hedonist on vacation, you go to a chocolate farm tour. Well, call me Willy Wonka and send me off to a candy buffet, but whatever you do, visit Lydgate Farms when you're on Kauai. Not only will you see firsthand how cacao grows, but you'll also eat your way through a veritable tropical commissary. The highly trained staff guides you through the farm's lush grounds, home to everything from hand-pollinated orchids that produce estate-grown Madagascar vanilla to award-win- ning Palm blossom honey, rare black bamboo, papyrus, spicy green peppercorn trees, and a plethora of tropical fruits. But the cacao trees and chocolate are the main attractions here: As you wander among brightly colored red, yellow, and brown pods, you can't help but marvel at the ancient wisdom of those who discovered this fruit's po- tential. After cacao is harvested, its seeds are fermented, sun-dried, and milled before they're ultimately melted and mixed with sugar to cre- ate the finished product we all know and love. But of course, no educational chocolate ex- perience would be complete without a tasting. If you're curious about the proper technique, it's recommended to chew the chocolate on the back molars and let it melt in your mouth for a few minutes. While the chocolate is on the pal- ate, inhale through the mouth, exhale through the nose, pick up on notes ranging from bright citrus to smoky charred meat, and repeat . . . many times. South Shore Delights After your tour at Lydgate Farms, swing back through Kapaa for one more Wailua shave ice (trust me, you'll want to) and grab a woodfired pizza from the adjacent Scorpacciata Neapoli- tan pizza truck. You can then head to the South Shore by way of quaint tiny towns like Hanapepe (stop in to Japanese Grandma's Cafe for fresh fish and a sushi burrito) and Koloa, where any num- ber of food trucks will keep you happy and fed as Naupaka Terrace Executive Chef Alexander Dale incorporated an 80-pound ahi tuna into the menu on the day we visited. Cacao pods at Lydgate Farms. At Lydgate Farms, you'll encounter a crash course on tropical fruit: Pictured here are rollinia (yellow and spiky), soursop, lilikoi (bottom right), cinnamon apple (brown, center bottom), star apple (purple), lychee (red with bumps), longan (slightly hidden next to the lychee), and guava.

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