Kalani's

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Aloha in the Sierra Nevada

Since opening in 2004, Kalani's has built a singular identity in South Lake Tahoe: a fine dining room where Hawaiian regional cooking meets the mountain landscape of the Sierra Nevada. Now celebrating over two decades at Heavenly Village, the restaurant has earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — recognition that reflects both the depth of its cellar and the seriousness of its kitchen.

The setting inside plays the contrast deliberately. Island finishes and warm tones create an atmosphere that feels genuinely removed from the snow and pine outside, without ever feeling out of place. Guests can settle into the intimate main dining room, pull up a stool at the Raw Bar, or ease into the Puka Lounge for a more relaxed pace.

The Food: Pacific Rim with Purpose

The menu blends Hawaiian regional cooking with Asian and European techniques — a combination that sounds ambitious and, here, delivers. The anchor dish is the Miso-Yaki Chilean Sea Bass: miso-marinated, served over Thai basil mashed potatoes with kula greens and ponzu butter sauce, and featured in Bon Appétit. It remains the dish most closely associated with the restaurant's reputation.

The Raw Bar is its own destination. Signature sushi rolls — from the Molokai Roll with spicy tuna and hamachi to the Heavenly Roll, tempura-fried and finished with masago mayo — sit alongside freshly made pokes, crudos, and a Poke Bowl built on sashimi-grade ahi and sushi rice. The seafood focus extends through the main courses: seared scallops with kahuku corn relish and mango citrus beurre blanc, macadamia nut-crusted salmon, and a mixed seafood grill rounded out by mascarpone parmesan basil risotto.

From the land side, steakhouse instincts are well represented — a 14oz certified Angus rib eye with garlic wasabi mashed potatoes, an 8oz filet mignon finished with miso garlic butter and goat cheese truffle mash. Starters like the Baby Back Ribs with sesame garlic ginger soy and the Dungeness Crab Cakes with caper remoulade and green papaya slaw round out a menu that rewards both explorers and those who know what they want.

Beyond Dinner

On weekend mornings, Kalani's runs what it calls Tahoe's only authentic Hawaiian Style Brunch — Loco Moco with an 8oz wagyu beef patty, Kalua Pork Benedict with kimchi hollandaise, and King's Hawaiian French Toast, alongside bottomless mimosas. In summer, service extends to an outdoor patio with mountain views. The Puka Lounge hosts weekday happy hour with drink specials and appetizers, first-come, first-served.

For a restaurant that has held its ground in a resort town for more than twenty years, Kalani's earns its place through specificity: a clear point of view, dishes with genuine character, and a room that makes the occasion feel worth the trip down from the mountain.