Logo for Mila's Kitchen Hawaii in white script on black background.

celebrating aapi heritage month!

japanese mochi & new hawaiian shortbread cookie launch!

ON MAY 16TH AND 30TH | nordstrom pop-up

Celebrate something sweet this AAPI Heritage Month with Mila’s Kitchen Hawaiʻi at Nordstrom! Join us for two exclusive Saturday pop-ups on May 16 and 30 from 10 AM–9 PM featuring the launch of our Japanese mochi and new Hawaiian shortbread cookies. Enjoy limited-edition treats, island-inspired flavors, and support a Native Hawaiian kānaka maoli veteran-owned business. Featuring Chef Charles Akau—don’t miss this special celebration of culture, community, and sweetness.

A man, smiling and wearing a white shirt with garland of white flowers around his neck, is holding a young girl. The girl is laughing and touching the man's face. They are indoors, with a blurred background and some flowers.
The image features text that reads 'ABOUT US' in large, bold, dark blue letters on a transparent background.

Meet Chef Charles & Mila

  • Mila’s (“MEE-LA’s”) Kitchen Hawaiʻi is a family, veteran, and Native Hawaiian-owned catering concept led by Hawaiian Chef Charles Akau IV, born and raised in Lihue, Kauaʻi. Built on culture, family, and aloha, Mila’s Kitchen brings the flavors of Hawaiʻi to every guest through handcrafted food and heartfelt hospitality.

  • Chef Charles has over a decade of culinary experience at world-renowned restaurants and resorts, including Four Seasons Hualālai, Four Seasons Beverly Hills at Wolfgang Puck’s Michelin-starred restaurant CUT, Disney Aulani, The Walt Disney Company, Roy’s Hawaiʻi, Sam Choy’s Kai Lānai, and Michelin-starred Knife Pleat at South Coast Plaza. Most recently, his desserts were featured at Disney® Festival of Holidays.

  • The heart of Mila’s Kitchen Hawaiʻi is the 8-year-old “boss” of the kitchen, Miss Mila Avalani, fondly known as Ava. She is Chef Charles’ inspiration and muse, encouraging him to blend his Hawaiian heritage with the flavors of Southern California while sharing Hawaiian traditions with the next generation.

  • As a direct descendant of the last King and Queen of Kauaʻi, King Kaumualiʻi and Queen Deborah Kapule, Chef Charles honors his ancestry through every creation. Rooted in kānaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) values, Mila’s slogan, “A Legacy of Aloha,” reflects a deep commitment to heritage, ʻohana, and hospitality through food.

  • Mila’s Kitchen Hawaiʻi is more than a dining destination—it is an immersive experience that uplifts the community, celebrates culture, and shares the true spirit of aloha through authentic island flavors.

A man standing on a rocky beach wearing a traditional necklace and with tattoos on his arm, with ocean waves in the background and a text overlay about Hawaiian culture.
Four women in traditional Hawaiian costumes, wearing red tops, grass skirts, and large colorful feathered headdresses, standing against a brick wall with the words 'ARAGON Z...' written behind them.
A man and woman smiling and working together at a Hawaiian-themed event, wearing leis, with the text overlay about Aloha and Hawaiian culture.

exclusive hawaii merchandise

Chocolate bar with a cover featuring colorful illustrations of lions and tropical leaves, labeled 'Theo & Philo Milk Chocolate Turon.' Next to it, an unwrapped chocolate bar with geometric patterns and the name 'Mānoa' embossed on it.
Three packages of Punalu'u Bake Shop Hawaiian sweetbread, each with different flavors: blue for Sweetbread & Malasada Mix, pink for Guava Sweetbread & Malasada Mix, and purple for Taro Sweetbread & Malasada Mix. Each package features slices of sweetbread and a tropical flower.
Charcuterie board with cheese, grapes, blackberries, roasted pecans, jam, sliced bread, rosemary sprigs, and a meat roll, placed on a wooden serving board with a blue and white resin handle that resembles ocean waves.
Surfboard with a blue and white wave design on the top and a wooden texture on the bottom.
Two jars of guava jam with colorful labels featuring tropical leaves, flowers, and guava illustrations. The larger jar states 'Aloha Bites Guava Jam' and the smaller jar states 'Guava Jam, 52ml, Made in Hawaii with Aloha.' Both jars have gold-colored lids.
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