The foie-gras ice cream, the sashimi sorbet, the cucumber gazpacho and crispy-skin moi he served — among other dishes — certainly created a buzz about Scholtmeyer, who has already been named a "chef to watch" by Food & Wine magazine.

I missed the press event but caught up with Scholtmeyer at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua's Banyan Tree restaurant for an interview later, after listening to several people rave about this new kid in town.

One reason for the eager reception may be the extremely cosmopolitan nature of Scholtmeyer's culinary palette: In a place where soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, a few fresh herbs and chilies predominate, he uses warm Middle Eastern spices, yogurt and other foods and techniques not usually seen here — his crispy moi is served on a bed of lentil dal with a cool raita; he makes a Moroccan-style lamb tajine, a stew redolent of cardamom, cinnamon and cumin.

Scholtmeyer enjoys turning the idea of a dish on its head, a trend that's very hot elsewhere in the culinary universe but rare here.

For example: the foie-gras ice cream, a tiny mound of silky-textured, salty-rich ice cream scattered with shreds of candied orange peel, is meant to evoke the classic duck a l'orange. And one reason it works is that rich duck and citrusy oranges have always worked together. Scholtmeyer's invention just surprises you into a new appreciation of this flavor combination by presenting it in a different temperature and texture context.

Similarly, the 'ahi sashimi sorbet combines all the taste and texture elements of a wedge of sashimi smeared with wasabi, munched with pickled ginger and shiso leaf — but in the form of a smooth, icy bite with slivered ginger and shiso garnish. "I have always believed that flavor and texture are each as important as the other," he said.

Scholtmeyer's greatest challenge in Hawai'i may be finding an audience in relatively remote Kapalua that will appreciate his sophisticated and sometimes audacious ways.

Still, Scholtmeyer has some sizzle of his own — he certainly got the food press excited at the wine festival — and even with his leaning toward multistage, highly refined dishes, he's got a thing or two to teach the home cook, too.

For example, his very interesting answer to the standard butter dish — or even the more contemporary drizzle of olive oil for dipping — is an Egyptian-inspired mixture of nuts and seeds that is so popular with guests that food and beverage manager Craig Kahila had the recipe printed up and waiters hand it out when they are (inevitably) asked.

In Egypt, dukkah is a common table spice mixture along the lines of Japanese togarashi or shichimi. The base is usually ground chickpeas or hazelnuts, but Scholtmeyer uses a mixture of macadamia nuts and bread crumbs, along with coriander, caraway, poppy, fennel, and black and white sesame seeds. You dip the bread in olive oil first, then the dukkah and then you chew, break into a smile, wave down the waiter and ask for the recipe (see below).

Scholtmeyer took a zig-zag path from his birthplace, Melbourne, to his present home in Hawai'i. Born of Dutch parents who had emigrated to Australia, Scholtmeyer has worked in five countries over the past 18 years — rather briefly in each, but he's a quick study, and his favorite thing of all is encountering new foods and flavors. "I'll try anything once," he says.

Antony Scholtmeyer comes to the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua by way of Australia, his home, and Europe, Indonesia and Japan, his workplaces. Martin Wyand photo

"I love being a chef. I love the creativity," he said. "I love the freedom to follow my inspiration where it takes me."

Some years ago, when he was still in Australia, he was asked to join a team doing an Australian tourism promotion in Germany. The group included artists and musicians, and those three weeks were an important formative experience for Scholtmeyer. Away from home, he was confirmed in his sense of the Australian people as exceptionally talented and energetic — "the Australian booth at the expo was the place to be; everyone was very drawn to it." And while a proponent of classic European technique, he realized how amazing was the bounty of food available to him in the Pacific, and how much more willing the Australian food scene was than the European system to allow experimentation and to promote young talent.

Scholtmeyer says his style today is a reflection of his life's experiences. First is his mentoring friendship with restaurateur Jamie Brotherstone, who hired him at Brisbane's acclaimed Jameson's, where he worked from age 26 to 33, establishing his reputation.

Second is his hunger for change. Before settling in Brisbane, he had left his parents' business to work in Japan and England, seeking experience and a glimpse of different kitchen styles. He fell in love with Japanese food and technique, and with the woman who is now his wife, Michiyo, a businesswoman and skilled home cook.

While at Jameson's, he was involved with an Australian seafood promotion in Singapore that led to an offer of chef de cuisine at Snappers at the the Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, his first hotel job, and the one that prepared him for his position here.

He and Michiyo love to travel, he said, and joining a hotel chain seemed a good way to marry his career with his avocation.

Although Brisbane and Singapore afforded him extraordinarily varied ingredients, Scholtmeyer has quickly become a promoter of Hawai'i foods, especially hearts of palm, moi and Kona lobster. He says the 'ahi here is the best in the world.