Chef Kena Holtine

Head chef: retreats, family meals, meal prep.

Chef Kena Holtine

Head chef: retreats, family meals, fine dining, meal prep.

Kena is a soulful chef and proud mama whose love for cooking began at just 11 years old, preparing meals for her disabled mother in her Florida home. Rooted in Southern comfort food and the warmth of genuine hospitality, she grew up surrounded by the flavors of backyard BBQs and the traditions that bring people together around the table. At 18, she headed west to Southern California, where coastal cuisine and the vibrant Mexican food scene expanded her culinary horizons, inspiring a bold, ingredient-driven style centered on fresh, seasonal flavors.

Now based on Maui for over a decade, Kena infuses her dishes with the island’s abundance, drawing from the ocean’s bounty, local farms, and the spirit of aloha. Alongside her husband, she co-runs a taco catering company while also crafting intimate private dining experiences that reflect her Southern roots, West Coast creativity, and Hawaiian soul. For Kena, every meal is an opportunity to share love, connection, and joy; feeding not just the body, but the heart.

A chef from the lotus chefs team in a striped apron carefully garnishes multiple plated salads in a kitchen with wooden cabinets, smiling as she adds fresh herbs to each dish.
Chef Kena Holtine, dressed in a white coat, stands in a wooden kitchen holding a tray of small green appetizers. Plates with various dishes are arranged on the granite countertop behind her.
A woman with blonde hair, part of the lotus chefs team, pours water from a silver pitcher into a glass at an elegantly set outdoor table surrounded by greenery and flowers.
A woman with long blonde hair in a black dress stands outside, appearing to hold a rainbow on her outstretched hand, with green trees and a fence in the background—an image as vibrant as the creativity of the Lotus Chefs team.
A server places a small dish in front of a smiling woman at a decorated dining table with candles, flowers, and glassware. Two women in colorful dresses sit at the table.
Multiple white plates each with a serving of purple mashed potatoes, seared fish topped with herbs, and a yellow vegetable or fruit relish, arranged in rows on a table.
A woman in a black top and patterned skirt, part of the lotus chefs team, sets a long outdoor dining table with flowers, teacups, and plates under a glass pergola surrounded by lush greenery.
A chef from the lotus chefs team in a striped apron carefully garnishes multiple plated salads in a kitchen with wooden cabinets, smiling as she adds fresh herbs to each dish.