One of the best parts of planning a trip is researching the local food scene to make sure I hit all of the highlights. I recently returned from a trip to Maui, Hawai'i with my sister, and the food there was just as beautiful as I had read about. In fact, some dishes and experiences were even better than I could have imagined!
First, there's the abundance of local seafood that's available on the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Every single resource recommended Mama's Fish House as a must-do destination, but it books up months in advance so I was only able to snag a reservation for lunch (the menu is the same for lunch and dinner so it didn't really matter). At first it may seem like a tourist trap, but this place is truly magical, from its location on a beautiful North Shore beach to more arrangements of tropical flowers than I have ever seen before.
Mama's Fish House is pricey (everything on Maui is), but the menu is printed daily and changes with the location the fish was caught and when known, the name of the actually fisherman who hooked it!
Hawaiian Kanpachi Stuffed with Crab and Lobster in a Macadamia Nut Crust
We enjoyed our first Mai Tai of the trip at Mama's, and it did not disappoint!
Mai Tais at Mama's Fish House
This Polynesian fantasy has legit appeal. The kitchen has been led by Maui-born executive chef Perry Bateman since 2000, and his food and the entire restaurant experience justifies its international reputation.
I am a huge fan of the show Top Chef, so one of my resources was recommendations from former contestant Sheldon Simeon. Born on the Big Island, Simeon now has Tin Roof and Tiffany's in Maui. Tin Roof is to-go only with playful take on classic local dishes, including a variety of poke, kau kau tins, sandwiches, and noodles. We got the garlic noodles and shrimp and enjoyed it on our condo's lenai (i.e. balcony).
Dinner from Tin Roof
A staple dessert or refreshing snack in Hawai'i is shave ice, and Sheldon recommended Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice, known for its super soft snow. There was a long line when we pulled up so we knew we were in the right place.
Line at Ululani's Shave Ice
Of course, I picked a base of macadamia nut ice cream which is then covered in snow and topped with your flavorings of choice. I stuck with the tropical theme and had passion fruit, mango and guava.
Shave ice with a view
The origins of shave ice are deeply tied to Hawaii’s agricultural history. During the era of sugarcane and pineapple plantations, Japanese immigrant workers invented shave ice. They would shave blocks of ice into a light, refreshing snow and drench it in natural syrups made from the pineapples and tropical fruits grown in Hawaii. Today, it's almost an art form as well as a lesson in speediness to accommodate that long line.
Another one of Sheldon's recommendations was Monkeypod Kitchen. They have Mai Tais with a honey lilikoi foam that were absolutely delicious. Lilikoi is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit. Definitely one of the top drinks of the trip!
Monkeypod Kitchen's Mai Tais with Lilikoi foam
Food trucks play a huge role in the food scene in Maui, offering easy accessibility to diverse cuisines and supporting small businesses. One that I read about in Eater was Kitoko Maui in the beautiful setting of South Maui Gardens in Kihei, which we were able to walk to from our condo. The chef is a French-trained pastry chef who serves the "fanciest loco moco in the islands." That's your choice of braised Maui beef, local venison or lobster with crispy sushi rice, green papaya salad and tamarind sauce topped with a fried egg. Lucky for us, the chef was also testing a new flavor of matcha macaron so we got to be his guinea pigs!
Loco Moco from Kitoko Maui
Of course, no visit to Maui would be complete without trying poke. The word "poke" means "chunk" in Hawaiian. Traditionally, poke referred to any meat or seafood cut into small pieces and marinated, though today it usually refers to seafood, specifically ahi tuna. While the exact origins are unclear, it's widely believed that locals have been enjoying marinated seafood chunks for generations. I got the traditional preparation of shoyu marinade, green onion, sweet onion, tobiko, sesame seeds, furikake and unagi drizzle with a side of sushi rice and slaw from South Maui Fish Company's food truck which uses 100% local fish from Hawai'i.
If you want to learn how to make your own poke at home, don't miss our Hands-On Tiki Time class on Thursday, September 19 at 6pm.
Poke from South Maui Fish Company
We also had poke as one of the many courses at our luau at the Old Lahaina Luau. The tradition of attending a luau was very important to me, so I researched the most authentic option and found this one. Located in Lahaina, where the devastating wildfires struck last year, we were happy to support the local economy of this small town still recovering. The meal here consisted of four courses with multiple dishes in each course.
To start, we enjoyed ulu, or breadfruit, hummus with freshly made chips from island starches. There were two sweat treats to start the meal as well, Haupia, made with sweetened coconut milk and Kūlolo, a baked pudding-like dish of grated cooked taro and coconut milk.
First course at luau
The second course was full of traditional Hawaiian dishes including Pua‘a Kālua which is tender roasted pig cooked in a traditional Hawaiian Imu (underground oven). We were able to see the pig unveiled after being cooked underground for over six hours.
That pork was served pulled but also wrapped in taro leaves and tied in a ti leaf.
Second course at luau
The other dishes in this course consisted of a salad of cured salmon, fresh Poke 'Ahi, a pohole salad (fiddlehead ferns grown in Maui) and Pa‘i‘ai, pounded taro root that is prepared in-house.
Second course at luau (continued)
Taro is a staple in Hawaiian cuisine. This tropical root vegetable is best known in Hawai'i for its use in poi, which is cooked taro that is then pounded into a paste and blended with water into a pudding-like consistency. The poi is then often fermented, which gives it its sour flavor. Paiai is the stage before hand pounded taro becomes poi. The only difference is that poi uses more water. I'll admit my sister and I weren't the biggest fans of the Paiai because it was simply bland and gummy.
The main course was more Americanized to fit the tastes of tourists. We had Pipi Kō‘ala, sous vide and grilled flat iron steak, served with a porcini truffle demi, fresh caught Pacific fish served with a garlic lemon aioli, caramelized boneless chicken marinated in a smoky pineapple island mix blend, leafy greens with avocado oil, seasonal root vegetables and Uala, which is steamed purple sweet potato wrapped in banana leaf topped with coconut cream. Palaoa, or house-baked taro dinner rolls with Guava Honey Butter (this butter was to die for!). It had gotten dark by the time this course was served, so the picture isn't great.
For dessert, we finished with Pineapple Delight, house-made pineapple sponge cake, toasted meringue, garnished with a chocolate Hawaiian petroglyph.
Fourth course at luau
Needless to say, you couldn't come close to finishing all of the food at this luau, but the experience goes so much farther than just the food. The performances tell the story of the Hawaiian people which is heartbreaking in many ways. I learned so much about the history of Hawai'i and the role of the United States during the luau but also throughout our entire trip. At nearly 100 percent capacity year-round, the Old Lāhainā Lūʻau seats 340 guests seven evenings a week, and has a dedicated staff of 200 employees. They say "Hoʻokipa (hospitality), Poʻokela (excellence), and aloha (love) are still the hallmark values expressed every evening at the lūʻau."
Luau performance
Another culinary standout was a farm tour and lunch at O'o Farm in Kula. What began in 2000 as a citrus and stone fruit orchard and a few coffee trees has become a competitive level producer of single-site coffee. O’o Farm now grows Hawaiian coffee and fruit trees, rows of lettuce & garden vegetables, and greenhouses with flavorful tomatoes, herbs, and flowers. We picked a berry off the coffee plant and spit out the bean to see what it tasted like. I am not a coffee drinker and even I thought this was cool!
But the highlight of the day was the four-course lunch we were served featuring ingredients from the farm. As you can see, edible flowers adorned each course. The beauty of each dish was matched only by the taste! This was some of the best food we experienced in Maui, and it was being produced by a chef in yet another food truck, this time on the farm. My expectations for this meal were highly exceeded!
Lunch at O'o Farm
Throughout this trip, we learned where the food we were eating came from, and we continued that journey with a visit to Maui Tropical Plantation on our last day. We toured the farm and saw pineapples, bananas, jackfruit, and dragonfruit (clockwise in the below photo) and many more tropical plants growing in their natural habitat.
Fruit growing at Maui Tropical Plantation
We even got a coconut husking demonstration!
When we returned home, I craved the fresh fish, fruits and vegetables (and banana bread that we ate just about every morning for breakfast!) we had so much of on our trip.
Traditional Hawaiian cuisine can be starch-heavy, but as you've seen, today's food in Maui has something for everyone. I came upon this recipe for fish grilled on pineapple planks from Food Network and decided that I would put my spin on it to pay homage to the food I ate on the trip. Of course, my pineapple purchased at the grocery store was nowhere near as ripe or delicious as the pineapple I had in Maui, but sometimes you have to make lemonade out of lemons. If you've ever cooked fish on cedar planks on the grill, you'll love this twist of using the pineapple itself as planks!
This simple yet elegant dish makes the most of a pineapple, using nearly every part to create flavorful fillets of fish. The pineapple peel protects the fish from direct grill heat, ensuring it stays moist, while the flesh turns into a delicious salsa that captures the essence of island cuisine. Serving the fish on pineapple "planks" adds a dramatic and fun touch to the presentation. You can even plant the top of the pineapple in potting soil like I did to use up even more of the fruit. Fingers crossed, in two years, I'll have my own homegrown pineapple!
Yields: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
1. Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Cut the top and bottom from the pineapple and discard. Cut the sides off to make 4 flat planks. Finely dice the pineapple flesh (discard the core) and put in a medium bowl.
We'll be grilling on our outdoor patio through October, so there's still plenty of time to learn how to be a grill master and eat delicious grilled foods!