A good way to get to know Maui is to expertise the island’s meals. Take into account it a pleasant approach to study in regards to the native tradition. Let’s check out a few of the greatest meals gadgets that Maui has to supply.
Breakfast Meals
Pancakes – Hawaii-style pancakes are often large, fluffy and incorporate tropical fruits and macadamia nuts. However, that’s not all, top-of-the-line elements is including coconut syrup. It’s so yummy! I contemplate myself a pancake aficionado. Of all of the pancakes I’ve had in Hawaii, those I’ve had on Maui are a few of the most memorable. Listed below are our really useful locations to strive pancakes:
- Gazebo Restaurant – this pool and oceanside restaurant at all times has an extended line for his or her breakfast service. If you happen to go, plan on standing in line for at the very least 30 minutes.(As Gazebo Restaurant doesn’t have a web site, see this TripAdvisor link for extra particulars in addition to critiques.)
- Kula Lodge – the upcountry view right here is simply as scrumptious because the pancakes. We like stopping right here after watching a Haleakala sunrise.
- The Plantation House in Kapalua is one other considered one of our favourite breakfast spots. They serve Banana’s Foster Pancakes. Oh, and we love the view from The Plantation Home, as nicely.
- Kihei Caffe is one other in style breakfast place with pancakes.
Loco Moco – The loco moco is a hearty breakfast (or lunch) with rice, hamburger patty, fried eggs and brown gravy. You’ll discover a loco moco on nearly any breakfast menu. For locations to strive a loco moco, see our checklist of really useful pancake/breakfast eating places. Additionally contemplate a restaurant that’s quickly to be making a return in Lahaina — Aloha Mixed Plate and Da Kitchen.
Portuguese Sausage – This breakfast meat is a sort of cured, typically spicy pork sausage. You would possibly see it on Maui breakfast buffets and menus.
Bakery Gadgets
Komoda Retailer Bakery in Makawao makes scrumptious stick doughnuts (small doughnuts on a skewer stick) and coco puffs. As Komoda Retailer Bakery doesn’t have a web site, we’ll hyperlink to the TripAdvisor entry for Komoda Store Bakery. That is one other place to cease at after watching Haleakala sunrise.
Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop is well-known for his or her yummy pies, akin to Coconut Cream Pie, Chocolate Mac Nut Pie, Banana Cream Pie and Olowalu Lime Pie. Oh, I’m virtually salivating as I recall sampling these pies.
Banana Bread in Hawaii could be very tasty and made with native bananas. Our favourite banana bread on Maui is at Aunty Sandy’s in lovely Keanae off the road to Hana.
Snacks & Lunch
Kalua pork sandwiches are on most lunch menus throughout Maui. It’s shredded pork that’s historically cooked in an imu with a little bit of a smokey taste. There are different cooking strategies that give it the identical “imu” taste.
SPAM Musubi is a highly regarded lunch/snack merchandise for native residents. It’s a slice of SPAM served sushi-style. Hawaii’s 7-Eleven stores are well known for their SPAM Musubi.
Poke could be very in style in Hawaii. It’s cubed ahi tuna (uncooked) blended with onion, soy sauce and sesame oil. There are different inventive variations of poke. Search for it as an appetizer or lunch menu merchandise at nearly any restaurant. You will discover it in Maui grocery shops.
“Plate lunch” or “combined plate” is at all times on a menu the locals’ favourite lunch spots. These lunches often embody a selection of teriyaki rooster, huli huli (marinated and barbecued) rooster, fish, kulua pork, hamburger patty, fish or different protein plus white rice and macaroni salad. Da Kitchen and the soon-to-reopen Aloha Blended Plate are two locations that we’d suggest for a plate lunch.
Contemporary tropical fruits are exceptionally scrumptious in Hawaii. Strive island-grown papaya, pineapple, mango, guava, ardour fruit, bananas (notably apple bananas) and, in fact, pineapple. On Maui particularly, we suggest you strive these fruits:
- Maui Gold Pineapple – they’re so juicy and candy that we thought they style like they’ve been soaked in sugar, however they’re naturally that means.
- Kula or different upcountry-grown strawberries – are candy and flavorful. As a aspect be aware, considered one of our favourite desserts on Maui is at Nick’s Fishmarket. The dessert is Strawberries Panzin. Right here’s the menu description of it, “Ulupalakua Ranch Strawberries Flambéed Tableside with Grand Marnier Served with Hawaiian Brown Sugar, Devonshire Cream & Chocolate Sauce – FOR TWO PERSONS” It’s tremendously scrumptious.
Dinner
Contemporary native fish is exceptionally good in Hawaii, particularly with the Hawaii regional cuisine preparations. In fact, if you happen to like sushi, you’ll be in sushi paradise in Hawaii. Most of our favorite Maui restaurants serve scrumptious recent fish. Although most Maui eating places are blessed with an abundance of recent native fish, one restaurant particularly could be very well-known for recent fish. It’s Mama’s Fish House. One other place we suggest is Sansei. Some fish that you simply’ll typically see on Hawaii dinner menus are:
- Ahi (tuna)
- Mahi Mahi
- Ono (wahoo)
- Opakapaka (pink snapper)
- Onaga (long-tail crimson snapper)
- Monchong
- Opah (moonfish)
- Butterfish (black cod) will not be an area fish, however you’ll possible see it on menus in Hawaii. The Hawaii-style preparation of butterfish is with miso. We particularly like Sansei’s miso butterfish.
A luau is a stunning approach to spend a night with dinner and a Polynesian dance present. Most luau firms supply a buffet of native favourite gadgets. You’ll even get an opportunity to strive poi, which is way beloved in Hawaii, however maybe an acquired-taste for guests. So, a luau gives a pleasant alternative to pattern native meals that will help you uncover Hawaii meals that you simply like. That was how I first realized about kulua pork and now I hardly ever miss an opportunity to order it every time I see it. Here’s a list of Maui luau companies.
Desserts and Frozen Treats
Hula Pie from Hula Grill or Duke’s is a big, very sharable slice of macadamia nut ice cream pie with sizzling fudge sauce. We like it!
Coconut milk ice cream from Coconut Glen’s off the street to Hana is yummy deal with.
Tasaka Guri Guri is a little bit frozen deal with place within the Maui Mall in Kahului. They make a cross between sherbert and ice cream in two commonplace flavors — pineapple and strawberry. They’ve been in enterprise for a couple of 100 years, so you recognize that guri guri is a well-loved deal with.
Shave Ice is a refreshing deal with that’s like a snow cone, however so significantly better. The ice is softer and absorbs the flavour toppings very properly. We love ordering our shave ice with ice cream on the underside and topped (“snow capped”) with sweetened-condensed milk, we suggest that. Listed below are some shave ice recommendations from our associates at Delight of Maui.
Roselani Ice Cream has been making ice cream in Maui since 1932. Search for it in native grocery shops and in ice cream retailers.
Extra notes:
- Saimin, which is Hawaii-style ramen, is a well-liked dish with locals.
- On Maui yow will discover plenty of attention-grabbing farms that develop and make:
- Goat cheese at Browsing Goat Dairy
- Chocolate
- Espresso
What different cultural/native meals would you add to this checklist?
