MAUI – FEAST AT LELE

It has taken me over 6 months to finish writing about my vacation in Maui. This is the first time I’ve so closely documented a trip and it was a lot of fun to reminisce with each post I wrote. I’m so lucky to have a partner who shares my love of eating and our vacations are pretty much planned around meals. When we booked our trip to Maui, attending a Luau was at the top of our to-eat list. After reading reviews and talking to people on Twitter, I choose to make reservations for Feast at Lele based on the intimate beach setting, private tables and French style service.

Service: Feast at Lele offers one sunset seating per day and the time varies by the season. I would recommend making reservations ahead of time to secure a table. We booked close to the end of our trip when we’d be up for a relaxing meal, with plenty of drinks, and it was a great way to wrap up our time on Maui. For groups of less than 9 people, cancellations are accepted until 10am the day of your luau. There wasn’t much cover from the elements and with unpredictable island weather, make sure to book with a hotel number or working cell phone number in case the luau’s cancelled due to rain.

Our seating was at 6:30pm and we spent the late afternoon walking around Lahaina before hand. Our hotel shuttle dropped us off at Lahaina Harbour and it’s about a 15 minute walk to the feast. There were plenty of taxis available after the feast to get back safely. When we arrived, we were offered fresh leis, a cocktail and taken to our seats, front row and centre (w00t). The first row of tables were all small tables and had the best view of the stage. Our server came to introduce himself, walked us through the drink menu and took our first order. He was very friendly, efficient and kept the drinks coming.

Atmosphere: The stage was set up right along the beach and we watched the sunset while guests slowly took their seats. I couldn’t have imagined a more scenic view. All of the servers and wait staff were dressed in sarongs and many guests sported Hawaiian shirts.

For me, the “feast” of the night was only ok, it was the “show” that made the luau. Feast at Lele aims to celebrate the food and dance of 4 Polynesian islands. Each island is represented by a course made up of 4-6 dishes and a performance. All of the performances were fun, energetic and truly entertaining. I loved the chanting of the New Zealand Maori Haka, the grace of the Hula, and the spectacle of the Samoan fire knife dance. We could feel the heat of the fire from our seats.

Three hours flew by and the experience was well-worth the price tag.

Food: Before getting into each course, I want to note that at any point in the meal, it is possible to ask for seconds on a dish. There’s so much food served that I would recommend getting seconds right away if you like something, otherwise you will fill up on other dishes that are only ok.

Feast at Lele is open bar with a selection of cocktails, liquors and beer. A premium selection is available at an extra cost. We stuck to the standard list and happily sipped too many creamy Pina Coladas and Mai Tais. There was one drink that was a Pina Colada with a swirl of strawberry cream that legit tasted like strawberry ice cream. I was in heaven after the first sip.

Of the four courses, my favourite was Hawaii, followed by New Zealand, Samoa and Tahiti. My favourite dishes were the Kalua Pork with Poi and the Hangi sliced steak. Both of these meat dishes were flavourful, tender and rich. We may have been spoiled by the rest of our meals in Maui but none of the seafood dishes stood out that night. In fact, I was looking forward to the baked Scallops of the Tahiti course, but the majority of them were undercooked.

Many of the side dishes that used fresh, raw ingredients were delicious, like the salad from the Hawaii course and the E-Iaota (raw fish ceviche) from the Tahiti course.

Overall, the private tables, table side service, stunning sunset and entertainment was what made Feast at Lele a great luau experience. I would recommend this luau for couples, adults or older children.