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.

Although Tasty Crust was my second choice for lunch, it should have been my first. At Tasty Crust, I had the best bowl of saimin, delicious fried chicken and a satisfying plate of loco moco. The food was simple, well priced and above all, true to it’s name – Tasty.

Our order started with just the fried chicken and loco moco, but after watching locals all around me slurping down noodles, I couldn’t resist. The price tag of <$5 for a small bowl made the dish even more irresistible. The broth was savoury, the noodles cooked just right, with plenty of chopped pork and green onions on top.

Two sunny side up eggs, a large hamburger patty covered with a thick gravy and two mounds of steamed rice made up the plate of Loco Moco, a local Hawaiian dish. After a day of hiking, this was a satisfying plate. The hamburger patty was moist and the sauce was so tasty (there’s a keyword of this review). Even today, I still think about that fried chicken. The skin really was super crispy, similar to Korean Fried Chicken and lightly seasoned. For ~$6 – $8 per plate, this meal was delicious and a great deal.

Whether you’re on your way to Iao Valley or just driving around Maui, if you find yourself in Wailuku, Tasty Crust is a perfect stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

One of our last dinners in Maui was at the Hali’imaile General Store. Located next to pineapple fields on the slopes of Haleakala volcano, the general store has evolved from offering deli and catering to one of the highest rated restaurants on Maui. With a menu featuring fresh local ingredients and Asian flavours, this meal was one of the highlights of our trip.

Atmosphere: After driving through fields to reach the restaurant, its quaint, traditional store front was fitting and welcoming. The restaurant interior was decorated with rich, colourful paintings and hanging 3D fish. There was a lively atmosphere and the space felt warm, comfortable.

Service: Our server was friendly and helpful. After we placed our orders, we noticed the gorgeous sunset outside and The Fiance grabbed his camera to take a few shots outside. Spotting me, along at the table, our server offered to take pictures of The Fiance and I on the restaurant porch. It was a wonderful gesture. I declined but he helped out a few other couples.

Food: With two appetizers and two entrees, we didn’t think we had ordered too much food but the portion sizes of the entrees were more than generous. We could’ve easily split one between the two of us.

To start, I couldn’t resist Bev’s Famous Pizza and the refreshing Sashimi Napoleon. Both dishes were excellent. The pizza was rich, while airy and that crab-topping is a secret worth keeping. Creamy, cheesy, delicious. The Napoleon used fresh, fatty cuts of fish that were buttery soft and complemented by the crunchy fried wonton wrappers. I also enjoyed the light vinaigrette that had a hint of wasabi and ponzu.

The strong Asian flavours were also present in the entrees. I chose the Grilled Rack of Lamb while The Fiance was won over by the Crispy Roast Half Duck. My racks of lamb were cooked to a perfect medium and the black bean Hunan sauce was sweet, thick, savoury and reminded me of Hoisin sauce but spicier and with more sesame. The wasabi mashed potatoes were also smooth, creamy and had a good kick. We had trouble finishing the half duck and ended up taking a good chunk home. The Grand Marnier sauce was sweet and tangy, a very elevated version of orange chicken with a way better crispy duck. The skin on the duck was well-seasoned and the picture speaks for how beautifully it was cooked. I was surprised by how much heat the plates had.

At Hali’imaile General Store, the Asian influences on Hawaiian cooking shone bright and made each dish special and unique.

Cool Cat Cafe was one of the restaurants recommended to us for our trip to Maui. Advertised as “the best burger in Maui”, The Fiance and I stopped by for dinner near the end of our trip, when we were ready for a non-seafood-centric meal. The restaurant was located in the heart of Lahaina’s tourist area, easy to find and ideal for families with a simple menu and kid-friendly choices.

After a day in the sun, we opted to sit inside where the A/C was on high. Cool Cat Cafe did have an awesome outdoor patio that overlooked the waterfront with live performers, picturesque “Hawaiian”. The restaurant interior was decorated like a diner with red and white benches, tall red leather bar stools and posters of old-school movies covered the walls. There was a lot of Marilyn and Elvis.

The Fiance ordered The Leader of the Pack Burger while I chose the Luna. His burger was topped with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, Maui onions and thousand island dressing. The patty was juicy and the slices of tomatoes and onions were thick. Overall, it was a good burger on a toasted bun. My burger was topped the same, with the addition of melted Jack cheese and bacon. With both burgers, I liked the thousand island dressing, an unusual topping that added more tanginess to each bite than ketchup would have.

We split a side of half fries and onion rings. Decent fires, but the onion rings were over battered. I could’ve skipped those and stuck to just the crispy fries. The pina colada was rich, smooth and creamy with lots of coconut flavour.

Cool Cat Cafe puts together a good burger with fresh ingredients. I would’ve preferred if the patty was thicker and a coarser grind, but I’m spoiled with the great burger offerings in Toronto. With lots of booths and a make your own milk shake menu, Cool Cat Cafe is a great stop for anyone visiting Maui.

Prior to my trip to Maui, I did a lot of food research and found out about Hawaiian’s love for plate lunches and spam musubis. Local Food serves up the best of both. Of all the spam musubis I had during my 10 days in Maui, this first one set the bar high and nothing beat it.

After a morning of exploring Lahaina and booking activities, we set out to find Local Food. Based on the address, I knew where it was supposed to be, but all we saw was a parking lot. The Fiance was convinced I was getting us lost until I noticed the wooden shed and hand painted sign hiding underneath an awning between two parked cars. Local Food was not the easiest to find. Stay on the East side of the street and south of the gas station.

We ordered a Hawaiian plate lunch with Kalua Pork ($7) and two spam musubis ($1.50 each). $10 bought plenty of food to feed the two of us. The plate lunch came with two generous scoops of rice and a large romaine salad. On top of the generous portions, the food was also delicious. There was no skimping on the natural flavour from the pork fat and the dish was perfectly salted. Both spam musubis were still warm, had a thick slice of spam and were full of sauce. The sauce was what made these special, and the best spam musubis I had in Maui.

Great value, local fare and perfect for lunch. Local Food is a must visit if you’re in the Lahaina area.

The Fiance and I spent our last day in Maui on the Road to Hana. It was an unforgettable day, filled with waterfalls, fresh fruit, coconut ice cream, stunning ocean views and a harrowing drive. We were looking forward to dinner, a reward after an active day and the Deep Fried Spam Musubi at Da Kitchen did the trick.

We arrived at 8pm. While there was a queue for tables of 4, as a duo, we were seated after a 5 minute wait. The space inside was painted a stark white and sparsely decorated. Our order consisted of the famous deep fried Spam Musubi, a bowl of Saimin and Korean fried chicken. After all the hiking we had done, I was craving greasy comfort food. I polished off all three plates with The Fiance’s help, but it was mostly my accomplishment.

Deep frying spam musubi sounds excessive, but the actual result was the right amount of indulgence. The additional crispy exterior contrasted the moist rice inside and soaked up the sauce. The dish could only be made more perfect if it came with an extra bowl of sauce. When the server brought over our giant bowl of saimin, I was a little intimidated. The noodle bowl was easily the same size as a Large or even Extra Large pho in Toronto. While the portion size was satisfying, I didn’t find the noodles special. A solid dish, but not the best Saimin of the trip. Ordering the Korean chicken was a gamble that paid off. I didn’t know what to expect, but the tender pieces of fried chicken served with a sweet soy sauce was filling and tasty. I especially liked the coarse crust.

While on vacation in Maui, The Fiance and I took a set of engagement photos around North Shore with the lovely and talented Anna Kim. Unfortunately, I managed to hurt my knee during the last photo, a jumping shot, and The Fiance was ready to head back to our hotel. However, I had planned for us to grab lunch at Paia Fish Market and I wasn’t willing to pass it up. After some convincing (aka stubbornness), The Fiance gave in and helped me limp into the restaurant. We arrived just after the lunch rush and was able to grab seats at the communal picnic tables inside. The decor reminded me of an old school boat cabin with wood beams and fish everywhere.

For lunch, we split an order of fish tacos and a fish burger. Our fish tacos were heaped with fresh toppings and served on creamy coleslaw. The fish was well seasoned and shredded, making it easy to get a bit of every ingredient with each bite. I liked how extra corn tortilla shells were included. There was so much filling, it was easy to make 4 tacos out of the two. At $12.95, the portion size was a great deal. The fish burger ($10) was the best I had on the island that trip. The giant slab of fish was cooked to just opaque, had an even crisscross of grill marks and was lightly seasoned, not overpowering the taste of the fresh fish. I loved the tangy tartar sauce and the simple sesame bun. It was worth a little pain to get my hands on that burger.

After reading the exceptional reviews online for Coconut’s Fish Cafe, we went out of our way to stop by while in Maui. Our visit was two hours after breakfast and neither the Fiance or I had much of an appetite. The restaurant was located in a strip mall, occupying two units with ample seating outside. The interior decor was made up of picnic tables and surfboards. Coconut’s Fish Cafe was named after the owner’s cat, Coconut, and pictures of her decorated the walls.

We placed our order at the counter, were given a number and choose a free seat. Once the dishes were ready, a server delivered them to us. Since we weren’t all that hungry, we stuck to two dishes, the Coconut Shrimp and Grilled Fish of the Day. The plate of 6 shrimp was $10.99 and compared to the quality and value of Geste Shrimp, I much preferred the latter. While the shrimp were crispy and not oily, I didn’t find them extra special. With the grilled fish, the portion was large, the fish was fresh, well seasoned and served on a bed of delicious brown rice. Hamburger toppings were served on the side consisting of lettuce, a slice of tomato and shredded cheese. On paper, I liked the idea of a bunless fish sandwich but it didn’t translate 100% on to the plate, a normal tossed salad would have worked better. Fresh fish was their strong point.

Searching for the best tuna poke bowls in Maui led us to Eskimo Candy Seafood Cafe and Market. On top of a full lunch menu of fish platters and tacos, Eskimo Candy offers a wide assortment of fresh and frozen seafood for purchase.

Atmosphere: The restaurant was not on the way for us and we did seek it out specifically. Parking was limited and the spots were tight. We stopped by later in the afternoon for an early dinner around 6pm, close to their 7pm closing time and didn’t run into a crowd. So late in the day, the selection of fresh fish available for purchase was limited. The restaurant decor is a little kitschy but cute. Fishing nets, dotted with starfish and shells cover the ceiling and there are sharks jumping out of the walls. Seating inside is limited and two tables are set up outside.

Service: Once you place your order at the counter and take a seat, dishes are brought to you. Other than that, there was little service required. Everyone we interacted with behind the counter was friendly. A washroom was available in the back storage room.

Food: All of the food we ate at Eskimo Candy was good, but their poke was stand out. For $10, the poke bowl was a great deal. Four flavours of fresh ahi poke, shoyu, wasabi, furikake and spicy, were served with wakame salad on a bed of steamed white rice with a wasabi aioli. So, so delicious. The tuna was fresh, seasoned and not too salty. This dish reminded me a lot of chirashi bowls with the seasoned rice, a delicious combination.

In addition to the poke, The Fiance and I split a plate of Grilled Fish Tacos and a grilled fish of the day, Walu. Each plate has an option of sides. With two plates, we were able to try the salad, fries, macaroni salad and coleslaw. I always find it hard to eat vegetables while on vacation, so I enjoyed the generous portion of the fresh salad. The coleslaw and macaroni salad were both rich and had a similar dressing.

The grilled Walu was excellently seasoned, flakey and tender with the flesh being just opaque. I found the seasoning of a few restaurants in Maui to overpower their grilled fish, but Eskimo Candy had it just right, enhancing the natural flavour without burying it. Our fish tacos were also well executed. None of the seafood tasted fishy at all, both were white fish with clean, light flavours.

With each plate being under $15, the value and quality of the seafood was outstanding. Simple dishes with fresh ingredients is the best combination for great food.

When The Fiance and I told people we were visiting Maui, the one restaurant everyone raved about was Mama’s. After spending 10 unforgettable nights on the island, I’m joining in. If I could only go to one restaurant in Maui, it would be Mama’s.

Atmosphere: To start, the location of the restaurant is stunning. Right along the beach, lit by tiki torches, looking out onto the ocean framed by palm trees, I couldn’t have imagined a more postcard setting. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated from driftwood furniture in the lobby to fresh flowers at each booth and table.

Service: Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. He provided a lot of additional information to the menu and answered our many questions. Dinner did run at a slow, relaxed pace , perfectly fitting for vacation.

Food: The pictures speak for themselves. Every dish was outstanding. The flavour of the fresh seafood stood out on each plate and was highlighted with strong Asian flavours. My mango pina colada was also to die for; creamy, rich, basically like the perfect ripe mango.

For appetizers The Fiance and I ordered the Tahitian Ceviche and fried Uku Cheek. I expected to love the ceviche (and did) but was blown away by the Uku Cheek, which was suggested by our server. The fish was tender, melt in your mouth with perfect crispy skin. There was much more meat on each piece than I was expecting as well. The soy chilli sauce and pickles served along side were refreshing and a great balance of sweet and sour.

When ordering our mains, we asked our server about the lobster on the menu was bummed to learn that they were from Maine and not local rock lobster. The reason being that the local supply would not be able to meet the demand from the restaurant. Knowing this, we stuck to fish-centered entrees. The “Island Fish” section of the menu changes daily based on what fish is available fresh from the fisherman. You can’t go wrong with any of the options. We ordered two different fish and flavour profiles. The Fiance had the stuffed Mahi Mahi with a macadamia nut crust while my Kampachi had more Asian influence with caramelized onions, tomatoes and served on a bed of black rice.

Although we were full, we left room to split an order of The Polynesian Black Pearl. The presentation of this dessert was beautiful and almost too pretty to eat, almost. The mousse was rich, airy and you could really taste the passion fruit.