The Taste of Maui: A Guide to Top Restaurants in Maui
An island of flavor: the top restaurants in Maui
Discover Maui's culinary treasures through traditional and modern island dishes
Maui's cuisine is a vibrant mix of traditional island fare and global influences. From fresh seafood and exotic fruits to Japanese sushi and Filipino delicacies, the island’s diverse culinary heritage is unmatched. Local favorites like poke, kālua pork, and shave ice highlight this dynamic blend, while innovative eateries continue to honor Maui’s deep-rooted connection to its land, people, and flavors.
A taste of tradition
The people of Maui have eaten well for centuries. The island diet has always been packed with fresh seafood, exotic fruits and vitamin-rich vegetables. Home recipes are still handed down through the generations, and places like Mama’s Fish House (799 Poho Place, Paia) are the perfect place to experience old world cooking. The menu is packed with excellent local fish and it explains exactly who caught it and where it was landed. Don’t miss the Mama’s mahi-mahi curry.
Of course, the island’s immigrant community have played a huge part in the culinary heritage. To sample a Filipino twist, head to Balai Pata (425 Koloa Street, Kahului) for a bouillabaisse laced with coconut and lime butter and noodles, fresh shrimps with sweet potato fritters, and grilled chicken wings with pickled papaya.
However, it’s the Japanese influence that’s most prominent, and islanders are spoiled when it comes to sushi, sashimi, ramen and noodles. To sample some of the best on the island, join the line at Ichiban Okazuya (2133 Kaohu Street, Wailuku). The plantation-era menu at this simple hole-in-the-wall spot is excellent value and every dish sings with authenticity. It’s the chicken katsu, the sauteed red snapper, and chow fun noodles with tempura shrimp that keep the locals coming back for more.
Five must-try dishes
1. Loco Moco
This much-loved staple of the Hawaiian diet was born in 1949 when a bunch of teenagers from a local sports club requested a cafe create a cheap, filling, and tasty alternative to a sandwich. The result was the now ubiquitous dish of white rice, topped with a beef patty, caramelized onion gravy, and a fried egg. It’s enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (or anytime in between).
2. Shave ice
Anyone who’s grown up on the islands loves these multi-colored delights. In its simplest form, it’s thinly shaved ice served in a cup, paper cone, or bowl drenched in syrups made from local ingredients like banana, pineapple, passionfruit, guava, lychee, kiwifruit, mango, and coconut cream.
3. Poke
Possibly Hawaii’s most famous culinary export, this super fresh dish of marinated seafood has evolved dramatically since pre-contact times when natives would feast of fresh fish simply massaged with sea salt and seaweed. Today, you’ll find influences from across the globe with shrimps marinated in kimchi, miso-infused octopus, and even bacalao poke made with Portuguese dried salt cod.
4. Mahi-mahi
Caught year-round in the waters surrounding Maui, no trip to the island is complete without experiencing a grilled piece of mahi-mahi. With a similar texture to swordfish, it’s perfect for the high heats of pan-searing or barbecuing and is often served with salads and ice-cold beer. The local fishing community monitor stocks and it’s only ever line caught, making it a sustainable option.
5. Kālua pork
Kālua is a traditional Hawaiian method that involves slow-cooking meat in an underground oven. A labor of love, it involves digging a large pit, building a fire, heating huge stones, and layering banana leaves, vegetables, and pork shoulder before covering with earth and leaving to cook for hours. It results in melt-in-the-mouth meat that’s often enjoyed at celebrations and feasts.
A taste of the future
Across the island, there’s a deep connection to eating local, with chefs, fishermen and farmers working more closely than ever before. To get a sense of this ethos, head inland to Marlow (30 Kupaoa Street, Makawao) where local chef Jeff Scheer has taken the Neapolitan pizza and loaded it with local toppings. Think braised pork with passionfruit butter and lapa'au oyster mushroom with confit garlic.
Things get even more interesting down the road at Maui Bees (150 Pulehunui Road Kula) – a farm that specializes in incredible honey, organic fruit and vegetables and produce from its small holding. It’s a fascinating place to visit during the week to learn about the local eco-system, but it’s all about the Friday night dinners under the stars, when chefs create a seven-course dinner using ingredients sourced steps from the kitchen.
There’s just as much hype around take out joint Tin Roof (360 Papa Place, Kahului) where lines snake from the door for customizable bowls of garlic noodles topped with insanely crunchy fried chicken, day-fresh poke, or umami-rich pork belly. A block from Kanaha Beach Park, it makes for the perfect lunchtime picnic in the shade of a palm.
To experience the island’s contemporary connection to its Japanese heritage, there are a couple of sushi spots that can’t be missed. Firstly, the crew at Nuka (780 Haiku Road, Haiku) have transformed an old auto supply into one of the most progressive food spots on the island. Here, you’ll want to order as many of the small plates as possible, ranging from edamame beans drenched in truffle oil and beef tenderloin in a yakitori sauce, before moving onto the excellent ngiri and sashimi. Next, add Oao Sushi (34 Wailea Gateway Place, Kihei) to your list. It’s a buzzy spot that fuses excellent sushi with delicious cocktails that proves Maui’s food scene is in very safe hands.
Explore Maui with Diners Club
Look for the Diners Club International and Discover acceptance marks to know where you can stay, dine, and shop when in Maui.
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