I am by no means an expert when it comes to hot culinary trends! Nor am i an expert on Maui.
I am however, the Queen of “Where should we eat?” I am also, an incredibly picky eater. And, I researched the hell out of Maui dining establishments both online and in person.
Rule one for dining in Maui… make sure to make dinner reservations!
That’s not to say that you can’t just spontaneously head out to dinner. Just don’t be surprised if there is a wait or if you have to head to your next option down the road. The majority of our dinner reservations I made on OpenTable a couple of weeks before we traveled. Super worth it, in my opinion!
Wailea
We were lucky enough to stay at Fairmont Kea Lani which is home to some amazing restaurants. Nicks Fish Market and KŌ. Both provide scrumptious options for the kiddos, as well. Our children especially liked the Nutella and Banana sandwiches at KŌ.
Nicks Fish Market was amazing, with a very romantic vibe. Both Justin and I had the Mahi Mahi, which was to die for!! However, hands down our favorite at Fairmont was KŌ. Prior to coming I had read about an Ahi appetizer that you seared yourself. “Ahi on the rock, you sear it” was every bit as amazing as it sounds. There is something truly fantastic about being able to sear your own Ahi on a lava rock! Not to mention, you get to dictate how “done” you want it.
Needless to say, we went to KŌ twice for dinner on our trip. We also consumed the Oishi Sushi, Lavender Honey Macadamia Nut Shrimp, Lobster Tempura, and the Macadamia Nut crusted fish. And, I would truly recommend all of the above!!
We also stopped in Kihei to try out WowWow Hawaiian Lemonade…. if you need something to quench you thirst, or are looking for something light, filling, and tasty definitely make a stop here.
Wailea is also home to some other truly amazing restaurants that we can’t wait to try next time we go!
Lahaina
I am slightly embarrassed to say that we made the trek to Lahaina for one reason only… Fleetwoods on Front St. I am a HUGE Fleetwood Mac fan. When I found out that Mick Fleetwood owned it I was sold. Not to mention I heard they had a truly incredible sunset ceremony, great drinks, and yummy food. I was not disappointed!
Upon arrival, they took us right up to the rooftop (there is a large indoor seating area, as well) and brought us to our table with a beautiful view of the ocean. SIDENOTE: if you are staying in Lahaina, they have an amazing rooftop bar! WE started out with the Lobster tacos for the table. Their Lobster Tacos have an incredible Lemon Aioli on them. It’s light and refreshing but adds that little something extra!
We also sampled our way through a couple of their hand-crafted cocktails… The Kokomo, The Spicy Lilikoi Margarita, and the 1944 Mai Tyler. All 3 of which I would happily order again. We both had Mahi Mahi. I ordered it with the Mango-Jicama Salsa and Justin chose to have it with Herbs and Panko. Both were outstanding! And we all finished off the night with their raw chocolate chip cookie dough and homemade vanilla bean whipped cream.
They had a great children’s menu as well. And the entertainment was out of this world! The sunset ceremony was beautiful. And, once it got dark they had live music! Definitely the place to be in Lahaina at night!
Some other great places that we hope to try next time..
- Leilani’s on the Beach
- Down the Hatch (they have adult shaved ice!!)
Paia
Now my favorite… Paia. Paia itself is home to the Flat Bread Company. We ate here the day we were leaving Maui. Everything is organic and everything is tasty! We couldn’t decide on one pizza so we ordered 3 and sampled them all. We tried the Pele Pesto, the Cheese and Herb, and an original Pepperoni. All 3 were fantastic! The Pesto on the Pele Pesto was one of the best Pestos I’ve ever had and the Cheese and Herb allowed the flavor of the Flatbread to come through magically! I also consumed the Lexi’s Wood-Fired Honey… a fabulous gin, honey, chili pepper concoction that I wish I could replicate at home!
For Dessert we opted to meander over to Ululanis Hawaiian Shave Ice (we had previously been there a few days before). Now take any preconceived notions about “snow cones” that you have and throw them out the window. This is a heavenly, smooth, velvety treat that you have to try!
Now, I’ve saved the best for last. Mama’s Fish House. It’s iconic and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who didn’t agree with the statement I am about to make. It is, hands down, THE BEST MEAL YOU WILL HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. You 1000% have to make reservations to eat here. It is a beautiful open air dining establishment in the middle of a coconut grove looking out over the ocean. Its tranquil and the kind of place that you just want to hang out at all day.
We started out with Grandma’s Shrimp Wontons. So good! We washed those down with a Mai Tai and a Strawberry Guava Fizz. I wish you all could have seen Justins face when they brought out his Mai Tai in a tiki glass. Now the best part… Mama’s Stuffed Fish. It is Mahi Mahi stuffed with Lobster and Crab with a baked Macadamia Nut Crust. It is decadent and buttery and literally melts in your mouth. And if that wasn’t enough, you have a lobster tail on the side. Just in case there wasn’t enough lobster for you!! I consumed every morsel on my plate.
I think the moral of this story, is that you really can’t go wrong at any restaurant in Maui.
