@Nomversations in Maui, Hawaii
1. Fresh Coconuts along the road
Fair warning: these were $15 each!! The price is ridiculous but it's the price you pay if you are in Hawaii and want da fresh coco. They were the only stand on the street on our way to the beach so Supply and Demand. Each coconut had a different taste. I lucked out and mine was extremely sweet and delicious but the others weren't as sweet and had different flavors.
2. Paradise Cove Luau Food
The luau was AYCE & AYCD! The food was actually pretty delicious except for a few that were a bit too salty for me. I guess you had to eat it with hawaiian bread but I didn't want to fill myself up with all that starch. The drinks were pretty delicious as well and I tried almost everything on the menu but they weren't very strong. I had like 5-6 different drinks and didn't feel a thing.
*This is not food related but I was disappointed that this luau didn't have any fire performers. I had my camera ready to take some cool action shots.
3. Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors (AKA DANK POKE)
This was a random location to buy poke since it's in a wine and liquor store but we got recommendations from locals and they did not stir us wrong. We first came right when it closed so they didn't have any fresh fish but we came back on Thursday, which is when they restock with all fresh fish, and they had an array of choices, mostly ahi tunas (which I love so I wasn't complaining). Others wanted Salmon so they bought that at the grocery store near by.
I got the Spicy Garlic Ahi Tuna and Tamura's Special Ahi Tuna. The special is definitely worth getting, it's delicious on its own. However, the Spicy Garlic, which was good, was a bit too salty on its own and need to be eaten with rice. Fair warning, it has a strong garlic favor that kind of masked the tuna but still good.
4. Teddy's Bigger Burger
This is a famous Hawaiian burger joint with HUGE burgers. They have three sizes: Big, Bigger, Biggest. They for sure do not skimp on your burger because I got the Big Burger and I could not even fit it in my mouth. I got the Lahaina Burger with Swiss Cheese, Bacon, and all the works with a size of sweet potato fries. I ended up eating the burger with a knife and fork because I couldn't fit it in my mouth (ha ha ha) but also because I didn't want to eat the bun.
5. Lahaina Grill
Since Joey/Julie and Chris/Brenna were doing date night, the rest of us went to have our own special celebratory dinner. So we definitely balled out! We went to one of the best restaurants in Maui, each ordered a cocktail, wine with our dinner, an appetizer, and an entree. Including tax and tip we each spent $125.
Appetizer:
- Baked Escargot: I've had better in Paris so this was a bit disappointing. They used a curry sauce instead of the traditional butter and garlic. I wasn't a huge fan of it.
- The Cake Walk: 3 crab cakes that were prepared in 3 different ways. This also was not that special and it did not blow my mind.
- Fried Oysters: the oysters were actually really meaty and delicious. It had a nice batter to it that made the oyster crunchy. I was not crazy about the bed of veggies that it was sitting on top of. It could have done without it or with something more complementary. It seemed like a garnish to make the dish look more full.
- Seared Ahi with Foie Gras: MUST HAVE MUST HAVE MUST HAVE!!! This was the most delicious dish of the entire night, actually entire trip. The Ahi was seared perfectly and the foie gras complimented the fish so well. Additionally sauteed spinach underneath was breathtaking as well.
Entree:
- Veal “Osso Buco”: the veal was cooked extremely well and the meet came out delicious. Definitely a hit of the night as well.
- Rack of Lamb: this was good as well since you can't go wrong with lamb but a bit disappointing. There was nothing magical about this dish or the way it was cooked. It did not stand out to me.
- Opakapaka: this was their special and it's a battered fish over corn risotto. I love risotto and since the others all got red meat, I decided to go with a fish entree instead. The fish was very interested. It lacked a bit of flavor, in my opinion but they cooked it in a way that made the texture a bit like meat so it was good and different from other fish I had.
This is in the food court of the mall near our hotel. It was good but a bit over price for the size of the meals. The best part is definitely the garlic fried rice but nothing else blew me away. It was a good brunch/lunch stop to get some hawaiian cuisine. This is the Short Rib Hash with Garlic Rice and Sunny Side Up Egg.
7. Ululani's Shaved Ice
Maybe shaved ice just isn't for me but I did not find this shaved ice any better or different than other places I've been too. It's just ice with syrup... You get tired of it after a few bites so a small should be shared between two people. The best part was definitely the macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom so would recommend getting that. I was a bit disappoints since this chain is so well known with great reviews. I don't see what hype was about...
