In my quest to visit all of the national parks, I took a cruise to Hawaii to knock off two parks. Why a cruise? 1) You can pay on it over time. This took me a while to save up for. And 2) we are able to visit several islands. There are 7 main inhabited islans, and we started at Maui. Maui is home to Haleakala National Park, as well as Iao Valley State Monument. Both were stunning.
We started in Kahului and we visited the Maui Tropical Plantation in Waikapu, which is a farm-centric destination that features a few different businesses.
We had lunch at Cafe O'lei at the Plantation, where we enjoyed "Huli Huli" Style chicken - bone-in chicken, sweet soy glaze, asian namasu fried rice and local farm vegetables. I think I could live on food like this.
It's the sweet and sticky and a little spicy that does it for me. The meat itself is tender and juicy, with a gentle umami depth from the soy and a hint of brightness from citrus. Overall, it’s rich, sticky, and perfectly balanced between sweet and savory with a touch of smoke.
Outside of the restaurant is The Country Market, which features tons of locally made goodies - including from Kumu Farms and Maui 'Oma Coffee Roasting Company.
I picked up some chocolate dipped pineapple from Kumu Farms.
And, I took home some macadamia nut brittle from Hawaiian Heritage Farms, as well.
The Country Market Coffee Shop serves baked goods, fruit, smoothies, etc.
I enjoyed the "Kumu Sunrise" with orange juice, apple, banana, sunrise papaya, mango and pineapple.
After the first leg of my adventure in Maui, I took an uber to Tin Roof. Tin Roof Maui is a casual lunch shop by Chef Sheldon Simeon in Kahalui, Maui. Dishes include mochiko chicken, poke bowl and pork belly.
Sheldon had two James Beard Award nominations in 2011: “Rising Star Chef of the Year” and “Best New Restaurant,” as well as Food & Wine's "People's Choice Best New Chef" and StarChefs's Hawaii Rising Star Concept Chef award in 2012. Sheldon competed in both the 10th and 14th seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” winning Fan Favorite both times. In 2016, he opened Tin Roof.
It's a to-go only window, and I placed an order for the Mochiko Chicken. Mochiko Chicken: The #1 seller, featuring chicken marinated in ginger-sake-shoyu, fried, and topped with miso sauce, gochujang aioli, and furikake. All washed down with Waiakea Hawaiian Volcanic Water.
My final stop in Maui was Mama's Fish House, a world famous restaurant on Maui's North Shore, featuring Hawaiian fish brought in daily by fishermen.
The restaurant was founded in 1973 by the Christenson family after years sailing the South Pacific, bringing their love of Polynesian food and culture to the area. The restaurant’s name honors “Mama Doris,” and its early success came from serving fresh local fish at a time when tourists were unfamiliar with how delicious local seafood could be.
The menu focuses on today’s catch, with fish delivered daily by local fishermen who often have their name and catch location printed on the menu. Common fish include mahi-mahi, ono (wahoo), opakapaka (Hawaiian snapper), Ê»ahi (yellowfin tuna), papio (goatfish), and moi — all served within 24 hours of being caught.
To start off the meal they served a complimentary small cup of tomato ginger bisque.
A small, poppy seeded loaf of wheat bread was also served to the table. It was soft, slightly sweet and served with butter.
I ordered the Hawaiian Kanpachi with Crab & Lobster in a Macadamia Nut Crust - sustainably caught off the coast of Kailua-Kona near Keahole Point.
Sweet, buttery crab and lobster are tucked inside tender Hawaiian kanpachi, whose clean, ocean-fresh flavor stays light and delicate. The macadamia nut crust adds a toasted, slightly sweet crunch that contrasts beautifully with the flaky fish and rich shellfish.
Grade: A
