Dining Archives - Kihei Hale O Maluhia - Maui Vacation Rental Condo

5 Places To Grab A Great Breakfast In Kihei Maui

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Restaurants & Food June 23, 2018July 3, 2018Dining, Food, foodie, foodtrucksmaui, Grinds, hawaiieats, islandeats, OnoGrinds, Restaurants, wheretoeat, WhereToEatAndDrink

5 Places To Grab A Great Breakfast In Kihei Maui

Good Morning Maui!! You’re here finally and are up with the birds. Time for a yummy breakfast but not sure where to go for the best island breakfast? We’ve got you covered in our breakfast guide with 5 places to grab a great breakfast in Kihei.

Does the sound of banana macadamia nut pancakes make your tummy grumble? How about a bowl of fresh fruit salad, island style?

Let’s start with a quick and light breakfast version for those on the go or in search of a healthy start to their day –

Quick, Healthy & Light

Brekkie Bowls

Located in a non-descript light industrial park near two fitness centers, Brekkie Bowls food truck serves up healthy Açaí or Pitaya (dragon fruit) bowls to locals and visitors ‘in the know’. Here’s the inside dish, pick your base (Açaí or Pittaya), pick two fruit toppings, add some toppings like almond butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds or gogi berries and head to the beach to watch the day get started. Don’t forget your kombucha, coffee or fresh smoothie!! Brekkie Bowls are all organic, no added sugar and ono delicious.

What is Açaí you ask? Açaí berries come from the Acai palm. They’re small grape sized berries that pack a nutritional punch of antioxidants, beneficial fiber and heart-healthy fats. How about Pitaya? Pitaya, also known as dragon fruit is the fist sized fruit of the Cereus pitahaya plant that also boasts powerful nutritional benefits. Check our our post on visiting Maui’s only Dragon Fruit Farm!

Brekkie Bowls

Website: http://www.brekkiebowlsmaui.com/

Location: 300 Ohukai Rd B2 -202, Kihei, HI 96753 (In front of Makena Crossfit)

Hours: 7:30 am to 1 pm

Follow: Brekkie Bowls on Instagram

Hearty or Healthy

Nalu’s South Shore Grill

Next up on our breakfast tour of Kihei is Nalu’s South Shore Grill. Nalu’s is known for their fantastic night entertainment and dinners but they serve up a mean breakfast too! They serve up Loco Moco all day so those who want to really fuel up are all set! Not sure what Loco Moco is all about, check out our Ultimate Food Guide To Hawaiian Local Foods and read all about it.

Nalu’s also serves up Açaí and Pitaya bowls but you might want skip the bowls and give their signature pancakes served with a homemade rum syrup, Maui Gold pineapple, bananas, and mac nuts a try. Yum! Maybe add a side of Malasadas? eh?

It’s very casual here, order at the counter and seating is open.

Nalu’s South Shore Grill

Website: https://nalusmaui.com

Hours: 8:00 am – 9:30 pm

Location: 1280 S Kihei Rd Ste 132, Kihei, HI 96753

Follow: Nalu’s On Instagram

Something For Everyone

Kihei Caffe

Next up is by far one of Kihei’s most popular breakfast spots and the line out the door is testimony to just how popular this beach cafe is. Situated right on South Kihei Road, for years, Kihei Caffe has been dishing up delicious breakfasts to locals and visitors alike. If eating hearty breakfast while sitting outside and watching the world go by sounds good to you then this is the spot. Breakfast is served all day, no problem if you sleep in!

Remember those banana macadamia nut pancakes I mentioned earlier (you can get mac-nut French toast too)? Yep, you can get them here along with all of your traditional breakfast favorites and a few new local style dishes.

Tip – Get there early to avoid the line and to grab one of the outdoor seats. Also go early if Pecan Sticky Buns is your thing, they sell out early. Or grab your food to go and head to the beach across the street.

Kihei Caffe

Website: http://kiheicaffe.com/

Hours: 5:00 am – 3:00 pm

Location: 1945 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753

Follow: Kihei Caffe on Instagram

Hearty and Local

808 Grindz Cafe

*photos by Annie-N, Tea-A and Robert E. via Yelp*

This hidden gem is tucked back in the Safeway shopping mall. Famous for their Mac-Nilla sauce for their pancakes and waffles but they have just about everything under the breakfast sun as well. Casual atmosphere, order at the counter and all food is ‘to-go’ – you can take it to the beach, back to the condo or sit at their outside tables. Since the weather in Maui is lovely most any time of the year, you can’t go wrong no matter where you choose to sit and eat.

You’ll find a lot of local-style influence in their menu (like Loco Moco, fried rice or Kalua pork hash). How about trying the Kawabanga Breakfast with ubiquitous Spam on the side! Hows that for local-style!!

Where does 808 and Grindz come from? 808 is the local area code, and grindz is the local Pidgin term for food, good food.

808 Grindz Cafe

Website: http://www.808grindzcafe.com

Location: 225 Piikea Ave, Kihei, HI 96753

Hours: 7:00 am – 2:00 pm (breakfast and lunch all day)

Fancy Schmancy

Ka’ana Kitchen at the Andaz Hotel

Our number 5 pick goes all out. If you really want to treat yourself to an elegant breakfast at one of Maui’s premier fancy schmancy hotels then Ka’ana Kitchen is the place. The breakfast buffet will set you back roughly $50 per person (excluding gratuity) and for the buffet, it’s best if you arrive earlier rather than later, they seem to slow down stocking the breakfast bar around 10am. Breakfast can also be ordered off the menu, of course, and items such as Cinnamon Roll Pancakes with coconut creme, macadamia nuts and pineapple compote or Poached Eggs and Sweet Potato cake intrigue the palate.

Free Valet Parking can be validated at the restaurant.

Ka’ana Kitchen

Website: https://bit.ly/2IlBmUz

Location: 3550 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea, HI 96753

Hours: 6:30 am – 11:00 am

Follow: Andaz Maui on Instagram

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide or Maui Events Calendar!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our Maui Travel Guide to receive the latest travel tips, special events and to find out what's happening in our Island Paradise! * Your privacy is paramount to us. We will never share or sell your information! *

Travel Tip created by Laurie in association with Vacation Soup

The Essential Guide To Food Trucks Of South Maui

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Restaurants & Food February 11, 2018February 3, 2023CheapEats, Dining, fish and chips, Food, foodie, FoodTrucks, foodtrucksmaui, Grinds, Hawaii, hawaiieats, HolidayInMaui, islandeats, Kihei, KiheiStationFoodTrucks, Maui, Restaurants, StreetFood, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, wheretoeat, WhereToEatAndDrink 0 Comment

The Essential Guide To Food Trucks Of South Maui

Some of Maui’s best ‘grinds’ (food) are offered up from Food Trucks. We’ve put together this ‘Essential Guide To Food Trucks Of South Maui‘ as a jumping off point for what’s sure to be an ever growing list of hidden gems that are sprouting up around South Maui (North Kihei to South Wailea) and Island wide.

There’s no arguing that Maui is one of Hawaii’s top gastronomic destinations with it’s fusion of Island-Asian style blended with traditional Polynesian and sprinkled with European influence. The top end restaurants though wonderful and decadent come with a hefty price tag. Maui’s local food trucks offer up amazing, mouth watering, local style dishes aimed at the average to budget traveler and local alike.

Get ready to thrill your taste buds with these local style grinds!

Kina’ole Grill

Let’s start with Kina’ole Grill Food Truck. Kina’ole Grill appeals right away with their beautiful turquoise truck painted with a lei-making beauty and an outrigger-canoeing guy. But though their truck is eye-catching, it’s what’s being served from the widow on the other side that has locals and tourists talking. Sample menu items range from fresh grilled Ahi to Chicken Katsu. The Crispy Calamari is a big hit with it’s Dynamite Sauce as is the Coconut Shrimp! How do Pulled Pork Sliders with delicious Guava BBQ Sauce sound?

Kina’ole Grill Food Truck can be found just across from Kamaole I beach (Bonus! It’s walking distance from our condo!) in South Kihei.

Link – https://www.facebook.com/KinaoleGrillFoodTruck/

Hours – 7 Days a Week 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

Prices – $11-30

Address – Corner of S. Kihei Road and Alanui Kealili Dr, Kihei, HI 96753

Aloha Thai Fusion

Maybe you’ve had grilled Ahi and Mahi Mahi a few days in a row and are looking for something delish but just a little different. Then no problem because parked right next to Kina’ole is Aloha Thai Fusion Food Truck (and catering)!

Why not try some Hand Rolled Spring rolls all vegetarian with fresh herbs, or Maui’s voted Number One Pad Thai Chicken or Shrimp? Can’t go wrong with their Fresh Grilled Fish Tacos made with stone ground tortillas and pineapple coleslaw w/cilantro lime mango crème fraiche!

Link – http://www.alohathaifusion.com/

Hours – 7 Days a Week 11:00 am – 8:00 pm

Prices – $8-25

Address – Corner of S. Kihei Road and Alanui Kealili Dr, Kihei, HI 96753 (Use map above)

Big Beach BBQ

Now Big Beach BBQ has a big local following as they’ve been serving up BBQ delights on island for some time now. They had a regular spot at the Maui Brewing Co but just announced their new location at the Kukui Mall. Their motto – “Pork & Pelagics is what we do.” – keeping it simple.

The meat is smoked in Kiawe and the fish is caught locally, offering you a genuine taste of the islands that’ll keep you coming back for more. Vacation over? No problem, they sell their BBQ Sauce and Hot Sauce so you can take some of the islands home with you.

Menu items range from Pulled Pork Tacos to a side of Mac Salad (it’s a ‘thing ‘ in Hawaii) to the Pine Dog (pineapple infused pork link).

They constantly move between their locations in Makena (Big Beach), and Kukui Mall. But, they don’t move at random, so if you’re ever curious about where they’ll be and when, just go to any of their social media pages or head over to their website to check out their schedule!

Link – https://www.instagram.com/bigbeachbbq or https://www.bigbeachbbq.com/

Hours – Wednesday 5pm – 10pm , Fri, Sat, Sun 11am – 5pm

Prices – $3-14

Address – Varies but their Kukui Mall location is; 1819 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753

Jawz Fish Tacos

If you’re headed out to Makena Beach (aka Big Beach) or any beach in that vicinity then no need to pack a lunch, just head over to Jawz Fish Tacos. It’s oh so much more than just fish tacos. For a food truck, they offer a nice variety on their menu. Everything from (of course) Fish Tacos to Shave Ice (again, in Hawaii it’s a ‘thing’). Maybe you forgot your water bottle and you’re mouth is full of salt water from body surfing at Big Beach, no problem – Jawz has you covered.

Link – https://www.yelp.com/biz/jawz-tacos-big-beach-makena

Hours – Monday – Saturday (Closed Sunday) 10:30am – 7:30pm

Prices – $4-12 BRING CASH, it’s a little isolated out at Makena.

Location – Makena Beach Parking lot #1

Horhito’s Mobile Taqueria

I’m sensing a theme here for South Maui Food Trucks – Tacos! Next up on our list is Horhito’s Mobile Taqueria.

Open daily from 10am-9pm, specializing in Mexican Cuisine, Horhitos was voted Maui’s Best Food Truck in MauiTimes Best of Maui Issue. The shrimp ($3) and fish (ono or mahi, $4) tacos come on flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, cheese, chipotle mayo and pico de gallo. The steak, al pastor and smoked roast pork tacos ($2) are served on corn tortillas and topped with onions and cilantro. The menu also includes breakfast burritos and wraps, Hawaiian plates, quesadilla, burritos and hot dogs.

Link – https://www.facebook.com/HorhitosMobileTaqueria/

Hours – 7 days a Week, 10:00 am – 9:00 pm

Prices – GREAT! $2-9

Address – 1941 S Kihei Rd, Kihei, HI 96753

South Maui Fish Company

One of my all time favorites that I stumbled upon by chance when they were first starting out is South Maui Fish Company. Give their poke bowl a try, it’s amazing!

From their website; “At South Maui Fish Company we take great pride in offering you the freshest quality of fish. Daily catch coupled, with much of our menu being locally sourced produce and as many sustainable ingredients as possible. We want our customers to have a great meal while having the least amount of impact on our environment.”

Link – http://southmauifishco.com

Hours – Monday – Saturday 11:00a.m. – 8:30 p.m (Open until they sell out, which does happen)

Prices – $3-26

Address – 22 Alahele pl. Kihei, HI, 96753 (Behind the Union 76 station on S Kihei Rd)

Outrigger Pizza

A departure from the food trucks above is Outrigger Pizza. Offering up pizza delights such as White Cheddar Mushroom and Chicken Bacon Ranch! You’ll also find other amazing pizza flavors from this mobile eatery such as Pesto Pie and Spinach Delight. Maui’s first wood-fired pizza food truck, the chef/owner uses Kiawe wood in the over and hand makes each pie while you wait! Check them out at the Kukui Mall. Psst… Kiawe is a lesser known species of Mesquite.

Link – https://www.outriggerpizzas.com

Hours – Monday – Saturday 11-830pm

Prices – $8-15

Location – Kukui Mall 1819 S Kihei Rd, Kihei HI 96753 (see Big Beach BBQ above)

Kihei Station Food Trucks Court

Recently, a little-used parking area behind the mauka (mountain side) Azeka Shopping Center has been converted into a food court of food trucks. From their website “Kihei Station Food Truck / Trailer Pod is a culinary carnival with a rotating lineup of culinary curiosities that are sure to amaze, delight and astound.”

There are shade structures, games and plenty of trucks to choose from.

Here’s a list of some of the food trucks rotating in/out at Kihei Station with about 5 or 6 in residence at any given time.

Teddy’s Burgers – Authentic home-style burgers, thick shakes and all the traditional sides.

Just Put In – Serving up the French-Canadian delicacy known as Poutine (French Fries topped with cheese curds and brown sauce/gravy)

808 Street Grindz – Grilled cheese, Sliders, Tacos and sides

Bait & Hook – A Seafood Eatery – Poke, Chowder, Fish Tacos and more

Gyro – Greek Mediterranean Grille – Gyro, Salad, Falafel, Hummus

Da Nani Pirates – Tacos, Wraps, Salad, Sandwiches

Lahaina Hot Dog Co – All beef hot dogs, sausages & more

Old Lahaina Town Coffee – Coffee

Melemele Sweet Shop –

Off the Griddle – Waffles

Several more trucks are slated to be added in the near future. We’ll update this post as new trucks rotate in and out.

Hours – 11:30 – 8pm

Prices – Varies depending on vendor

Location – 1 Pi’ikea Avenue, Kihei, Maui, Hawaii 96761 (Behind Azeka Shopping Center)

Have a favorite food truck in South Kihei or on Maui, drop us a note below in the comments section, we’d love to hear from you!

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide or Maui Events Calendar!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Maui On Tap – Exploring A Local Craft Brewery

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Restaurants & Food, See and Do on Maui January 26, 2018May 6, 2018Beer, Brewery, ColdBeer, Dining, Food, foodie, Grinds, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, LocalStyle, Maui, MauiActivities, MauiBrewingCo, Restaurants, Travel Tips, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, whattodo, wheretoeat 0 Comment

Maui On Tap Exploring A Local Craft Brewery

With names like Bikini Blonde, Pineapple Mana and Pau Hana (Hawaiian for ‘later’ or ‘after finished’, which translates also to after work) one can expect to have some delicious island style craft brewed beer, and Maui Brewing Co. doesn’t disappoint. Come visit their Brewery in Kihei, Maui!

About Maui Brewing Co.

TASTING ROOM
Sit back & relax, or play some boards games, while enjoying a beer in our tasting room or covered lanai with glorious views of both Haleakala & Molokini! We offer many styles from our thirty-two tap draft system, and have selected ciders, wines, and specialty cocktails. We welcome families with children who are well-supervised during your visit. Unfortunately, we are not able to welcome any pets (unless service animals) for health code reasons.

RESTAURANT

2018 marked the year for the opening of MBC’s brand new Kihei on-site restaurant. It’s already surpassed expectations and is one of the islands most hopping restaurants! Fantastic ambiance, great food, excellent service (and I mean top notch!), and of course there’s the outstanding beer -what an amazing selection! (personal fav is the Imperial Coconut Porter -delish!)

BREWERY TOURS

Offered daily from their Kihei Tasting Room. A 45-minute guided tour providing an up-close glimpse of our brewhouse, cellar and packaging line. The tour ends with a tasting of our flagship beers, a token for a full beer (or Island Root Beer), and a souvenir glass for you to keep!

TOUR HOURS & PRICING
Hours: MBC offers six daily tours between noon and 3:15

Public Tours are $15 per person. Book your tour

LIVE MUSIC

Between 5 -8pm MBC features live local bands and music, perfect for taking in Sunset while sipping a few cold ones and noshing on some good local food-truck fare. Follow MBC on Instagram for their updated music schedule.

Please note: No minors are allowed in the Tasting Room after 8pm

TAKE SOME BACK TO THE CONDO

MBC offers their beer to go in four packs or six packs, crowlers, growlers, and kegs (ok, maybe you shouldn’t take a keg back to our condo.) You’ll love that that you can pick from their extensive on-tap menu and they will put 32 ounces of your favorite beer in a ‘Crowler‘ (extra large can) – canned right then and there! So cool! Maui Brewing Co beer is also sold in most if not all the local grocery stores, liquor stores and chain stores so if you need more after your visit, no worries.

WHERE
BREWERY
605 Lipoa Parkway
Kihei, HI 96753
PH: 808.213.3002

HOURS
7 Days a Week 11am to 10pm

HAPPY HOUR
Every day from 3:30pm-5:30pm & 9:30pm-11pm Daily. Enjoy $1 Off House Beers, $3 Off Culinary & Classic Cocktails, $10 Pizzas, 50% Off Select Apps *Only pizzas served after 10:30pm

LOGO WEAR WEDNESDAY
Joining us on a Wednesday? Wear one of our many MBC logo shirts or hats and enjoy $2 off MBC beers all day long!

BREWERY TOURS
MBC offers six daily tours between 11:30 and 3:15pm (see more above)

MORE INFO
https://mauibrewingco.com/

MAP

All photos property of Maui Brewing Co.

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do,

come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide or Maui Events Calendar!

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

My Favorite Fish Tacos On Maui

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide January 20, 2018January 20, 2018BudgetDining, Dining, Food, foodie, Grinds, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, Restaurants, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, wheretoeat 0 Comment

My Favorite Fish Tacos On Maui

Coconuts Fish Cafe serves up my favorite fish tacos on Maui. Years ago they had just the one location but word is out and they’ve grown and expanded (they even have two locations here in California!) But the best news is that their second Kihei location is just a mere 3 minute walk from our condo -door to door! Can’t beat that.

We try to eat there at least twice during or time on island. Always yummy, huge portions (for light eating, the taco plate can be shared by two) and nice ice cold beer! (Kamaole location only). Bonus, the Fish Tacos are gluten free which is fantastic for those of us with gluten issues.

Prices are reasonable with the fish tacos at $12.75 (at the time of this posting) and all other entrees under $18.00. This place won’t break the budget. Great for family dining.

We like to watch the sunset on the beach wall across the street and then amble over to Coconut’s for dinner. Easy peasy!

Tacos

So what’s so great? The Ingredients! Ingredients melded together to create complex flavors and couple that with 7 different layers of textures, including both freshly cut and perfectly grilled Mahi-Mahi and Ono – that’s your first bite of a Coconut’s Fish Cafe fish taco. Slight spiciness of the wasabi in the coleslaw is balanced with the coconut milk, crispy coleslaw topped with fresh tomatoes; a mango salsa balancing a red tomato-based salsa; melted cheese on top of crispy grilled tortillas – eat them with your hands, enjoy making a mess, and experience our famous fish tacos.

About Coconuts Fish Cafe

Coconut’s Fish Cafe is a family-friendly restaurant that serves excellent food with aloha. Our goal isn’t simply customer satisfaction; we want you to feel welcome in our Coconut’s ohana (family). Come and enjoy some of our award-winning, health-conscious food and join our Coconut’s ohana today.

Zagat rated our food a 27 – in their exclusive category reserved for “Extraordinary to Perfection”. Try our Famous Fish Tacos, with Mahi-Mahi, Ono and a variety of 17 unique ingredients that are perfectly balanced and best enjoyed with your hands. Or try the Founder’s favorite, Ono On a Bun, grilled to perfection and served just right. Whatever you decide, you can feel good knowing you’re enjoying health-conscious foods that tastes great.

Two locations in Maui
Maui – Kamaole Plaza (3 minute walk from the condo)
2463 S Kihei Rd,
Kihei, HI 96753
808-875-4949
kamaole@coconutsfishcafe.com

-and-

Maui – Azeka Plaza (north Kihei)
1279 S Kihei Rd,
Kihei, HI 96753
808-875-9979
contact@coconutsfishcafe.com

Coconut’s Video Featuring Restaurant information.

Of course Coconuts serves other yummy dishes featuring fresh fish, but we’ll save that for another post!

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do, come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide!

Travel Tip created by Laurie in association with Vacation Soup

Craft Cocktail Tasting Special Event

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Restaurants & Food, See and Do on Maui January 20, 2018January 20, 2018CraftCocktail, Dining, EventsOnMaui, Food, foodie, Grinds, Hawaii, HolidayInMaui, Kihei, Maui, Travel Tips, TropicalCocktails, TropicalDrink, VacationInMaui, VacationSoup, whatson, whattodo 0 Comment

Eureka! Craft Cocktail Tasting Special Event

Craft Cocktail Tasting Special Event. Taking place on January 23, 2018. New all-American Restaurants Opens in Downtown Las Vegas on February 12, 2018 and offers a cocktail preview at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort Eureka! hosts a craft cocktail preview event at the Andaz Wailea to showcase a sneak peek into the all-American craft cocktail bar program at one of Las Vegas’s newest restaurants, opening on February 12, 2018. Explore, taste and sip your way through signature cocktails with Eureka!’s own Beverage Director Trevor Tyler. Featured cocktails include:

· Old Fashioned: Whiskey / Sugar / Bitters (Choice of Buffalo Trace Bourbon or Old Overholt Rye)
· Electric Butterfly: Immature Brandy / Rum / Butterfly Pea Tea / Lime / Chareau Aloe / Orgeat / Buzz Button (sensory discovery)
· Young and in Love: Vodka / Elderflower / St. George Raspberry / Blood Orange Shrub / Lemon

Space is limited and RSVP is required to alexia.penna@eurekarestaurantgroup.com.

WHEN: TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

WHERE:

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort
3550 Wailea Alanui Dr.
Wailea, HI 96753

About the Andaz Maui Hotel & Resort

Phone Numbers
Contact Phone: 310.405.9645
Email alexia.penna@eurekarestaurantgroup.com
Contact Name: Alexia Penna
Contact Organization: Eureka!

Looking for more Maui vacation ideas? Lots of things to see and do, come on over and visit our Local Maui Guide!

Travel Tip created by Laurie in association with Vacation Soup

The perfect Mahi Mahi Fish and Chips

Laurie Gray Bounsall Our Maui Guide, Restaurants & Food August 16, 2017January 21, 2018Dining, fish and chips, Food, foodie, Grinds, Kihei, Lahaina, Paia, Restaurants 0 Comment

The website is launched and live now and I can think of no better thing to talk about today than the the humble Mahi Mahi. When I travel to Maui, it’s one of the first meals I have. Mahi Mahi Fish & Chips – Maui style! Paia Fish Market has long been a favorite restaurant of mine – from way back in the days when my soul-sister and I would fly over to Maui with our checked luggage (back when you could still check two bags per person with no charge) consisting of mostly camping gear and we’d camp out at Papalua Beach campground. But that’s a story for another day…

I think in the 25 years or so that I’ve been visiting Maui, that I’ve only ever ordered the Fish & Chips from Paia Fish Market. Never had a need to try any other dish on the menu. This one is perfection and I just don’t want to mess with perfection. Though every dish that passed me by on it’s way to another customer look entirely mouth watering! There’s just something about a cold beer and a delicious, fresh cooked piece of fish!

I consider myself a Fish & Chips connoisseur. I’ve tried hundreds of fish & chips from England to New Zealand. Anytime we visit a coastal town and eat out, I try the fish and chips. Some make theirs too doughy, you know the kind where it’s still raw tasting goo in the middle, some have more batter than fish, others hit the mark but they just never can match my beloved Paia Fish Market style.

Picture this (and get a bib if you must) an ice cold beer (I had the Pau Hana Pilsner* from Maui Brewing Co. on my last visit, excellent!), delectable coleslaw with just the right tartness level, perfect French fries and laying over that are four lightly breaded (no gooey beer batter here!) with just the right amount of herbs and spices, cooked just right FISH STICKS! Inside is tender and juicy Mahi Mahi… hold on I have to go get my own bib – my mouth is watering just typing this… the flavor is enhanced by their perfect tartar sauce… mmm the tartar sauce adds just the perfect touch.

One serving can easily serve two people for a light dinner. I’ve never finished a whole meal of Fish & Chips in one setting. I always take leftovers home*.

When we first started eating here, there was one restaurant, all the way over in Paia (which isn’t really far) but not so inconveniently far that we wouldn’t hop in the rented beat-out Jeep with no top and head over to stuff ourselves. But now they boast three locations, one of which is just is 2.3 miles from our condo door! A mere 6 or 7 minutes to mouth-wateringly delicious food. I was so excited to see that they had opened up shop in Kihei! I can now get my fix without the long drive.

Paia Fish Market has a very casual environment. Order you meal & drinks at the window, get your ticket number and seat yourself to one of their picnic tables. Condiments, napkins and silverware are on the table, ready for you. When your piping hot Fish & Chips is ready for you (ok, maybe you tried something else on the menu) a server will bring your food to you. Casual or ‘Aloha’ ware attire is perfect for dining here. If you eat at the flagship restaurant in Paia there is some great surfing decor that is sadly missing at the Southside location.

Check out their flagship restaurant in Paia town on your way watch the wind surfers in Ho’okipa or to watch the surfers on the north shore. And if you’re up Lahaina way, grab a beer and some Fish & Chips (or be adventurous and try something else on the menu.)

* Tip! Pau Hana roughly translates as ‘Finished’ but it conveys as ‘The time after work. It is considered a time for relaxation, informal socializing with friends and family, and enjoyment.’

*Tip #2! Order extra fish sticks to take home. They run about $3 a piece and nothing beats cold fish sticks for breakfast! Don’t knock it till you try it!