{"id":7086,"date":"2021-03-16T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-16T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefullpassport.com\/?p=7086"},"modified":"2023-11-11T08:20:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-11T13:20:55","slug":"foodie-guide-to-maui-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefullpassport.com\/foodie-guide-to-maui-hawaii\/","title":{"rendered":"A Foodie’s Guide to Maui, Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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August 2023: Many of the establishments listed below have been deeply impacted by the horrific wildfires the swept through Maui this month. As we mourn the tremendous loss of life, livelihood, property, and history, please consider how you can help through your donations and prayers. And when it is again safe and responsible to visit Maui, please double-check these recommendations to ensure that places are open for business before you go.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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He’s back! Since gracing us with his awesome Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo and Kyoto<\/a> (and before travel came to a screeching halt thanks to the coronavirus pandemic), Jeff Gibbard took a “babymoon” with his wife, Erica, to Hawaii. He came back raving about the island of Maui and all the yummy dishes they ate there, so I knew I had to interview him again to talk about all things Maui food for Full Life, Full Passport.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Jeff is back and ready to drop some knowledge on all things Maui food!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For those of you meeting Jeff for the first time, he is a self-proclaimed foodie and former personal chef who revels in good food and new culinary experiences. Luckily, his lovely wife Erica shares his enthusiasm for foodie adventures. (Follow their home cooking on Instagram<\/a> at your own risk – my mouth waters every time a new post comes up on my feed.) Jeff and Erica love to travel together, and often that travel revolves around trying new dishes and exploring new flavor profiles. Whether grabbing cheap eats from a food truck or hawker stall or indulging in world-class fine dining, it seems like they’re always finding something delicious to try.<\/p>\n

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That, plus the fact that I just love talking with Jeff and hearing about his adventures, is why he’s quickly becoming Full Life, Full Passport’s unofficial international food correspondent. Check out the interview below to learn all about the best things to eat on Maui, but fair warning – you might want to grab a snack first!<\/p>\n

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PS: Don’t miss my tips for saving money on food while traveling<\/a> to maximize your budget for your own foodie adventure!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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(Note: some of the links in this article may be\u00a0affiliate links, which means that I may earn a small commission from your purchase at no additional cost to you. You can find the full disclosure here<\/a>. Thank you for supporting Full Life, Full Passport!)<\/em><\/center>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me again! Let\u2019s start off with the structure of your trip. Where all did you go in Hawaii?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We spent the majority of our time in Maui, but we also took a day trip to Honolulu. Southwest now flies to and between the different islands, and I had a companion pass<\/a> and a pretty decent number of points, so basically we flew to Hawaii for like $200 roundtrip. All of Erica’s flights were free on the companion pass and all of mine were booked on points. I just paid the $25 bucks a flight to upgrade us to early boarding.<\/p>\n

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Since we had those perks, we basically just decided one morning to go to Honolulu and booked it on points.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What made you choose Hawaii in the first place?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The timing of it was really weird, actually. We knew that we both wanted to go to Hawaii at some point before we got pregnant – or before we had a baby, that is. We had already applied for the Southwest companion pass when I found out they had started flying to Hawaii, so I immediately asked Erica if she wanted to go. She had just gotten pregnant, so we were like, “All right, babymoon!” We basically booked the flights and the hotels in one day. After that, we were like, \u201cAll right, we don\u2019t know what else we\u2019re going to do but we know we\u2019re going to Hawaii!”<\/p>\n

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Basically, if you were to leave us to our own devices, Erica and I would probably always pick somewhere that\u2019s Asian. (Vietnam<\/a>, Thailand<\/a>, Hong Kong, and Japan<\/a> are some of the favorite trips we\u2019ve ever taken.) We wanted to go somewhere different, and we didn’t really think that Europe<\/a> would be an ideal place for a babymoon. I’m also not really a beach person, but Hawaii was the one tropical-y place that we could agree on because it\u2019s not stupid hot. (I don\u2019t do stupid hot.) So it just kind of worked out when the companion pass made Maui an option.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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I can think of worse places to take a babymoon than Maui.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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What was exciting to you about Hawaii and Hawaiian cuisine that made you want to visit, even though you're not a big beach guy?\u00a0<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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So first let me say that the beaches are incredible. I\u2019m not a beach guy at all<\/em> but one of my favorite things about being in Hawaii was literally just sitting on the beach. It\u2019s the first time in my life I\u2019ve ever understood the appeal, and in fact I don\u2019t know if I ever will understand it anywhere else but Maui. It\u2019s simply the most beautiful, scenic, calm, perfect place that I think I\u2019ve ever been in my life. We were three days in and I was like, \u201cI want to retire here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You came back and said, \u201cBy the way, we’re retiring to Maui.\u201d Basically you were like, \u201cWe live here now.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

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And I\u2019m not being hyperbolic. It was the same as when I left Japan and told myself, \u201cI\u2019ll be back, and I will always come back. I love this country so much.\u201d Hawaii was the same thing for me. I\u2019m in love with it. I\u2019m in love with every aspect of that place. The weather is beautiful, the people are laid back and nice, and the food<\/em>… it\u2019s all fresh seafood. Everywhere you look it\u2019s like, \u201cThis was caught this morning!\u201d It\u2019s completely over the top. I would say that it\u2019s one of my favorite places that I\u2019ve eaten just because everything was so fresh and delicious. We had amazing poke that came from a liquor store<\/em><\/a>, of all places. \u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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How do you feel that Hawaiian cuisine differs from other parts of the United States - such as California - that also have lots of fresh produce and seafood and fusions of different culinary cultures? How is it distinct?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It has been my observation that generally in America it can be very difficult to eat healthy as a standard way of being. The thing about Hawaii, though, and the reason why I think I liked it better, is that it just seems to be easier to eat healthily all the time. Like, the fish comes right out of the ocean, there’s tons of produce, and they just eat what they have. Other places might lean heavily on different preparations of something that you can get anywhere, whereas Hawaii emphasizes the local ingredients. In addition to the fish, there are a lot of macadamia nuts and tons of coconut.<\/p>\n

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I also feel like the weather plays a factor because you don’t want to eat a bunch of heavy food. There’s something about the climate and the place that makes you want to eat a nice piece of fish rather than something heavy like short ribs.<\/p>\n

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Oh, and I absolutely loved the mai thais. I know a lot of tropical destinations have their standard drink, but mai thais are really freaking fantastic. My favorite was at a place called Monkeypod<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Mai Tais are a must in Maui - even if you have to go sans alcohol due to pregnancy.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Along the same lines, was there anything that surprised you? I know you guys do a ton of pre-trip research.<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We had done some research, but one thing that I think really shaped how we ended up doing things was our conversations with locals. Wherever we went, we would ask people where we should go, what we should eat, and what we should do. Certain places kept coming up time and time again, and it was funny because we’d look them up on Yelp and the pictures wouldn’t look all that promising. But they were unfailingly amazing. One in particular was called Aloha Mixed Plate<\/a>*. It seemed like every local we talked to said, \u201cYou should really go to Aloha Mixed Plate. That\u2019s where all of us eat.\u201d So we did, and it was really, really good.<\/p>\n

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I’ll tell you one dish that surprised me was poi. Poi is taro root that is ground down to make a pudding-like food that\u2019s got a really interesting texture. It\u2019s like a sticky, creamy, thick pudding. Some people don’t like it – it doesn\u2019t really have much of a flavor – but it\u2019s extremely nutrient-dense and a very typical Hawaiian food. We ate a bunch of it and I actually was really impressed by how tasty it is.<\/p>\n

*At the time of posting this article, it appears that Aloha Mixed Plate may have permanently closed. Their sister restaurant, Star Noodle, is taking over the space.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Were there any specific dishes that you thought were particularly outstanding?\u00a0<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Asian influence in Hawaii is palpable, so there were a lot of great Japanese-inspired dishes. We had an amazing chicken katsu thing at a food truck called Sparky’s Food Company<\/a>. I also had a really, really good piece of fish – it might have been an opa? – at Hula Grill<\/a>. One of the best meals we had was at a place called Japengo<\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sparky's Food Company is a reliable spot for delicious and unpretentious chicken katsu<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Erica will tell you that one of her favorite things was a shaved ice. That’s very important – she actually just texted me to make sure that I tell you that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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That sounds like a great pregnant woman snack. Very refreshing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Absolutely. Generally, the fish and anything with coconut was really good. We also had a really amazing mushroom pizza at Monkeypod, fantastic sushi at the Four Seasons<\/a>, awesome fish tacos at The Fish Market Maui<\/a>, and lots of great stuff at a place called Star Noodle<\/a>. We even had great poke from a supermarket. Finally, Mama’s Fish House<\/a> was one of those places where the food was just so freaking good it was mind-blowing. They had a crab luau soup that was absolutely out of this world – one of the best soups I have ever had in my entire life. The restaurant is right near the airport, so I recommend having it once when you arrive and once before you leave, a lunch and a dinner if you can.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Some of the delicacies at Mama's Fish House<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Was there anything you didn\u2019t like? Anything that was disappointing?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Honestly, the only disappointing part about eating on Maui is that everything is really, really expensive. I don\u2019t know how people actually live there. I mean, I guess they’re not eating $40 entrees on a regular basis but still.<\/p>\n

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I will say that there were times I felt like it would be nice to have a little bit more variety in the food. I’m not saying that I wanted to go to Maui and eat a burger, but there just seems to be a very specific flavor profile and a standard deviation of how far out places are going to go from that. For instance, we went to a pancake place, and they had Hawaiian-style pancakes with a coconut syrup and macadamia nuts and whatnot. It was interesting, but kind of indicative of how everything<\/em> has a little bit of a Hawaiian flair to it. At that point, I was like, \u201cRegular pancakes are probably better.\u201d Again, the food is awesome, it can just be hard to find good, standard American fare.<\/p>\n

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I get what you’re saying. Regardless of how good the food is or how much you like a particular cuisine, eating the same flavor profile for two to three meals a day for multiple days in a row can make you want something different. I’ve definitely experienced that in different places.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Yeah, it kind of reminded me a little bit of Germany. German food can be really good, like schnitzel and sauerkraut and potatoes, but after day four you’re like, \u201cCome on, people, let\u2019s mix this up. Let\u2019s do a little something different.”<\/p>\n

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Exactly. Argentina<\/a> was like that for me. Argentinian cuisine is really delicious, but by the end of three weeks in Argentina we were tired of beef and Italian food, even though it was all done so well. Granted, we were on a backpacker budget and therefore somewhat limited in our options, but we were still really happy to get into Brazil<\/a> and eat something different.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Exactly. Just to switch things up.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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As delicious as Maui cuisine can be, eating the same flavor profile day after day can get old after a while.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Do you have any foodie tips for first-timers to Hawaii or any pitfalls that people should avoid as they\u2019re looking to eat on Maui?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Man, that\u2019s a tough one. Honestly, I don’t know if there is anywhere that I wouldn’t eat again because just about everything was good. If anything, I might pick a couple of dishes differently.<\/p>\n

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One thing I will say is that I was typically more impressed by the standard or low-cost cuisine than some of the fancier stuff we ate. (And I love fancy cuisine; you put truffles on something, I\u2019m totally jazzed.) The thing is, as good as Mama\u2019s Fish House and Japengo were – and they were both freaking awesome – when you consider the cost of those places versus that cost of, say, the food truck or supermarket poke, the basic stuff is fantastic. When I think back and miss Hawaii, that’s the stuff I miss eating. I just want to eat fish tacos, sit on the beach, and drink a mai tai. It\u2019s not that you shouldn\u2019t go out and eat all the nice food, it\u2019s that I don\u2019t think that\u2019s what you need in Hawaii to have a really great Hawaiian experience.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The \"fancy cuisine\" in Maui can be outstanding, but don't be afraid to check out low-cost options like food trucks and local haunts.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Also, don’t not<\/em> do something just because it’s the “tourist” thing to do<\/a>. We did a luau, and it was a totally worthwhile experience. They did a traditional style pig roast where they bury it underground, and it was real cool. That said, also don\u2019t eat a bunch of things that you can easily eat at home. Eat the local food – get something that just came out of the ocean – because that\u2019s what you\u2019re going to miss most. When I came back, what I really craved was caught-this-morning fish.<\/p>\n

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Oh, and Dole Whip. It’s a dairy-free ice cream-type product made from pineapples and banana. It may seem touristy, but it’s so good.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Touristy? Yes, but attending a luau in Maui is an essential experience.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You just answered part of my next question, which was what have you been craving since you returned?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If I could teleport right now back to Maui, I would get in an Uber and go right back to Hula Grill. I would sit outside, and I would dig my feet in the sand, and I would order whatever delicious fish dish that they had – something interesting like a pan-seared opa or a snapper or something like that. I would drink mai thais until I felt sleepy and then I\u2019d go home.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stepping away from the food side of things for a minute, what were some of your favorite things you did on Maui? If somebody was going to Maui, what you would recommend they do other than eat?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s definitely a good place to do things other than eat. The best things to do depend on who you are, though, right? Like, there\u2019s a lot of like water stuff that you can do. You can surf<\/strong>, you can paddleboard<\/strong> – I saw somebody on this wacky-ass surfboard like a hydroplane that brings you up out of the water. Me, I don’t want to go out into the water. I’ll go up to my chest, maybe<\/em>, but only if I\u2019m pretty sure there\u2019s no sharks out there. Because I\u2019m not going out that way. That\u2019s not how Jeff goes out.<\/p>\n

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I would say that anything scenic is worth doing<\/strong>. It\u2019s just so beautiful. Do the Road to Hana<\/strong>, go up Haleakal\u0101. Sunrise at the top of the Haleakal\u0101 volcano<\/strong> blew me away. Find a black sand beach<\/strong>, because those are really cool. There’s one on the Road to Hana that was gorgeous.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The waterfalls along the Road to Hana are absolutely worth the drive<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I recommend not<\/em> driving on the Road to Hana. Take a tour. It\u2019s not an easy drive, and I don\u2019t think you can enjoy the scenery if you also have to worry about not falling off of a freaking cliff. I also had concerns about what we would do if we had a breakdown out there in the middle of nowhere with no cell reception.<\/figure>\n

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(Note: While I’m not discounting Jeff’s advice here, it should be said that he is a city guy who doesn’t do much driving in his normal life. I have had friends and vacation planning<\/a> clients drive the road and highly recommend it for the flexibility, so decide what’s best for you based on your own driving comfort level and what you want out of the experience!)<\/em><\/p>\n

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A somewhat unusual thing we ended up doing was a comedic magic dinner show called Warren and Annabelle’s<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s campy and fun and funny, and they do a good job of blending comedy and magic.<\/p>\n

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The best thing to do on Maui is just nothing<\/em><\/strong>.<\/em> Just sit there and do nothing and take in the beauty of existence. There’s a silence, an introspection, and a calmness that comes from just being there, and very few places have inspired that same sort of feeling in me. I didn\u2019t read a single word of any of the books I brought, which is not like me. I would sit down on a beach, open my book, look up, and just close my book and put it down because my surroundings were just so beautiful. Also, sitting on the beach at night<\/strong> was just as cool as being there during the day. And there’s nothing like sitting at an outdoor restaurant with your feet in the sand watching the sun set<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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We also like to do a photo shoot<\/strong> whenever we travel, and we did a great one on this beautiful beach with waves crashing on the rocks in the background. Erica especially really loves photos and likes to have these times in our lives captured. It’s like her favorite souvenir. It’s expensive, but for us it’s worth it, especially on a trip like a babymoon.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Is there anything that you feel that we did not discuss about Hawaiian cuisine or activities that you want to make sure is included in the interview?<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I mean, honestly, I think we\u2019ve covered it all. Big highlights include Mama\u2019s Fish House with that soup, Monkeypod with the pizza and the mai tais, Tamura’s liquor store<\/a> had really good poke, Japengo was one of our best all-around meals, and Hula Grill was my favorite for sitting outside and putting my feet in the sand. Go see the magic show at Warren and Annabelle\u2019s – it’s funny and entertaining – and do the Old Lahaina Luau<\/a>. It’s cooler than you think it’s going to be, for sure. Make sure to book that one in advance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Thanks so much, Jeff!<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This interview has been heavily condensed thanks to our (ok, Jeff’s) tendency toward tangents and effusive descriptions of food. All photos provided by Jeff.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Like the post? Pin to save or share!<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Read More:<\/h4>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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How to Save Money on Food While Traveling<\/a>
A Foodie’s Guide to Tokyo and Kyoto<\/a>
Flashback Friday: Taking a Cooking Class on Dominica<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Need some help planning your trip to Maui? Full Life, Full Passport offers customized planning services for all kinds of vacations and budgets!\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPlan My Maui Vacation!<\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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