My Maui: restaurants

Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Castaways Restaurant at MKV!

MKV is lucky enough to have it's very own restaurant! Yay! The food here is good and one of the most resonable around for ocean front dining. I personally LOVE the low-key, old Hawaii feel of this place. The tables are the closest to the water that I think you'll find in all of Maui. (No one is allowed to build new this close to the water due to new city codes). SO, enjoy it!! There is rarely a wait. Also, while you're lying by the pool, you can walk over to the window and grab a drink. So convenient! They also have a happy hour and we usually sit out to play some shuffle board and watch the sun set. Since I do not rent my condo through the rental program, you won't be able to put your meals on your room. Sorry. This place is a gem though and has one of the most extensive wine lists on Maui.

http://castawaycafe.com/

Hula Grill

Hula Grill is another of the T's Restaurant chain. It is also one of my favorites. Situated in Whalers Village right across from Lelani's and with an ocean view it also offers a casual Barefoot Bar with drinks and food and another area for finer dining. They have live music every day/night...call for times. My biggest tip for this place is the crab wontons! They are to die for. And (only here) they serve them with both a sweet thai chili sauce and a mustard sauce. (You may have to ask your server to bring them to you). The combination with the crab wonton is amazing and spicy- fair warning. My other favorite dish here is the "Firecracker"fish preparation. It is also spicy, but it will not diappoint. I order it every time and never get tired of it. :) The view is great...if you're there for Whale season you may see a humpback jumping out towards Lanai! Gorgeous. This is what you think of you when you think of Hawaii...a little guitar and ukulele, they have a hula dancer some nights, and cocktails with more calories than alcohol. :) Aloha!

Kimo's in Lahaina

Kimo's is another T's Restaurant (Lelani's, Hula Grill, Dukes). It's in Lahaina and the deck over the water is amazing! The food is great. My tip is go for happy hour or lunch and sit on the deck (the bar area). While dinner here is great, you usually get seated upstairs and you won't have a view. ;(

http://www.kimosmaui.com/menus/dining-room

Reservation for Dinner Recommended

The Hyatt Regency Resort

The Hyatt is the hotel furthest to the South along the "Beach Walk". The beach walk literally dead ends after the Hyatt. I am not much of a fan of the big hotel chains...but this one is worth visiting for a couple reasons. First, when you find yourself up at 4 am because you and/or your children are still on your old time...go ahead and grab a cup of coffee and the stroller (if you need it) and get walking. The air is heavy and balmy in the morning because the trade winds die down once the sun sets. The walk is beautiful along the water and you will be surprised by how many other people are out doing the same thing. :) If you have little kids they will love the warm water penguins, the coy fish and all the parrots.

From the Beach Walk, once you pass the pool, there is a little casual restaurant called Umalu. Head up toward the lobby, climbing the stairs and you'll see the penguins....wander over to their coffee bar and you'll see the coy and further into the lobby are the birds.

NOW, pay attention. THIS IS MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT (well, one of them)! Up at the top of the stairs you'll see the newest restaurant. JAPENGO. If you like Japanese fushion...this place will wow you. Not only is the view amazing...every single dish I've ever tried here was amazing. Side note: if you have toddlers, leave them with a sitter. I brought my girls here and nearly had several heart attacks when they got down and ran around, as the restaurant sits on a cliff above the pool and falling over the edge (there are no gaurds or fences- it would ruin the view) would cause serious injury or death. Also, in the entrance/bar area they have live music (not sure if its every night- call). There is also a separate sushi room if you want strictly sushi. I know I say a lot of my restaurants are my favorite, but based strictly on food, this is it. The others are a combination of food/vibe/view...this place rules them all. There is another place that I love strictly for the food and that's because there is no view...Star Noodle. I'll do another blog on that place. Here are some pics:

Here's the Link:

http://maui.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels-maui/entertainment/dining_detail.jsp?itemDesc=fboutlet&itemId=1003060

RESERVATIONS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

Friday, July 20, 2012

Lelani's!!!

This is one of my absolutely favorite spots. You can sit literally feet from the surf, or upstairs, for a more formal dining experience. From MKV, you can take the free trolley to Whalers Village, walk, or drive 1 light south to Whalers Village.

LOVE the sashimi and if the chef is in a good mood, he/she will make you bacon/cheese fries (not on the menu)

HULA PIE>>>> do I need to say more? oreo crust, chocolate fudge, icecream, mac nuts, whip cream...yummy!!! I actually wanted to serve this as my wedding cake, but we couldn't figure out how to keep that many pies frozen. ha!

Also, if you like old rock and roll, on Friday and Saturdays at 4, DJ on the Rocks plays...everything from Lynard Skynard to Reggae to Country...

http://www.leilanis.com/

Monday, December 19, 2011

Plantation House in Kapalua

This restaurant is my absolute favorite!!! The view is absolutely breathtaking...I think it's so interesting that there are pine trees up in Kapalua (on a tropical island). The story is that they came from Oregon as seeds on the Pacific current. Cool, huh? We always try to make it up there for at least one breakfast or lunch. All the food is good (a little pricey- but you're paying for the view). Dinners are amazing, but make sure you are there before sunset to take in the 180 degree view. For breakfast they have an eggs benedict with tuna wasabi hollandaise. Amazing!! A heads-up, I would make a reservation for sure and dress a little nicer than most of the casual dining restaurants. Nowhere in Maui is really stuffy, but this is kinda like a steak house at home, comparatively speaking. :)

Plantation House website for reservations

The Plantation House is technically the clubhouse for the golf course at Kapalua

la menu

The view...my pictures do not do it justice

The Bar-- good place for happy hour, but the view is kinda to the side

We even took our family picture up here

http://www.theplantationhouse.com/

Friday, August 26, 2011

DUKES- yay!!

Dukes is part of a chain of restaurants called T's. They own Lelani's, Hula Grill and Kimos locally. We have Duke's in Orange County too (which I have to go to when my hankering for fish tacos kicks in). They just opened this Duke's two hotels over from MKV- walking distance- yay! :) They have live music every night and the way the restaurant is situated, it's up high enough that the ocean view is close and beautiful. The food is great too, they have fresh fish and different preparations. The chef usually recommends certain preperations with specific fish, but feel free to ask for the fish any way you'd like it! They have the same crab wontons here as at Hula Grill- but they are served with a sweet chili sauce (warning). I am obsessed with the mustard sauce and sweet chili sauce mixed at Hula Grill- so wait to have them there, but if you don't like spicy, by all means, enjoy! Oh and of course they have Hula Pie here too- if you've never had it- TRY IT. I love it so much, I wanted to serve it as the wedding cake at our wedding --ended up being too hard to keep the icecream from melting. ;( Here are a couple pics, but it was already getting dark. It's definitely worth a visit, even if only for happy hour. Get a reservation.

Here's the link for more info http://www.dukesmaui.com/