Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Oahu and Maui Trip Report

My husband and I (both retirement age) traveled to Hawaii in March, 2010 to spend time with in-laws who had invited us to share their two-week vacation timeshare on Maui. Before heading over there, we decided to spend a few days on Oahu so that I could visit with a friend I had met when planning our China trip, and DH could revisit scenes from his youth when he was a young Naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor. Mostly, as is typical for all my trips, this was a trip about eating with sightseeing scattered in between meals on Oahu and a lot of relaxation and long walks in between meals on Maui.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 – En Route - Both EWR-LAX and LAX-HNL flights were very good and arrived early with an easy gate switch while changing planes at LAX. I noted an interesting new wrinkle: Free earphones were offered, but they charged $6 for video and audio seatback entertainment, which we elected to skip. When we arrived at HNL, we took the shuttle bus to the luggage area, where the checked bag was waiting for us. Then we walked across the parking lot to the Dollar Rental Car office and were speedily processed and out into the lot to pick up our car. Hilton Grand Vacations Club handled the rental and I was surprised to discover they had booked us a mid-size Subaru Forester, which I didn’t like even though I was told it was the newest car on the lot. I switched to a smaller Dodge, and re-doing the paperwork slowed us down a bit, so we got to the Hilton Hawaiian Village around 8 p.m. (which was about the time I expected since our flight was due to arrive at 6).

I had read some negative reviews of this hotel prior to arrival, and thought it would be too big and too crowded. My dealings with the people at Hilton GrandVacations, with whom I had booked a deal for the room and car, had been unpleasant and frustrating. This said, as soon as we actually arrived, my view of HHV changed considerably for the better. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to drive there from the airport and to find Reception once we pulled in (despite some reports to the contrary). I went to the Hilton Honors line and without any wait, spoke to a lovely representative, who upgraded us from a garden view to an ocean view in Kalia. The room was on the 24th floor, with gorgeous views in several directions. It was a very nice standard Hilton room with Hawaiian touches such as pineapple lamps and pineapple decorative touches on the bureau. We had a very comfortable bed with standard duvet, lovely, tropical cotton robes, and terry slippers. There was a small, well equipped bathroom with decent shower, and I loved going out on the balcony in the morning, so we were all set. Kudos to Jackie, who gave us the room and made us feel welcome and valued as customers when we arrived.

Once we’d driven into the garage (next to our building so very easy), self-parked, and dropped off the bags in our room, we were set to explore. We walked over to Kalakua Avenue and up to the DFS Galleria. I was in quest of Sam’s Kitchen, facing the Galleria in the little marketplace area next to an ABC store, and Sam’s turned out to be easy to find. I ordered Coconut Garlic Shrimp and DH ordered curry chicken. Both the shrimp and the chicken were tasty, but the rice was mushy, and possibly the worst piece of corn on the cob I have ever eaten was served with the meat, rice and salad. The corn tasted as if it had been sitting in a pot of water all day… ugh! I had chosen Sam’s because I wanted an authentic Hawaiian experience for our first meal and didn’t want anything fancy, formal or time-consuming. Service was quick, the food was filling, and the price was right, but some of the reviews I had read of this place oversold it. After eating, we strolled back to the Hilton and went straight to bed – exhausted from our long day of traveling and aware that it was the middle of the night NYC time.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010 - We woke up at 7 and went over to the Continental Breakfast in the Rainbow Tower VIP Terrace, which is complimentary with Hilton Honors Gold. There we found excellent fruit (cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon, pineapple), hard boiled eggs, croissants, muffins, and small pastries. Guava, pineapple and grapefruit juice, coffee and tea were always available. Perhaps best of all, there was free WIFI in both the inside and outside patio areas so I brought my netbook computer with me each day and tried to find the seats with the best reception.

On our first day, we had a plan to meet my long-timeFodors’ correspondent, Marksfour, and some of her friends at a restaurant in Kailua. I added a college friend of mine, who was able to join us, to the group, and was excited to head over there. After breakfast, we picked up the car, used the excellent H1 directions provided by a very nice garage attendant, and drove over the Pali Highway. We made a quick stop at the extremely windy Pali Lookout, which did have a fantastic view. Handy for us, the Highway took us straight into Kailua and the GPS, (which we brought with us, and which wasn’t perfect in Honolulu, but was nevertheless very handy), quickly got us over to my friend’s lovely home. We had time for only a short walk to the gorgeous beach (my fault for getting a late start from the hotel). Then we went with her to the Kalapawai Market Café where we met her husband, my college classmate and two Fodorite friends. We enjoyed lots of lively conversation during our gtg over an interesting assortment of foods including stuffed chicken breast, Greek salad, eggplant, and a chicken skewer. Then it was on to Agnes’ bakery for warm, freshly baked plain malasadas. These were my introduction to malasadas, and I thought they were delicious. There was no way I could visit Kailua and not stop at Agnes’s, since malasadas were high on my “to-eat” list.

We drove back along the coast, passing through Waimanalo and then enjoyed one spectacular view after another as we drove along the East Coast of Oahu past Makapu’u Beach and Sandy Bay with serious surf, whales, surfers and lots of tourists snapping pictures. We pulled off twice to take our own shots at Hanauma Bay and Hawaii Kai. It was a gorgeous day and I loved the scenery everywhere we went. Highway 72 became H1 and we quickly exited at Kapiolani. Here we encountered lots of traffic with cones to block the left lane and left turns (Our GPS didn’t know that and kept telling me to turn left, but we finally made a right and circled back to get turned in the correct direction and then made it back to the hotel okay.) When you’re accustomed to driving in NYC, a little Honolulu traffic doesn’t cause much of a problem.

I had made a reservation for Alan Wong’s for dinner before leaving NY. After ample consideration of the merits of the five-course and seven-course tasting menus versus the ala carte menu, I decided we should go with the five course menu, and I think that was the right decision since we would never have had room for more. We arrived at Alan Wong’s a little early, and chatted with a lovely couple while waiting for our tables to be ready.

We started off with the magical soup and sandwich and crispy wonton with ahi poke first course. This soup and sandwich, like no soup and sandwich I have ever eaten, was wonderful. I loved every bite… complex, and wonderful. Next came the seafood dumpling and buttery lobster, which I also enjoyed immensely. By this point, I was in heaven and loving this dinner. These courses were followed by the Onaga. The first bite tasted a little too gingery, but then the rest of the bites were delicious… not sure if I just got too much ginger with my forkful, or my palate adjusted. I adored the corn and mushrooms underneath.

Every one of the first three courses on the tasting menu were wonderful, but then, strangely enough, I found the final two courses disappointing. For me, the Short Ribs Kalbi style dish was just too cloying and sweet. I was surprised since I usually love ribs, and had never before encountered anything too sweet, but this was my first big meal in Hawaii, and I was to discover that this is the place where menu items can be too sweet, even for someone with as developed a sweet tooth as mine. The two desserts were also just too sweet. Maybe it was a lack of contrast, or maybe you have to be a local to appreciate this, but neither dessert was for me.

Our service team was wonderful, and provided seamless service throughout the meal along with a running commentary. The waiter and runners were informative and charming. When I return to Alan Wong or try the Pineapple Room, I will know what to order (or what not to order) and I definitely want to eat more of this food in the future. Although this was one of our priciest meals in Hawaii, there was tremendous value in the $75 tasting menu, and I was well satisfied. My dining companion, as always, said it was “fine.” Food is not his thing, and throughout this trip, he left the ordering up to me and was content to split the food so I could try more items (this is a marriage which has lasted a long time for some very good reasons, and this is one of them!) We took taxicabs both to and from the restaurant because it was raining hard and it was too far to walk from our hotel.

Thursday, March 4, 2010 – Oahu - Once again, we awoke early, and got out of bed at 7:30 just in time to see a beautiful rainbow over the ocean on top of the aptly named Rainbow Tower of the HHV. I grabbed the camera and was very happy to have seen this wake-up vista. Breakfast and computer time in the Lagoon VIP Terrace followed again… all the same as yesterday except for different pastries and muffins. Today they had very tasty almond goodies. I noticed that one of the hostesses seems to be extremely popular, and was hugged by several different family groups as they arrived, which was very sweet. Later I spoke with her and learned that she loves her job and while all of the hostesses in the VIP Terrace area are efficient and helpful, she is definitely the star. I wish I had remembered to jot down her name, but five minutes in this dining area will be enough to identify this warm and friendly woman.

We went to our Hilton Grand Vacations appointment at 11 am and had a great presentation by the salesperson assigned to us. He was fun to speak with, knowledgeable, and low key. We toured several units in the Grand Waikiian and spent a painless 90 minutes. Then we took some of our Hilton Hawaiian Village dollars (from the Hilton Vacations presentation) to lunch in the Tropics Grill on the beach. There is a lovely view of the beach here and the Atlantis dock, and those walking on the beach boardwalk (which isn’t made of boards… it’s cement). We enjoyed the lunch, which consisted of a Greek Salad and Fish and Chips. The salad was excellent and very large. The Fish and Chips was far from the best I’ve eaten, but the fish was tasty and the chips, while not super crispy, were okay. The service was very good. We later spent the rest of the Hilton dollars on a reprise of this lunch and a visit to the ABC Store. Even though this is an expensive hotel with shops to match, the ABC Store has a vast array of well-priced merchandise including food items and souvenirs.

After lunch, we walked down the beach as far as the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a grande dame if ever there was one. The pink color was a little too pepto for my taste, but the grounds were beautiful with lush foliage, fabulous flowers, and a 20’s ambiance that was charming. We continued along Kalakana Avenue, glancing at shops, and enjoying the scene. My favorite shop item was a tee shirt which said “I survived the 2010 Hawaiian Tsunami.”

Finally we arrived at Kapahulu Avenue and turned the corner, expecting to see all the eating places I knew were there – the Rainbow Drive In, Rico Tacos, Ono Hawaiian Foods, and our destination, Leonard’s Malasadas. Much to my surprise, there were no storefronts for many blocks (I had imagined a Kapahulu Avenue with shops where there were hotels, fields, medical facilities, schools, a zoo, and lots of gas stations. It was many, many blocks (yes, we kept walking!) before we got to the beginning of the foodie heaven that Kapahulu is. Not actually hungry, we passed by all the interesting foodie destinations, stopped to get DH a cheap haircut, and finally arrived at Leonard’s Bakery, home, according to many, of the best Hawaiian malasadas. Wow, they were worth the walk and worth the long line (it moves quickly) on which we stood. I ordered three malasadas (plain, custard, and lilikou,which is passionfruit, custard) and enjoyed all of them with some low-fat milk (naturally low fat!). Even though it has been forty years since I ate them, I am always searching for another taste of the best doughnuts I ever ate. Those were fruit-filled, sugar-coated doughnuts from a shop in Cambridge, England. That place is long gone, but eating Leonard’s malasadas made me wish the Leonards folks would bake these same doughnuts with fruit fillings instead of custard. Anyway, Leonard’s won my personal Agnes/Leonard competition. We took two buses back to the hotel.

For dinner we joined our two new Fodorite friends at a bar restaurant in Waikiki which one of them was reviewing. Genius Bar and Grill serves (according to my expert friend) Japanese izakawa bar food of the type served nowadays in Tokyo. In order to make the best choices for the review (and of course for our dining enjoyment), she asked the owner to recommend some dishes for us to try. He suggested we start with some sake samplers (there are dozens of sake brands on offer, but the nine we tried were totally sufficient for us). Being sake novices, DH and I shared the “mild sweet and light sampler, while our companions ordered a set of the medium (called the genius sampler) and the connoisseur (drier and earthier) sampler. Before this evening, I had sampled sake twice before, never particularly liking what I tasted, but this time I liked it quite a bit, so I guess for me, mild sake is the right choice.

We started our food sampling with some cream cheese poke flavored with wasabi and shoyu and topped with bonito flakes and crunchy flying-fish roe and a trio of dips and pita triangles including boursain cheese, local tomato salsa, and a taramo salad (a concoction of smoky cod roe mixed into mashed potatoes.
Because we enjoyed the cream cheese poke so much, we ordered the Spicy Ahi Poke with a miso sauce (and didn’t like it as much as the Cream Cheese). Next up was a Sauteed Chicken dish with a Spicy Relish Dip, Japanese-influenced Loco Moco (breaded and fried chopped beef, rice, gravy (made with demi-glace) and a sunny side egg on top), and my least favorite dish of the evening, Pasta Vongole (usually one of my favorites). I think it was a combination of the canned clams (ugh!) and the furijitsu seaweed flavoring added to the sauce. I was assured that this dish would be very popular in Japan, but I would definitely not order it again.

This was one of the strangest meals I have ever eaten, but it was quite enjoyable. The unusual taste combinations, the variety, the lively conversation, the charming setting (we were situated on a porch, seated on couches with fairy lights strung along the latticed railings, and the excellent service all served to create a special and fun experience.

The next morning I sat on our hotel balcony, looking out over the HHV property with its pools, palm trees, gardens, lawns, and an infinite number of shops, to the sea. In front of me was the lagoon, with only a few people sitting on the lagoon beach … very pretty with a little palm ringed island on the near side of the lagoon. Off to the left was the dock – a little sightseeing boat is just chugging away. Out on the ocean beach, sheltered by a little jetty, there were scattered sun lovers on mats and beach towels with a few pricey hotel umbrellas clustered on the sand. Despite complaints about how difficult it is to get a seat at the pool, there have been plenty of empty chairs at each of the pools. It was a little chilly and breezy and it drizzled for a few minutes from time to time, so I guess that discouraged more activity at the pools and on the beach. It is a gorgeous property and I really enjoyed staying here and having the wonderful view to enjoy each day. We are fortunate to have the Hilton Honors Gold designation which means complimentary continental breakfast and WIFI because if we didn’t the costs of eating and staying here can quickly add up. They even charge for the room safe (which to me is a completely outrageous charge and should be discontinued!).

For lunch today, another college classmate of mine came by and drove us to Chinatown for a dim sum lunch. We were joined by one of our new friends from last night so the four of us were able to sample lots of dumplings at our destination – Tai Pan. After a short wait for a table, we were seated. This is one of those places where you want to be sure the wait staff know you want a table and you need to be assertive. Otherwise, you could be standing there for a long time as the waitresses bustle around serving dumplings. Customer service is not what Tai Pan is about… it’s the dumplings and that’s it (but quite enough for me… I knew instantly that this was my kind of place!) We looked at the signs on the wall, which included some daily specials, and some of the baskets being served around the room and in the display case before ordering. Then we ordered Fried Seaweed Seafood Roll, Har Gao, Fried Shrimp (with super crispiness), Spare Ribs, Char Siew Bau, Scallop Luk Fun, and two orders of XLB. All of this, which was delicious and filling, cost less than $30. For dessert we drove over to Shimizu Shave Ice (our local expert’s pick for the best shave ice in Honolulu). I ordered a small (which was gigantic) shave ice with ice cream, covered with three syrups – crème brulee, chocolate peanut butter, and coconut (I passed on the Red Velvet, which I like when it’s a cake, but am not ready to eat on shave ice.) This was my first experience with shave ice, and I have to admit that I’m just not into it. I needed to have that shave ice experience, but I’m happily going back to ice cream cones from now on.

After a relaxing remainder of the afternoon, we took a cab over to 3660 on the Rise to sample Russell Siew’s cuisine. Sample turned out to be the operative word since we ended up ordering two samplers. First up, we tried the Appetizer Sampler described as perfect for two, but actually enough for three. On the platter were Calamari with a Tomato and Mayonnaise Sauce, Ahi Poke, Asian Slaw, Garlic Fried Shrimp on a bed of Fried Spinach with Garlic Aioli, and the piece de resistance -–Fois Gras and Beef Tenderloin Tortellini (which could just as easily have been labeled as dumplings) with Mushroom Jus. We enjoyed all of the appetizers. DH ordered a bowl of corn and clam chowder and I had a half order of the Mesclun Salad with Tomatoes and Lemon Miso Dressing… all good although the clams in the soup were from a can (why aren’t there fresh clams on Oahu? We get Manila clams in NY and that’s a lot farther away…..)

Knowing we couldn’t eat that much more, we ordered only one main course – Wild New Zealand Salmon in a glaze with Sweet Potato Croquettes. The latter were a surprise since they were purple sweet potatoes in a fried nori crust… definitely not your typical potato croquettes, but tasty. This was followed by the second sampler, this one a dessert sampler with Crème Brulee with Choclate Crust, Panna Cotta with Strawberries, and Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce. All of the desserts were delicious and much to my delight, not overly sweet.

Our meal at 3660 was delicious and I can now understand why people like this restaurant so much and return often. I wish it were a little closer to where I live so I could, too. In addition to the excellent food, I want to once again commend the excellent service staff. We were well taken care of throughout the meal by a team of very pleasant young people who were knowledgeable, easy going, and efficient.

Saturday, March 6, 2010 - We started the day in the usual way with breakfast at the HH Lounge. Then we went back to the room, packed and checked out. We put the luggage in the car (still parked in the garage) and strolled back over to the Tropics Bar and Grill to finish off our Hilton Hawaiian Dollars. Since we enjoyed the Greek Salad and the Fish and Chips the other day, we decided to order them again. For dessert, we tried the Lapperts Ice Cream which someone recommended to me. The chocolate and macadamia nut ice creams were both tasty, but nothing special, and certainly not worth the $9.50 charged by the restaurant.

Then we drove over to the airport, staying on the Nimitz Highway in search of a gas station. Eventually we turned up a block and stopped for gas before returning to the Nimitz a few blocks before it ran into the H1. There was a gas station on the next block after we got back, so if you’re driving from Waikiki to the airport, it will be on the Nimitz Highway, just before the entrance to H1 on the right side of the road (which will be the side on which you are driving… easy!) Even easier, there is a gas station at the airport just before the car rental return area. I didn’t check the price there and suppose it might have been more expensive, but it is another option.

The Dollar rental car check-in was quick and easy and the shuttle to the departure area came in a few minutes. In very little time we were at the gate ready for our flight to Maui. This turned out to be the shortest flight I’ve ever taken – they ask you to get ready for take-off, serve a cup of guava juice, and then ask you to get ready for landing. Once at the airport, we met our in-laws, in early on a flight from Dallas, picked up our new rental car at Alamo (I took the advice of all the people who recommended using Costco’s website to find an inexpensive rental), and drove to their condo at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas.

Once ensconced at the Villas, we began to explore our new home. We were in a double unit, with our in-laws in a one-bedroom apartment while we were in the studio, which is completely private and has a kitchenette while the other unit has a full kitchen and dining table. Both units look out at one of pools (which has a waterfall and other lovely features), and beyond to the ocean on the right and the mountains on the left. Since we were on the 6th floor, we had an excellent view. Ready for dinner, we went over to the next building to an on-site Italian restaurant called Puleo, which operates Thursday – Sunday evenings. We ordered a Caesar Salad (wonderful!), Spaghetti Alfredo with Chicken (very cheesy), and a small thin-crust pizza topped with olives, mushrooms, and sausage (for me, the sausage was too much and I wasn’t crazy about the pizza).

Sunday, March 07, 2010 – Maui – My sister-in-law and I drove down to Safeway this morning to pick up breakfast, lunch, and snack items for the condo. We had skipped a stop at Costco’s after the airport because my in-laws were too exhausted after their long flight. For starters we were happy to stock the refrigerator with cereal, milk, juice, fruit, roast chicken, wine, cheese, bread, and cold cuts.

Because the Academy Awards were scheduled for 6:30 p.m., we decided to make lunch our big meal on Sunday. Feeling lazy, we chose to eat lunch at the pool Ocean Bar and Grill at the resort. We ordered a Pupu platter for the table with Kalua Pork Sliders, Coconut Shrimp, and Chicken Egg Rolls – all delicious!), a Cobb Salad (excellent), Seafood Chowder for DH (ordinary), a Chicken Teryaki Plate Lunch for me and a Club Sandwich for DH. Our in-laws had a Fish Wrap and the Mahi Mahi and enjoyed their lunch. We all took back part of the meal to munch on later while watching television.

Because our time on Maui was so laid back and uninteresting, I’m going to shorten the rest of this report by simply giving you the run-down on our restaurant meals, hotel notes, weather reports, and any other information that might be helpful to travelers. Suffice it to say that for the rest of our stay, we got up late, spent time reading and writing and enjoying the view from the balcony, sitting out by the pool, swimming, and taking walks in both directions along the Beachwalk and the sand. This visit set a record for the most lazing about I can remember on any vacation, wonderfully relaxing, but dull trip reporting!

Monday, March 8 – Maui - Today started with lots of wind and overcast skies. After breakfast, we decided to take a walk around the Westin property. This development has an older “South” section and a newer “North” section. We went to check out the store on the newer section and along the way inspected the newer gym (well equipped as is the one in our building) and located in the vicinity of the spa. Later in the week, we toured some accommodations in this section.

Late in the afternoon we took the resort shuttle down to Whalers Village for an early dinner at Leilani’s. We frequently made use of the complimentary resort shuttle (which takes you from the Ocean Resort Villas to the Westin and Sheraton as well as Whalers Village on Ka’anapali Beach) and is both easy and efficient. The shuttle runs on a schedule, and we never had to wait for than a few minutes for one to come along. There is another shuttle to Lahaina, but we drove there and so never tried that one out.

The dinner at Leilani’s was good and the sunset was beautiful (there’s usually a gorgeous sunset from this beach). DH and I had sunset specials (early bird pricing) and shared a Spinach Salad (with bacon and macadamia dressing), Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti, and a Hawaiian Swordfish with fruit, lime and cilantro dressing with French Fries and Mixed Vegetables, which we thought was quite good. Our companions ordered Seafood Chowder, Scallops and Shrimp Skewers, Goat Cheese Salad, and Mahi Mahi, all of which they enjoyed. With delicious Sourdough Bread, the dinners were too filling to leave room for dessert. Service was outstanding.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010 – Maui – There was more wind, but also more sunshine this morning. After breakfast, my sister in law and I went up to the old Star Market (now called Time) to buy some staples. We also stopped by the Okazuya Deli to sample some salads, which will supplement our supermarket barbecue chicken tonight and we got some rice and gravy to fill out the meal. What we had from Okazuya was good, but we never got around to really sampling their menu. They are conveniently located for the area, just a short distance past the Star/Time Market on the beach road.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 – Maui - Today was so windy it seemed at times as though a hurricane was blowing through the resort. All that wind didn’t stop the diehard children staying here from heading to the pool, but those of us who are quite a bit older watched the trees bending this way and that from inside.

Later in the afternoon, our in-laws declined to accompany us, but DH and I braved the wind to take the shuttle down to the Whalers Village. Gale-force winds were not going to stop me from sampling the D. K. Kodama menu at Cane and Taro for half price (Tuesday and Wednesday evenings when seated between 5:00 and 6:00 o’ clock). I had been told we should get there before the 5 o’clock opening since the line would form 15 minutes to half an hour before. We arrived about 4:50 and were at least 30 people from the door. A receptionist came down the line and asked for our names and the number in our party, and after the doors opened, the line moved quickly. I figured we would be somewhere far from the view, but was pleased to notice that there was a table left by the windows because these were all for two people and most of the people in front of us in line were with friends or in family groups.

Our waiter, Aaron, quickly took our order and the food arrived with amazing speed (too efficient for relaxed dining; this was more of a marathon.) Aaron noted at one point that we had our own little (not so little actually) buffet. Here is what we sampled: Waipoli Island Green Mixed Salad (half order) with Papaya Vinaigrette, Rock Shrimp Dynamite tossed with Creamy Masago Aioli and drizzled with Unagi Glaze, Beachside Sliders with Carmelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese (there was a choice of cheeses), Pork and Shrimp Shumai with Spicy Mango Sauce, Crab Wonton Triangles, Spider Roll with Unagi Glaze and Sweet and Thai Chili Sauce, and last, but not least, Fried Chicken. It was a lot of food, but I figured at half price I could really get a good feel for the menu and take home enough food for a second meal. I managed to squeeze in one dessert, too. Torn between the Signature Apple Tart and the Molten Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Chocolate Sauce and White Macadamia Ice Cream, I went with the latter, but should have chosen the Tart. The Chocolate Cake was too sweet. Accustomed to a more bittersweet chocolate taste in this dessert, I had trouble with the cloying sweetness of the tart, another instance where the Hawaiian sweet tooth is way sweeter than my own. The good news is that we knew we could go back the second week for another 50 percent off night at C and T and try the other dessert.

As for the rest of my buffet, here’s the rundown: My favorite dish by far was the first one to arrive – the signature Dynamite Rock Shrimp… crisp, tangy, and delicious. Combined with the salad, which also arrived in the first round, the shrimp dish was very satisfying and got the meal off to a great start. My other favorite was the sliders, which were excellent. I liked, but didn’t love the Spider Roll, but I wanted to sample some sushi since many people like this section of the menu best. The shumai was also tasty, but not equal to the best shumai I have eaten. My least favorite item was the Crab Wontons. They were crispy on the outside, but the crabmeat inside was not first rate and for me, that spoiled the taste.

A couple of notes on the half price early bird menu: the most expensive steak and lobster items on the menu are not included and they automatically add an 18% gratuity before deducting the 50%. All in all, it’s still a terrific deal… all that tasty food and a great sunset, which I could photograph from my seat.

Thursday, March 11, 2010 – Maui - Although still windy this morning, it was manageable and quite warm. At 11, we went to our vacation villa sales talk. This was presented by a lovely young woman and included a tour of the new building and a look at the different design of the newer villas. I preferred the décor and the design of the new units, but noticed that the pool in this section is smaller and seemed very crowded. By the time we finished, our foursome had gotten very hungry, so we headed down to Lahaina and found Da Kitchen, which had been highly recommended. This, like the dinner menu from last night, is the type of casual food I enjoy. We ordered a pupu platter (Fried Calemari, Ahi Poke, Fried Wontons, Shumai, and Green Pepper Poppers), Island Salad, and Korean-style Fried Chicken Teriyaki. Our in-laws had a Papaya Salad and Fried Mahi Mahi Plate Lunch with a humongous order or white rice and macaroni potato salad (our Teriyaki came with these too). It was a tasty, inexpensive lunch with plenty of leftovers.

Friday, March 12, 2010 – Maui - For tonight’s dinner, we went down to the Hula Grill. The options at the HG, are a “Tasting Menu” with three courses for $24.94 or the regular menu. Our excellent waitress, Holly, explained that the three-course menu has half size portions. The four of us ended up ordering from the tasting menu. Although there was some concern that it might not be enough food, in reality, there was plenty and we were all full by the end of the meal. Here is what we ordered: DH and I shared two appetizers – the Crab Cake (which consists of one little, tasty crabcake) and the Pork Potstickers. The latter was served with a Ponzu dipping sauce and a delicious slaw. There were four of the Potstickers, so we each got two. For the entrees, DH and I shared the Mahi Mahi encrusted with Macadamia Nuts (served with rice and more slaw), and a “Petite” Filet Mignon served with Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus. While there was nothing special about any of this food, it was all quite good and nicely served. Our in-laws enjoyed their meal also. BIL had the Crabcake, SIL had the Beet Salad, and they both had the Macadamia Mahi Mahi. For dessert, we all had the best part of the dinner – dubbed an ice cream sandwich with raspberry and chocolate sauce, there was chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream in the center and the sauces on the top and bottom with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Not too sweet, just simple and delicious!

Saturday, March 13, 2010 – Maui - As predicted, the day began with the least wind since we arrived. Determined to make this a pool/beach day, we left our plans open but decided we were in the mood for a Mexican dinner.

Dinner was at Tia Juana, near the entrance to the Kaanapali Resorts. This is a new place which opened last month, and is a branch of an outfit in Irvine, California, I have no idea how the restaurant in Irvine does, but based on our visit, opening in Maui was a bad idea. This was our first bad dining experience after a week of eating here, and it wasn’t just partially bad, it was entirely bad from start to finish. If you’d like to know why you shouldn’t go near this restaurant, here are the details:

We asked the Concierge at the Westin to book us a table for four for 5:30. When we arrived, the hostess said table for two? My Sister in Law said we have a reservation for four people for 5:30, but the hostess didn’t ask her name and seemed oblivious to the reservation. While this presented no problem for us because there were plenty of tables, I wonder what would have happened if we had arrived after the place began to fill up. Also, I would think it would be important for the restaurant staff to know our party was from the Westin. As it happens, the Concierge asked me to report back and that information should be important to a new restaurant, but apparently they didn’t care.

Here is what the Tia Juana webside says: Announcing TJBC Upstairs Happy Hour!! Every Day! TJBC announces its new Happy Hour from 4-6PM upstairs everyday! Enjoy Chichuahua Wings, Jalapeno Poppers, 3 Paco's Tacos, Grilled Chicken Quesadilla or 4 Taquitos for only $5.50!! Also, TJ's Da Kine Margaritas $4.50 - Coors Light Drafts & Tecate Cans $3.00 - Dos Equis XX only $3.50!

When we received our menus, there was no mention of this nor did our waiter say a word about Happy Hour drinks or specials. We asked and he seemed surprised that we asked the question. “It’s just for the bar”, he explained, but he agreed to charge $4.50 for the House Margaritas and honor the beer prices. The website should indicate that this is only for bar patrons, because we most certainly were seated upstairs in the area in front of the bar. It was a bad way to start and it didn’t get much better. A dish of chips and two dishes of salsa were brought to the table before the drinks arrived.

We ordered two of the House Margaritas, a beer and a diet coke (for the driver). I also asked for a glass of water, which I needed because some salsa had landed on my white blouse. Despite dabbing at it in front of the waiter, he didn’t seem to notice that I needed the water posthaste. After a wait, the Margaritas and the Beer arrived while the stain continued to set. Eventually the water got to the table.

My brother in law is extremely hard of hearing. As a result, sometimes his wife asks a question and then he asks the same question. The waiter seemed to find this amusing, and made note more than once that he wanted the Mahi Mahi Burritos without the blackened part. Worse, when it was time to order a second round of drinks, they asked the guy who brought the Guacamole to the table. He was not our waiter, but since four people serviced the table at one point or another, it was a little confusing. Instead of saying he’d get our waiter, he proceeded to take the order. My DH ordered a Coors and my SIL asked him to tell her the draft beer choices so she could order one for her husband. For some reason, there was no printed list of beers (just wine and cocktails). As a result, the waiter needed to recite the choices, which he did quickly and impatiently. My SIL asked him to run through the choices again, and he said, “I’ve already told you four times.” I don’t know if it was three or four by this time, but she had explained to the waiter that her husband could not hear, and it was obvious that she needed help with the beer. There was absolutely no excuse for his rudeness. (I don’t know his name, but the guy wears a pony tail.) To make it worse, after the Coors and the Draft Dos Equis Amber had been ordered, he never brought them. After a long wait, she asked the wait staff member who came to the table if he could remedy the situation. He said the guy had probably forgotten to put the order in and he quickly returned with the Coors and a bottle of something that was not the Draft Beer requested. We sent back the bottle and another 15 minutes went by. My SIL tried to get the attention of the guy who had blown the drink order, but he ignored her. Eventually Aaron, our main waiter, came by and we told him what happened. Within ten seconds the correct beer appeared on the table. Score one for Aaron. To round off the story, after we had finished our food and were waiting for our check, Aaron brought another Draft Dos Equiis Amber to the table. We looked at him with a “what are we supposed to do with this now?” look and he said he brought it to make up for the earlier problem. At that point in the meal, an offer of a free dessert or removal of the beer from the check would have been more appropriate. The beer remained on the table when we left, but at least he made a gesture.

Late in the meal the hostess, who was also doubling as a waitress, asked if we were finished and picked up a few plates. I asked her if the guy in the long pants was the Manager and he said yes and that his name was Robert. I thought that question might either elicit an “is there something wrong?” or an effort on her part to send Robert over to our table so I could tell him about the rude waiter, but Robert never came near us after he delivered a spoon I requested at the beginning of the meal. In short, this restaurant has serious service issues. My recommendation is that the entire group should go on a field trip to Hula Grill to learn how to provide excellent service.

As for the food, I am sorry to say it didn’t make up for the poor service. We ordered the House Tacos and Chili Relleno and DH also ordered the House Tacos and Mahi Mahi Burritos. The fillings were dry, the tacos were tasteless, and the entire meal, while filling, was eminently forgettable. On a seventeen day visit to Hawaii, this was our only bad meal.

Sunday, March 14, 2010 – MAUI - Today was our BIL’s 73rd birthday, so we started the day with some birthday presents and sentiments. A lazy Sunday with a walk on the beach, and then it was time to drive to Roy’s Kahana Bar and Grill for the birthday dinner. We had a 5:30 reservation and, after a short wait, were among the first people seated when they opened at 5:30 sharp. Our server was Gil, and the service he provided was exemplary. Birthday martinis were quickly followed by appetizers. DH ad I ordered the Dim Sum Canoe for Two, which included Shrimp Sticks, Potstickers, Szechuan Ribs, Spring Rolls, and Panko Crisped Ahi Sushi Roll. Our in laws ordered the Crab Cakes, and the Beet and Nalo Mixed Greens. I enjoyed everything on the platter, but especially liked the Shrimp Sticks and the Potstickers. In general, the appetizers were excellent and we were all happy with our orders. Hot dinner rolls were delivered to the table as soon as they were taken out of the oven, and then the entrees arrived. Everything we ordered was from the Ma Ke Kai (Sea) side of the menu – Hibachi Salmon with a Cucumber Namasu and Citrus Ponzu, Roy’s Classic Macadamia Nut Crusted Shutome (Swordfish), and Roy’s Misoyaki Butterfish with Sizzling Soy Vinaigrette (over potatoes, which I ordered mashed and my sister in law had broiled, with a Lobster Butter Sauce. This was some of the best fish we ate in Hawaii, fresh, moist, and flavorful.

Dessert needed to be ordered early and we all asked for the same dessert – Roy’s Signature Chocolate Souffle with Ice Cream. This is actually more of a Chocolate Lava Cake than a Souffle, but the dessert is wonderful, with the perfect degree of Chocolate Sweetness (not too much). People may say that Roy’s isn’t what it used to be, but this meal was every bit as good as previous meals I’ve eaten at this and other Roy’s branches. We all loved it and it turned out to be our second favorite meal of the trip (after our finale at Mama’s Fish House).

Monday, March 15, 2010 – Maui- After breakfast in the condo and a morning of reading on the balcony, we couldn’t decide what to do about lunch. My brother in law suddenly got very hungry and his need for instant gratification took us back downstairs to the Pool Bar, where we had a reprise of last week’s Pupu Platter (Chicken Spring Rolls, Ribs, Coconut Shrimp, and Kahlua Pig Sandwiches). Our inlaws, who decided not to eat dinner, then shared a salad and a humongous burger (which they said was good). Four hours later, DH and I set off to find the new Star Noodle, a restaurant run by the group that also runs the Aloha Mixed Plate and Lahaina Luau. Our GPS and the Concierge’s directions to the Industrial Park (although she didn’t know exactly where the restaurant was located in the Industrial Park, got us there.

The first thing we noticed is that the other diners were locals (with lots of trucks in the parking lot). The hostess was wonderful – we walked in and she greeted us with a lot of enthusiasm and warmth, and quickly seated us. Our waitress had her ups and downs. We started with a negative. Although we were sitting there studying the menu for several minutes before people were seated at the next table, she came over and took their drink orders first. At the same time, she recited the specials for them and explained several of them in response to their questions. Eventually she got to our table, but we were never given the specials (since she was rather loud and I’m naturally curious, I listened to some of what she told the other table, but of course she should have waited on us first and given us the information).

We over-ordered (how else could I taste a representative sample of the menu?), and here, too, there was a service lapse. I asked for Green Salad (big and quite good with a Lemon, Sesame Dressing), Yakitori Chicken (with Scallions and Sesame Seeds and absolutely delicious), Salmon with Miso Sauce (good, but could use more miso sauce!), Lahaina Fried Soup (actually a noodle dish fried with pork and quite tasty, but not a soup), Look Funn Rolls (which I thought would be filled, but which were actually rolled up noodles with a delicious Noodle and Scallion preparation next to the noodles. The service problem was that the “soup” was in a big bowl, and given all that we ordered, we couldn’t eat even a third of it. When I got the bill, I realized there were two sizes for this item and we had been given the “double” when the lower-priced single portion would have been plenty. Our waitress didn’t ask which size we wanted, but should have.

The final problem came with the dessert. When the waitress cleared the table she asked if I wanted to take the “soup” home. I said no, and commented that I was saving room for the Malasadas. (served with Chocolate, and Caramel Sauces, and Peanuts). Much to our surprise, one minute later, out came Malasadas. Not only had I not actually ordered them, I wasn’t given the opportunity to check the menu for other selections and wasn’t offered tea or coffee. I was surprised. Still more surprising was the taste of the Malasadas. Anyone who has read this entire report, knows about the Oahu Malasada quest and our wonderful experiences with Agnes’s Portuguese Bakery and Leonards. These Maui malasadas looked okay – round and covered with sugar – and they were warm, but they were also tasteless. I would recommend Star Noodle with some caveats and hope they will fix some of the problems delineated here.

Tuesday, March 26, 2010 – Maui - This morning the sun was shining brightly as we set off for a drive North past Napili Bay, to Kapalua, where we had brunch at the Planatation House, one of the nicest meals of our trip. This is a restaurant set on a golf course, with gorgeous views of the greens and the Pacific. We loved every aspect of this meal, from the view to the gracious, well appointed dining room, to the excellent service of Librado, and finally to the delicious food. We all ordered breakfast, with two of us ordering eggs (one omelet and one rancher’s breakfast), and the other two ordering Benedicts (one classic and mine over crab cakes). For starters, we all ordered fruit – one half a papaya and the others with Maui Gold Pineapple with Sour Cream and Cinnamon. The pineapple was terrific and my SIL enjoyed the Papaya. We all were pleased with our eggs. My crab Benedict was terrific – delicious crab cakes and perfectly done eggs covered with Hollandaise and a Roasted Pepper Sauce. The first bite was heavenly and I enjoyed every bite that came after. On the way back we drove along the coast road, checking out various resorts, passing the Honalua General Store (sorry, we couldn’t eat another bite of anything so sampling the sandwiches here will have to wait for another visit).

After another relaxing afternoon at the Westin (what else would there be?), we took the shuttle down to the Whalers Village for our second round of half prices at Cane and Taro. We again ordered our favorites – the Rock Shrimp Dynamite, the Waipoli Island Greens with Papaya Vinaigrette, and the Crispy Chicken Wings, and added some new tastes – the Three Cheese Quesadilla, and the Pork, Shiitake, and Water Chestnut Spring Rolls. This time I was determined to try the House Special Apple Tart Dessert with Caramel Sauce. This was totally awesome and worth the one-week wait.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 – Maui – This was another gorgeous day. For lunch, DH and I walked up the beachwalk to Duke’s Beach Bar. Owned by the same group that owns Hula Grill and Leilani’s, Duke’s is new and we enjoyed a delicious grilled cheeseburger and a Turkey, Brie, and Bacon sandwich and some iced tea. Our service was perfect, and our check was the smallest of our entire trip. Duke’s is a good lunch choice, located right on the beach.

Later, we boarded the shuttle for our last ride down to Whalers and our final dinner at Hula Grill. Since we enjoyed the Early Bird Dinner the week before, we repeated it again, ordering the Potstickers, the Mahi Mahi with Macadamia Nuts, the Steak, and the wonderful “Ice Cream Sandwich.”

Thursday, March 18, 2010 – Maui En Route to New York – Today was sunny, windy, and warm. After breakfast in the condo and final packing, we are off to Mama’s Fish House for lunch, on our way to the airport. The ride over was easy and with the exception of a brief delay where traffic merges as Highway 30 goes to two lanes, quick. We gave our car, laden with suitcases, to the valet and walked down the steps and over to the hostess station at the Fish House, noting that the place was packed for weekday lunch. We were half an hour early for our reservation and were happy to wait for a few minutes for the hostess to seat people there ahead of us. We were quickly shown to a table in the open air section, which is open to the ocean breezes. The other two areas of the restaurant have glass windows, so if you prefer to be seated there, I would suggest you mention it to the hostess, or even better, when you make your reservation. We were shown to a table closest to the lawn and the ocean, but in deference to my SIL, who didn’t want a breeze, we “swapped” with a couple seated back one row, who were eying the tables with the best views. Happy all around, we were quickly supplied with water and food menus, noting the drinks menus on the table when we arrived.

I have read many reviews of this restaurant in which people were unhappy with the service and sometimes attributed their service problems to their drink (typically non-alcoholic) orders. We ordered one soda and one iced tea with two of our party drinking just water, and our service was exemplary throughout the meal… absolutely perfect in every way. Our server, Barbara, told us about the specials and took our order when we were ready. Three of us ordered soup. The Polynesian Lobster Soup with Coconut, Spinach and Breadfruit Crisp was extraordinary – subtle, but delicious, and laden with large lobster chunks. Someone wrote that they would like to eat the complimentary Tomato Ginger Soup every day, and while very good, the Polynesian Lobster Soup is what I would very happily eat every day for the rest of my life. Since that won’t be possible, I’d be very grateful to anyone who could supply a recipe for it (or something similar – I’ve searched and so far, haven’t found it.). My brother in law, who also ordered this Lobster Soup was ecstatic from the first sip, and exclaimed over and over how wonderful he thought the soup was, echoing my thoughts completely. My SIL ordered the Maui Onion Soup, and commented that although it was fine, it wasn’t better than the one she ate at Cane and Taro for half the price.

Barbara brought warm bread to the table and then when we finished the first loaf, offered us another, which was perfect timing because the second loaf arrived at the same warm temperature as the first loaf. We had barely finished the bread, when the entrees arrived. We ordered the Deep water Ahi Seared in Ginger and Panko Crust with Kalua Pig Rice Pilaf and a side of Kimchi, and the Mahimahi stuffed with Lobster, Crab, and Maui Onion Baked in a Macadamia Nut Crust served with Rice Pilaf and a small piece of Corn on the Cob. The regular rice pilaf was good, but not particularly interesting. The corn was sweet and delicious. Our in-laws shared the Ahi, Bacon, and Gruyere Sandwich, which came with crispy, tasty Molokai Sweet Potato Fries. They enjoyed their food, and all I can say about the Lobster-Stuffed Mahi Mahi is that hours later, I was still thinking about it. In fact, months later, I’m still thinking about it. It was the best fish entrée I have ever eaten… exceptional. The Ahi was delicious, but not in the same league as the Mahi Mahi. The Kalua Pig Rice Pilaf was also excellent with lots of strong pork flavor. I didn’t leave room for dessert. Perhaps this was because even though I had read rave reviews of the Black Pearl, I just couldn’t work up the appetite from the description in the menu (chocolate mousse and passion fruit cream in a pastry sea shell. Perhaps it was because I knew I would return to this restaurant at some point in the future, and wanted to save dessert for the return visit. Whatever the reason, the two courses I ate were wonderful and I decided to quit while I was ahead.

We drove to the airport, dropped off our in-laws, returned the car to Alamo (exceptional service from this place and a nice and quick car return experience!) Like clock-work, we hopped on the shuttle and were quickly through security (even at security people just seem nicer in Hawaii!) and early for our Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu departure. I checked with the desk folks to see if they had seats on any earlier flights (they run like a shuttle and there were actually three flights between the time we arrived and the time we were scheduled to depart for Honolulu.) A short while later we were given new boarding passes for an earlier flight and in no time at all were in Honolulu waiting for our Newark departure. The only negative aspect of our time at the Honolulu Airport is that there aren’t any good restaurants there… some decent pupu options or loco moco or Leonard’s malasadas would turn this airport into the perfect place from which to leave Hawaii. Burger King just doesn’t cut it, especially when you have eaten lunch at Mama’s Fish House! We were efficiently boarded on our flight, where I had a great seat companion on Spring Break from UH Manoa returning home to Sao Paulo, and eager for suggestions on what to do in New York for a first, whirlwind visit between flights, and after a quiet, well run Continental nine-hour plus flight, we were soon back home.

This was an excellent vacation – frenetic at the beginning in Oahu, and extraordinarily relaxing in Maui. I definitely plan to return to both islands in the near future and perhaps add more island exploration while I’m there. Although it’s a long way from home, Hawaii is wonderful and worth the trip.