Must visit farm-to-table cuisine providers in Maui

As the second-biggest island of the chain, Maui’s stunning natural landscape, the focus on farm-to-table cuisine, and the magnificent views from Haleakala has long made it a must-visit for travelers. Hawaii has been back in business since Nov. 1 when Governor David Ige specifically asked tourists to stay away as the islands dealt with rising COVID-19 cases. The islands are now officially open to residents and visitors traveling from internationally, domestically, and between islands for business or pleasure. But with the holidays quickly approaching, Maui, in particular, has nailed down a process to protect locals and visitors alike with stricter rules in place about dining out. Visitors must wear a mask, present a negative COVID test/vaccination card to dine out and enter public spaces as the island does its best to return to some sense of normalcy.

Here are 20 businesses that you must visit to get the most out of your next Maui experience.

Shikeda
One of the hottest new businesses in town, Shikeda Bento Patisserie, is a tiny hole in the wall that opened only in July of this year. Chefs Shin Kim and Sean Ikeda transform guests from the historic Wailuku town to the bustling streets of Tokyo. Think modern Japanese bento boxes and unique constantly rotating French-Japanese inspired pastries.

The shop opens at 11am and typically sells out in just 45 minutes or so. Find super cute Totoro and kawaii light and airy Chantilly cream puffs, apple and lilikoi/chocolate choux au craquelin, lychee and butterfly pea roll cakes, matcha berry roulade, and a number of ever changing desserts. Chefs Kim and Ikeda incorporate local Hawaiian flavors with a modern take on their Japanese bento and pastry. The misoyaki pork belly bento, tonkatsu Japanese curry bento with rice, yellow daikon, red pickled ginger, and a seaweed salad, furikake salmon bento, spicy salmon onigiri, ebi tempura roll, are just some of the favorites.

Havens
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Havens is Maui’s newest eatery, opened by chef Zach Sato, formerly of Merriman’s and The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea. Located in a Shell gas station’s convenience store, Haven’s sources from many local farms and suppliers. Expect quick service, made to order food, and no-frills Hawaiian favorites. Chef/owner Zach Sato specializes in smash burgers, which uses a cooking technique of smashing ground beef on a grill to sear in the juices. You can also find oysters, noodle plates, temaki sushi, Crazy Tots aka hurricane tater tots topped with furikake, ahi tuna mac salad, and a slew of other must-orders. Even the saimin broth takes three days to make. The restaurant may be in a gas station, but they don’t cut corners for quality.

Marlow
Marlow, is a wood fired kitchen by chef Jeff Scheer in Upcountry, Maui. When the restaurant industry shut down in March of 2020, chef Scheer and his wife Kaili began making pizza out of their outdoor pizza oven at home for neighbors and putting them on Instagram. It became such a hit, the couple decided to open Marlow in October of 2021. Scheer, who is recognized as one of Maui’s best chefs (previously of Maui Executive Catering, The Mill House Restaurant and the famous Maui Chef’s Tables), uses locally sourced meats and vegetables at this humble neighborhood pizza spot.

Marlow specializes in a sourdough, Neapolitan style pizza. The wood burning oven from Italy runs above 900 degrees for about 90 seconds. Pizzas are charred and slightly wet in the center.. There are five white-sauce pizzas and five red-sauce ones. Produce comes from nearby Kupa‘a Farms in Kula and Lapa‘au Farm in Olinda. Ten percent of the wheat is from Scheer’s own yard (he mills it himself) and the rest comes from Italy. They have gluten-free crusts as well as homemade gelato.

Wailea Kitchen
The tagline at Wailea Kitchen is “clean food, dirty drinks.” Hawaii currently imports over 90% of the food supply and it is so important to try and become less dependent on imported food and create more demand for locals. Wailea Kitchen just opened during the pandemic. They locally source produce, fish, and meats that support Hawaiian families and farming communities. Most dishes are vegan. Chef Christopher supports preparing meats that have lived a humane life.

Chef Christopher emphasizes supporting locally sourced produce, fish, and meats that support Hawaiian families and farming communities. Hawaii currently imports over 90% of the food supply and his aim is to create less dependency on imported food. At Wailea Kitchen, they like to say that their menu survives if the boats stop coming to Hawaii. Menu changes daily based on Maui farm, fishing and hunter availability. Dragon Fruit and passion fruit margaritas are a hit as are their Mini Merlot Caps made with organic baby Enoki mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and finished in Merlot red wine with a coconut amino teriyaki.

Esters Fair Prospect
A new business off the usual beaten path, Esters Fair Prospect is Wailuku’s newest bar. This female-owned business opened during the pandemic and is a local gem that many don’t know about. Esters is an authentic tropical cocktail bar with outdoor patio views of the IAO Valley. Co-owners, Jessica Everett and Suzanne Navarro serve local farm-to-table inspired small plates, classic cocktails, tiki drinks, craft spirits, rum, amaro, mezcal tequila, wine, and beer. The cocktails are not only beautiful, but they have fun names like Surf and Go Naked and Mercury in Retrograde.

Wailea Beach Resort
If you are celebrating a special occasion or just in the mood for a luxurious meal, it’s worth booking a private sunset on the beach or candlelight dinner at Wailea Beach Resort’s floating cabana. Enjoy a five-course meal in a private setting overlooking the ocean. There’s a gorgeous floral table setting included, a personal attendant to assist you with all of your needs, as well as a complimentary professional photographer.

Sit back and let your private chef craft the dinner around your every want and need. Each course is not only locally sourced and tasty, but it is presented as a piece of art. Past courses have included kombu poached opah, butter laced Main lobster, lemongrass seared scallops with lilikoi beurre blanc, table side carved wagyu tomahawk, guava mojito cheesecake, to name a few. Reservations can be made easily online. The experience is once in a lifetime.

SixtyTwo MarcKet
SixtyTwo MarcKet features seasonal fresh ingredients from local farms. The menu rotates seasonally every 62 days and there are daily specials depending on what’s in harvest at that moment. Chef Marc McDowell has a background in French cooking and specializes in working with fresh Hawaiian ingredients. Recent favorites from the menu include the ube bubble waffle made with their house-made osmanthus syrup, the pumpkin pork potstickers made with local kombucha pumpkin, and the persimmon passion prawn salad complemented with fried Moloka’i potato crisps and passion vinaigrette.

Donut Dynamite
All the donuts at Donut Dynamite are made from brioche dough. Madame Donut is a colorful Maui personality that has devoted her life to the craft so much that she legally changed her name to Madame Donut. Before opening the shop, she attended culinary school, where one of her instructors was the pastry chef at the famous French Laundry Restaurant in California. Now, Madame Donut is dedicated to spreading love and knowledge of her donuts through using sustainable local ingredients.

Located in the sleepy town of Wailuku, Madame Donut makes a maximum of 40 dozen doughnuts each day in such unique varieties as bacon-maple, miso-honey, cheesy hammy, and goat cheese with walnuts. She does not use any artificial coloring. The doughnuts are pink from local strawberries or purple from Molokai sweet potatoes. The shop relies heavily on neighbors, who drop off excess fruit from their backyard gardens that Madame Donut then uses for her small batches of donuts. Donuts sell out fast.

Pukalani Superette
A location that every local and visitor should go to is Pukalani Superette, or locally known as “Puk Sup.” Pukalani Superette has been around for more than 60 years and is one of Maui’s last true mom-and-pop establishments. It serves as a window into Maui’s history. Pukalani Superette has been a family operation from the start. The Nakashima family is still running the store that their grandparents first opened. Stop by for Pukalani Superette’s affordable prepared hot and cold foods section and find tasty fresh tako poke (octopus), chili chicken, chow fun, lau lau, sushi, to name a few. Most of the fresh produce comes from local farmers. Stay and talk story with the staff and owners and see an example of how Maui mom and pop stores used to be like.

Haleaka hike
While most visitors drive up to the Haleakala to watch the sunrise or sunset, a day time hike should also be on your list of to dos! You can admire the volcanic hills from above, but nothing is the same as hiking down and seeing it firsthand from different vantage points. There are many different hiking trails to try. For a beginner or not too strenuous hike, check out the Halemau’u Trailhead. The relatively easy hike takes you to a panoramic crater viewpoint, about a mile from the trailhead. The trail runs across a beautiful natural land bridge known to locals as “Rainbow Bridge.”

Beyond that first viewpoint, the trail will then go down into the crater and eventually link back up with the Sliding Sands Trail. For an easier hike, many people choose to retrace their steps after enjoying the panorama from the viewpoint, which would only make the hike a little over two miles roundtrip.

Li hing mui
Traveling Plum is a brand new Maui business that just started this year to great success and fanfare.Chef Rob Ramshur, previously from Lineage at Wailea has made it his mission to use only Hawaiian-grown fruit and zero preservatives to make a more natural version of li hing mui. Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s who came to work on the plantations in Hawaii brought li hing with them and it has since become a Hawaiian staple.

Chef Rob forages for fruits like guava, pineapple, starfruit, kumquat, and others before fermenting them with Hawaiian sea salt. He then marinates the fruit with brown sugar or honey, preserved lemon, and spices like cinnamon, clove, and allspice, and then dries them without using aspartame, food coloring, or li hing mui powder. You can order his creations online, but his storefront will be open for business in December.

Wooden Crate
The Wooden Crate is direct from farmer to chef. Upcountry Maui’s pristine climate allows an abundance of locally grown fresh ingredients to be available year-round. The Wooden Crate restaurant located at Lumeria Maui, prepares farm-to-table meals daily. The restaurant is dedicated to local sustainability with over 200 species of plant grown on the property. Perfect after a visit to Haleakala or to Hana, The Wooden Crate offers a three course Prix Fixe menu for $55 per person. There are two seating options at 6:30pm or 7:00pm.

Dinner starts with a salad harvested from their garden, and onto a local meat (typically fish), and is followed by a local dessert. Enjoy a walk around the grounds and sit by the fire pits before or after dinner. The restaurant accommodates various dietary restrictions, from vegan to paleo.

Maui Pineapple Tour
Take a tour of Hawaii’s famous Maui Gold Pineapple fields and experience Maui’s last working pineapple operation. The Maui Gold pineapple is renowned for its super sweet and juicy meat. It is less acidic than traditional pineapple varieties. Developed over 50 years ago by horticulturists crossing pineapple varieties, the Maui Gold pineapple has hints of papaya and coconut flavor. The pineapple is grown on the slopes of Haleakala 1,500 feet up in optimal conditions and takes about 18 months to reach maturity. Learn about the cultivation techniques and eat your way through the fields. Take home a free pineapple after every tour.

Nuka
Located on Maui’s North Shore, Nuka is a tiny izakaya and sushi bar that supports local farms. Nuka is known for going above and beyond and milling their own rice, which makes it more nutritious and tasty. The menu is on the smaller side, but there are daily specials depending on what is freshest. The Hurricane Fries, which are french fries with furikake, sweet soy, Sriracha, spicy aioli are a big local hit. The truffle edamame and specialty sushi rolls are also very popular orders.

Maui Brewery Tour
Book a VIP tour to get an up close glimpse of the Maui Brewery production facility and the behind the scenes process. Enjoy a guided tasting of their four flagship beers and learn about the beer fermentation process. Maui Brewing Company is dedicated to sustainability and locally sourced ingredients. They are the first in the world to make beer with roasted coconut for their Coconut Porter. The bar features 36 craft and specialty beers on tap, including Maui Brewing year-round and special releases and craft beers from other small breweries. Don’t forget to order food, enjoy the beer garden, and live music.

Hali’imaile General Store
If you want to really get to know Maui, look no further than chef Bev Gannon. She is one of the dozen chefs credited with pioneering Hawaii regional cuisine in the 1990s. Enjoy Hawaiian regional fine dining and if you’re lucky, catch chef Gannon herself at the restaurant. Hali’imaile General Store is chef Gannon’s original and most acclaimed restaurant. Order a macadamia nut crusted fresh catch of the day on a bed of tropical fruit salsa, molokai sweet potato mash, drizzled with mango-lilikoi butter sauce of their famous coconut seafood curry made with local shrimp, carrots, onions, shiitake mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, lemongrass green coconut curry, fish sauce and jasmine rice. Most importantly, don’t skip the famous Hali’imaile Pineapple Upside-Down Cake made with caramelized Maui Gold Pineapple.

Hali’imaile Distilling Company
Founded in 2010 by the LeVecke family—the creators of Hana Bay Rum and Whaler’s Rum —Hali’imaile Distilling Company is located in Makawao, among pineapple and sugar cane fields. The company’s flagship Pau Maui Vodka is distilled using Hawaii-grown pineapple. Hali’imaile Distilling Company distills in small batches. Once distilled, their spirits are mixed with crystal clear Hawaiian spring water. Besides from their flagship Pau Maui Vodka, there’s also the Mahina Premium Rum, the Paniolo Whiskey, and the Fid Street Hawaiian Gin. Distillery tours are $12 per person and visitors 21 and over can sample up to three spirits during their visit.

Kula farms
If you are on your way to up-country, make sure to make a pit stop at fourth generation Kula Farms for local fruits & vegetables, fresh flowers, jams, baked goods, and a terrific view. Depending on the time of year you visit, there is strawberry picking available and even a pumpkin patch with a gorgeous backdrop of the ocean and mountain views. Kula Farms not only grows a number of produce on the farm like Kula Strawberries and Kula Onions, pumpkin, blueberries, squash, asparagus, zucchini, cucumber, and herbs, to name a few. They also sell a number of local honeys from their hives, jams from their farm, and have baked goods daily. Children and adults alike will love seeing farm animals or grabbing coffee and other drinks on the premises.

Matteo’s Osteria
Born, raised and trained in Italy, chef Matteo Mistura brings authentic Italian cuisine using local, fresh ingredients for his food to create something sustainable and better for the island at Matteo’s Osteria in Wailea. Matteo’s Osteria holds the honors as the 2016 ‘Aipono Award winners for Best Italian Food on Maui, and 2020 Aipono Silver Award Best Pizza.

There’s an extravagant wine wall and in-house sommelier as well as a full vegan menu on their website, which has multiple options if you have those dietary restrictions. You can spot chef Matteo in the kitchen making the pastas fresh. The braised lamb pappardelle, seafood fettuccine, golosa, puttanesca pasta, lasagna or cioppino are favorites. Don’t forget to order an affogato or tiramisu to end your meal.

T. Komoda Store and Bakery
If you plan on visiting Haleakala, make sure to make a pit stop at T. Komoda Store and Bakery. The bakery has been in business since 1916, well over 100 years. The bakery is still run by the Komoda family. Typically even before the store opens 7 a.m., a line stretches already forms around the building. Try their cream puffs, famous stick donuts, long johns, fruit pies, and Chantilly cakes.