tin roof
Maui’s reputation for beauty is well deserved. Perfect crescent-shaped beaches give way to lush rainforests and rolling green pastures. Luxurious resorts line the island’s leeward coast, each with its own flashy restaurant and a front-row seat to the fireworks-like sunsets. But increasingly, the island’s best chefs are moving from big hotels to modest kitchens. High rents have forced independent restaurateurs to make the most of unconventional spaces, and many of Maui’s most legitimate meals can now be found in humble strip malls, food trucks, and farms. You can find it.
This is especially true after the devastating fire in Lahaina in August 2023, which had a major impact on the island’s restaurant industry. Overnight, chefs and wait staff were transformed into emergency responders. Many people have lost their homes and jobs and have not yet found stable replacements. While some West Maui restaurants have reopened, like Leoda’s and Fondo, others are still hoping to rebuild, and others are simply gone. Despite these enormous challenges, Maui’s sous chefs and shave ice makers continue to show up with their aprons on and nourish their communities.
Nutrition is needed now more than ever, and if the fires have prompted change, it will be a deeper commitment to eating local. This pre-disaster trend continues to blossom, resulting in dynamic collaborations between chefs, fishermen, and farmers. Hawaiian flavors such as opakapaka (pink snapper), pohole fern, limu lipoa (Hawaiian seaweed) and haupia (coconut custard) regularly appear on the menu. At Tikehau Lounge and Esther’s Fair Prospect, bartenders create cocktails using local spirits and fruit. Farmers markets and grocery stores carry a wide selection of Maui-made products, including macadamia nut butter, chocolate, and coffee. You can pack these in your suitcase and take them home to enjoy. Splurging serves a dual purpose, as many local grocery stores donate a portion of their profits to relief agencies in Lahaina.
Shannon Wianecki writes about food, culture, and native ecosystems for publications such as: BBC, smithsonian museumand Hana Hou — Hawaiian Aviation Magazine. She grew up in Hawaii and her favorite snack was her raw opihi (limpets).