Food has a unique power to evoke memories. The smells and tastes connect to some of our most deeply held emotions, including comfort, nostalgia, excitement, and love. Food is also one of the most easily accessible ways to get to know a place when traveling. Equity Estates invites you to immerse yourself in the unique flavors of your vacation, one destination at a time.
- Destination: Maui
- Number of restaurants: 500+
- Famous for: Fresh Pacific seafood and unique regional cuisine
Nicknamed “The Valley Isle” because of its unique geography and lush, tropical forests, Maui is the crown jewel of the Hawaiian Islands. It’s renowned for its world-famous beaches, upscale vacation resorts, and stunning landscapes — a Pacific paradise that has long attracted solo travelers, couples, families, and anyone seeking surf, sun, and a little beachside relaxation.
It’s been named one of the “Best Islands in the World” for more than 20 years by Condé Nast Traveler, which is understandable when you consider everything the island has to offer. In addition to gorgeous weather and natural beauty, Maui is also a top-notch foodie destination celebrated for its bountiful (and often unique) produce, fresh seafood, and traditional Hawaiian Isle cuisine.
Three island favorites
Fresh-caught Pacific seafood, tropical fruits and vegetables, and pork, along with Polynesian, Asian, and Portuguese influences, are the foundations of the delicious dishes you’ll find on Maui. Here are a few of the island’s not-to-be-missed specialties that are worth seeking out when vacationing there (as well as some of the best places to find them):
Lau lau is a traditional Hawaiian dish made of meat (typically fatty pork) and salted butterfish (often with chopped carrots and sweet potato) wrapped in taro (lu’au) and ti leaves. Once assembled, the package is steamed until cooked through and then served with rice and other local sides such as poi and potato mac salad.
While you can’t eat the outer ti leaves, the inner leaves are not only edible, they are delicious, having soaked up the flavors of the pork and fish and softened during steaming.
Where to find it: It’s easy to find good lau lau at most local plate-lunch places, premade at grocery stores, and even at some of the more high-end restaurants. One of our favorites is the Lau Lau Plate at Da Kitchen, a small corner restaurant tucked into a shopping center in Kihei. It’s a little pricy, but you get a lot for the money — two steamed bundles of deliciousness served with lomi salmon, two scoops of rice, greens, and potato mac salad.
Another island favorite is Loco Moco, a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Rich and hearty, it’s made up of one (or two) hamburger patties on top of a mound of white rice, smothered in brown gravy and topped with a fried egg. Yes, it’s as amazing as it sounds.
Where to find it: The colorful Kihei Caffee across from Kalama Beach Park offers a traditional loco moco daily from 6am to 2 p.m. Or for a more refined, gourmet version, try Nalu’s South Shore Grill. They use locally sourced beef and house-made gravy over brown rice and even offer a vegetarian option with tofu instead of meat.
Poke is definitely one of the must-try, go-to meals when visiting Maui. While you can get poke (and poke bowls) in other parts of the world these days, nothing compares to the fresh, perfectly flavored versions you’ll find on the Hawaiian Islands.
If you’re not familiar, poke is made up of diced raw fish (typically ahi tuna) mixed with ingredients such as onions, chili pepper, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, and wasabi, then marinated in various sauces, depended on the recipe.
Where to find it: You can find poke at just about every restaurant on the island. But one of our favorite places to dig in to this Hawaiian dish is Aloha Prime Eatery. Located at the lovely Kihei Food Oasis at South Maui Gardens, this bright blue food truck offers three varieties — Hawaiian poke with ahi, limu, and sesame oil; a spicy California poke with imitation crab, avocado, and sriracha mayo; and the shoyu ahi poke, seasoned with sweet ginger soy sauce and chili flakes. All are super delicious and come with rice, green salad, and crispy wontons for a full meal.
Fine Dining in Maui
From fresh seafood to tropical, farm-to-fork ingredients, the fine dining restaurants across Maui provide a brilliant showcase for the flavors and traditions of the islands, with dishes often created and plated with a contemporary, elevated twist.
Located at the Four Seasons Resort at Wailea, the glamorous, award-winning Spago Maui pairs globally inspired, elevated Hawaiian fare with Wolfgang Puck’s classic California style in a lovely dining room overlooking the ocean.
Chef Nate Gabay presents elegant entrees such as a scallop crudo in an ume lime vinaigrette; seared bigeye tuna tataki with wasabi potato puree; and Japanese wagyu steak with Maui onion and truffle pommes frites, alongside a variety of sharable dishes for the table, specialty cocktails, and a curated, international wine selection.
Set amid an idyllic beachfront lagoon with views of the ocean, the gorgeous indoor/outdoor dining space at Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa at the Grand Wailea resort is as wonderful as its food. This seafood and steakhouse restaurant features a really good breakfast buffet, but the dinner menu is where it shines.
Settle in with a fresh seafood tower (with caviar option); order the crab cakes, prawns, or scallops for starters; and then move on to their mouthwatering pork, beef, or fresh catch entrées. Our top picks are the ube brioche with liliko’i butter and the ahi coconut ceviche (with crispy sweet potatoes) followed by the misoyako Chilean seabass or seared duck breast. Add a refreshing Passionata Hawaiian gin cocktail or local beer and you’ve got everything you need for a perfect, upscale Hawaiian Island meal.
Private chef experiences
In addition to all of the incredible restaurants found nearby, every stay in an Equity Estates home comes with access to unforgettable private chef experiences, as well as a fully-stocked kitchen with your choice of food and beverages.
In Maui, Chef Maja Liotta and her team at Lilikoi Creations are available for family dinners, brunch and lunch, beach picnics and special celebrations for parties of 2–50 people.
Chef Maja has been preparing incredible meals for Equity Estates Investors for over five years. She specializes in delicious farm-to-table cooking with international inspiration, using fresh, local ingredients and “wild-grown” foods from the island. But she always works with guests to personalize every menu to their preferences and dietary needs.
Some of Chef Maja’s most popular dishes are the poke cups, Kahlua pork sliders, and Tahitian ceviche appetizers along with her fresh-caught Ahi en papillotte entree (steamed with herbs, butter, and wine). A special brunch experience and the team’s Maui mocktails are also favorites.
If you’re interested in booking a private chef meal during your stay, your Destination will check availability and then put you in touch with Chef Maja to discuss preferences and details so that your menu is curated and planned before you even arrive.
Before, during, and after your in-home meal, you can sit back and relax with drinks and appetizers while your personal chef preps, cooks, serves, and cleans up.
Investors rave about the private meals in their Equity Estates residences, with many recommending starting the trip with a private chef dinner so that you can enjoy the leftovers during the rest of your stay.
About the Equity Estates home:
Our stunning three-bedroom Maui residence is located within the prestigious enclave of Ho’olei near beautiful Wailea Beach. With panoramic ocean and garden views, the villa seamlessly blends indoor/outdoor living in true Hawaiian fashion, allowing investors to enjoy al fresco dining any time they please. Guests also have access to Ho’olei amenities, such as a private, resort-style pool and fitness center.
Travel with Equity Estates for a unique and memorable experience. If you would like more information about investing with Equity Estates, please reach out to our Investor Relations team at 404.445.8501 or click to schedule a call.
