Three restaurants to check out in Maui

Below is Part 2 of Maui Magic, with the final part coming soon. Check out Part 1 with Fond.

Other than Fond, here are three restaurants on the western side of Maui to check out!

Lineage

3750 Wailea Alanui Dr, Wailea, HI 96753 | website | @lineagemaui

Headed by Chefs Emmanuel Eng and Nelson Simpliciano, Lineage brings you a blend of Chinese, Filipino and Maui flavors, creating an experience that remains loyal to local ingredients and the respective cultural upbringings of both chefs. The service Mr. Sweet and I received was personable, sincere and genuine. Along with the food artistry at this restaurant, it’s the hospitality you get as a customer that makes this place worthwhile to eat at.

What we ordered

Crispy Shrimp & Scallop Toast ($19): These petite sandwiches are stuffed with shrimp, scallop and a lemon aioli sauce. If I were to have it any other way, I’d want less oil dripping here and there. I like my toast with more crunch and not grease. Overall, however, the toasted milk bread sandwiches were an exceptional start to our meal.

The House Fish Special ($75): Given the price, I was committed to eating every morsel. The leftovers ended up becoming breakfast the next day, which worked out well. The saltiness of the steamed Kanpachi had a subtle sweetness from the black bean truffle and fish itself. We enjoyed this fish with a side of steamed white rice.

Garlic Szechuan Noodles ($17): Noodles explain why carbs are good for your soul. The garlic crumbles must have had an additive because we could have eaten the noodles all day long. We finished the plate to the last garlic crumble instead. 

Tapioca ($11): Lilikoi is a flavor now forever associated with my memories of Maui. The coconut pearls in this dessert are jelly, soft and slippery and slid through the almond foam and into my mouth like a water slide. The acidity of the lilikoi and orange makes a big splash with the almond foam!

Mama’s Fish House

799 Poho Place Paia, HI 96779 | website | @mamasfishhouse

Reservations for Mama’s Fish House fill up two months in advance, so you have to be diligent about saving yourself a seat. I had to call, email and get on the waitlist for the restaurant through the OpenTable app. Only bar seating was available when I made the reservation about two weeks prior to Maui. Luckily, we were able to get a seat inside the restaurant right when we checked in for our reservation. All the effort it takes to make a reservation pays off the moment you make it to your seat or take your first bite. The seafood is caught every morning so you definitely taste the freshness. The prices speak to how this restaurant is usually reserved for special occasions or for when you’re visiting Maui.

What we ordered

Big Island Kanpachi stuffed with lobster and crab, baked in a Macadamia nut crust ($66): It’s tough to critique the food at Mama’s Fish House because the food is so revered by tourists. Again, it takes two months to get a seat at this restaurant.

Wild caught Ahi in a fresh coconut, lime and coconut milk ($30): I finished every bite, enough said!

Cafe O’Lei at the Mill House

1670 Honoapiilani Hwy #1, Wailuku, HI 96793 | website | @cafeolei_maui

Our first stop with our rented convertible via Turo was Cafe O’Lei at the Mill House. Eating here was a warm Aloha to the island. The restaurant itself is in the Maui Tropical Plantation, so you see a lot of historical context of the once thriving plantation throughout the spacious cultural hub.

What we ordered

Miso eggplant + root vegetable bowl - GF/V ($21): Mr. Sweet ordered the homestyle fried chicken thigh ($17) so I added part of his chicken onto my plate, which made my vegan plate feel more complete. Lots of vegetables! The bok chow and baked Molokai sweet potato were the outsiders because all the other vegetables were dosed in Thai coconut peanut sauce. But I do appreciate the purity of steamed greens. I do miss this entire dish so I’ll have to recreate some version of it at home one day.

As you can see in the photo, outside the Mill House is a splendid and vibrant vista of mountains and palm trees. That’s magical Maui for you!

Stay tuned for the third and final part of Maui Magic. Thanks for reading!

With glamour,

Rizzy