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When you’re staying in Ka‘anapali on Maui, you’re never far from a great, island-sourced meal, whether it’s at a family restaurant, a fine dining establishment or a humble food truck. And when you stay at OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort, all of those options are conveniently within a short walk or a short drive.
Featured photo courtesy of OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort.
Family Dining
Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii’s largest craft brewery, boasts a spacious, all-ages restaurant just off the beach at OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort. The all-day, “brewery to table” menu uses artisanal beer and spirits to flavor some of its Hawaiian-style comfort food, often showcasing Maui’s abundant local produce and seafood. The fish and chips, for example, uses local catch for the fish with Bikini Blonde Beer in its fried batter, while the slow-braised short ribs come in a Kupu Whiskey sauce with a sauté of carrots and zucchini and an Okinawan sweet potato gratin. Burgers use Maui Cattle Company beef, and desserts, including a float with Maui Brewing Company Root Beer, feature locally made ice cream.
Happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. is the perfect time to sample some of the dozen seasonal and year-round beers on tap that also highlight island ingredients, such as the Pineapple Mana Wheat made with Maui Gold pineapple, the Imperial Coconut Hiwa and the OMG Hazy IPA, its initials standing for orange, mango and guava. But don’t worry if you brought the kids: Besides the house root beer and ginger beer, the restaurant also carries locally made No Ka Oi sodas.
Guests at OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort can also walk along the beach boardwalk to Whalers Village, an oceanfront retail complex that includes locally sourced, family-friendly restaurants such as Hula Grill, Leilani’s on the Beach, Monkeypod Kitchen by Peter Merriman and the newer Cafe Jai. This is also a good place for all ages to wind up for a tropical Hondessert from Ono Gelato (formerly on Lahaina’s Front Street) or Island Vintage Shave Ice.
Fine Dining
One of the most celebrated names in the Hawaiian Regional Cuisine movement, Roy Yamaguchi opened his first namesake restaurant on Oahu in 1988, quickly followed by a second on Maui and ultimately an islandwide empire with outposts on the mainland. In 2011, the James Beard Award-winning chef relocated his Roy’s restaurant on the Valley Isle to the clubhouse at Ka‘anapali Golf Courses.
Yamaguchi’s “Hawaiian fusion cuisine,” as he prefers to call it, features Japanese, French and Californian elements along with local ingredients and techniques. Signature seafood dishes include blackened island ahi with soy mustard and beurre blanc, misoyaki butterfish and the Ka‘anapali cioppino with lobster, tiger prawns, manila clams and fresh catch. Start with Roy’s Hawaiian martini with infused pineapple and be sure to save room for the ube cheesecake with raspberry puree and whipped cream. Jetlagged travelers, take note: There’s a three-course early bird prix fixe available from 4 to 5 p.m. for just $69, and a seasonal three-course prix fixe for $79.
Gourmet diners will also want to visit some of Lahaina’s iconic reopened restaurants on Front Street, including Mala Ocean Tavern (a terrific spot for Sunday brunch), Honu Oceanside (try the seafood specials) and Star Noodle (guess what to order here.) Sale Pepe, a Lahaina restaurant beloved for its artisan pizza and pasta, recently found an entirely new home in Emerald Plaza, a short drive uphill from Ka‘anapali and temptingly near the Maui Ku‘ia Estate Chocolate factory and tasting room.
Food Truck Parks
South of Ka‘anapali, the former food court of Lahaina Cannery Mall has become Maui’s newest food truck enclave — and the only air-conditioned indoor one, to be sure. Lahaina Sushi Ko, Lahaina Thai Ono and the creperie Bistro Gourmandise opened in mid-December while Sergio’s Cantina, which also has a popular restaurant in Honokowai, unveiled its Mexican food truck in early April. If you want to time your lunch with free entertainment, the Lahaina Cannery Dining Lot also includes a stage that hosts an hourlong hula show on Sundays at 1 p.m.
On the north side of Ka‘anapali, across the street from the Times Supermarket, Honoapi‘ilani Food Truck Park is a convenient stop for guests heading out to the beaches of Napili and Kapalua. Two examples from the often-changing lineup of a dozen or so trucks include Chunky Paniolo and Thai Food by Suri. At the former, large portions of pulled pork, roasted chicken, barbecue ribs or prime rib come with two sides; if you worry about getting chunky yourself, go for the Kula greens, Greek salad and/or the tropical cole slaw. The bright red truck of the latter beckons fans of shrimp pad Thai, stir-fried opakapaka, pineapple red curry, drunken noodles and other dishes, served relatively quickly. The spice levels are moderate, but you can ask for that to be pumped up if you like.
