HI - Maui ... where to eat?

[Banana Brain]

I'm back from Hawaii

I just got back today from Hawaii! I only went into ONE really nice don't-show-up-in-blue-jeans restuarant and it was... Roy's! I got the blackened ahi as an appetizer (which I didn't think was all it was built up to be, and I keep reading about it in more and more magazines, oddly) and as an entre I got Roy’s roasted macadamia nut mahi mahi (something called Omaha or something, it was some big white fish fillet I was unfamiliar with) with lobster sauce. I asked the waiter what was in the sauce and he told me there were lobster shells boiled down, some shrimp, crab, cream, bacon in there, basically all kinds of things. It was really delicious to, I finished the sauce long before I finished the fish (actually I never did get to finish the fish, because just then the waiter arived and said if we didn't have dessert now there would be a forty-five minute wait). My boyfriend's entre though was HEAVENLY and I wish I'd have gotten it! I only had one peice but I still remember it. It was this butterfish that litterally melted in my mouth. Can you believe that? Fish that melted in my mouth, not chocolate but fish? I still remember what it tasted like to, and that yummy green and white sauce of his that I ate more of while he excused himself to use the bathroom. I even ate the asperagus on top and all the decorative leaves in stuff. Was I not supposed to do that? For dessert we got the same thing as everyone else in the resturant, a melting chocolate souffle to share with rasberry sauce and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream sitting in a candy shell. My first souffle and my favorite dessert, I actually ate over half of it! That night I woke up several times feeling very ill and I thought I would throw up for a while. Thats just what happens on nights when I overindulge for dinner. Worth it though.
Sadly, we had reservations for Alan Wong's for our last night there but they were cancelled when we had some um... differences. We're still together, but we had a fight. I thought about going by myself, but that would sort of be a social faux pas I decided. You know, to go into a really nice resturaunt by yourself. But we reconciled last night (in Southern California, not Hawaii, were we stopped for two nights before flying home today) and got a gourmet meal from In-N-Out. Other than that on the vacation for dinner we had the Japanese buffet Todai, a Hawaiian Luau, a very good low-profile Authentic Chinese Place in Chinatown which served mostly just Chinese people, some salads from a "make your own salad" place that had a wonderful selection of cheeses and meats and toppings to choose from, and lots of home-grilled fish. It honestly wasn't as great of a culinery exprience as I would have liked, but I got to go parasailing and up in a small jet plane that did flips in the air. Thanks to everyone who made reccomendations before the trip.
If for some reason anyone is STILL reading at this point, do you think it would have been a social error to walk into a nice romantic resturaunt and eat dinner alone?

 

[Banana Brain]

Oh, and on a different night we'd made reservations to Sansei but backed out of them too when we got back to late and were too tired anyways. That was really dissapointing.

 

[Banana Brain]

Important Question: was the blackened ahi supposed to be cold? I was scared they'd done it wrong because you would think "blackened" would be hot but I think it was raw fish. It tasted like sushi.

 

[ironchef]

1. So you guys went to two islands then (Oahu and Maui), or just Oahu? Where did you stay at on Oahu (I know that you said you were staying in a cottage on Maui)?

2. It's not a problem to eat at a fine dining restaurant alone. We get many single diners. Everyone assumes you are on a business trip.

3. Any seafood dish cooked rare will be cold in the middle.

4. Was the fish that you had a mahi mahi or a snapper? If it was a snapper, it was probably "onaga" which might sound like "Omaha" if you're not familiar with the word.

 

[Banana Brain]

1. So you guys went to two islands then (Oahu and Maui), or just Oahu? Where did you stay at on Oahu (I know that you said you were staying in a cottage on Maui)?

2. It's not a problem to eat at a fine dining restaurant alone. We get many single diners. Everyone assumes you are on a business trip.

3. Any seafood dish cooked rare will be cold in the middle.

4. Was the fish that you had a mahi mahi or a snapper? If it was a snapper, it was probably "onaga" which might sound like "Omaha" if you're not familiar with the word.

1. Yes we went to Oahu also, and I didn't even know that we were until we got there. We never discuss any plans in advanced, only because he always avoids my questions. He acts like he's being hastled to much if I say, "Are we going to be there within an hour?" Sorry, not that anyone cares about our little problems. But yeah we were in Oahu half the time and stayed in a town called Lanakai in Kealua. There was where we rented the really nicer house. Like, two minutes from a mostly empty beach nice. He had planned on doing I guess every big "event" there except the luau, so I guess it was sort of pointless of me to ask you a bunch of Maui resturaunts (sorry). Except I guess not thuogh, because you recommended Roy's which is on both islands. I'm not sure if I went to the original Roy's or not. We went past that huge shopping center place on the beach and off to this far away sort of distant resturant out past the ocean, so I'm thinking it was the original one. There was also a Roy's in that huge shopping center I think, but they wouldn't build the shopping center around the Roy's. So I think the one I went to was the original.

2. Really? I was going to go to Sansei, but then this happened:
Me: I'd like to make reservations for one please.
Sensei employee: *laughs* And who would this one person be?
Me: *my name*
Him: Don't worry *my name*, I think we'll have room for you if you're just one person.

Yeah. Embarrasing.
Where do you work, IronChef?

3. Oh.

4. Thank you, onaga, that was definatly the word. I just remembered Mahi Mahi is dolphin and it wasn't dolphin. Must have been snapper.

Thanks for responding and guiding me to a memorable night at Roy's.

 

[ironchef]

It sounds like you did go to the original flagship restaurant. If you did, then you should recognize the pic below. Roy's other restaurant on Oahu is at the Ko'olina Golf Course. Alan Wong has another restaurant in that large shopping center so that's probably who you were thinking of.

Hopefully someone will speak to the host/hostess/receptionist at Sansei. They were probably just trying to be funny, but sometimes one person's humour can make another person uncomfortable without them even knowing it.

I'm not sure what restaurant I'm going to be working at. The hotel that I got a job at has several restaurants and I will be floating between all of them. My orientation is this coming week.

 

[Banana Brain]

Yup, that looks like the one I went to. I think. It was dark. It was behind an Outback Steakhouse.

 

[ironchef]

Yup, that looks like the one I went to. I think. It was dark. It was behind an Outback Steakhouse.

Yeah that's the one. Roy Yamaguchi is or was an investing partner in Outback. I heard that he sold out his interests but I'm not sure if that is true or not.

 

[Claire]

In Hawaii (now, granted, about 15 years ago) loved the little mom & pop ethnic places. But I went to Roy's when he first opened up in Hawaii and loved that as well. But my favorites were Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, where we were the only haoles in the room. But also there were Greek, German, Middle Eastern places as well. They were the best bargains Oahu had to offer. Now that I think of it, the first place I had Spanish tapas was ... Maui.

Vacations can be more stressful on relationships than everyday life. When you're not on vacation you can escape to your job or dilute your problems in a common social life. On vacation you're together 24/7 and often in a small space together. You don't have anyone to talk to besides each other. Many people can't really hadn't being in a situation where they don't know anyone, where they are the wrong color or ethnicity, where they can't eat what they like everyday at home. For many couples this means disaster. It is something you need to know if you're in a relatively new relationship.

 

[Banana Brain]

In Hawaii (now, granted, about 15 years ago) loved the little mom & pop ethnic places. But I went to Roy's when he first opened up in Hawaii and loved that as well. But my favorites were Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, where we were the only haoles in the room. But also there were Greek, German, Middle Eastern places as well. They were the best bargains Oahu had to offer. Now that I think of it, the first place I had Spanish tapas was ... Maui.

Vacations can be more stressful on relationships than everyday life. When you're not on vacation you can escape to your job or dilute your problems in a common social life. On vacation you're together 24/7 and often in a small space together. You don't have anyone to talk to besides each other. Many people can't really hadn't being in a situation where they don't know anyone, where they are the wrong color or ethnicity, where they can't eat what they like everyday at home. For many couples this means disaster. It is something you need to know if you're in a relatively new relationship.

True dat, true dat. Our relationship is on the rocks again. I think its amazing how every place seems to meet in Hawaii. Especially foodwise.