Frog Blog

     Well put my blog foot in my mouth! Less than a day after informing the world that there was only one authentic Chinese restaurant in West Maui, I learned that the owners of China Boat had opened a new location. The new location is right off of Highway 30 in Ka’anapali at the Fairway Shops mall.

     China Boat has been a long time favorite so we decided to give it a shot last night. China Bowl is set in a comfortable casual luncheon style setting and the menu is quite different from the China Boat menu. The new menu features 13 appetizers including pineapple coconut fried shrimp, pot stickers and cream cheese crab wontons, 5 soups and three salads. The menu also includes some rice meals and some noodles as well as ramen, udon and saimin. The signature dishes are offered a little bit different than the usual. First you choose your chicken, beef, pork, seafood, vegetables or tofu, then you choose from one of nine different sauces. The choices include sweet and sour, spicy black bean sauce, curry, garlic broccoli and the China Bowl Special ( a dark ginger sauce with vegetables that can be spicy or not) among others.

     We had already had a small early meal so we decided to stop in for a small snack and check out some of the apps. We started off with the hot and sour soup which was nice and thick, served hot and pretty spicy for a normal hot and sour ( a big plus in my book). We tried the veggie egg rolls next. They were fried nice and crispy with a light shell and served with sweet and sour and spicy mustard. The final dish we tried was the spicy wonton with chinese green. This was awesome, the broen sauce was thick and sweet with a great spicy zing. The wontons were filled with just the right amount of meat and the greens were cooked but still a bit crispy.

     Every thing was great and the service was excellent! We made a new friend with the owner’s son Victor and had a great snack. We will definately be returning here often.

China Bowl

808-661-0660

Fairway Shops at Ka’anapali on Highway 30

    Tucked away on Lower Honopi’ilani Road in Kahana, it would be easy to miss China Boat even when you are driving past. If you are in the mood for traditional Chinese this is the only place in West Maui, so it is definitely worth seeking out.

     The menu offers a tremendous variety to choose from for appetizers, soups and entrees. You will find a wade variety of traditional dishes with poultry, seafood, beef or pork, as well as a huge list of vegetarian offerings. Some of the chef’s suggestions include crispy fish filet in butter garlic sauce, sweet and pungent shrimp, kung pao three flavor and sesame beef or chicken.

     The decor at China Boat is your pretty standard Chinese restaurant setting, with a few Maui ocean pictures thrown in for good measure. The seating is comfortable and not too crowded in, and even with several diners around us the restaurant does not feel to busy.

     For starters we ordered Hot and Sour soup for two. The soup arrived quickly and was nice and hot. Next we tried the appetizer sampler which includes an eggroll, crab lagoon, shrimp toast and BBQ ribs. This is a great starter giving you a chance to sample a variety of different tastes. The eggroll is crispy and fried hot, the shrimp toast is nice and fluffy with egg and shrimp goodness, I didn’t try the crab, but the dish also featured a surprisingly large serving of short ribs, which were a little fatty but still tasty.

     For entrees we tried the sweet and pungent shrimp and the beef with broccoli. The sweet and pungent shrimp is one of my favorite dishes on the menu. It is similiar to sweet and sour shrimp, except that the shrimp are fried in a much lighter batter and the sauce is almost clear while being sweet and a little sour. The preparation is just a little lighter overall and not quite so candy sweet like the traditional sweet and sour sauce. The beef and broccoli was cooked just right with a nice slightly sweet brown sauce.

     If you are in West Maui and craving good Chinese food, head on up to Kahana for Chinese done right.

China Boat

4474 Lower Honoapi’ilani Rd

808-669-5089

     For the second straight week, the highway between Ma’alaea and Lahaina was closed due to brush fires. After a comical attempt to head around the North of the island that ended in a ginormous traffic jam at Honokahau Valley, we decided that instead of waiting two plus hours in traffic to get home, we would head to Kihei for some shopping and to get some dinner.

     First we stopped at the Kihei Kalama Village to wander through the open air market. Here you can find silver jewelry, unique imported goods and all the nick-knacks you might need at reasonable prices. Don’t be afraid to haggle here as most of the prices are negotiable. After wandering around a bit we decided it was time for dinner and decided to head on over to Stella Blue’s.

     Stella Blue’s is a Grateful Dead themed restaurant located in Azeka’s Mauka Shopping Center in Kihei. If you are looking for a moderately priced high end dining experience to rival some of the resort restaurants Stella Blue’s is a great choice.

     The menu at Stella Blue’s is quite large featuring several salads including a caprese and a classic caeser. Appetizers range from crispy crabcakes to the funky mahi and ahi nachos. The choices for entrees include shrimp scampi, fresh local fish prepared in any of four different styles, NY steak, stir frys and a tofu red curry.

     For our appetizer, we selected the eye’s of the world roll. This is an ahi nori roll dipped in a tempura batter and lightly fried. The ahi was amazing, with the melt in your mouth texture that you just have to love. Natalie decided to try the special of the day, which was NY steak with a blue cheese demi-glace. The steak was good, and the bleu cheese was excellent. I meant to ask if it was a maytag but I forgot. I tried the coconut shrimp which came with 9 huge shrimp on three skewers with a steamed veggie mix and mash potatoes. The mashies were the best I’ve had since coming to Maui!

     Overall it was a great meal, in a surprisingly upscale feeling restaurant (given that it is a Grateful Dead themed place). The seating is comfortable, and the vintage posters on the walls are fun and entertaining. We will definitely give them another visit in the near future.

Stella Blue’s

808-874-3779

Kihei Azeka II Shopping Center on South Kihei Road

Hope to see you here in Maui soon!

      Whenever we are on the North Shore, the Paia Fish Market is going to be a stop. Don’t get me wrong, there are several other great restaurants in Paia. The Paia Fish Market is just the one we choose almost every time.

     Located on the corner of Baldwin and Hana Highway in Paia, the Paia Fish Market is a small place it would be easy to miss if you were not looking for it. The restaurant is airy with several long wooden tables with bench seating. Seating is first come first serve, and you will likely be sharing your table with others so take advantage. Talk to a local and learn what’s going on or maybe talk to some tourists to see what they have enjoyed doing the most. There are no servers here, you just cue up in line and make your order, when your food is ready they will call your number and you can pick it up from the window.

     The fish here is always great, they will have several different types of fish to choose from which can be prepared in any of about 5 different ways (I like the cajun style or just grilled). If you are not sure about what type of fish to try, ask at the register and they can point you to the fish that is right for you.

     The menu is written on a large chalkboard above the kitchen window and features many choices. My favorites are the fish tacos, the fish burger, fish and chips or the fish plate. The fish tacos come two to a plate and are huge served with lettuce, cheese, tomato and salsa. The fish burger isn’t really a burger, it’s grilled fish of your choice served on a bun with coleslaw and tarter sauce. The coleslaw is served on the bun and it really helps make this “burger” one of my favorite Maui meals. The fish plate is a HUGE serving of fish prepared in the style you choose with your choice of rice or fries.

     The menu is extremely reasonably priced with a fish burger running $8, tacos about $10 and the fish plate between $12.95 and $15.95 depending on your choice of fish. If you want to try some of the best fish on Maui in a laid back atmosphere, be sure to check out Paia Fish Company.

Paia Fish Company

110 Hana Highway

808-579-8030

     The Taste of Lahaina, Maui’s largest epicurean festival, celebrates 15 years of food, music and fun this year. Come visit at Lahaina Recreation Park II, just off of Highway 30 behind the Lahaina Aquatic Center. The party starts Friday from 5PM to 10PM and Saturday from 4PM to 10PM.

     Over 25 local restaurants will be represented, serving up some of their favorite dishes in competition to be named best of Lahaina. Some of the dishes to look for include CJ’s Machico chicken, Leilani’s crusted island fish and Sansei’s spicy tuna nachos.

     Friday night Pito Xavier, Ekolu, Makaha Sons and Henry Kapono will be on hand to entertain. Saturday’s performers include Makana, Crazy Fingers, Conscious Healing and Willie K.

      Come on out and enjoy yourself in Lahaina with plenty of food, music, drinks and fun!