We always make a "wish list" for Maui. Most of the items are some of our favorite activities and places, but we always try and add some new adventure to our trip. This year, I requested more time in upcountry (last year's adventure was the all day assent of Haleakela).
Down the road south (going up) we explored the Ali'i Lavendar Farm which is nestled in the clouds on the slopes of Haleakala. It has over 55,000 lavender plants in bloom with walking tours daily. It was misting, so we opted to tour the gardens ourselves and took some wonderful pictures on the grounds.
Unlike last year's lunch at Gannon's, I did not spot Ms. Gannon and therefore might never ever get the chance to meet her!
Brian had a delicious pulled pork sandwich and I had the fish special.....mahi mahi on a bed of jasmine rice. Amazing!
Hali'imaile comes from the Hawaiian word hali’i means ‘a covering’ or ‘blanket’. Maile is a native twining shrub with fragrant, shiny leaves. History tells us that this area was once covered in the sweet-smelling vegetation and the moniker, Hāli‘imaile, became a part of the oral tradition that describes this lovely hamlet today.
About 3 weeks ago, Brian and I were surprised to learn that our local Roy's in Kahana had closed and moved to Kaanapali. Its Kahana location was a favorite of ours (any many others) and with its location just across the street from the condo, it was a real treat to have such an amazing restaurant within walking distance. We decided to check out the new location Thursday night for pupus...perhaps to see if any of its magic moved with it.
Roy Yamaguchi is a James Beard award-winning chef and the "granddaddy" of East meets West cuisine. The best thing about Roy's is the food and its service. The wine list was one of the first to be exceptionally user-friendly and, thankfully, remains so. The service here is welcoming and professional although the new location does not allow for really good one on one service (at least at the bar) as diners fight for bar seats prior to dinner reservations.
Quite frankly...let's face it, the new location is hands down more visually appealing than the old strip mall location (with a picture window that looked down at a gas station). Roy spent a considerable amount of dough converting a seldom used golf course club house into his newest restaurant. The "new" view looks out towards the water (west) onto the golf course and the new "comfy" decor is very nice.
The problem is....Roy's quaintness is gone. Sure, you can pack the place full of Kaanapali tourists, but with that, all of the ambiance is gone (and the volume has gone up). I also noticed that the "steals" just don't exist anymore....they don't have to at this location (there was a wait of up to 45 minutes for people with no dinner reservations).
The bar was packed with golfing groups on their 3rd of 4th rounds of the day (and I am not taking golf here) and we fought to find a place to sit down and relax (the new bar now seats triple what Kahana location did).
Hands down, the food remains the constant shining star! The menu appears to be different from last April, which I would expect... probably readjusting to the new location. We shared pupu platter (canoe for two for $29) and my favorite dessert, pineapple upside down cake. All in all....we enjoyed our food (my apologies, I had technical difficulties with camera preventing me from posting a few pictures from Roy's)
Enjoy!
Stacy
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