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Ma'alaea Grill

Photo: Ma'alaea Grill
300 Ma'alaea Road, Ma'alaea (next to Maui Ocean Center)
808-243-2206
$ - $$$
www.cafeoleirestaurants.com

The Ma'alaea Grill is owned by the same couple who own the extremely popular Café O'Lei in Kihei, whose philosophy is "good food without hurting your pocketbook" and they have certainly managed that in this charming, delightful restaurant. With beautiful hardwood floors, high ceilings and bamboo dividers, the restaurant is light and airy and has an outstanding ocean view of the Pacific and the Harbor. That alone would be enough to bring people in, but they've combined all that with a really excellent, Pan Asian style cuisine featuring, naturally, an assortment of fresh fish, which the Chef picks out each day when the boats return to the harbor. And you can't get any fresher fish than that. The food is fresh and delicious and the prices are extremely reasonable for what you are getting. There is outdoor dining, but the trade winds are quite strong so it is not used very often, but the inside of the restaurant is so lovely, it really doesn't matter.

For lunch choose from a variety of salads, including an excellent Curry Chicken Salad with breast of chicken, sweet curry dressing, papaya, Haiku Organic Farms baby greens and Chinese parsley. They have sandwiches, served with that day's specialty salad including a luscious Crab Club with Snow crab, crisp bacon, Organic greens, tomatoes and avocado on foccacia, or, if you've never tried American Kobe Beef (Wagyu), you will fall in love with the Half Pound Kobe Beef Burger with raw onions, tomato, creamed blue cheese and fries. There are various fresh fish prepared in different ways and a really crispy fried boneless chicken, pasta and more. There is a smaller Café Menu offered from 3 to 5 pm.

At dinner, appetizers include Snow Crab Cakes, a tasty Onion Soup with brandy, gruyere cheese, en croute, house made Flatbread and great Peel & Eat Cajun Shrimp; a selection of salads and entrees. You can choose Mahi Mahi prepared in several ways from Blackened Cajun style, sautéed, tempura or served with shrimp. Shrimp are featured in three ways, all of them winners and there is a nice selection of other seafood and fish. The MacNut Crusted Chicken is a featured dish served with grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes and garlic butter sauce or you can choose Rotisserie Roast Duckling served with l'orange or honey macadamia nut. Also available are steaks, prime rib and pasta. But leave for dessert as they are well known for their delicious Tiramisu, Grand Marnier Chocolate Truffle Tort Cake to die for and a unforgettable Pineapple Upside Down Cake with caramelized pineapple and vanilla ice-cream, plus more. Open Tues. to Sun. from 10:30 am to 9 pm; Mon. 10:30 am to 3 pm. Reservations suggested.