Hawaii report (maui maui maui oahu)

[Rizza]

We just returned from 12 days on Maui and a couple of nights on Oahu and thought I'd share our findings.

One of first meals out (we mostly cooked) was a huge surprise. A friend who captains a fishing boat out of Lahina told us that they sell the most fresh fish to the Cool Cat Cafe. He suggested we try it for lunch. The place was packed with tourists and looks like a fifties style diner. I did not expect to have anything special there at all. I was plesantly surprised (shocked) at the teriyaki fish sandwhich. It was a very large piece of fresh mahi mahi on a bun with a teriyaki marinade (no sticky sauce on the fish) lettuce tomato and light mayo. It was cooked perfectly!! Nicely pink in the middle. Excellent! I would love to go back.

On night we had pu pu's at Roy's in Kihei. This was a huge disappointment. I really love Roy's n downtown Los Angeles. But the atmosphere, service, and food was really lacking at this location. We had poke and a sushi roll and i don't even remember much else but a disappointing $100 happy hour.

We visited Merriman's for happy hour as well. I really enjoyed their wine list (was disappointed with only one reccomendation - a Carneros pinot gris pretending to be a big, oakey chardonnay). We had sashimi which did not seem to be the freshest, tempura which was extremely greasey, pork sliders that were good, and a cookie plate for the kids that was just ok. I really was hoping to love it there due to the great reviews I've read. I did love the beautiful location, and walked down to check out the amazing tide pools. But the food at happy hour didn't deliver, and we had to walk back and forth to the bar to ordre drinks which was a little awkward as well.

Mama's Fish house was what it always is...fun, expensive, and good (not great). I will always return there bacause it is just an overall enjoyable experience. We tried the lobster guacamole appetizer which was good, but nothing spectacular. I had the fish curry. Again good. I can't say anything bad about it, but i don't think I would order it again either. And I should note that the children's fish was a huge disappointment. My 6 year old daughter LOVES seafood, and she took one bite and pronounced her's overcooked. we probably should have sent it back, but after 10 days in Maui you sometimes get a little lazy about such things.

Just one meal to comment on that we had in Kailua on Oahu at Buzz's. I know Buzz's doesn't get a lot of love on the boards, but we had the best meal there of the trip. We started with ahi sashimi which is possibly the best I've ever had. I was once again shoked. It was so fresh and fatty and creamy and delicious - unbelieveable! I had the Opah "Chinese style" for dinner. I am obsessed with re-creating this at home now. Just a huge piece of tender flakey fish steamed with ginger and shoyu over cabbage with cilantro and green onion on top. Great! Great kid's meals and desserts too - especially the lime pie with lilikoi cream and the mud pie. And the salad bar is always good as well.

Probably other places to note, but we did most of our cooking at home and those were the most important to post. Aloha!

[KaimukiMan]

It's odd, almost all the comments about Buzz's in Kailua are similar to yours. "I was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised." No doubt the setting on Kailua beach has a lot to do with it, but I have dined occasionally at the Pearl City location as well and never been disappointed there either. For $15 it is not going to be the greatest steak you ever had, but mine have always been good.

One note, Buzz's Kailua/Lanikai now accepts debit cards, but not credit cards.

http://www.buzzssteakhouse.com/index.htm