Category Archives: Lunch Spot

Spoon and Key

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Spoon and Key is a newcomer to Wailea – it opened in 2024. And it’s a newcomer to my YCGW list!

Spoon and Key is a great breakfast and lunch option in Wailea – easily the best non-buffet option, and also probably better than most buffets. And two nights a week they serve a truly outstanding price-fixe dinner. They also serve a more casual dinner on Wednesdays that I haven’t yet tried. But I’ve had breakfast/lunch there twice and the set meal dinner there twice and I can affirmatively say that this place is truly fantastic! I highly recommend it.

Hamachi crudo
Tomato salad
Gnocchi with duck
Panna Cotta with dried Kula berries

Here’s the full menu from our most recent dinner there – the pictures above are some of the dishes that really stood out.

These dinners, available Friday and Saturday only, are made with primarily local Maui ingredients, and it shows in the freshness. I think the only major part of what we ate that wasn’t local was the scallops. We didn’t opt for the caviar or the steak, and we had more than enough food. Fresh, local, healthy, and scrumptious. Top that off with a nice atmosphere and very, very welcoming service that was educated but not over-the-top preachy. Pretty ideal evening.

I believe the breakfast and lunch menus are both served all day. There’s also an espresso machine, so any coffee drink you want pretty much is available. I’d still give a slight edge to the coffee at Akami in the same complex, but the coffee here was solid.

On the breakfast menu, I’m really taken by the Treehugger yogurt parfait for some reason.

But the best dish you can get here for lunch that I’ve had is easily the fish tacos. I know that’s a bold claim since they don’t seem like they’re in the wheelhouse given the rest of the menu, but the chef has really worked these carefully and with great results. The times I’ve had them, they’ve been made with seasoned and seared ahi – cooked pretty much all the way through. The fish is on a homemade flour and corn purple tortilla that alone is flaky and delicious. Then there is some pico de gallo and a little avocado and a flavorful crema, none of which are very spicy and all of which enhance each others flavors just a bit. Nothing is overwhelming – you can really taste each ingredient here. They thought this one through and tested, and these are just great.

Fish Tacos at Spoon and Key in Wailea

Finally, I’ll give a shout-out to the banh mi. I’ve eat a lot of banh mis in a lot of cities and I’ve definitely never seen one like this before. It was on two slices of sourdough bread instead of a baguette, and full mostly of ham. I’m not really the biggest fan of sliced ham, to be honest, so I was a little disconcerted when I pulled mine in half at the cut and saw all of that pink meat staring back at me. I was hoping for some more crispy pork belly, with maybe just one slice of ham standing in for pate. But then I took a bite and the bright mint and pickled veggies really took over and brought me back to banh mi land. I won’t say it was the best I’ve ever had, and I still think eliminating the ham and going all pork belly would be better, but this was really pretty good and I’d order it again.

I’m excited to have such a great restaurant in Wailea!

Spoon and Key

Address:
108 Wailea Ike Dr
Wailea, HI 96753

+1 808 879-2433

Website: Spoon and Key Market

Broth Cafe at Alive and Well Market – Kahului

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This is the kind of place that, if you blink, you’ll miss it. It’s just down the street from Tight Tacos at the corner of Hana Highway, located in a health food store. It’s worth finding.

Broth Cafe does, like the store around it, basically serve health food. It’s not vegan – it’s not even vegetarian – but it does try to pack a lot of healthy, local veggies into each item on its menu. And they also pack those items with some good flavor.

Broth offers take-out (which is how I generally use it) or you can eat there at their small counter, which is pleasant enough too.

They serve a huge variety of fruit and veg smoothies, but also more traditional fare like breakfast burritos, rice bowls, and ramen. I personally think their take on tofu poke is the best around (although Foodland in Pukalani comes in as a close second).

And if you’re looking for a really easy lunch to eat on the go, check out their banh mi sandwiches. All the flavor you’d expect from a Vietnamese restaurant but packed with veggies and overall, probably a little healthier given their great quality meats and mostly organic produce.

Don’t forget to grab a kombucha on tap!

Website: Broth Cafe

Address: 340 Hana Hwy, Kahului, HI 96732