Category Archives: Restaurant

Tiffany’s Restaurant in Wailuku

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Since most readers of my blog are visitors to Maui, let me start this review by saying: this isn’t really in a part of Maui that tourists frequent. In fact, not too many years ago, this wasn’t such a great part of Maui.

But you should definitely come here now!

This is a Sheldon Simeon restaurant and the food is really excellent!

If you don’t know Sheldon Simeon, well, he’s a celebrity chef on Maui. Maybe THE celebrity chef on Maui. Or at least, the only one who people have heard of outside Maui. He has a great take-out place called Tin Roof that I also very highly recommend. And he wrote a pretty usable interesting cookbook that has great recipes and inspiration.

Anyway, Tiffany’s was an old-school, not amazing Chinese-ish restaurant for about 20 years until Sheldon and his wife came along and bought and revamped it. So it’s got some old-school charm and seasoned employees, but the food is really modern and delicious.

Tiffany’s is best with a larger group. There are so many items on the menu that you’ll want to try, that you’re better off with a crowd so you can really order up right. I won’t say the portions are huge, but they can be rich, so sharing is definitely the right move here.

Here are some recommended dishes to get started: the hamachi crudo (the sauce is unreal – save it to pour over rice later in your meal), the kale caesar (even just for the drenched croutons), any of the various fried chicken options (mochiko being the best), and the excellent fatty and crispy pork belly – especially if you basically like fried crispy fat, which I do. But literally not a single dish I’ve had here is something I wouldn’t order again.

Tiffany’s does not take reservations, but you can get in line for a table on your way over by going to their Yelp page and signing up on the waitlist. Worst case, though, you have to wait so you get a drink at the bar and hang out in the front either outside or being mesmerized by the aquarium. Neither option is a problem.

Website: Tiffany’s Maui

Address: 1424 Lower Main St, Wailuku HI 96793

Tasaka Gudi Gudi

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Here’s a quick little spot for a snack that actually has a small place in Hawaii history. It’s been around for over 100 years (clearly not in this mall anchored by Whole Foods) and they keep their recipe secret.

Cash only. VERY inexpensive. Basically two items.

And I’ll go even further to whittle that down and say I’m not a big fan of one of them.

But what they serve is a frozen treat that is something like ice cream or sorbet, but it’s definitely a bit different. It’s small and refreshing and worth a try.

They serve two flavors: pineapple and strawberry. I really think the pineapple is something – it just tastes like sweet pure pineapple frozen and whipped – but it’s clearly not. Somehow they amplify the pineapple to be even more pineapply than it is naturally – maybe they’re reducing down a syrup?

The other option is strawberry, and this one just doesn’t hit me the right way. I feel like it doesn’t taste like strawberry so much as it tastes like strawberry flavoring – like a strawberry Jolly Rancher does. You know how a watermelon Jolly Rancher has a unique flavor that basically isn’t watermelon? Same thing here.

Anyway, if you’re in Kahului looking for a very quick, very casual, very refreshing bite, this is the place.