Hawaii Eats: Waicoco at the Westin Maui Resort, Maui

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The biggest slab of seared ahi I've ever had -- at Waicoco.
The biggest slab of seared ahi I’ve ever had — at Waicoco.

Lahaina, Maui, HI — It’s been nearly four years since I last stepped foot inside a plane. (Yeah, thanks a heap, Covid.) But with a gracious invitation to stay and dine this year at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa as its guest, Hawaii proved the perfect destination to take to the skies once again.

With its low infection rate and year-round balmy weather that makes outdoor or open-air dining possible year-round, Hawaii was one of the first prime destinations that travelers headed to in droves once the pandemic began to subside. That proved both unnerving — since Maui, for instance, only has two hospitals — and a boon, because Hawaii’s main industry of tourism bounced back more quickly than anticipated.

Save for mask wearing at times indoors by some workers, locals and yours truly, you’d never know anything had ever been amiss because crowds of visitors were definitely back in force when I visited the Westin Maui last month.

The waterfall at the Westin Maui.
The waterfall at the Westin Maui.
The resort has flamingos.
The resort has flamingos.
And talking parrots.
And talking parrots.

Once checked in, many of those tourists probably never left the grounds, either, as this sprawling beachfront resort has everything one could need.

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Lemon Espresso Pie To Brighten the Day

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Two different layers of lemony goodness, plus hot fudge sauce, and vanilla-scented whipped cream, make for one outrageously good pie.
Two different layers of lemony goodness, plus hot fudge sauce, and vanilla-scented whipped cream, make for one outrageously good pie.

After all this merciless rain — including the destruction it has wrought even as it’s vanquished our years-long drought — it’s a relief to experience some sunshine, isn’t it?

Yet even on the dreariest, gloomiest day, there’s an ideal way to brighten things up majorly.

Just bake this “Lemon Espresso Pie” that dazzles and delights with a burst of bright sunny citrus in its thick, pudding-like filling, as well as in its crowning layer of velvety lemon curd.

The recipe is the cover star of the cookbook, “Justice of the Pies” (Clarkson Potter, 2022), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook is by By Maya-Camille Broussard, chef-owner of the Justice of the Pies bakery in Chicago and member of the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Established 9 years ago, this is a social mission-based bakery that proudly started the “I Knead Love Workshop,” which provides elementary-aged kids from lower-income communities instruction on nutrition and basic cooking.

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Hawaii Eats: Nami Kaze and the Surreptitious Green Lady Cocktail Room, Oahu

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Roasted Big Island Kampachi at Nami Kaze.
Roasted Big Island Kampachi at Nami Kaze.

Honolulu, Oahu, HI — You know you’re in a cool spot when you spy a celebrity dining inconspicuously.

At least I’m pretty sure I spotted actress Lori Tan Chinn, who plays the scene-stealing cranky and crotchety grandma on “Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,” in a corner booth at Nami Kaze when I dined there recently with friends.

A 2023 James Beard semi-finalist for “Best New Restaurant,” the small plates or okazuya-style establishment is helmed by Chef-Owner Jason Peel, former executive chef of Roy’s Waikiki and culinary instructor at Kapiolani Community College.

Nami Kaze, which is Japanese for “wave” and “wind,” sits on the pier at Honolulu Harbor, where fishing boats pull up with their fresh catch daily.

The casual dining room with an industrial vibe.
The casual dining room with an industrial vibe.

This is the perfect place to gather with a small group, so you can sample many different dishes, all of which spotlight fresh ingredients, whose farms are listed prominently on the menu.

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Hawaii Eats: NatuRe Waikiki, Oahu

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Executive Chef Nae Ogawa at the chef's counter at natuRe Waikiki.
Executive Chef Nae Ogawa at the chef’s counter at natuRe Waikiki.

Honolulu, Oahu, HI — For a truly special experience, snag a seat at the chef’s counter at natuRe Waikiki — if you can.

The two-story restaurant opened in 2022 with plenty of outdoor seating on the first floor with an a la carte menu. But the best spot in the restaurant is definitely at the 10-seat chef’s counter, where Chef Nae Ogawa and her young team hold court in the open kitchen.

I had many wonderful meals on my trip to Hawaii last week. But by far, one of the most outstanding was the tasting menu at this gem that Honolulu Magazine named “Best New Restaurant” in 2022.

To be honest, natuRe (pronounced the French way, “nah-tur) was not even on my radar. On a sun-and-sand, sandals-and-shorts kind of vacation, I wasn’t necessarily even contemplating an upscale, fine-dining dinner.

A Kumamoto oyster is one of two supplements available to the tasting menu.
A Kumamoto oyster is one of two supplements available to the tasting menu.

But friend Sarah Burchard deserves special thanks for steering me to it. The former chef at San Francisco’s Barbacco, Burchard moved to Honolulu more than six years ago to become a successful food writer. In fact, anyone planning a trip to Hawaii should check out her online site for tips on must-visit places. When she’s not writing or volunteering her time for all manner of community eco projects, she is a server at natuRe. So, when she recommended the chef’s counter there, I knew she wouldn’t steer me wrong.

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Hawaii Eats: Mud Hen Water, Oahu

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A magnificent porchetta made with local pork and stuffed with a filling of taro leaves.
A magnificent porchetta made with local pork and stuffed with a filling of taro leaves.

Honolulu, Oahu, HI — At one point, Hawaii’s respected chef, Ed Kenney, had four restaurants. But following the throes of the pandemic, only one remains.

Mud Hen Water is still going strong, thankfully. Opened in 2015 with a strong locavore focus, it continues to be relevant and incredibly popular, among both locals and tourists, as I found when I dined there last week. It’s no wonder, too, because this is food that captures the cornucopia of cultures that comprise Hawaii, from the Mediterranean to most of Asia. With a homey Hawaiian quality and assertive flavors, this is food that you easily crave again and again.

With Kenney’s Kaimuki Superette next-door now closed, Mud Hen Water has taken over that outdoor space to offer al fresco dining. But even if you dine indoors, as we did, there’s plenty of air circulation from whirring ceiling fans and patio doors left open to take advantage of the balmy, tropical breezes.

The dining room sports ceiling fans and patio doors that stay open on warm nights, which are almost always the case on Oahu.
The dining room sports ceiling fans and patio doors that stay open on warm nights, which are almost always the case on Oahu.

Start with a playfully named Shurb a Dub Dub ($11), a bracing mix of vodka, lemon, ginger, and seasonal shrub, which in this case was a mix of guava and citrus. Zingy and tart, it’s exactly what you want on a warm night.

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