MAUI WOWIE

The Gilded Files: Maui, Hawaii

Planting our feet back on the rock in the middle of the pacific ocean that we once called home always feels so nostalgic, it instantly invigorates all of our senses. Maui is a very special place for us, one that shaped us into who we are… especially after living there for just over five years. A place that sparked the idea of GILDED ARROW in its rawest form. We came up with the name of our brand during High School sitting in our graphic design class perched up on the hills overlooking Lahaina. Our view from school rivaled all others, with the smaller islands easily visible in the distance. We broke away from societal norms to chase after a dream life. So returning to the place that inspired it all, is incredibly satisfying.

A little backstory on how we decided to move from the mainland: After vacationing every holiday possible since we were tiny, we knew the slow-paced island lifestyle was long overdue. When our parents separated, our Dad remained in Portland to take care of business and after much convincing (mainly from Brooke late at night) our Mom finally agreed to switching up everything we had come to know. She enrolled us in Hawaii’s public education system and we packed up our whole lives for a culture shock of a lifetime. All of the friendly, grounded people we met while visiting became one of the main things that drew us in most, many are still our best friends to this day. This was a major factor in creating the best experience and probably why never got island fever. The amount of poké and kombucha we devoured during our beach seshs’, the empty cane fields where we caused trouble at night, the waterfalls we chased and the secret spots we stumbled upon kept us wanting more.

So, after all these years, from tourist to local and back again— we put together our MAUI HIT LIST with local secrets and hidden gems.

We obviously have to start off with the incredible cuisine found here… The flavors of the island are drool worthy and you’re about to get the whole lowdown. Setting up your room up with the essentials, is well, essential. Lots of tourists flock to Costco the second they land but we’re gonna give you a few better ways to start off your trip. We prefer to either start at Tobi’s Shave Ice, for their Suicide Poke Plate, stop at Maui Kombucha to grab a gallon full of hard kombucha on tap and possibly a pizza from Flatbread Pizza Co. (Call in the Homemade Sausage + Mopsey Kalua Pork pizzas) and head to the Westside OR we get cozy with a little buzz on at Cafe De Amis, sip an incredible Lilikoi Margarita and enjoy a savory Chicken Crepe (sub the caesar dressing for pesto) if you know what’s best for you. Then head up the road to Twin Falls, for a short waterfall hike to really get you on island time. Once you get to the Westside our favorite places to stock up on groceries are: Foodland Farms in Lahaina, they have they best poke by the pound and spam musubi, with a good fresh produce and drink selection. Island Depot Grocery is a local secret up the road for any type of Hawaiian inspired meal you could possibly want to make but RUN HERE for the frozen tropical fruit purees to make the best drinks, we love the Lilikoi Puree. I also stock up on Hawaiian Kava by Maui Medicinal —the capsules and the spray. Tamura’s Fine Wine & Liquors for good Poke options as well and Maui Prime Fine Foods: where we used to get all of our specialty meat and seafood. Now that you have your arrival day in the books and you’re prepped for your first full day of vacation, let’s get into the rest of our restaurant recs…

BREAKFAST • Papa Aina, is probably my new favorite brunch spot, the menu changes frequently to keep up with what is seasonal. Choice Health Bar, this is one of my top favorite cafe’s on Maui I come here almost every day while on island and you cannot go wrong. Their smoothies, açaí bowls, and avocado toast are so good. 808 Grindz, is a hidden gem in Lahaina offering local plate lunches but specializing in breakfast, three words: get there early. Merrimens, is known for their unbelievable dinner service and views of Kapalua Bay but when they’re offering their brunch menu it is divine. Fresh squeezed juice and Lobster Benny please. Gazebos, all you need to know is what to order: White Chocolate Mac Nut Pancakes and extra original coconut sauce + Fried Rice Plate + Corned Beef Hash (unless you want to wait for hours, local trick - order takeout and eat at the beach), Longhis, was our favorite place for breakfast when we lived on Maui, they closed down the Lahaina location and we’re still not over, but thankfully they reopened at the Hyatt in Ka’anapali and the Southside location remains. Leoda’s Kitchen & Pie Shoppe, opens at 11pm and offers scrumptious hand pies and sandwiches with some breakfast options, Plantation House, overpriced in our opinion for what they offer on the menu but come here for the views of the Golf Course. Mala, was once one of our favorite restaurants but the original owners sold it and now only own and operate Frida’s & Honu. Therefore we can only recommend Mala for the following: their $1 Mimosas on Mondays along with massively loaded Bloody Mary’s and some breakfast grub or Oyster Shooters with the occasional Lamb Pita thrown in.

LUNCH • You’ll find the best Poké on the west side at Tamura’s, the Barefoot Bar at Hula Grill - you must come here and experience their live music and pupu’s while on Maui. Order: Coconut Calamari, Crab Wontons, the Lobster, Shrimp, Scallop Potstickers (only on the dinner menu but you can order whenever) + Live Music is 2-4pm and 5:30-7:30pm Every Day. Craving an Ahi or Fish Sandwich ? Leoda’s, The Fish Market on the Lower Road or Paia Fish Market in Lahaina have you covered. Nagasakos, for quick plate lunches, specializing in Shoyu Chicken Fridas is a fun oceanside Mexican restaurant with delicious margaritas, fish tacos and killer bean dip. Mr. Subs in Lahaina for Deli Subs and Maui Kombucha on tap (you heard it here first!) and speaking of Kombucha - Alchemy is a Kombucha Bar and Bistro in Lahaina serving Valley Isle Kombucha, which isn’t fermented as long as Maui Kombucha so you can sip on it without worry about getting too “Booched”. If you can venture up to Haiku for NUKA the ride will be worth every minute. Not only is it a beautiful drive but you will be greeted with an ever-changing list of specials and fresh caught sushi from their private fisherman. The Nuka roll comes with Spicy Tuna, Snapper, Cucumber, Avocado, Shiso, Jalapeño and Nuka Sauce and their Pork Katsu Don Buri Bowl is DIVINE. Another mention of Choice Health Bar to remind you to try their Buddha Bowls for Lunch. They layer their soup of the day on top of quinoa and then top it with the Salad of your choice. It’s incredibly nourishing and yummy. Also, they serve wildflower tacos wrapped in the leaves of nasturtium flowers. While Choice is our OG favorite other health food spots include A’a Roots in Napili or Moku Roots in Lahaina Gateway.

DINNER • Sale Pepe, family owned and the hands down best pasta and Italian food, do yourself a favor and order the Truffle Burrata Risotto. Pacific’o has been recently reimagined in partnership with the owners of Sale Pepe featuring a farm to table menu served right on the beach. Starnoodle, is another MUST. Everything on the menu is amazing but our favorites are the: Pohole Salad, Vietnamese Crepe, Tempura Shrimp, Bacon & Eggs, Ahi Avo, Nuoc Cham Wings, Hapa Ramen, and the Garlic Noodles. I also order the Ginga Ninga drink but I sub vodka for tequila. Monkeypod — come here strictly for the Lilikoi Foam Mai Tais and the Poké Tacos, Kobe & Oku’s Sushi Bar, is your typical teppanyaki with a secret, they have a hole-in-the-wall sushi bar where Oku prefers to work alone in peace and serves up the freshest, best sushi on island. No reservations so come right at 5pm when they open to make sure you get a spot in this tiny sushi restaurant or reserve a teppanyaki table but make sure to order sushi too. Honu, HOME OF THE AHI BRUSCHETTA, If you don’t try this on your trip, did you really visit Maui? —So we used to get this dish at Mala but now with different owners only spend your time ordering it at Honu, we’ve vetted both and come to this unanimous decision. They source better quality ingredients and you can taste the difference— Also try the Grilled Spanish Octopus, Kale Salad, Fresh Fish Dore Style with the Meyer Lemon Caper Beurre Blanc Sauce *chefs kiss* Rock Shrimp Mojo Verde Pizza on Gluten Free crust (trust), and their Po Boys. Mama’s Fish House, is such a romantic spot for incredible seafood and ambience. Just one bite of their Lobster and Crab stuffed Local Fish baked in a Macadamia Nut crust and you will be in heaven, don’t forget the Blue Prawns with Tahitian Vanilla and save room for their Polynesian Black Pearl Dessert which is lilikoi chocolate mousse laid into a chocolate pastry seashell. Also open for lunch if you want to relish in the beauty of its location. Sansei, order The Truffle Crab Ramen, Panko Crusted Ahi Roll, Shrimp Dynamite, Nobu-Style Miso Butterfish, the Mango Crab Salad Hand Roll, and anything on the daily specials list. Not feeling like a whole sit down dinner head for the bar. Also check out Miso Phat down the road for a more casual sushi experience.

Shave Ice is like a really serious topic. The only places we go are Ululani’s (have fun with the perpetual line at all hours of the day or Tobi’s Shave Ice) Here’s a little rundown on how we build ours 1. Rosalani Mac Nut Ice Cream must be the first layer 2. Mochi either goes next or last 3. Pile up that perfectly fluffy shaved Ice on into the cup 4. choose 2-3 flavors, we love going tropical with (Tropical: Guava, Lilikoi, and Tigers Blood - a combo of Coconut and Strawberry — or Earthy: with Green Tea, Almond, and Lychee) 5. Then the most important part is the Condensed Milk Cream that they pour over the top, called Snow Cap at Ululani’s, and ask for it to be studded with mochi.

Maui’s Food Truck History is a simple one. Besides the small pop up restaurants / trucks that dot the road to Hana (Thai Food by Pranee and Chows) our go-to spot was Nobu’s Plate Lunch on the Westside, a pink food truck run by the cutest old local man << it has since closed and seems wrong for us to even list, but deserved an honorable mention for being an OG classic and setting the bar so high. Here’s our quick list of NOT TO MISS FOOD TRUCKS: Ono Tacos, EDGE Maui, Aloha Braised & 808 Plates.

WEST MAUI’S NORTH SHORE Keep driving past The Bay for the most beautiful scenic drive with notable stops like: Nakalele Blowhole, Honokohau Beach, Olivine Pools and Chutes & Ladders - while both of these are picturesque, climbing down to natural pools is risky and not for the faint of heart. Brooke has done it with friends and I’ve had my fair share of sketchy adventures though I refuse to scale a cliff with nothing but a rope, but you do you.

ROAD TO HANA Bamboo Forrest, Twin Falls, Waioko Pond (Venus Pools), Kaihalulu (Red Sand Beach), Waimoku Falls, Wai’anapanapa State Park for the Black Sand Beach and Sea Caves, Swim in the 7 Sacred Pools, Chings Pond (found past mile marker 16 on the Hana Hwy, below the bridge that crosses Palauhula Stream.

BEST BEACHES Westside: Baby Beach Lahaina, The Point Ka’anapali, Black Rock Ka’anapali, Backside Ka’anapali, the section of Royal Lahaina Beach before it turns into Kahekili Beach Park to the North, stop off for tiny secluded beaches off the lower road (L Honoapi’ilani Road) like Kaopala Beach, Napili Bay, Kapalua Bay and stopping at Cliffhouse to jump of the rocks or chill on the grassy knoll, Ironwoods, Honolulu Bay - mostly rocky but great for snorkeling and diving. More local spots: DT Flemings, Slaughterhouse Beach.

Though we’re biased and think the Westside has the best beaches, if you’re on the Otherside, check out: Oneuli Black Sand Beach in Wailea, Big Beach, Ho’okipa or Jaws to watch the surfers or the sunset and Baby Beach (North Shore).

& If you’re looking for nightlife you came to the wrong island and since the cane fields we used to party in have now become parking lots of big box stores here’s our rundown for where to be when the sun goes down: Haleakava — our favorite kava bar, Down The Hatch, Dirty Monkey (rowdiest of the bunch and we don’t get down like that anymore), Maui Brew Co. Sansei (Happy Hour is 5:30-6pm with a state ID you get 50% Off, 25% for visitors) Karaoke happens later, Taverna Wine Bar and Fleetwoods on Front Street.

To top it all off, we put together a mix of our favorite island jams on Spotify for you to enjoy.

Hit List

STAY

Westside: Ka’anapali Ali’i, AirBnb, Maui Eldorado or Napili Gardens, Honua Kai or Westin Nanea Villas, Napili Kai, THE MAUIAN (can be hit or miss), Higher End: Ritz Carlton Kapalua, Montage Kapalua

Southside: Wailea Beach Resort, Andaz Maui, Four Seasons Maui, Fairmont Kealani

Upcountry / Hana: Paia Inn, Lumeria Maui, Travaasa Hana

VISIT

Maui’s North Shore, Iao Valley, Day Trip to Lanai, Snorkel / Scuba or Whale Watching Trip on the Hula Girl Catamaran, Our List of Best Beaches and Places to Stop on the Road to Hana, Paia, Haleakala at sunrise.

EXPERIENCE

Cliffhouse (in the summer months it becomes a Champagne Hale), Mai Tai with Lilikoi Foam from Monkeypod Kitchen Turtles up North at “S Turns” aka Pohaku Park, Maui Kombucha On-Tap at Mr. Subs for the best healthy buzz and no hangover, Ululani’s Shave Ice: try the Green Tea, Almond, Lychee with Mac Nut Ice Cream + Mochi + Snow Cap on top, Old Lahaina Luau. Happy Hour @ Merrimen’s, dinner reservations can be hard to come by, but if you show up right before the clock hits 5pm you can secure a table on the grassy area overlooking Kapalua Bay.

INDULGE

Westside: Honu, Fridas, Sale Pepe, Merrimens, Papa Aina, Starnoodle, Pacifico’s, Sansei, Gazebos, Leoda’s, Paia Fish Market Lahaina, The Fish Market, 808 Grindz, Nagasakos, Hula Grill, Ono Tacos, EDGE Maui, Aloha Braised, 808 Plates, Longhi’s.

Upcountry: Flatbread Pizza Co. Cafe De Amis, Tobi’s Shave Ice, NUKA, Maui Kombucha, Paia Fish Market, Mama’s Fish House.