Thursdays and Fridays have always been a riot at Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Kapalua because of the late-night karaoke, lively young crowds and discounts on both food and drinks.
Basically, you get 50 percent off of the late-night menu with drink specials from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. while you enjoy the free laser karaoke.
"You must be 21 years of age or older and have valid ID," says General Manager Aaron Trujillo. "Seating is on a first- come, first-served basis."
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The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo
Executive Chef Ivan Pahk offers award-winning menu items such as shrimp dynamite, Japanese calamari salad and Asian shrimp cakes.
Award-winning Executive Chef Ivan Pahk is on a roll with specialty sushi and appetizers such as ahi carpaccio, tea duck egg rolls, and spicy BLTs. The "new looks" menu ranges from Hawaiian moi rolls with truffle ponzu to hamachi nori on crisp lotus chips. Another winner is the Kona kampachi, torched and drizzled in chile-pepper tosazu.
Now, Sansei Kapalua is drawing in a slightly older, more subdued crowd Saturday nights.
"The Saturday late night is a new program with about eight months under its belt," says Trujillo. "We really wanted to make a late night available to the 30-plus crowd and this had been working well so far. Just not the volume yet. It is more quiet, and not as 'club-ish' as Thursday and Friday, because it's got more mellow crowds."
Kapalua will also host a wine dinner Saturday, June 13 featuring selections from the Fred Scherrer winery of Alexander Valley. Seatings will be from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m. and cost is $79, plus tax and tip.
"We will be able to offer it to last-minute walk ins," says Trujillo, "depending on how many reservations are made. We will set up a limited number of seats for this dinner and Scherrer will visit tables throughout the night and discuss his vines and wines."
Of course, reservations are recommended as the popular restaurant is like "party central" during the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival June 11 to 14.
"We will start off with dry rose as an aperitif, and then roll into seven courses including dessert," says Trujillo. "Three of the dishes will be paired with Scherrer wines - all three- ounce pours of chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon respectively with three small plates offered between the mains. It really will be a great way to enjoy a wide variety of what Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar and Chef Ivan have to offer!"
For reservations, call Sansei Kapalua at 669-6280.
