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FOOD TRUCKS, BOATS Those who love to shop at Costco may be hard pressed to buy another one of those food court hot dogs again.
That’s because right down the street to the left on the Paia or east side of the gas pumps, there is an expanding food truck and food boat court. It’s enclosed with a chain-link fence and a few tents and tables are set up.
Sushi lovers who have dined in Haiku will recognize Wayne and Heidi Miyahara, who ran the former Wayne’s Sushi there for two years.
“We had an idea and bought a 25-foot Penn Yan fishing boat,” says Wayne. “It took a year and a half to renovate it. The boat was fully equipped with sonar, life vests, even the engine worked. It was seaworthy.”
But the couple cut out a door, and transformed the entire interior into a commercial-kitchen galley complete with a walkup window for ordering.
“It’s called Fresh Off The Boat,” says Wayne. “Heads turn two or three times when people see it. We always have several hot fish dishes and we open at 11 a.m. and remain open for dinner.”
On a recent visit, I tried the combo plate with two shrimp, one each yam, onion and zucchini tempura, miso walu, ahi belly, rice and seasoned cucumbers. Wow! They also toss Cajun ahi salad with Asian-Caucasian “cross dressing” (sushi chefs do like to have fun) and deep-fry shrimp and veggie tempura. Specials change daily.
The couple’s son Jesse Miyahara just arrived from Vegas last weekend, and he’ll be supplementing his parents’ hot foods will cool, raw sushi.
The Maui Made juice truck is nearby with fresh-pressed lemonade in flavors such as strawberry pineapple and blueberry-lavender along with sparklers, iced coffees and teas and kombucha in flavors like Tahitian lime. The Maui Made owners are Jonathan and Laura Silva, who have a wikiwiki line for speedy ordering. Everything is organic and fresh and you can sit down and enjoy.
But it doesn’t stop there. Maui 8 Wonder is a taco van and a half. Owners Lily Vega and Fer Garcia do three tacos for $5 in varieties such as aphrodisiac salmon, barbecue pork, carne asada, chicken and vegan potato.
The man who leases the food truck, food boat portion of the lot is Danny Kalahiki, who has been at this location for 15 months now with his Like Poke. . .? truck.
Six days a week we’re here from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and now Wayne and I are staying open on Friday nights unless we sell out sooner,” Kalahiki says.
Like Poke . . .? is famous for its ahi katsu and raw poke. “We only use fresh fish,” says Kalahiki. “I hand cut fish every day. We mix our poke to order. We don’t mix and let it sit in the sauce.”
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BITS AND PIECES . . . Kicking off its 75th birthday this spring, Dairy Queen locations nationwide, including the one at Lahaina Cannery Mall, will offer a free soft-serve cone to customers on Monday.
Mana Foods in Paia is one of the best stores in which to “buy local,” according to purchasing director Christina Gilbert, who spoke Upcountry at Maui Food Technology Center’s recent expo.
“We buy from over 400 local vendors and Mana Foods is a huge supporter of Maui and Hawaii companies,” Gilbert told the crowd, adding that 80 to 90 percent of its colorful produce is certified organic or unsprayed and that 50 percent of its produce is grown in Hawaii.
French-born chef Philippe Chin will host a community fundraiser for Ka Lima O Maui on Friday at his Sugar Cane Hawaiian Contemporary Grill (formerly called Sugar Cane Maui). Come for Hawaiian-inspired cuisine at 5 p.m., such as mahimahi laulau, li hing mui pineapple and kalua pork Napoleon, followed by dancing and fun at 9 p.m. Chin employs two Ka Lima workers with disabilities and says it’s a great organization.