The last few days of our week-long Maui vacation included some of our favorite island experiences, and I know that you won’t be surprised when I tell you that several of them involved food!

We enjoyed a Saturday lunch at an old favorite in a new location. On our first visit to Maui eight years ago, we discovered Star Noodle,  serving an Asian-inspired menu of fresh noodles, shared plates and saké cocktails. It was tucked away in an industrial park on a hillside in Lāhainā, and we immediately fell in love with the food and the fun, relaxed atmosphere. In 2020 it moved to a great spot right on the ocean, and its open-air dining room overlooks the beach and water.   The menu hasn’t really changed (a good thing), and we eagerly ordered several dishes: the garlic noodles are infused with a wonderful (but not overwhelming) garlic flavor;   the steamed bao pork buns came hot, light and savory;  the Vietnamese crepe was stuffed with shrimp, mushrooms, bean sprouts and greens;   and the shrimp and truffle shumai (a Chinese dumpling) were simply decadent and delectable.   We also ordered several protein-centric dishes: perfectly charbroiled miso salmon; teriyaki chicken served with tangy, crisp pickled onions; and meaty pork Adobo ribs.    We washed it all down with an assortment of refreshing libations: Josh had a Celebration cocktail made with sparkling saké, passion-orange-mango vodka and yuzu juice. (I had a sip, and it was delicious!) I opted for a nonalcoholic TeaZu: iced tea with simple syrup and yuzu juice, Harry had a Singha Thai lager, and Jenny enjoyed a house-made fresh strawberry and lemon soda. We were delighted our memories of Star Noodle had not exaggerated its excellence over time, and we learned friends who recently visited Maui and visited the restaurant on our recommendation were equally delighted with their experience.

Later that afternoon we made a repeat visit to our preferred purveyor of Hawai‘ian shave ice, Ululani’s. One of their locations was close to our accommodations in Kihei, right across the street from the ocean, and we appreciate their extensive and unique flavor list and the quality of their ingredients. They make their ice from ultra-purified water and in unique machines that produce a very fine-textured ice. They also make their own syrups with pure cane sugar, and you can really taste the difference. Yes, I usually order mine with ice cream (Maui-made Roselani Ice Cream’s gourmet tier) and mac nuts because . . . why not?

We trekked to Mākena Beach State Park on Sunday for our last full day on Maui. It sits south of Wailea and offers nearly a mile-long stretch of sand with snorkeling, fishing and swimming as popular pursuits.   It attracts mostly locals, so it’s less crowded than beaches in Kihei and Lāhainā. It does have lifeguards, restrooms, picnic tables under the trees and usually a few food trucks. We set up our beach umbrellas and blankets on the sand and spent several hours enjoying the water and the views, with Molokini not far offshore. Granddaughter June and I made sandcastles and explored some tide pools among the rocks at the south end of the beach and also enjoyed watching a bunch of boys with their boogie boards tumbling in the surf. Mākena provided a very relaxed and laid-back final beach day.

Because our flight home on Monday would depart mid-afternoon, we decided to visit ‘Īao Valley State Monument Park, west of Kahului, before we headed to the airport. We had visited in the past and wanted to see again the lush vegetation and steep, towering mountains; it really is a stunning landscape. When we arrived at the parking lot we learned that out-of-state visitors now are required to make advance reservations. Although we were told we could probably go online and get a reservation almost immediately, we decided not to make the effort. Instead, we had noticed a park just a little way down the valley which looked promising. This was Kepaniwai Park & Heritage Gardens, a public park containing displays and structures that recognize the diverse cultures that are represented on Maui. The 8-acre county park’s large trees provided cool shade on this warm day, and the gardens were lush and full of interesting plants and flowers. We were drawn to an enormous banyan tree around which were scattered several picnic pavilions with grills, popular with families enjoying picnics. We also observed that the Wailuku River tumbles through the park and saw several people beating the heat in its waters. Alas, we had a plane to catch and made our way back to the parking lot, but we noticed a new structure being built of bamboo as we headed out. What a wonderful park to explore the influences of modern-day Maui!

After gassing up our rental car at Costco before returning it to the airport, we needed to grab some lunch and decided a nearby food truck court was far preferable to Costco’s offerings. This proved a great choice, as service was quick and we had several good options to choose from. Plus, there was room (and chickens to chase) for June to run around a bit among the shaded tables. Earlier in the week we had enjoyed a couple of meals from the food truck court in Kihei. It allowed each of us to nose out the cuisine we preferred at the moment, and it offered clean, shaded tables and hand sanitizing stations. Options included sushi and poke bowls, Southern BBQ, Hawai‘ian plates and island cuisine. I particularly enjoyed Da Nani Pirates, serving great seafood, tacos, wraps, plate lunches and pupus. Do be prepared to shoo off persistent free-roaming chickens if you visit the food trucks, however. They are everywhere!

Our absolute favorite, though, had to be Suns Out Buns Out, offering amazing handcrafted bao buns along with creative iterations of “sloppy tots.” (Truffle tots with grated Parm, truffle oil and herbs? Yes, please!) You gotta love some of the names of these dishes: Bao Chicka Bao Bao (buttermilk-fried chicken); Duck, Duck, Goat (confit duck and goat cheese); and Miso Trippy Bun with oyster mushrooms, a miso glaze and ginger slaw. We particularly enjoyed the Little Piggy (pork belly and pickled daikon and carrot) and Little Shorty (beef short ribs, beer cheese fondue, crispy onion and mushrooms). The combinations of flavors and textures in those soft steamed buns were gourmet-good.

Yes, it was a fun-packed, delicious visit to Maui, and we hope to make a return visit soon!

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor