Our son Neil and friend Basti were visiting from Germany so his older brother Reid and I took them on a day trip to Maui for lunch.
We had made 10 a.m. brunch reservations at Lee Ann Wong’s Paia‘aina at the Pioneer Hotel in Lahaina.
I went online and studied their menu before going, thinking about what I might want to order, but alas, when we got to the restaurant, there was a sign on the door: CLOSED FOR STAFF TRAINING AND MENU CHANGE.
A little disappointed, we walked along Lahaina’s Front Street before heading out to Star Noodle at 10:30 a.m. for an early lunch.
I remembered going to their other location up the hill, which is now closed and is being renovated to reopen as a dim sum restaurant some time next year.
This new location opened in November 2020, a beautiful waterfront location, is where Aloha Mixed Plate formerly was. Next door is Old Lahaina Luau.
The specials of the day included a couple of dim sum specials. Our waitress said the culinary staff is monitoring which dim sum dishes are popular, which will be then added to the menu for the new restaurant.
Former Hilo native Sheldon Simeon was part of the opening team of Star Noodle and oversees the culinary direction of Old Lahaina Luau, Aloha Mixed Plate, Star Noodles, and Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop.
Family style or sharing dishes is encouraged as plates and chopsticks are placed on the table before the food was delivered. We ordered the local eggplant, with sweet miso, and fried garlic; green papaya and shrimp salad with a refreshing Thai lime dressing; bacon and eggs, with crispy pork belly, a poached egg, tomato and sliced onion; garlic noodles, with fresh and fried garlic, dashi and scallions; crispy dumpling with pork belly, cabbage, cotija cheese filling and kim chee puree sauce, and roasted kabocha with soy sesame drizzle and bubu arare.
For dessert, we ordered yuzu ice cream with crumbled ginger senbei and the black sesame creme brulee.
After dining and looking out at the water, we ventured back into town to get some Tasaka Guri Guri, a frozen delight, with the choice of either strawberry or pineapple flavors. Neil remembered having guri guri as a kid and was really looking forward to having this treat, but, again, there was a sign on the door: We will be closed Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
So we went to get some candy and snacks at Maui Specialty Chocolates, and guess what? They were closed due to merchandise issues! It was not our day to get goodies from Maui as we struck out for the third time with closures! It might be that Halloween was a few days earlier and these retailers may have thought customers were sugared-out and would not be wanting their treats!
Home Maid Bakery was opened so we bought some crispy apple and black bean manju. At least we were able to bring something home from Maui as we certainly went on perhaps the wrong day. And no to a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts!
• • •
Chef Sheldon Simeon shared his mochiko chicken recipe and here it is:
Chef Sheldon Simeon’s Mochiko Chicken
Serves 4
Fried chicken:
2-1/4 cups cornstarch
3/4 cup mochiko flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons minced ginger
2 tablespoons sake
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons garlic salt
8 pieces boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
Canola oil, for frying
Gochujang aioli:
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon gochujang
1 teaspoon sugar
Su-miso:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mirin
1 tablespoon sake
1-3/4 white miso paste
Kaki-mochi crumble:
2 ounces mini yakko arare rice crackers, finely chopped
1/2 cup nori komi furikake
1 tablespoon fried garlic
For ulu mac salad:
1/2 pound macaroni
3 cups mayonnaise
2 pound ulu (breadfruit) or russet potatoes, scrub clean
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
4 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
Finish:
Cooked medium grain rice
Green onions, thinly sliced
Marinate the chicken: In a medium bowl, sift together 1/4 cup cornstarch, mochiko flour, sugar and mix well. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, ginger, sake, soy sauce, eggs, and 2 tablespoons water. Whisk into the dry ingredients. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.
Aioli: Whisk the mayonnaise, gochujang, and sugar in a small bowl. Cover, then refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the su-miso: Bring the sugar, mirin and sake to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat and stir in the miso paste. Set aside.
Make the kaki mochi crumble: Mix the rice crackers, furikake, and fried garlic in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the ulu mac salad: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, 7 minutes. Drain, then rinse under cold water. Drain again and transfer the pasta to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until completely cold.
Cover the potatoes in water and bring to a boil. Cook until just soft, 14 minutes. Drain and cool completely, then peel, discarding the skins. Dice the potatoes into small cubes, then transfer to a bowl with the pasta and remaining ingredients, Stir and season to taste, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat a 2-inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together the remaining 2 cups cornstarch, flour, and garlic salt. Dredge the chicken thighs in the mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry until golden-brown, about 3 minutes.
Cut the fried chicken into bite-sized pieces and transfer to a serving platter. Drizzle chicken with the su miso sauce, followed by the gochjang aioli.
Sprinkle kaki mochi crumble over the top and garnish with green onions. Serve with rice and ulu mac salad, Garnish with the sliced green onions.