Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
If you want to go where the locals go for their shave ice, the
A&E Laundry Center
(125 S. Wakea Ave., 808/877-0353, 5am-9pm daily) by the Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping
Center is the best kept secret on the island. This run-down, industrial haunt (formerly
known as the W&F Washerette) has a concession counter which has been known for its
shave ice for well over a decade. Only in Hawai'i!
Food Truck
Plate lunch stands occasionally line the harbor. The one with the greatest staying power
is the
Geste Shrimp Truck
(Kahului Beach Rd., 808/298-7109, 10:45am-5pm Tues.-Sat.,
$12, cash only) that parks on Kahului Beach Road, a quarter mile past the turnoff for the
Maui Arts and Cultural Center. $12 gets you 12 pieces of shrimp served with crab macar-
oni salad and two scoops of rice. Based on the aroma of shrimp emanating from the white
truck, it's no surprise that it often runs out of food before 5pm.
Local Style
When—and if—you finally find
M
Sam Sato's
(1750 Wili Pa Loop, 808/244-7124,
7am-2pm Mon.-Sat., bakery open until 4pm, $6, cash only), you'll probably say to your-
self,
Really? This is the famous restaurant?
Hidden deep with the Wailuku mill yard in a
building you can't even see from the road, this family-run institution has been providing
Wailuku with dry noodles, plate lunch, and famous
manju
pastries since the 1930s. It's the
dry noodles that make Sam Sato's legendary. Served with a side of homemade broth and
topped with char siu pork and sprouts, they make an affordable and addictive meal. Des-
pite its fame, Sam Sato's has never lost its local roots. The refreshingly old-school flare is
evident in everything from the yellow legal pad that serves as the waiting list to the low
prices.
CHEAP EATS: HAWAIIAN PLATE LUNCH
Given Central Maui's large multiethnic population, there is an abundance of plate
lunch and budget dining options. Eat like a local by trying at least one of the dishes
below.
