CENTRAL MAUI - Maui: Including Molokai and Lanai - page 233

in a working-class part of town. This old-school joint (no credit cards or checks, lamin-
ate floors, low-slung counter, aging patrons) has been feeding Wailuku for over 50 years.
While a full lunch menu offers standard plate lunches, Tasty Crust is known for is its
world-famous hotcakes, served all day.
Kahili Restaurant (2500 Honoapi'ilani Hwy., 808/242-6000,
www.kahilirestaurant.com , 11am-5pm Mon.-Sat., 9am-5pm Sun., $9-13) at the clubhouse
of the Kahili Golf Course offers views stretching over the central valley and Haleakala.
The cuisine ranges from seared beef poke to shrimp linguini. It's a convenient stop on the
way to Lahaina.
Japanese
If there were an award for most popular restaurant in the ugliest location, then Tokyo
Tei (1063 Lower Main St., 808/242-9630, 10:30am-1:30pm, 5pm-8:30pm Mon.-Sat.,
5pm-8:30pm Sun., $10-17) would win it. Hidden deep within a dark parking garage in an
industrial part of Wailuku, this family-run Japanese restaurant has been serving famous
shrimp tempura dishes since 1935. It's consistently voted as the best Japanese cuisine on
the island. Dishes include teriyaki steak, yakitori, and teishoku combination platters.
Funky, cheap, and still-ticking Ichiban Okazuya (2133 Kaohu St., 808/244-7276,
10am-2pm, 4pm-7pm Mon.-Fri.) is a weathered institution that continues to serve afford-
able plate lunches in the traditional okazuya style. There isn't anywhere to sit, but if you're
low on cash and packing a big appetite, Ichiban Okazuya is the place.
Thai
In Wailuku's funkiest corner, M Saeng's Thai Cuisine (2119 W. Vineyard St., 808/
244-1567, 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-9:30pm Mon.-Fri., $9-12) offers surprisingly good food in
a peaceful garden setting. The pad thai and curries are as authentic as they come. Pair your
meal with a Singha beer or wine. The friendly service, peaceful setting, and authentic fla-
vors make it a top pick.
Vietnamese
Sandwiched between a bridge and a low-income housing unit is one of Maui's most pop-
ular Vietnamese venues, M A Saigon Café (1792 Main St., 808/243-9560, 10am-9:30pm
Mon.-Sat., 10am-8pm Sun., $9-15). The affordable clay pot dishes, with heaping mounds
of rice, chicken, peas, and vegetables, have made this a Wailuku culinary staple. There are
plenty of com dia rice plates, as well as pho, banh hoi, and Vietnamese soup. The portions
are enormous, the place is always packed, and there's a full bar. You won't walk away