Story By Becky Speere
Hawaiian poholo (fern) salad, Japanese stir-fry, Philippine adobo, Thai spicy coconut fish curry . . . the dishes that appear at holiday buffets on Maui, next to that golden-brown turkey with chestnut stuffing, are a happy inheritance of the Islands’ multicultural history, and the waves of immigrants who brought their cuisines with them from the far reaches of the world. Here are some of our favorites.
KING KAMEHAMEHA GOLF CLUB RESTAURANT/KAHILI RESTAURANT
On the highest point of the privately owned King Kamehameha Golf Club sits a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed masterpiece: a clubhouse whose view encompasses the wind-swept waves and reef stretching northeast to Ho‘okipa Bay, the sandy southern coastline of Kihei and Wailea, and Haleakala looming in the midst, toes planted in green sugarcane.
This lovely setting is rarely open to the public, so a Thanksgiving buffet by award-winning Chef Eddie Munoz is a double win. The seafood station is piled high with shrimp cocktail, ahi poke, and mini lox and bagels. Salads include Upcountry mixed greens, artichoke salad with grilled vegetables and a creamy vinaigrette, and green-bean salad with blue cheese. Tender, garlic-roasted prime rib of beef is sliced to order and served with all the accoutrements. Roast turkey with sage-and-sausage stuffing, and macadamia-nut-crusted fresh catch are just two of the four entrees offered. Dessert choices are too numerous to mention.
Seating is limited, but Kahili Restaurant at Kahili Golf Course (King Kamehameha’s adjacent sister club) will serve a similar menu, as well as a Christmas Eve buffet.
King Kamehameha Golf Club
2500 Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Waikapu
Reservations: (808) 249-2544
Buffet Hours: Thanksgiving 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (last seating at 1 p.m.)
Kahili Restaurant
2500 Honoapi‘ilani Hwy., Waikapu
Reservations: (808) 242-6162
Buffet Hours: Thanksgiving lunch 10 a.m.–2 p.m.; dinner 4:30–8:30 p.m. • Christmas Eve dinner 4:30–8:30 p.m.
