Merriman’s Kapalua
When Aston Hotels’ Chef Eric Faivre kept posting the brunch he’d had at Merriman’s on Facebook every Sunday for three weeks, I knew it had to be good. Celebrity Chef Peter Merriman took over the old Kapalua Bay Club restaurant in 2008, and with it, the view of Kapalua Bay, its white sands a striking contrast to the black lava tide pools and azure waters separating Maui from Lana‘i and Moloka‘i.
I order a citrusy blend of fresh pineapple juice mixed with white grapefruit whose floral notes remind me of Tahitian pomelo. The drink pairs perfectly with the decadent first course: French toast fragrant with organic cinnamon from the Big Island, drenched in a rich custard, fried crisp in butter, and served with maple-syrup butter. (Now I know why Chef Eric posted that photo!)
Just as the second course arrives, I spot a pod of some fifty dolphins heading north along the coastline. Then the aroma of truffles pulls my attention back to my plate. Merriman’s house-made cavatelli pasta has migrated from dinner onto the brunch menu recently, and the description alone was worth my trip all the way from Huelo. Tossed with smoked bacon, Hamakua Ali‘i mushrooms, asparagus and poached egg, and lightly drizzled with black truffle oil, it was the piece de resistance. You might ask, how could pasta surpass the Keahole lobster Benedict on its crunchy cornmeal lobster cake, smothered in the best jalapeno hollandaise I’ve ever tasted? Try them both, and decide. See you on Sunday at Merriman’s!
1 Bay Drive, Kapalua
808-669-6400 | MerrimansHawaii.com
