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Synonymous with fine dining in Hawaii, Mama’s Fish House delivers excellent, sustainably sourced, authentic seafood cuisine.

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It would almost be an understatement to call Mama’s an iconic dining option on the island of Maui. Family owned and operated since 1973, the Paia restaurant has won numerous awards, including a spot on TripAdvisor’s list of the top 10 fine dining restaurants in America. Mama’s aims to highlight fresh, local seafood and traditional Polynesian dishes. After hearing so much about Mama’s from literally anyone who has ever been to Maui, I knew that this restaurant was a must during my next trip back to the island.

Admittedly, dining at Mama’s requires a bit of planning. The restaurant is located in Paia, on the north side of Maui, away from the main tourist areas of West Maui. However, Mama’s is located on the famous Road to Hana, so if you have a day planned to conquer the scenic drive, make that the day you also visit Mama’s Fish House.

Once you’ve figured out the logistics, you absoloutely need to make a reservation. As I said, this place is iconic, meaning you need to book a reservation weeks in advance. Even booking three weeks ahead, the only times available were 4pm or 9pm, both relatively awkward meal times, but those golden hour spots go quick! If you’re planning to catch the sunset at Mama’s while you dine, be sure to book well, well, well in advance. Like seriously, book your dinner reservation right after you’ve finished booking your flight.

Synonymous with fine dining in Hawaii, Mama’s Fish House delivers excellent, sustainably sourced, authentic seafood cuisine. Click To Tweet

Pulling into the restaurant, guests are greeted by the valet; Mama’s offers free complimentary valet parking to guests dining with them, which already set a positive tone for my experience. After checking in at the podium, I made my way down to the property, which sits right on the beach.

The dining room itself has more of a relaxed country vibe than an upscale restaurant, featuring colourful tablecloths and beautiful hardwood designs. While Mama’s is considered fine dining, arguably the finest dining in Maui, waiters don colourful aloha shirts, reminding you there is no price tag on the Hawaiian spirit. Besides the food, this view is the main selling point of Mama’s; large, open windows bring in a sea breeze and provide unobstructed views of the golden beach at the front of the property.

There are a few things about Mama’s menu that you might notice are different from traditional restaurant menus. For one, the menu features today’s date at the top and thus, changes daily. Mama’s menus are updated depending on what fish the local fishermen bring in. The restaurant purchases all their fish locally, first thing every morning from the commercial fishery, ensuring that guests are getting the freshest and most high-quality seafood possible. The second thing you might notice on the rotating menu is the information following the entrée descriptions. Mama’s prides itself on sustainable, locally sourced ingredients; as a result, the descriptions of their seafood dishes clearly details where the fish was caught and even gives you the name of the fishermen who caught it.

In addition to their seafood, Mama’s sources its produce locally from farmers across the Hawaiian islands. Even more impressive, they make everything in-house. Everything. Their bread is all baked daily on-site and even their ice cream is made from scratch, by their word class bakers.

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I can’t tell if I’m drooling over the postcard-worthy scene in front of me or because of the delicious smells encapsulating the room, but before I have time to decide, my appetizers hit the table. Yes, you read that correctly. Appetizers. Plural. As in more than one, because hell, if the food really is that good, I need to try it all!

I’ve started with the Macadamia Nut Crab Cakes and Hawaiian Ceviche. This crab cake is all crab – I know, a novel idea. But where many try to cut corners and get by with “filler”, Mama’s ensures that only fresh, top quality, authentic crab meat is put into their delicious crab cake appetizers. These crab cakes put all other crab cakes to shame, the macadamia nut flavour beautifully complimenting the seafood flavour and being just fluffy enough to satisfy as a starter.

The ceviche was arguably the best ceviche that I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m sure that it could even convert those of you who don’t like raw seafood to love it. This isn’t what you’d expect from traditional ceviche; the dish features Hawaiian Kanpachi, of the amberjack family, tossed in olive oil, sea salt, and a little something to give it an exotic spice. It’s then garnished with rainbow carrots and homemade sweet potato chips and it is absolutely incredible. The vibrant flavours are unlike anything I’ve ever tasted in other ceviches and it’s clear that the fish is very, very fresh.

When it comes to entrée choices at Mama’s Fish House, it’s pretty much impossible to go wrong with any of the premium seafood options. However, what I’ve heard over and over again, is that the restaurant’s signature plate, Mama’s Stuffed Fish, is a must. The lobster and crab stuffed, macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi is an explosion of flavours in my mouth. I don’t actually lick the plate, because you know, manners, but I certainly didn’t leave any of this incredible dish behind.

Despite being absolutely stuffed thanks to the generous portion sizes, I could not pass on dessert. Our waitress recommended the Polynesian Black Pearl and it did not disappoint. Elegantly plated to perfection, I almost feel bad about digging in to the masterpiece in front of me. Never in my life have I seen a dessert so beautiful – and more importantly, the quality of the flavours align with its outward appearance. The chocolate mousse in the shell was fluffy and decadent, pairing perfectly with Mama’s freshly brewed Kona coffee.

By the time my meal is over, I am feeling more stuffed than the fish I’ve just eaten. After only one visit to Mama’s, it’s easy to see why the restaurant has such a reputation; from the delicious food to the great service, the Polynesian cultural roots, and the beautiful ocean view, Mama’s Fish House really embodies everything that one would look for in the ultimate Hawaiian experience.