Review: Lahaina's Mai Tai Lounge, Maui, HI

If you find yourself in Lahaina, Maui, HI you may wander by the entrance to the Mai Tai Lounge. I found it a little hard to spot at first - It's tucked in back behind one of those adventure counters and a tourist jewelry store...But if it's time to eat, if it's time to drink, if it's time to just sit and chill looking at one of the best water views from Front street in Lahaina, then the Mai Tai Lounge is for you.

When the fam and I first walked past the Mai Tai Lounge, we were playing tourist on Front Street. The gents of the Lounge were handing out small drink menus/fliers and letting the passers by know that they would be rocking the drinks a couple of days later. We said thanks and told them we'd check back.

Fast forward to our last night in Maui, Friday the 22nd of Feb. The Mai Tai lounge was the place we wanted to go. We walked in, talked to the ladies at the front door and waited. The hostesses were still in training but eventually figured it out. The decor was cool and updated. There was an air of "High-end Tiki Bar" about it. We followed our hostess and took our spot in the lower dining room looking out on the island of Lanai.

We were greeted with smiles and welcomes from everyone in the place. At this time the Mai Tai lounge has only been open for a couple of weeks - something that would scare a few patrons, but for us, all the more fun!

The drinks were good, lil too heavy on the ice. Here we have pictured the Scorpion, the Menehune Bowl (with flaming Pineapple!) and of course, the Mai Tai!


These guys have down the drinks - they're killer. The food - even better! Start with a Mai Tai or a Menehune bowl. For the pupus, have the Flaming Hibachi Pupu Platter or the Sweet Potato Stack (we had both). We stuck with sushi and had a couple of the Lahaina Rolls, a Crunchy Roll and two of the Ahi Rainbow Towers (pictured above). The food was fabulous and the presentation was excellent. The have a more extensive menu of local favorites, Fresh Fish and more. Prices run $12-$25 and there's a good deal of food for your money.

Upstairs the Mai Tai Lounge is a cool collections of tables chairs and another bar. There are some reall kille wicker couches and chairs right along the railing which would set you up nicely for a sunset chill session with a boat drink in hand.

Overall we had a good time at the Mai Tai Lounge and would highly recommend the food. The place is new, so they are still working out the kinks (remember too much ice in the drinks and we waited a little long to sit when the table was open) but the location is great, the people are nice, the food and drinks are very good and the view is spectacular. Check out the Mai Tai Lounge the next time you're on Maui.

If you'd like to see more pictures, there are a ton posted up at Smugmug here's the link: http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/4142119_TxWTM#P-1-12

Cooking: Asparagus & Shrimp Sandwich

One of my favorite items from the Danish Smorgasbord is a sandwich my wife's MorMor makes from Asparagas and Shrmp. It can easily be made at home and can be used for a sandwich or even a great spread as an appetizer at your next gathering.

I'll take you step by step through the process here today!

Ingredients:
Shrimp (cooked, peeled, tail-off) approximately 1lb. of medium (2-3 inches)size.
Asparagas 1 can cut. You can cook your own, but this works just as well.
Mayonaise 1 cup. I prefer to use "light" mayonaise, fat free is a little too thin and regular mayo - well I cannot eat it - on a diet!


Directions:
1- Clean and dry the shrimp. Be sure to get as much moisture off the shrimp as you can, otherwise your mixture will be very runny. We are looking for a Potato Salad consistancy.

2- Drain and dry your Asparagas. Again, be sure to remove as much moisture as you can from the Asparagas. I use Papertowels to gently pat down the items.

3- in a large mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, Asparagas and Mayonaise and mix gently. You don't want to break up the Asparagas if at all possible.



After mixing you can put the Shrimp and Asparagas on pumpernickel bread, or thinly sliced french bread (toasted is optional). You can also put it in a nice bowl for presentation and then allow your guests to spoon it on to their favorite crackers.

I like to garnishe with a couple of fancy cut tomatoes, some dill and a touch of parsley. It's up to you!

Enjoy!

New Cooking Section: Danish Smorgasboard Anyone?

I would like to share with each of you some of the fabulous treats that my wife's family makes for us. My wife's family is Danish and they have a traditional style meal called "Smorgasbord". Smorgasbord includes many open-faced sandwiches with the likes of herring, seafood (shrimp or crab), meats, cheeses and much more.

It's a terrific experience and some of it is very easy to make. I have included some pictures here and I will post future entries on how to make some of these tasty little sandwiches!


Enjoy!