“Noodles: Ramen, udon, saimin, pho, pasta, chow mein — Hawaii is the epicenter of ethnic noodle stands and houses, with many recommendable and inexpensive choices. Jimbo’s Restaurant (Oahu), a neighborhood staple, is tops for freshly made udon with generous toppings and a homemade broth…

On the neighbor islands, noodle-mania prevails at Hamura’s Saimin Stand , where saimin and teriyaki sticks have replaced hamburgers and pizza as the late-night comfort-food tradition…

Nori’s Saimin & Snacks (Big Island) is the place in charming Hilo for consummate saimin of every stripe…

Shave Ice: Like surfing, shave ice is synonymous with Haleiwa, the North Shore Oahu town where Matsumoto Shave Ice (t serves mounds of the icy treat. Shave ice is even better over ice cream and adzuki beans.

Other Mighty Morsels: Poi biscotti from the Poi Company, available at supermarkets and gourmet outlets, is the consummate accompaniment to another island phenomenon, Kona coffee.

Coffee growers of highest esteem (all based on the Big Island, of course), include: Rooster Farms , which sells and ships only organic coffees; Bong Brothers ; Kona Blue Sky Coffee Company )

The buttery, chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies of Big Island Candies are worth every calorie and every dollar. From Kauai, Hanapepe town’s venerable Taro Ko taro chips are a crunchy snack neighbor islanders drive long miles to find.

The Best Restaurants

Alan Wong’s Restaurant (Oahu): Master strokes at this shrine of Hawaii Regional Cuisine include warm California rolls made with salmon roe, wasabi, and Kona lobster instead of rice; luau lumpia with butterfish and kalua pig; and ginger-crusted fresh onaga. Opihi shooters and day-boat scallops in season are a must, and grilled lamb chops are a perennial special. The menu changes daily, but the flavors never lose their sizzle.

La Mer (Oahu)This romantic, elegant dining room at Waikiki’s Halekulani is the only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant in the state. The second-floor, open-sided room, with views of Diamond Head and the sound of trade winds rustling the nearby coconut fronds, is the epitome of fine dining. Michelin award-winning chef Yves Garnier melds classical French influences with fresh island ingredients. It’s pricey but worth it. Men are required to wear jackets (they have a selection if you didn’t pack one).

Son’z Maui at Swan Court (Maui) For 30 years, the Swan Court was the dining experience at the Hyatt Regency Maui. When Tri-Star Restaurant Group CEO Aaron Placourakis (who also owns Nick’s Fishmarket) took over this restaurant, he and executive chef Geno Sarmiento knew they wanted to hit a home run every night with the cuisine. The restaurant already had perhaps the most romantic location in Maui, overlooking a man-made lagoon with white and black swans swimming by and the rolling surf of the Pacific in the distance. The culinary team’s creative dishes, made with fresh local ingredients (Kula corn and strawberries, Ono Farms avocados, Hana hearts of palm, Maui Cattle Company beef, fresh Hawaiian fish, and sweet Maui onions) plus top-notch service and a relaxing atmosphere make this gem one of Maui’s best restaurants.

Haliimaile General Store (Maui): Bev Gannon, one of the 12 original Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs, is still going strong at her foodie haven in the pineapple fields. You’ll dine at tables set on old wood floors under high ceilings, in a peach-colored room emblazoned with works by local artists. Gannon’s Texas roots shine through in her food, a blend of eclectic American with ethnic touches that puts an innovative spin on Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

Pineapple Grill Kapalua (Maui): If you have only 1 night to eat on the island of Maui, this is the place to go. In fact, if you eat here at the beginning of your Maui trip, you are definitely going to want to come back! Executive chef Joey Macadangdang (a prot?g? of Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s Restaurant), is a genius, combining Asian/Filipino ingredients into culinary masterpieces. You’ll find lots of tasty sandwiches and salads at lunch, and a continental-style breakfast in the morning — all served in a very Maui-like atmosphere overlooking the rolling hills of the Kapalua Golf Course out to the Pacific Ocean.

Ihilani (Lanai) A number of top Hawaii chefs (such as Phillippe Padovani and Edwin Goto) have each added a bit of their own style during their tenure here, but the common denominator is the melding of Mediterranean with Island cuisine. The result is Lanai’s top gourmet restaurant, in a formal atmosphere with inspiring food. The latest incarnation of this classy restaurant, overlooking the resort and the ocean beyond, is traditional Italian cuisine, priced moderately for the Four Seasons Resort Lana’i at Manele Bay.

Hanapepe Cafe & Espresso Bar (Kauai): This is one of those places that locals know about and generally visitors are not aware of. Nestled in the quaint little town on the west side of Kauai, this small, wholesome cafe boasts a casual, winning ambience and some of the most creative cuisine around.

Dondero’s (Kauai): If you’re looking for a romantic dinner, Dondero’s is hard to beat. Dine either under the stars overlooking the ocean or tucked away at an intimate table surrounded by inlaid marble floors, ornate imported floor tiles, and Franciscan murals. You get all this atmosphere plus the best Italian cuisine on the island, served with efficiency. It’s hard to have a bad experience here. Dinners are pricey but worth every penny. ” ( via latimes.com )

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“I went to Maui to stay a week and remained five,” wrote Mark Twain in 1866.

Whether it’s lazing on warm sugary sand or snorkeling with humpback whales, visitors to Maui today would be likely to do the same, if they had the means.

Well, thanks to the economic downturn, visiting Maui is now cheaper than usual. Airfare has dropped, hotel rooms have opened up and visitors to Hawaii’s second-biggest island — known for its sparkling coastline, fertile green interior and high-end resorts — will find bargains everywhere, from two-for-one luaus to colorful beach chairs. You’ll never want to leave.

3:30 p.m.
1) BEAUTY AND THE BEACH

Tucked between the condo-studded town of Kihei and the upscale resort of Wailea, the white-sand beach of Keawakapu is south Maui’s hidden jewel. Lined with lavish Balinese- and plantation-style homes, this half-mile playground has gentle waves, talcum-soft sands and free public parking along South Kihei Road. As you go for a dip, listen for the groans and squeaks of the humpback whale, a haunting song that continues to mystify children and biologists alike.

5:30 p.m.
2) DRIVE-BY BIRDING

For a glimpse of Maui’s remarkable biodiversity, drive by the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge (Milepost 6, Mokulele Highway 311; 808-875-1582; www.fws.gov/kealiapond), a 700-acre natural wetland and seabird sanctuary that is home to endangered Hawaiian stilts, black-crowned night herons, Hawaiian coots and migrating birds like ruddy turnstones.

7 p.m.
3) FAIRWAY PIZZA

There is no shortage of expensive restaurants in Wailea packed with well-heeled tourists, which makes Matteo’s Pizzeria (100 Wailea Ike Drive; 808-874-1234; www.matteospizzeria.com) all the more inviting. An affordable joint that is wildly popular with the locals, this casual restaurant is run by an Italian couple who serve fresh, thin-crust margherita pizza ($10.50), zesty penne in vodka sauce ($12.99) and meaty lasagna ($13.99). After ordering at the counter, grab one of the tables that overlook a golf course.

9:30 p.m.
4) PIANO MAN

Sal Godinez, a spirited jazz pianist, has been tickling Maui’s ivories for years, and these days he’s playing at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea (3900 Wailea Alanui Drive; 808-874-8000; www.fourseasons.com/Maui), a lushly landscaped hot spot on Wailea Beach, where you can tap your toes to Mr. Godinez’s riffs while enjoying a nightcap. The hotel also has a notable collection of contemporary Hawaii artists like Mary Mitsuda, whose meditative abstract painting hangs near the front desk, and Toshiko Takaezu, whose sculptural ceramic pots flank the lobby elevators.

Saturday

9 a.m.
5) GUAVA AND JAVA

Fresh start your morning at Grandma’s Coffee House in the village of Keokea (9232 Highway 37, or Kula Highway; 808-878-2140; www.grandmascoffee.com), on the slopes of Haleakala volcano in Maui’s verdant upcountry. The shop serves organic coffee from a fifth-generation farm. Order a cup of Grandma’s Original Organic, an espresso roasted blend, and sit on the wooden deck for million-dollar views of the island. Then you can move on to the Kula Country Farm Stand (Highway 37, or Kula Highway, in Kula, across from Rice Park; 808-878-8381), a green-and-white produce stand. It sells just-picked fruit, like pineapple guavas and mangoes, along with homemade mango bread.

Noon
6) JELLYFISH ART

See what’s hot in Makawao, the cowboy town turned art colony that is about 1,600 feet above sea level on the slopes of Mount Haleakala. Here you’ll find old wooden storefronts, mom-and-pop restaurants and hippie herb shops. At Hot Island Glass (3620 Baldwin Avenue, 808-572-4527; www.hotislandglass.com), the furnace burns hot and glass-blowing is performance art. Watch molten glass evolve into jellyfish, bowls and oceanic shapes before your eyes. Next door is the Viewpoints Gallery (3620 Baldwin Avenue; 808-572-5979; www.viewpointsgallerymaui.com), in the style of a plantation. Among the landscape artists it represents are George Allan and Margaret Bedell.

3 p.m.
7) PUT THE TOP DOWN

The hourlong drive from Maui’s hilly upcountry to Lahaina, a popular resort town on Maui’s west coast, is a sight to behold. You’ll be hard-pressed to keep your eyes on the road, with the shimmering Pacific on your left and the chiseled valleys of the West Maui Mountains to the right. But the views pale in comparison to the sights that await underwater at your destination, Black Rock, a lava outcropping just north of Lahaina, in the village of Kaanapali. Grab a snorkel and explore this Atlantis-like world of iridescent fish, spotted eagle rays and giant green sea turtles.

7:30 p.m.
FARM TO FORK

Locavores are still buzzing about Merriman’s Kapalua (One Bay Club Place; 808-669-6400, www.merrimanshawaii.com) in the Kapalua Resort. Opened last June, the West Maui spot is run by Peter Merriman, one of the leaders of Hawaii regional cuisine, a culinary movement that blends international flavors with local ingredients. The oceanfront restaurant, which features a lanai with views of Molokai island, showcases exquisite ingredients, whether it’s chèvre from upcountry goats or line-caught fish from nearby waters. Appetizers include kalua pig ravioli ($15), steamed Keahole clams with mussels and yellow coconut curry broth ($15), and corn chowder with pancetta ($7). For a main course, try the wok-charred ahi ($36.95), so fresh that it tastes as if it were cooked on the beach.

9:30 p.m.
9) TIKI TORCHES

The old Hawaii — tikis and plumeria trees under the stars — is elusive, but you’ll find it at Kaanapali Beach Hotel’s tiki bar (2525 Kaanapali Parkway; 808-661-0011; www.kbhmaui.com). The lilting Hawaiian music is genuine, and the outdoor setting under the stars is hard to beat. If you’re too jazzed to fall asleep, check out the Saturday night parties at Chez Paul (808-661-3843), an elegant French bistro in the sleepy village of Olowalu, just south of Lahaina. On weekends, a jazz band keeps the crowd entertained until 12:30.

Sunday

9 a.m.
10) MAKE IT MALA

Brunch at Mala Ocean Tavern (1307 Front Street, Lahaina; 808-667-9394; www.malaoceantavern.com) is like being on the ocean without leaving land. At this casual restaurant in Lahaina, you’re practically sitting on the water, enjoying huevos rancheros with black beans ($13) or lamb sausage Benedict ($15) while dolphins frolic in the ocean and turtles nibble at the shore. Ask for a table outdoors.

Noon
11) FLY LIKE AN EAGLE

For an adrenaline finish, head to the heights of West Maui, where Kapalua Adventures (2000 Village Road, 808-665-4386; www.kapalua.com) offers a two-mile zip-line course, an unusually long distance. Beginners don’t need to fear, as the three-hour zip ($149) requires virtually no athleticism. The five-hour trip ($299) is not for the weak-kneed. The zip line takes you over bamboo forests, gulches and ridges, with the luscious coastline in the distance.” ( via nytimes.com ) by JOCELYN FUJII

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“A Taste of Maui: Dining on a budget? Here’s a guide to 20 yummy meal deals. You’ll like the ambience, variety and views, too.

Lahaina, Maui
Everyone wants to score a first-rate deal on the road. But deals can be difficult to come by in a tourist zone — especially one like Maui, where the cost of dining can be as breathtaking as the landscape.

So we went to the people who know Maui best — its residents — and asked them for suggestions on how to eat well here on a budget.

Our local experts included Charmaine Tavares, the mayor of Maui; Bobby Santos, chef instructor of the Maui Culinary Academy; students at the academy; Bonnie Friedman, cookbook author; and Benita Brazier, of the Maui Office of Economic Development.

Their advice helped us develop this list of 20 great Maui meals for less than $20, our second in a series of occasional stories on getting the best value for your vacation dining dollar.

Bon appétit, or as they say in the islands: E mea ai maik’i.

(Note: Some of the restaurants take cash only, and some are hard to find; call first for hours and directions.)

1. CJ’S DELI & DINER
Price: $7.95 to $9.95

Scoping it out: Only $10 to spend? Stop at CJ’s Deli & Diner for what may be the best burger in Maui. For $9.95, our burger combo included half a pound of Angus beef (topped with caramelized Maui onions, cheese and bacon) a refillable soda and a heaping mound of wonderfully seasoned fries. The diner is cheerful and appealing and is just down the street from the über-expensive resorts at Kaanapali. “I opened this restaurant because I was tired of all the tourist traps,” says owner Christian Jorgensen, formerly executive chef at the Westin Maui. His menu includes more than burgers: Jorgensen’s comfort meals include entrees such as meatloaf ($8.50), pot roast ($9.95) and roast turkey ($8.95). And you can BYOB without a corkage fee. Other pluses: Order lunch to take on a picnic or the road to Hana, and CJ will lend you an ice chest.

We loved. . . everything, including CJ’s wickedly wonderful sweets, such as Road to Hana brownies or macadamia nut Hana bars.

We didn’t love. . . that the place is hard to find.

CJ’s Deli & Diner, Kaanapali Fairway Shops, 2580 Kekaa Drive, No. 120 (just off Honoapiilani Road); (808) 667-0968, www.cjsmaui.com.

2. ALOHA MIXED PLATE
Price: $6.25 to $13.95

Scoping it out: Lahaina, once a whaling capital, is now a tourist hub with restaurants crowding Front Street, the main drag. Many are chain eateries with high prices — hey, you might as well have stayed at home. So try something different: Aloha Mixed Plate. The funky ocean-side restaurant features plate lunches, an only-in-Hawaii cuisine that includes foods of many cultures. Typical dishes are teriyaki beef, kalua pork, poi, rice, macaroni salad and lomi lomi salmon, but finicky eaters can skip the local food and get a burger or salad. You’ll dine outdoors on paper plates, but the view is worth a million dollars, especially at sunset: tiki torches, lush vegetation, crashing surf and a flotilla of sailboats riding at anchor. Come around 8 p.m. and you’ll hear the music and dancing from the Old Lahaina Luau next door.

We loved. . . the location and setting.

We didn’t love . . . the difficulty finding a parking space.

Aloha Mixed Plate, 1285 Front St., Lahaina (behind the Lahaina Cannery Mall); (808) 661-3322, www.alohamixedplate.com.

3. SUNRISE CAFE
Price: $5.95 to $9.95

Scoping it out: Sunrise Cafe is a day brightener. Tucked away on a side street in busy Lahaina, the diner offers breakfast specials for $5.95 each. At a resort hotel, you’d pay as much as $28 a person. This tiny, family-run restaurant has only 13 tables but is charming, with two shady covered patios for dining and people watching. It’s an easy stop on the way to the whale watching and snorkeling boats. Breakfast is served until 3 p.m., when the cafe closes for the day. After 11:30 a.m., appetizers, soups and sandwiches are added to the menu.

We loved . . . the eggs Benedict, the restaurant’s specialty.

We didn’t love . . . the cash-only policy. No credit cards.

Sunrise Cafe, 693 N. Front St., Lahaina (next to the Lahaina Library on Market Street); (808) 661-8558.

4. BA-LE FRENCH SANDWICHES & BAKERY Price: $7.75 to $8.25

Scoping it out: This food court restaurant, with two locations in Maui (and 23 others in the state), may have an identity crisis. Is it Vietnamese, French or Hawaiian? It’s a little of each, with various dishes to complement the cultures. Visit here for pho (a Vietnamese soup), hot or cold noodle dishes, saimin and lunch plates featuring short ribs, teriyaki chicken and pork. Sandwiches are served on French-style baguettes. Pastries and puddings round out the offerings.” ( via latimes.com ) by Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

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