The CanoeHouse Restaurant
at the
Mauna Lani Bay and Bungalows
The Big Island, HI

A crisp white linen tablecloth is knotted under the table to keep it from setting sail in the evening breeze. Chili-spiked lavosh, a flat bread, arrives and reminds me I should be deciding on tonight's dinner—but I can't take my eyes off the setting sun. I'm on the patio of the Mauna Lani's CanoeHouse Restaurant, and this teak armchair may be the supreme sunset viewing spot in Hawaii.

The sun’s platinum path begins somewhere between the fan-shaped Travelers Palm and the spiky Birds of Paradise. It flows over the deep-sea-blue ocean tipping the white caps silver, then merges into a tangerine sun. Piles of whipped cream clouds roll in. Tinted lavender, salmon and gold, they reflect precisely the colors in the table’s candle flame.

Seeing I’m otherwise occupied, the waiter suggests the Chef do the choosing—an inspired idea. Shortly, an appetizer of ahi, a mild white fish, arrives. Nori (seaweed) surrounds small bites of the ahi, it’s quickly tempura-fried leaving a rare inside but a crisp outside. Hot Japanese horseradish called wasabi and soy sauce make a tangy dipping sauce that contrasts well with an accompanying cool Asian relish of tomatoes, onion, ginger and lemon grass. Some beginning.

Lobster and prawns are next. The lobster comes sticking flag-like out of a champagne glass that holds a wasabi and Coleman's mustard sauce to emboldened its sweet flavor. The spiced, hibachi-grilled prawns have a smoky-barbecue flavor and a Puna honey and lime-butter sauce. Puna honey is a rare island specialty as there are only a few days each year when it can be harvested.

Kona Lobster salad is a masterpiece of sweet red and white lobster, squares of orange mango and red pepper sitting on crunchy house-made wonton chips and spiked with a refreshing citrus aioli dressing. The lobster is ocean-farmed here on the Big Island using methods much like those the ancient Hawaiians developed to farm fish for their own royalty in the royal fishponds.

The better part of valor would have been to jump to coffee, but the mahimahi, a tender and mild Hawaiian white fish sat enticingly before me. Wrapped in the Italian-cured pancetta ham, these gems of earth and sea combined ethereally with a creamy risotto sweet with coconut cream and spiked with ginger. The bright flavor and red color of ripe lomi lomi tomatoes—chopped and massaged with lemon grass—complete the mahimahi vignette.

Dining now under the stars, I watch the full Kona moon rise and check out my fellow diners. We're about half American and half Japanese, much like the inspiration of the CanoeHouse menu. The patio with its overhanging roofs and arched bridge entrance has an Oriental flavor, while a sleek Hawaiian canoe hung from a palm frond ceiling and Hawaiian slack key guitar chime in for Hawaii.

Red-ripe strawberries snuggle in pillows of whipped and vanilla cream and hug a white and bittersweet chocolate tower that is filled with rich, dark chocolate ganache. A distinctly romantic dessert. 100% Kona could hold its own after such a repast, but unfortunately only a blend is available.

Front row seats of the Hawaiian heavens and a heavenly tropical setting make CanoeHouse an extraordinary restaurant, but I'd still eat here even if I had to go to a local mall.

           By Kate Crawford  May 2002

LINKS WITH ATTITUDE

The CanoeHouse Menu.

The article on the Mauna Lani Bay and Bungalows.

Here's The Mauna Lani's web site.