What to Eat in Maui: Fresh Ahi Poke (Liquor Store & Foodland), Ululani's Shave Ice & Mama's Fish House

In Maui, some of the most memorable meals are served in a simple takeaway container eaten on a beach tailgate, while others take place under tiki torches at an oceanfront restaurant. Here are the five culinary traditions not to miss.

1. The Local Secret: Where to Eat the Best 'Ahi Tuna Poke' on Maui

Forget mainland poke bowls buried under corn and kale. Real Hawaiian Poke (meaning 'to slice crosswise into pieces') is glistening cubes of fresh, never-frozen, sashimi-grade Yellowfin or Bigeye Tuna (Ahi) tossed with shoyu (soy sauce), sesame oil, sweet Maui onions, spring onions, crunchy limu kohu seaweed and roasted kukui nut, served over warm white rice:

• Tamura's Fine Wine & Liquors (Kahului at 226 Kupuohi St or Kihei at 1993 S Kihei Rd): step to the back of the wine aisles inside this liquor warehouse to find a glass seafood counter serving over 15 varieties of fresh poke, including Tamura's Special Spicy Ahi and Shoyu Ahi.
• Foodland Supermarket (Kihei, Kahului & Pukalani) & South Maui Fish Co. (Kihei): Hawaii's classic grocery poke bar and Kihei's popular red food truck.

2. Four More Maui Icons: Ululani's Shave Ice, Food Trucks, Leoda's Pies & 'Mama's Fish House'

1. Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice (Kihei, Kahului & Pa'ia): ultra-fine blades shave purified ice into powdery snow that absorbs house-made fruit syrups. Order the No Ka Oi (Mango, Coconut and Liliko'i) with Roselani's Macadamia Nut Ice Cream and a condensed milk 'Snow Cap'.
2. Maui's Food Truck Parks (Kahului & South Maui Gardens in Kihei): near OGG Airport (Dairy Rd) and at South Maui Gardens in Kihei (35 Auhana Rd) sit dozens of gourmet trucks like Geste Shrimp Truck, Thai Mee Up and Kitoko.
3. Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop (Olowalu) & 'Hula Pie' (Duke's / Hula Grill in Ka'anapali): stop at Leoda's for handheld Olowalu Lime, Chocolate Mac-Nut and Banana Cream Pies, and share a slice of macadamia-nut-ice-cream Hula Pie in Ka'anapali.
4. How to Get Into 'Mama's Fish House' (Pa'ia): book months ahead online, check OpenTable on the morning of your visit for cancellations, or arrive before lunch opening for a walk-in bar seat.