Aloha Mixed Plate and Loco Moco - The Best Dining Deal on Maui

Aloha Mixed Plate is located at 1285 Front Street ingrown for centuries on the Hawaiian islands. Poi is
Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii by the shore and across themade by cooking the taro root and then mashing it.
street from the Lahaina Cannery Mall and next to theThis creates a paste like food, loved by many, derided
Old Lahaina Luau. Most of the entrees here are pricedby others. Some have compared it to eating wallpaper
under $10. The food is incredible and portions are morepaste. The best response to this complaint I have ever
than adequate. The restaurant takes its name fromheard came from one of the locals. "Why do all of you
that most popular Hawaiian meal, the mixed plate,mainland people eat so much wallpaper paste?"
which consists of kalua pig and cabbage, lomi lomiLomi lomi salmon is a salad made of salmon, tomatoes,
salmon, macaroni salad, poi, two scoops of rice andand maui onions. It is served cold. Lomi lomi comes
haupia.from the Hawaiian word for massage. Lomi lomi refers
The best bargain is the local dish of loco moco, a bedto the the preparation by hand shredding and
of rice topped with a hamburger patty, egg sunny sidemassaging the ingredients together.
up, all covered with a generous portion of thick brownHaupia is a pudding like dessert made from coconut
gravy. May sound weird, but when the yolks aremilk. The basic ingredients are coconut milk, water,
broken and the whole thing stirred together, it is onesugar, and cornstarch. Aloha Mixed Plate serves this in
delicious treat. An added benefit; if your cholesterol isa little plastic cup. It's very tasty and we sometimes
too low this will probably get it up a few points. Lastend the meal by ordering two or three extra cups.
time we were there, I think the small portion was $5.95Dining is on a large open air deck next to the water.
and the full was $7.95. Difference is two eggs insteadGiant shade trees and umbrellas provide protection
of one and just a little more of everything. Small is notfrom the sun. Try this for lunch, dinner, or happy hour.
an accurate descriptor of the small portion. It's moreThe music from the Old Lahaina Luau next door is an
than adequate for most people.added benefit in the evening.
A comment on poi. Taro is a plant that has been