Largest coconut shrimps in the island with generous amounts of shredded coconut deep fried to perfection. It tastes like macaroons with shrimps. read more

Island Chef - Coconut Shrimp Platter - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

EXCELLENT FISH & COCONUT SHRIMP!! We stopped here by chance but we were extremely impressed with how good and fresh the food was is the best tasting fish I've ever had! Hours are from 12-4 which would've really helped out to know yesterday because we wanted to go back. The lady needs to CLAIM this awesome business!!! Cash only! Best fish ever!!! read more

Island Chef - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

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The best meal ever, is when you have everything you like the best, prepared to perfectlon. Island Chef, located in Nihuku -Maui, HI- is by far one of the greatest little seafood restaurant I have ever been too. The food is prepared on the spot fresh unlike other restaurants. We have consistently found the seafood to be the freshest, the service and atmosphere comfortable and stylish, and the over-all experience top-notch. I highly recommend Island Chef :) We will be a customer for life !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Did I somehow end up at a different Island Chef?? Maybe it's because it was a different cook at the helm (a woman, not a man). Or maybe I'm not drinking the right Kool-Aid. For $20 (yep, they raised the price), we were expecting an awesome Coconut Shrimp & Chips plate. Out comes two gigantic pancake sized piece of coconut shrimp. We dig in and find...a whole lot of coconut and batter, surrounding what seems to be one huge piece of shrimp. So for some fries, two big pieces of shrimp, and a whole lotta batter? Not worth it. Save your money and have better coconut shrimp elsewhere, or head further down the road to Bradda Hutt's. read more

Wow. What a waste of money, time and chance fir good local food.the coconut shrimp was $20... which I would have happily paid had it been fresh, but (sigh) it's not. And it's not good . My son ordered the chow mien...OMG! I asked about the noodles, and she said like thin spaghetti- but she served watered down fettuccine noodles with tons of grease and bits of fatty chicken. So gross, so bad, even the starving cats wouldn't touch it. The workers there are less than helpful and charming. It's obvious they hate what they do. I wish we had never stopped here out of all the other places nearby. What a shame. Hopefully they shut down for good. read more

Ditto last reviewer who gave a great write-up. This place is AWESOME. Probably the best meal for the $$ we had on Maui. We had the fish and chips and the coconut shrimp. I think both orders cost us $26. The fish was a solid piece of Oui that was cooked perfectly. The six-seven shrimp we got were large and wonderfully prepared. DON'T PASS THIS PLACE. STOP IN!!! read more

we arrived on a rainy day, so business at the Nahiku Market was slow. Everyone else had closed up shop but we just caught the Island Chef before he left for the day. We were brought to the market for the kalua pork tacos, but we were glad to try the Island Chef. We had the coconut shrimp and fries. And Eric also threw in some fish for us too. DELICIOUS! The coconut shrimp was huge, and uber tasty with the sweet Thai chili sauce that it came with. The fries were done perfect: crispy, soft on the inside, with not a lot of salt. Just good ol' potato. And the extra pieces of fish? AWESOME. Overall, we were given great service, even though I'm sure he was on his way home, and he made sure our food turned out great. read more

NOT AT ALL what you expect when you pull up to a make-shift outdoor food stop just outside of Hana in Nahiku. However, this is the best meal we've ever eaten on ANY of the islands! Forget the $50-75/ meals from Spagos or Dukes, this place is 5 star cuisine where $35 will stuff a party of two! The outdoor setup is a small roofed area with multiple beautifully polished wooden tables & benches situated near the vehicular mobile kitchen in the back. The vehicle windows are open & the kitchen is setup in plain view where you get to watch the owner do EVERYTHING himself; take the orders, chop produce & proteins, make fresh batter, and wok-fry each meal fresh-to-order! For only $20 I had an enormous filet of pepper & sesame crusted perfectly seared Mahi, delicious wok-fried al dente vegetables with crunchy roasted cashews, white rice, and garden salad. My husband had Mahi fish & chips which were also amazing (again the batter was made fresh, hand dipped, & cooked all to order)! Was it the fastest meal we've ever had? No, but this man was prepping, cooking, cleaning, for five different tables while we were there! We heard several mumblings about the "the wait" (no longer than 20-30 minutes), but EVERYONE was later commenting on how delicious and fresh everything was! We are staying over 2 hours away, and WE WILL be taking the Road-to-Hana again JUST for the honor of tasting the "Island Chef" cuisine again! JUST AMAZING! read more

Stopped in on our way to Hana for a bite to eat and to break up the drive. We shared some fish&chips and coconut shrimp. Hubs still thinks about the massive coconut shrimp and ranks the fish&chips as some of the best on Hawaii. Love all the sauces that come with the feast- definitely get the hot sauce. Service was straightfoward- order at the truck, they call your name, you pay. The area itself is a series of shops (coffee shop, souvenir store, etc.) so you have a chance to peruse the area while you wait for your food to be prepared. Picnic tables are provided for seating. Stray cats and large wasps loom. Bathroom situation is scary to say the least- only for the very brave. read more

Stopped by this place during our drive to Hana. Food looked good and the only other option was the coffee shop so we decided to give it a whirl. Plus the husband LOVES fish and chips so it was a win win. We ordered the combo plate with coconut shrimp, fish and chips, which was $20. It was a HUGE plate of food with probably 4-5 jumbo shrimp and 4-5 pieces of fish. We did not finish it but it was delicious. They give you tartar sauce, ketchup, and and the tangy sauce for the coconut shrimp in the side. A good deal for the amount of food you get. Beware one plate of food will probably easily feed two or two plus small child. read more

By far the best fish and chips on the planet. So light, airy, crispy on the outside and fluffy-tender on the inside. Had to have seconds. Cannot wait to go back in a week. I have dreamed of this meal often. read more

The shrimps are so fresh and delicious! My husband and I came here every time we drove through Hana road! read more

Island Chef - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

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We had heard so much information about this place being great that our expectations were sky high. For sure, the kitchen seemed clean and the single staff person/chef was friendly. We ordered the coconut shrimp expecting this to be the bomb. But it turned out that the shrimp had more batter than shrimp. We also had ahi fish and chips. They were fine, but I think I am used to Ahi as a raw sushi entrée than as deep fry. read more

The wife and I stopped here on our way to Hana. It's strategically placed so most tourists will end up stopping here during the the lunch time hours. If you're doing the road to Hana, this is definitely a must-stop. We did a half-half platter of fish and coconut shrimp + chips. It was outstanding. The coconut shrimp that everyone raves about lived up to the hype. And the fish and chips were so good! Crispy yet moist inside. This was served with a very tart Lilikoi and slice of pineapple. Really good stuff that just hit the spot completely. The place next-door, Up-in-Smoke tacos, was packed (probably because the prices are lower and more appealing) but that place has a single picnic table for guests. The Island Chef stall has like 6-8 picnic tables, most of which were empty while we were there. One couple who got food at Up-in-Smoke casually walked over looking for a place to sit and the chef was like "tables are for customers" - I kinda understand where he's coming from as there are signs on the tables blatantly stating that. Another group of 6 + kids walked their food over from Up-in-Smoke and sat right down, completely ignoring the sign. The chef didn't say anything - at the end of the day, he probably figured it's not a big deal since there weren't a lot of people around anyway. But at the same time, people should respect signs an owner puts up. That said, we'll probably not be back, but not because anything was wrong. More just because it's unlikely that we'll ever do the road to Hana again. read more

One of the few places to eat on the road to Hana and worth a stop, especially if you don't have lunch. Ordered a large fish and chips for $16 and there was plenty of food for two. Don't know what kind of fish it was but it was hot, fresh and flavorful. This place is cash only. read more

Island Chef - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

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I am not a big fish eater, but occasionally crave fish and chips, and absolutely love coconut shrimp. Sadly, I can't review the coconut shrimp because prices are steep and we didn't have quite enough cash for both options, so we went with the fish thinking it would give us the most bang for our buck. It delivered. It was delicious and the portion was quite large. I'm knocking a star off because they only accept cash and if you go there later in the day the wide array of options on their menu is misleading. We arrived at just before 4pm and the only thing they had was the shrimp, fish, and fries. I understand the reason for cash - wifi would be expensive if not impossible in that location, so having a PayPal or square card reader is moot; but their prices are also steep. With two kids and two adults we would have needed between $60-80 to get individual meals. We brought plenty of snacks and spent some of our cash at the twin falls stand prior, so we weren't starving and really just wanted to try it anyway. I would definitely recommend this place, just be aware that you'll want to have about $20 cash for each person and go early. read more

THE ROAD TO HANA!! If you are going to drive the "Road to Hana" this place its a MUST STOP!! It is located close to mile marker 29. We got the combo plate with the Fish and the Coconut Shrimp and it was amazingly wonderful. We eat here then made the rest of the full circle around the island. Gave us the nutrients we needed for the very challenging road back to Kihei and what an amazing trip it was. NOT for the faint of heart. Keep that in mind before you do the full circle but even if you just go to Hana make this food stop. Island Chef THE BEST!! read more

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Much needed pit stop on the long road to Hana! The owner recommended the fish n' chips so that's what we got! It was so fresh and delicious! Still warm, with the golden crispy batter. Not too oily or over cooked. Nice assortment of condiments to compliment all dishes. It did take a good 15 minutes for our order to be ready but it was worth the wait! The pineapple and passion fruit is a friendly Hawaiian treat that comes with each meal! read more

Island Chef - Fresh Fish n' Chips! - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

This was absolutely the worst dining experience I had during my entire trip to Hawaii. The service is awful!!! This is along the Road to Hana (which I do recommend), and while there aren't too many options for food along this drive, Island Chef should be at the bottom of your list. When my family arrived on a Saturday around 11:30, the lady working informed us that she was out of beef, which about a third of her menu was comprised of, as well as being out of fried rice (one of two sides she offers with all plates). I was shocked she could be out of two items that make up so much of her menu so early in the day. When I asked if I could sub the fries she has to go with shrimp plates for the rice she was out of that goes with chicken/beef plates, she said she wasn't a fry stand and if I wanted that, to turn around and drive two hours back down the road to McDonalds. When I tried to explain that I had a family with three kids traveling with me that I was trying to feed, she said "I don't do large groups here." So apparently, by her words, if you have any more than 1-2 kids with you, you shouldn't even try to get food from her. By this point, with the rude way the lady was talking to me, I was afraid she would spit in any food I ordered from her so I left. I went a couple stalls down to Max's BBQ and had excellent service and mouth watering food. Please go there instead!! By the way, I looked for the McDonalds on the drive back so I could feed my "too large" family some dinner, and it was much further than 2 hours from Island Chef. Don't trust that lady. read more

The owner is such a rude man, and it's really a shame that he has absoluly NO aloha spirit whatsoever. In fact I am surprised how many great raving reviews he has on his wonderful personality and aloha spirit, because our encounter with him was so awful. He has driven away many customers with his rude behaivor. Its gotten to the point where his neighbors, the fish taco stand right next door, have began to formally apoligize for HIS rudeness! Eat there instead, much better food and much nicer personalities. read more

Island Chef - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

On our way back from Hana we stopped and island chef let me tell you it an old bus on no wheels no windows two women cooking my goodness the coconut shrimp with fries was amazing :) my hubby had the battered mahi with fries delicious too my lil one had the chicken chow mien yup she did and it was very good too prices al lil high it was 45.00 for all three of us but it was so worth it enjoy ;)' read more

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This used to be a good spot...guessing COVID has changed things. No real safety precautions and just one grouchy old chef who seems miserable. When we got there it was crowded and a guy sitting there said he had been waiting for an hour for his food. I asked the chef how long it would take and he got all put out about the question. Sorry friend, I don't have 2 hours for your shrimp and fish truck. Pass it up for the food trucks or burger near Hana. read more

Omg this place is the best! Each visit I attempt to come just for the chicken fried rice and the fish and chips. The food is HOT and fresh. The coconut shrimp was cooked to perfection. Though fried it was NOT greasy and the portions were big! I shared the fish and chips/coconut shrimp combo and we ordered chicken fried rice and the Schezuapn beef. Everything was made to perfection we had plenty to take home for dinner read more

I came here based on reviews posted under the name "coconut and beer battered shrimp". The name of the place is Island Chef and Eric, the chef, is friendly and talented. First thing to note is that there are very few places to eat in Hana proper. At least that was the case on the weekend we stayed there. Island Chef is nestled in the Nahiku Market place at mile marker 29 about 5 miles before (or after) Hana on rt 360. This place has awesome coffee (made by Mike in the "cafe" on the far left side of the marketplace- they have awesome baked goods too) delicious coconut candy (made by a really cool army veteran on the far right side of the marketplace) and awesome food made and served by Eric and his wife (Linda?) First, we tried the fish and chips and the coconut shrimp. My husband was given the choice of blue marlin or Ono for his F&C. Eric recommended the marlin so that's what he chose but thinks (after eating the marlin) that the Ono might have been better since it is a more delicate fish than the marlin. Not that the marlin was bad. It was very good, just a little firm for fish and chips. The coconut shrimp was served with a spicy sauce that I really wanted to like, but it wasn't sweet enough. The shrimp was really good without it tho. If you can imagine tons of fresh toasted coconut and a light batter surrounding large shrimp. Crispy, crunchy and sweet. I really enjoyed the coconut shrimp. I still can't get over the amount of coconut that was on the shrimp. The next morning we went back to the marketplace specifically to see Mike, have some of his awesome coffee, and share a bagel. After hanging out in the cafe, we noticed Eric was setting up for lunch service. We thought it would be too early for lunch (it was 10:30) but when we were there the day before we saw (and enjoyed the aromas of) all kinds of other dishes that Eric also made besides the F&C and shrimp. It turns out he was just opening so we decided to stay and try some more of his food. He highly recommended the pepper seared ahi (which my husband got) and the sold me on some mahi-mahi (one of my faves) in butter and garlic. The mahi-mahi did not disappoint, but the ahi was outstanding! I don't normally like "peppered" things but it was seared to perfection, was tender, juicy and flavorful. Eric said he didn't mind being known for his fish and chips and coconut shrimp, but he wants people to recognize that his other dishes are good too, if not better. If you're ever traveling to or from Hana, make sure to plan for lunch at Island Chef. Come hungry, the portions are big enough for two! But make sure to stop in the "cafe" for an after lunch coffee and lemon bar. The coconut pineapple bread is pretty darn irresistible too! If Mike is there, tell him Jen and Tristan sent you! read more

Island Chef - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

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Took the long Hana Road with my family of 5 day after Thanksgiving and so glad there is a stop here to fill our hungry bellies. The kids ordered the Beef with noodles for $12 which was delicious and completely finished but the Beef with Mushroom and Bell Peppers for $12 but it did not live up to expectations so there was leftovers that we did not bother to take home. The cook was very friendly and loved the tables. We also tried the Shrimp with Fried rice on the next door restaurant which was good enough if you are in the middle of nowhere in Maui. read more

Island Chef - Beef with Noodles $12 - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

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We stopped here on the way to Nahiku. The place is absolutely wonderful. I had the coconut shrimp which was the best I've had. It had a light batter but tons of coconut - and some of the biggest shrimp I've ever seen in my life. It came with two scoops of jasmine rice and a garden salad with a roasted garlic/balsamic vineger dressing. The fried shrimp and fries was also really good plus we got to sample some of the fresh ahi - very tasty. The chef was really friendly and made sure everything was to our satisfaction. I highly recommend you try this place - it may not look like much but the food and service were top notch. This meal could have easily been served in a fine dining restaurant! read more

on the road to Hana you have to stop by this joint, its Hawaiian/Chinese, although the chef is from local but i gotta tell ya, this guy can cook (like a Chinese), not just the way he handles his wok, the taste is quite authentic. Thanks, Eric! we'll be back again! read more

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Aloha folks... The place is a pleasant and much needed break from the winding drives that will take you up to Hana or prepare you when you are going back down towards Paia. It looks like a countryside food court of sorts... A) Island Chef - run by a long pony tailed chef. He cooks everything fresh (based on what I saw)....the food comes out hot and nice. We ordered the Coconut Shrimp & chips. I guess he is slightly on the pricier side among the 4 options there. Just the shrimp/chips combo was $20. I would rate his food a 3.5/5. Overall decor - 3/5 B) Taco shack - this is not their name but they sell tacos. Run by a couple of ladies (one seems happy the other not so much! :)). The options include tacos, sandwiches. The fish or shrimp tacos are fresh, flavorful. There are a range of sauces to spice your food up. The rate for fish tacos was $13. Rating for food 3.5/5. Overall decor - 3/5 C) Thai food - run by an Asian lady (probably thai). Options include fish or shrimp spicy curry, chicken/pork are other protein options. They also sell so Basil curry etc. You won't get all that is there in that limited menu but I got what I wanted -- Spicy shrimp curry with vegetables and a side of rice. Mannn....the lady cooked up a fab fare. The food was the right spice, flavor and salt. I was so glad I chose it...it was served hot and the rice was a good compliment. The cost was $13 and I was happy paying every cent of it!! Food -- 4.5/5. Overall decor - 2.5/5 D) Cafe - the best looking place with lots of little and interesting things local - right from locally baked fruit breads to cookies to small/large locally made ukeleles. The options for warm and cold drinks are surprisingly wide and the taste is very good. They serve Maui grown coffee. The rating for food - 4/5. Overall decor - 3.5/5 Please note -- this place accepts only CASH so please go prepared. -- It is not cheap/inexpensive Mahalo!! read more

We were here in April 2012. Holy crap! It's that good! Wok stir fry at it's finest! You won't find more flaverful & fresh food anywhere on any of the islands- period. You got to wait for your food but who cares? If you & wife order separate dishes, eric has to prepare them one at a time. Well worth the wait. Good excuse to order different dishes & share until the other plate is ready. We've eaten at Mama's Fish House, kimos, all the pricey places- they pale in comparison to this little white truck tucked in off the beaten path. Going back for Christmas & Eric's food is on the top of my to-do list. Even if I wasn't going to Hana- it's still worth the drive all by itself. read more

I had the fish and chips here as recommended by the cook. It took over 30 minutes to get my order as there was only 1 person cooking, and I could tell some of the folks who were doing the road to Hana in one day were getting restless. The setting is very quaint and fits with the Hana vibe. The fish and chips were edible, but nothing to really rave about. It was still greasy though I've had greasier fish and chips elsewhere. The fish was fresh but I had fresher fish and chips elsewhere. Also, the batter was too much I had to dig the fish out. It's also pricey at $15 (cash). Overall if you're pressed for time I don't recommend a stop here as it would eat your time (pardon the pun!). If you're hungry be prepared to wait. There's a cafe nearby that sell amazing coconut bread though. read more

Island Chef - Island Chef seating area - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

The yellowfin tuna fish and chips were great. I had not had tuna made this way before. It was great. I have eaten more kinds fish and chips than I can count and this was the best. I skipped the malt vinegar and just put lemon juice on it. Awesome flavor and texture. read more

Island Chef - Coconut shrimp and yellowfin tuna fish and chips. - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

We had an awesome coconut shrimp here. The batter was just right with freshly shaven thick coconut. I read the previous reviews stating the batter was too much, I didn't think so, felt just right with big shrimp underneath. The chef works all by himself and it was impressive to see how organized he was with everything prepped. We didn't have to wait long for our food and the place was packed. I give it 5 stars for what it is...a food truck in the middle of a mountain. It's not a fancy five star restaurant, but it's still 5 stars in my book! read more

Island Chef - Beer battered coconut shrimp with fries - Seafood Near Me - Hana, Hawaii

Worst fish taco I've ever had. My daughter had a vegetarian taco and it was mostly rice and a tiny bit of red cabbage, only ate two bite.

Shockingly good food for a stop that looks like a tourist trap. Had the combo of coconut shrimp + fried fish over rice and the fried fish was very fresh and dense which was a good thing. They had a couple of different sauces or things to add which were a nice touch. read more

I was going to take off one star since it is over 20 bucks for one combo coconut shrimp and fish and chips plate....but they were the best coconut shrimp I've had in my life. The fried fish was also excellent, some kind of local fish. read more

Have to echo disappointment of those below at the awful and overpriced $20 coconut shrimp and chips. Like four batter pancakes with tiny little shrimp hiding inside. Wish I had read the recent reviews more carefully before going. Just saw the 4.5 stars, a reference to "best coconut shrimp ever" at the top of the Yelp page and went. BIG disappointment (though will say the woman working there was very friendly). read more

I don't really understand why this place has such rave reviews. Food was bland and way too expensive for what it was. The coconut shrimp was all batter, and the fries tasted like they were straight from the frozen aisle at a discount supermarket. The fish and chips were ok...for the most part. The fish seemed fresh, but that's all it had going for it. I wouldn't have eaten it without the sauce. If you want authentic food on your way to Hana, I would definitely skip this place. The one redeeming quality of the stand were the cooks. Super nice, and very friendly! If you're absolutely starving, and didn't bring a snack on your journey, I would avoid their seafood dishes altogether and go for beef or chicken. read more

The chef here is awesome and the food is great! Ordered the garlic shrimp on the way up to Hana and it was well worth the $13! After eating the shrimp, I saw that I missed the seared ahi tuna. The owner/chef without hesitation was like do you want to try some. I go sure and then he cooked me up 2 pieces of tuna! What a generous guy and even better was it was cooked to perfection. People will come here and not expect fresh food by the location, but don't get me wrong! Stop by and you'll see yourself! read more

Overpriced and the wait was unacceptably long, having only two woks. The fish and chip combo was over fried and too sweet and too hard. I would suggest eat your banana bread until something more acceptable in Hana if the fish taco stand is closed. read more

The coconut shrimp had a thick layer of shredded coconut not which was great! You really could taste the coconut. The beef chowmein was really good. Huge food food portions. The breaded fish was good too and I don't like to eat fish. The batter was very thick and I personally like that but some don't. My only wish would be that places that sell coconut shrimp not serve it with sweet chili sauce but maybe a piña colada sauce as I think it would compliment it better. Often sweet chili overwhelms, the coconut but since there was so much coconut on the shrimp it thankfully didn't overwhelm. read more