KULA BISTRO
ADDRESS: 4566 Lower Kula Road, Kula, HI 96790
WEBSITE: http://www.kulabistro.com/
One of the experiences that my parents had recommended to me and my wife Cami while we were on Maui was to watch the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park. After a 2AM start to the day driving to the park and securing our spot at the crater rim to watch the sunrise, we were certainly getting pretty hungry as we drove back down around 7AM. A number of different articles we had read suggested Kula Bistro as a convenient breakfast stop along the way, so we took up that suggestion.
(On a side note, if you do get a chance to plan for doing the Haleakalā sunrise, I would highly recommend it. Get there early, because the real event is watching the sky transition from night to day, with breathtaking views while above the clouds. The night sky was also clear enough that we were able to see the center of the Milky Way Galaxy with the naked eye, something I didn’t think I would see in my lifetime.)
The restaurant had opened probably 15 minutes before we had gotten there, with only a handful of other groups when we first sat down. The dining area is a large open space when you first walk in, with tables set up in two- or four-person arrangements. There was also an outdoor patio seating space, but Cami and I had opted to sit inside. Our table was also right next to the baked goods and desserts case, which most likely influenced us to take some cheesecake to-go to enjoy later.
There were so many breakfast plate options that sounded delicious to choose from, along with eggs benedicts or frittatas. Sweet breakfast lovers could turn their attention to the à la carte menu, where all of Kula Bistro’s pancakes and French toast resided, along with individual portions of meats or fruits. Suffice to say that since Cami and I had been already awake for over five hours without any significant food, we were ready for a hearty meal.
After a bit of deliberation, we decided to share one savory and one sweet item, to have a good balance of both types of flavors. Loco moco had been something we were waiting to eat on our trip, so that was already a lock. The ube pancake with coconut cream definitely caught our eye to become the sweet item for our meal.
As we were waiting for our food to arrive, more and more groups started to fill into the restaurant. By the way that people were dressed, it seemed like they had also made the same trek up to Haleakalā Crater as well. Both plates came out after 15 minutes, and we were ready to dive in.
The loco moco was definitely rich in savory and umami flavor, with the beef patty, gravy, and sautéed mushrooms contributing strongly to that. The Maui onions helped to provide a sweet complement to the other ingredients, and when you got all the ingredients in one bite, it was definitely satisfying. The ube pancake was also really delicious as well, with the pancake itself being light and fluffy. The coconut cream was the perfect pairing with the ube, and had a strong coconut flavor that was just right.
Our visit to Kula Bistro was a fantastic way to get some delicious food in our bellies after such an early start to the morning. It’s situated in a great spot to make it convenient to stop by on the way back down from the national park, and also a nice way to help support another local business. The quality of the food was fantastic, the portions were plentiful, and the staff were very nice. The next time that we are in that area of upcountry Maui, we will be certain to stop by.
Let’s now take a look at the Kula Bistro Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Lopes Loco Moco **
Beef patty on a bed of rice, topped with brown gravy, sautéed mushrooms, grilled Maui onions, two eggs. Pictured with fried rice.
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** Lenny’s Ube Pancake with Coconut Cream **
Ube pancake topped with powdered sugar, coconut flakes, and coconut cream.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Kula Bistro:
Food: 5 / 5
Hearty flavors and plentiful portions for the two dishes that we tried, and we left very satisfied. There’s a good array of other savory and sweet breakfast options on the menu as well.
Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5
The open dining area has large windows to help bring in a lot of natural sunlight, and it’s nice that there is also the outdoor patio option as well to take advantage of nice weather.
Service: 4.25 / 5
Our waitress, Emily, was nice and welcoming, helping to highlight a few different things on the menu. She and other waitstaff helped to check in on us during the course of the meal as well.
Price: 4.5 / 5
For the quality and amount of food that we got, the pricing felt reasonable. It might lean a bit on the expensive side for breakfast, but I would gladly pay it again.
Overall:
18.25 / 20
(91%)
Categories: Hawaii, Restaurants
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