Maui Teriyaki

Thursday, 05 May 2011 10:17

Maui Teriyaki's Hawaiian take on the classic Teriyaki bowls combines high-quality ingredients with a healthy and friendly island attitude to create some of the freshest food around. This casual establishment is family-run, and the owners are always there, catching up with the customers. Conveniently located off Archer Road on 34thStreet, Maui Teriyaki will cater any event and is a great place to catch some quick food.

By Harry Leeds; photos by Sequoia Santangelo

Fresh Stuff

Co-owner Chester Umagying is proud of the freshness he produces. “We cook our steak to order,” he says. “That is, you say, ‘medium steak,’ and your steak is medium. Not many places like ours will do that.” They also trim the fat off their meat and use only the highest quality vegetables. All this is visible in the open kitchen.

We tried out the Steak Teriyaki Bowl (the medium bowl is $7.50) and enjoyed the kind of tender meat you'd expect from a steakhouse. This was served over perfect rice with vegetables. Don't overlook their signature Chicken Teriyaki Bowl (medium for $6.50) with all white meat. Their homemade, secret-recipe teriyaki sauce will make naked rice look lonely—trust me.

Wing Thing

With Hooters closed, Maui Teriyaki has stepped into the forefront of wing places on 34th Street. The perfectly fried wings ($7 for six) have a satisfying crunch, and the meat melts off the bone. Dip that in some of the teriyaki sauce (hot and regular currently available), and it's a filling dinner. (More sauces are in the works for your choosing pleasure.) Maui Teriyaki will also be selling beer soon to accompany the wings. We are looking forward to enjoying the cold beer on the patio and watching the game with friends.

Loyal Gators

Maui Teriyaki attracts famous Gators and loyal customers. When Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan needed to cater a meal for his players, he said he would accept nothing less than Maui Teriyaki. The Pouncey twins were often spotted eating there too.

Customers keep coming back, and co-owner Nikita Patalinghug says she is always flattered about the positive feedback from customers. “We even had someone propose right at that table over there,” she says. “I was going to make the sauce, and someone was down on one knee. He had planned Maui Teriyaki as the place to propose.” It appears that Maui Teriyaki did the trick for the proposer because the woman said, “Yes.”

Heavenly Healthy

Chester and Nikita are proud of their healthy and vegetarian-friendly menu options, including brown rice and tons of veggies. They have a grilled salmon bowl with pineapple ($7.50) and a Power Bowl ($7), which is mostly vegetables, cauliflower, broccoli, bamboo shoots, chicken and water chestnuts. The Crispy Tofu Bowl ($7), a vegan dish, shows off an ability to combine health-appeal with taste. Plus, the tofu is the perfect vehicle for that tasty sauce.

Our Tofu Bowl was complemented with a big cool cup of Bubble Tea ($3). We tried the taro flavor and then cleansed our palette with some ice-cold tea and delectable tapioca. This prepared us for the crispy and sweet Fried Plantains ($2).

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