Maria P.
Yelp
Read all the great reviews from my fellow Yelp Elites Kanani K. and Rachael T., and have been curious about this restaurant for quite some time. Paia is not a place I frequent, but recent events have brought me here more regularly and has in turn piqued my interest as new businesses and buildings have popped up in the last 1 or 2 years.
To my surprise Cafe Des Amis was quite the bustling place a few months ago. They have an outdoor-ish covered patio area that was packed with hungry patrons. Fortunately, we were able to get a table right away. Just in time too as a small line started forming by the entrance.
We quickly glanced over the small menu that features crepes, curry, wraps, etc. Strange mix if you ask me, but they've been here forever so it must work! We ended up ordering the chicken avocado crepe, beef & mushroom curry, banana & chocolate crepe, and ice cream from their sister store next door, Artisan Ice Cream.
My chicken avocado crepe was very tasty and all the flavors meshed well together. The serving was quite large and perfect to share. The beef & mushroom curry was also delicious. A little on the spicy side for me (the heat creeps up on you, then BAM!), but man that mango jam/chutney thing it came with went so well with it. I would definitely order that for myself in the future! It's the kind of dish that you'd call "ugly delicious." Lol.
The sweet crepe was just ok, pretty standard, but the kiddo enjoyed it. The ice cream was also delicious and Artisan Ice Cream is quickly becoming one of my favorite stops while in Paia. Highly recommend their lilikoi cheesecake (if they have it) and their mana cookies flavor. Definitely check it out if you get a chance! The great part is you can enjoy your ice cream at your table.
Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and were pleasantly surprised with everything. My husband and I had to chuckle though, we couldn't help but agree that being there that evening had us feeling like we weren't on Maui. Lol. Not too many locals, but I love trying new places and this one's a winner in my book.