Da Kitchen

One of the best places to eat in Maui. We came in a Tuesday for lunch and the inside was packed so we ordered to-go and ate outside. Every single bite of every item on our plate was perfection. The Musubi was heavy on the nori flavor, which I love, but my husband doesn’t so I mostly got to have that all to myself. The meats were tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. Many weeks later and we’re still talking about how this is one of the best meals we ate. On our Maui go-to list now forever! Oh, and the staff were all so freaking nice!!

Small strip mall location with yummy local specialties including deep fried musubi (go early tends to run out each day), Kalbi short ribs were fantastic and flavorful, as was the Loco Moco. Staff were the friendly and very kind.

Loco Moco was good but not great. Standouts were the fried spam musubi and the guava cheesecake (a must-order. Not overly sweet). Prices for portion size were good. My husband and I split the Loco Moco and had leftovers.

Exactly what I was looking for! We're visiting from California. I have been craving Lau lau which is hard to find in Cali, but Da Kitchen nail it! I wanted a little of everything that reminded me of hanging at random weddings while my Dad and grandpa hosted Luau's back in the 70's. All on one fork, pork lau lau, kalua pig & rice then big spoon of poi! OMG broke da mouf!!! Mac salad was so ono as well. Great job Da Kitchen!

I came here based on the reviews. While you do get a lot of food for your money, I’m not sure I’m convinced that it was as great as some of these reviews. We ordered the mixed plate and the loco moco. Both were ok. The mixed plate came with katsu chicken and mahi as well as a piece of chicken thigh and a piece of sliced beef plus rice and mac salad. The loco moco came with a burger patty, egg, topped with sautéed onions, rice and mac and cheese. It’s a very heavy meal. The dishes didn’t have a lot of flavor. Our server was nice and friendly.

Garlic Noodles were good. Chicken katsu lacked flavor, Kalbi ribs, korean chicken were mediocre and and the fried musubi was strangely sweet? Mac salad always good. Very busy establishment and the servers worked well.

I loved my Kalua pork plate. It was so good that I had it twice during my trip. The restaurant is a bit tiny and pricy but the food quality is worth it. Service was very friendly.

Island salad is my run away favorite here. It’s been a while since I was in Hawaii and had plate lunch. So long ago that prices have ga-gillioned? $35 for the Hawaiian? Sheesh. Used to be plate lunch was the affordable way to eat. Food was good though. Lau lau was good. Kilua pork was salty but delicious. Rice was rice. And a very little itty bitty salmon teaser. Won’t be back but happy we went. Can’t recommend at these prices.

By far my favorite spot for a mixed plate on the island! The portion sizes are huge and everything is phenomenal. Typically, I've only seen 3 items included in a mixed plate but here, you get 4 items (teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, chicken katsu and breaded mahi. When I opened up my to-go box, I was shocked to see how much fit into the container. The fish was crispy and the teriyaki was delicious. Everything on the menu sounds/looks terrific. I can't wait to come back on my next Maui trip.

DA Kitchen in Kihei is an absolute gem!!!From the moment we walked in, the service was friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming -- basically, they treat you better than your own family (sorry, Mom). The portions are great -- I'm pretty sure my plate had ambitions of its own. Every dish was bursting with flavor, cooked to perfection, and plated so beautifully it almost made me hesitate... almost... Hands down, DA Kitchen serves some of the best "packs" I've had in all of Maui. I came for the food, stayed for the deliciousness, and seriously considered moving in. If you're looking for amazing food, stellar service, and a place that makes your taste buds do the hula, this is it. Do yourself a huge favor: go now. Your hungry stomach will repeatedly thank you. - Jordan

Da Kitchen was so good we ended up going twice on our vacation. The Hawaiian platter with the kalua pork and pork laulau was amazing! Super flavorful and tasted like classic, homemade local food. Everything had that comforting, traditional vibe you hope for. The kalbi mix plate was also a win. Loved the variety with the short ribs, fried chicken, and tempura. Everything was cooked just right and super satisfying. Huge portions, great flavors, and just all-around solid food. Definitely a spot we'd go back to again.

Amazing garlic noodles - I'd come back just for this! I haven't had the chance to try the other plates but I'm assuming it's worthwhile seeing how packed this restaurant gets! Parking is not an issue though you may need to keep an eye out for their restaurant as it is somewhat tucked in a corner. Service was great - friendly, quick but not rushed.

There was a queue already at 11:30 am for Da Kitchen on Black Friday. Don't know if it was all the hungry early morning Black Friday shoppers or the pent up demand because Da Kitchen was closed on Thanksgiving. The limited inside dining room and outside seating were all taken. I patiently waited 20-25 minutes for our take out. The Fish Tempura was perfectly cooked, light and airy, as I remembered. Husband got the Garlic Noodles with a side of Teriyaki Chicken. Enough food for two meals; luckily picked up a Costco chicken earlier so it will pair perfectly with the leftover Garlic Noodles. As you can see from last year's and this year's picture, no food shrinkage in portion size.

3.5 stars Da Kitchen is tucked in the corner of a plaza and serves classic Hawaiian fare. It's a casual spot where you walk up to the counter and order. They don't allow you to sit inside until you're dining in but there are some tables outside. We ordered the deep fried musubi ($6.99), kalbi mix plate ($31), and katsu moco ($26.50). The deep fried musubi was different than what I'm used to but it was decent. I liked the dipping sauce but you could taste more of the deep fried part than the spam musubi part. I would've preferred the spam to be thicker to stand out a little more. The kalbi mix plate included both kalbi and chicken which were both really good. The katsu moco is their most popular and had a large patty but the inside was a little mushy. The chicken katsu was decent but could've used more sauce. Out of everything we ordered the kalbi mix plate was my favorite. I also tried some of the garlic noodles which were good. They had large portions but it was just okay.

We ordered take out (1) mixed plate with katsu and pulled pork, (1) loco moco, and a spam musubi. The restaurant was small inside so it definitely fills up quickly. After placing our order we were told to wait outside and they will bring it out to us when ready. The plates were heavy! Definitely big portions. My husband enjoyed his combo katsu plate and had leftovers the next day. The loco moco was good but it had an insane amount of onions that over powered the dish and I couldn't get all of it off. The musubi was good. Overall very solid place that we would go to again. Very good but not amazing which is reflected in the rating. Highly recommend.

Super delicious ono food here! The staff are super friendly and helpful. Awesome service. Get the chicken katsu, Opakapaka, Korean chicken and laulau. Everything is delicious here! Guava cheesecake for dessert! Winners!

We originally came here because my boyfriend wanted to try their deep fried spam musubi's so we can take it to the beach. We came here a second time the second day to eat the loco moco. The deep fried spam masubi's were so good and perfect on the beach. We were hungry and it was a great snack. The loco moco was a big portion so we shared and it was very filling for both of us. The restaurant seems to be popular because there were a lot of people. We went exactly at the opening time on the 2nd day so it worked out and we did take out on the first day. There's a variety of food options and everything is so tasty here!!

Last visit was in Kahalui & peep at Kihei sites back in July 2015. Both are no more, but the current site has managed to continue the legacy. This was our first stop after arriving at the airport and claiming our rental car (8/26/25). No frills. There's available indoor & outdoor seating, as well as, takeout service. Welcoming staff that kindly answers questions and provides recommendations. Food ordered was tasty and very generous after an early AM six hour flight. We were kept well hydrated with copious ice water. That combination helped tremendously. A true welcome and aloha upon arrival!

Was looking for a good katsu joint in Kihei and this popped up on my list. I was a bit apprehensive when we walked in and it was pretty empty (off hours though, 4 PM on a weekday). Our worry deepened when we saw the menu prices. However, it ended up being a great choice! Service was friendly and efficient. We got a mixed plate and the fish tempura. I LOVE fried fish and have very high standards and this didn't disappoint. The batter was perfectly crispy and crunchy and the tartar sauce was very very good. I normally find mahi-mahi to be very dry and tough, but this was some of the most tender and succulent that I have had. The mac salad was terrific. Portions were humongous too. I had a bite of my partner's katsu and it was also on point. My only gripe is that it's definitely quite greasy and heavy, so I would have to be in the mood for this. Overall a great spot!

We were really excited about this place, but unfortunately it's way over-hyped. The loco moco was severely under-seasoned and while the garlic noodles were good, it didn't warrant a $31.50 price tag. I agree with the other yelper that this was a disappointing experience, and based on the reviews, we thought it would be a memorable meal. We waited 40 minutes on a Saturday afternoon at 1PM but when we checked around the 25 min mark, there were 2 open tables. Thankfully after we ordered, the food came out very quickly. The ambiance is casual and food is served in to-go containers even for dine-in. The table was not super clean and I had to clean some food crumbs myself when I sat down. We paid $71 for 2 entrees and a fountain soda... overall don't recommend. The price does not justify the value of the food.

Da Kitchen Maui was bomb.com !! We got the garlic noodles with teriyaki chicken and dumplings. We shared because we wanted something quick and small to eat. This was so filling and yummy!!! I get the hype for the noodles. You can dine in or outside. Service was great! Will be going back to try other things on the menu. 10/10 food 10/10 service

We were loyal patrons of the Da Kitchen in Kahului and so happy when they reopened (although we wish it was in Kaanapali!) we still made the drive down to Kihei twice, they are that good. The food was some of the best we had in our 10 day stay, and huge portions too. It's a smaller place and not as nice of ambiance, but the service is super friendly and top notch. I honestly can't recommend them more. Our favorite dishes are the tempura mahi mahi and Korean kalbi. The mahi has converted multiple people that said they don't like fish. And the teriyaki beef is also delicious. Make sure to check them out!

Pretty pricey. Portions aren't bad! fried spam musubi was bomb with the crunchy texture. Pork and rib was kinda dry but the checkin was good! Liked the katsu and tempura too. Pick up is quick and we waited like 20 mins around lunch to sit inside! Staff was really friendly and quick

This was a great place for a casual meal. I got spam in rice and seaweed wrap deep fried and some veggie spring rolls. My husband got a plate of meats. We also both got a glass of POG juice. All were excellent. Service was really fast. We had to wait about 5 min for a table to open, but then it only took another 5-10 min to have food on the table. This place seemed a little less touristy than many others and it's shopping plaza location made parking easy.

Dining area inside offers table service, outside tables are carry out. Decor is simple. Menu is extensive. Got mixed plate. Very hearty and tasty portion. Expected some kalua pork but seemed to get double katsu chicken. Service was very good.

When you arrive, you'll have to write your name down on a waitlist and wait outside. They will call you inside once a table is available. I ordered the teriyaki chicken and Kalua combo. Huge portions. The teriyaki chicken was flavorful and pull apart. The kalua was good too. The fried spam musubi is a must try. The interior was crispy and came with a dipping sauce. My boyfriend got DK burger and it was SERIOUS HUGE. He said it was a solid burger. They say the serving sizes are huge and it really lives up to it! Definitely would recommend!!

I don't recommend this place. It's pretty expensive and I didn't really like the food. Paid around $200 for the following: - Katsu Chicken: 6/10 - Korean Chicken: 6.5/10 - Tempura Fish: 4/10 - Loco Moco: Disappointing - Garlic Noodles and Teriyaki Chicken: 7/10 - Mango Slush - Lychee Slush - Strawberry Slush I have to say this was our disappointing meal in Maui. I don't recommend this place unless you're really hungry and don't have the energy to go anywhere else. There was a long line but no guidance on the take out order line vs the dine in line. I ended up waiting in the longer line but I could've just added my name to the list. It was a disappointing food experience. I really didn't like the Loco Moco. It was a huge portion but very bland. I definitely prefer Kihei Caffe over this place. They also almost forgot to give us the garlic noodles, which was the best dish we ate here. The place is small but you can also sit outside but it was kind of messy.

Came for lunch on a Monday at 12:30 in mid October. Most tables were taken but they did have a few outside that were for take out customers only. We managed to snag one of those and ordered at the counter. Had to try the regular spam misubi and fried spam misubi. Couldn't decide between all the proteins so got the bento plate which had teriyaki beef and chicken, spam misubi, chicken katsu, and tempura shrimp. My favorite was the fried spam misubi-super crunchy outer coating, and a different take on a yummy staple. The bento plate was just ok--chicken didn't taste super fresh and the beef was sort of dry like jerky. The fried coating on the tempura shrimp was not true tempura. Also had one of the freezes which is basically a few pumps of syrup blended with ice. Kid liked it though.

This place is tucked away in a shopping center and is definitely a hidden gem. There is a bit of a wait to dine in so if you're in a hurry, order to go. If you want to dine in, add your name to the list and wait outside for your name to be called. The staff were friendly and attentive. I ordered the chicken katsu and Spam musubi. Both were absolutely delicious! The portions are pretty big so honestly, I could've shared my dish. The katsu was cooked well and the pork was very flavorful. I enjoyed my meal. I would definitely return when in Maui again!

Favorite first stop after getting off a plane to come and eat lunch. We always get the mixed plate. Spring rolls are little crunchy bites of goodness. Also tried one of their specials with the garlic shrimp and it was insane! Such big portions. Will always come back for dine in or take out.

Hands down, food got me on a new level. It was so good, like I am still dreaming about it. Their short ribs, fire. Their fried musubi, fire. Their gyoza, fire. Need I say more???

My husband and I were starving after a long day and were really looking forward to solid Hawaiian BBQ. Unfortunately this place was overhyped and did not meet our expectations. The line was fairly long, probably because of all the hype, but the food came out quickly after we ordered. We shared one mixed plate (teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, chicken katsu, breaded mahi) and two spam musubis. None of the meat was particularly flavorful; we had to drench it in the sauces for it to taste good. The mac salad was just okay, nothing special. I was hopeful about the spam musubi (it's hard to mess that up in my opinion), but those lacked flavor as well :( I really hope that we just ordered the wrong thing, but I'm not likely to return as there's much better food in Maui.

It was a MUST grab authentic spam musubi and this place was the top selection in research on the island, and they didn't disappoint! I never had fried musubi before and it has forever changed my life and it's all I crave now! My 8yr old never had musubi and he loved the fried one, he's also a huge fan of spam now (haha) Will definitely visit Da Kitchen when we visit Maui in near future! Place is very small, being popular they request those that are there to dine inside (there's some tables outside as well) to dine and if making order to go, to sit outside in seating area and they'll bring your order to you.

Popular old school plate lunch spot in a smaller location. Food 4 Service: 4 Atmosphere 3 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: no reservations Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Da kitchen bento plate : bit of everything including teriyaki beef and chicken, katsu, shrimp tempura, and musubi. Loved getting it all in 1 though heavy on the katsu. 4 stars - Kalua pork: very tasty and one of my fave versions. 4 stars - Large portions and served everything in to go boxes so was easy to take home leftovers. Midlights: - Garlic noodles: I didn't care for the flavor which was more oyster soy than garlic, but my mom liked them. 3 stars Lowlights: - Line at the door even before they opened - Small: not much seating so was full shortly thereafter - Out of bunch of things even upon opening Kalbi ribs: very expensive at almost $50! Enjoyed our meal and would come back.

We came here for lunch and was amazed by how awesome the food here is. The boys love the fried spam musubi. We also ordered the chicken Katsu and the mixed plate. Both were delicious. Service here was phenomenal. Nice and attentive staff members. Love the ambiance here it just feels very welcoming.

We ordered food over the phone, so it'd be a quick pick up and I'm so glad we did. I thought it'd be empty, because we arrived near closing time, but it was pretty busy still! We shared mixed plate and this was one of the best fish I've had. The meats were all very good and flavorful as well!

We got take-out and were very happy with how quickly we got our food. Service: Awkward. In the middle of putting in our order with the cashier, a waitress cut us off and started talking to the cashier. The cashier then continued on the conversation with her instead of asking us to please wait or hold. Food: Fried spam musubi: Lukewarm instead of hot. Spam slices were actually pretty thin too so it felt like mostly rice. Other than that, the taste was good and not too greasy. Spam, ham, and egg sando: I actually don't remember if there was ham in this LOL. But this was delicious as well. We loved how the egg was crispy on the edges yet the yolk wasn't fully cooked so it ran down the sando.

We wanted some good noodles and chicken. I pulled up this place and I have to say I was disappointed. I understand business are struggling and everyone wants to leave great and positive reviews but people also have to spend money. I think this place is overpriced and the food was just ok. I really just wanted the garlic noodles but when my husband paid it was $31 for just the noodles which is the same price with the chicken and noodles so he said just add the chicken then. Like it doesn't cost $31 for noodles to make them. That's just noodles no meat. I believe in supporting small businesses but I also believe in fair prices.

My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner here. The Da Kitchen bento plate and an order of veggie spring rolls was a perfect amount of food for the two of us - and the portions are very generous. Everything was flavorful and delicious. The employees were all super friendly and fun, and we enjoyed getting our food to go and eating it on the patio outside the restaurant. The guava cheesecake was really good - a nice little Costco special haha. We'd definitely come back for some yummy Hawaiian food.

A lil pricey for a loco moco but I guess thats how it be these days in town. Food was solid, def got me stuffed by da end. Gravy wasn't too thick or overpowering. Meat was cooked well done. I'd go again, maybe try something new.

This has been my favorite place to eat of our Maui trip. It is a little corner restaurant in a shopping center. They offer many choices of Hawaiian cuisine. It has a homey vibe with amazing service. The young ladies who served us were extremely nice, and my family all voted that they were the best service of our trip thus far. In addition to this, the food was amazing! So delicious, we all left extremely full, or as we like to say, "Fat and happy." If you are in Maui, you definitely need to go check out Da Kitchen.

Stopped in for lunch. Ordered the mixed plate which comes with teriyaki chicken, chicken katsu, breaded mahi mahi, teriyaki beef, & potato salad. Everything was really good. I like their breaded katsu. It wasn't dry. Staff were very friendly. It wasn't busy when I came in on a Friday at 11a. They serve everything in a togo box. Portion size is good so definitely shareable. Plenty of parking.

We stopped by here for an early dinner. This restaurant was recommended by my sons friend who recently visited Maui. We ordered the Musabi, Kalbi ribs, and Firecracker Katsu. The portions were big and everything was great. I am not a fan of spam, tried it a few times, but the deep fried musubi was delicious crispy on the outside. The waitress with the pink highlights was very helpful nice.

Amazing flavor and huge portions!! We ordered the chicken Katsu and then katsu cutlet (same as chicken just with gravy and onions instead of bbq sauce like katsu) I ordered to go and food was ready in less than 20 minutes! The portions are insane - two people could def eat out of one order - we ended up order saving one for the next day! Cute spot in a shopping center - plenty of parking and seating indoors mainly.

Everything was delicious. Nobodies meal in the group was bad. Loved the fried spam musubi and passion fruit ice tea. Service was very attentive and kind. Would definitely recommend coming here.

My wife & I tried this spot after just hopping the plane. She definitely loved the musubi which would be 5/5. The loco moco is a 4/5 for us. I did love their mixed Bbq plate which would be 4.5/5. Also we had a very friendly server who took care of us even when he got busy.

My meal was very good here! Not really any complaints, but also nothing stood out much. Just a good quality meal.

We were in Wailea, so we decided to drop by Da Kitchen in Kihei on the way back to Ka'anapali. I had the Hawaiian plate (kalua pig, lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, poi, rice and mac salad, while she had the saimin. We shared guava cheesecake for dessert. The Hawaiian plate brok da mout! The portions were massive. It was pricey, but could easily feed two normal people. The kalua pig and lau lau rivaled James Beard winner Helena's in Kalihi on O'ahu. The pork was so moist and flavorful in both items. Likewise, the saimin was the most protein packed saimin I have ever seen. It had char siu, spam, beef and kamaboko. In addition, the noodles were yellow and nice & chewy. Lastly, the cheesecake was silky smooth, and bursting with guava flavor. It was one of the best versions of this dessert I have had in the islands. The ladies working were super nice and showed a lot of Aloha. Our food came out quickly, and our waitress was real attentive. Da Kitchen is a must for me when I am in the Kihei area. The food is excellent, the portions are big, and its all served with a lot of Aloha.

Portion sizes were huge, y'all. We stared at the menu for a long time before ordering take-out and came home with way too much food. The deep fried spam musubi was a must-try, and otherwise I'd share something with a friend--there's even two scoops of rice. Instead we ordered one per person. I tried the Firecracker Katsu, which was mostly tangy and a little spicy (to me). My husband got a mixed plate which alone could have fed a small family. We ordered guava and lychee slushes, too, thinking they were like smoothies. When we spotted the syrups behind the counter I really should have changed my mind--not worth the price! Would definitely recommend ordering to share!

Don't let the strip mall, plastic outdoor tables, or small interior scare you away. This is a diamond in the rough!! INCREDIBLE, savory, delicious local bites! The waitress was so friendly and made the best recommendations - we were so lucky to have her input. The food was filling and so flavorful. Definitely the perfect lunch/dinner stop. We might just have to come back on our trip for another helping. Yum.

DAKitchen for the win! This spot is a must-visit when in Maui! So glad we stumbled upon it. It exceeded all expectations. We started with the mango iced tea, which was super refreshing and full of flavor. The deep-fried spam musubis were perfectly crispy and honestly everything I hoped for. We also had the kalbi plate, the short ribs were grilled to perfection, extra meaty, and packed with flavor. Truly the perfect bite! Can't wait to go back.

We got the Hawaiian plate, and it was $38. It was A LOT of food, so wish we just got one to share, so that's a plus. We were super excited to have this since we spent our time in Kauai and had some amazing luau pork there. Man, were we disappointed. The food isn't bad, but it's definitely overhyped. Pork was salty, and luau was just dry. Service was fine and ambiance was casual.

Authentic and tasty plate lunch in the Kihei area but very strange service experience. This is a very small, hole in the wall type place situated in the back corner of a shopping center. When you walk in it feels very much like a quick to-go place but they treat it like a full on dining experience. When we walked in there was 1 party seated and a couple empty tables and we were told there would be a wait to sit down? We waited a couple minutes and then were told we could sit (?). They took our order at the table despite having someone working the counter about 5 feet away (also strange) but food was still served in to-go containers. Workers were very friendly just overall sort of confusing. Regardless, the food was good though not the best plate lunch we had while in Maui. I tried the Teriyaki Beef and thought the meat was flavorful but found the Mac salad a little lacking. A little overpriced IMO too. Wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to return here but not a bad spot for lunch if you're nearby.

Picked up a Bento and the different options was fun to try. The food was good, though could use some more flavor. The person helping was quick and efficient. The location was hard to find and I circled the parking lot three times before finding. They are in the very corner.

This restaurant is easy to miss if you're not paying attention, as it's tucked away at the corner of the plaza. There are plenty of parking spaces. The service was interesting but overall, it was pleasant. We decided to try takeout and ordered the signature dishes (Garlic noodles and Kalbi Ribs), but they were quite overpriced. We ended up with garlic noodles with teriyaki chicken ($31) and katsu chicken. We were really excited to try this place based on the reviews, but neither dish stood out. The portions were generous. The garlic noodles felt a bit too greasy. The katsu chicken was pretty standard, like any other katsu spot.

Friendly and great service, the food was delicious! The portion is big. I would definitely come back and recommend eating here

Sooo many delicious options at Da Kitchen!! Today we got the Teri chicken plate, garlic noodles and veggie spring rolls. Ask for extra teriyaki if you like it saucy. All were soooo so tasty!!