Jay Eats Worldwide

In the Fall of 2011, I was on Maui for 3 days and went to Star Noodle 3 times.  BTW, I never go to the same place that many times, unless it's a client's restaurant and Star Noodle isn't a client.  Each time I went, the wait was longer than the time before, guess I'm not the only one who goes as much as I did.  I do have favorite restaurants on Maui, Star just happens to have one of the most imaginative menus in a casual atmosphere that I enjoy.      Not to mention a Star chef... Photo by Bravo TV's Top Chef Chef Sheldon Simeon "Top Chef Seattle" Finalist and Fan Favorite Star Noodle Star Noodle is at the top of the hill in an industrial area in Lahaina.  As you get to the top, look for all of the cars and the crowd of people standing in the parking lot AND you've found it! Now that this season's "Top Chef Seattle" is over, I'm sure the lines will be even longer... The magic of this plac...

On trip to Maui for the Maui County Agricultural Festival , I was able to meet up with several farmers.  Having spent a lot of summers in Hawaii, I've had a lot of different type of taro dishes at all of the luaus and family parties.  This trip, I learned more about taro, the Hawaiian staple, at the Maui Tropical Plantation. There are about 85 different taro varieties grown in Hawai'i. The interesting thing is that the entire plant is edible, provides fiber and wholesome carbohydrates. Farmer Bobby Pahia Hoaloha Farms A lot of the taro farming that I've seen in Hawai'i has been wet farming, like rice fields. But as a city boy, I'm more familiar with the dry type of farming that Hoaloha Farms does at the Maui Tropical Plantation. Showing us the 3 different varieties of taro grown on this farm. The kalo (taro in Hawaiian) stalk are replanted and the root is used to make poi and other taro products. Farmer Bobby showing us...

Restaurant of the Year! Maui No Ka Oi Magazine They won a few awards that night... Maui No Ka Oi Magazine If you've read my other "Star Noodle" post you know the last time I was on Maui, I visited Star Noodle 3 times in 3 days. I never do that... This time, I was with a group of food and travel bloggers and our first stop was Star Noodle. Star Noodle is located at the top of the hill in an industrial area above Lahaina. As we were driving up the hill, Carolyn Jung wondered if I was a serial killer, since it didn't appear we were heading to a place where you'd find a restaurant. I still think she should've called me a "cereal" killer in her article . When you get to the top of the development, you'll see a parking lot full of cars, people waiting outside, AND YES you've found Star Noodle! Once inside, Chef Sheldon Simeon (Top Chef Seattle) has created an incredible menu and see what Jay Eats: ...

April 7, 2012 at The Maui Tropical Plantation I've been a follower of the Maui food movement for many years, I was a fan of Mark Ellman's first restaurant...Avalon. When I started cooking professionally, I started to use a lot of what I've learned from Maui, which is a special place for me, it's where my family is from. The Maui Visitors Bureau invited me to be a judge at this year's Maui County Agricultural Festival, which I thank them for hosting me. I knew this would give me an opportunity to learn more from those inside of this unique food movement, that and to sample some amazing food. I joined a diverse group of food writers at the judges' table Let the competition begin... Grand Taste Education Presented by In Partnership with Here's how the competition worked... A chef and a farmer (or rancher) are paired together to create a unique dish using a main Maui ingredient. Dishes are judged b...