With food in abundance and festivities in full swing, a lū‘au is a fun way to experience Maui’s culture of camaraderie.
Loosely translated, a lū‘au is a big HAWAIIAN FEAST . At the heart of this gathering is the ceremonial kālua pig. In an age-old island technique, a whole pig is buried in an imu (underground oven), and then unearthed after a day, which leaves the meat cooked to incomparable tenderness. In addition to this delicious main dish, lū‘au-goers also get the chance to sample an array of favorite local side dishes, including sweet potatoes, poi (Hawaiian taro starch), lomilomi salmon, fresh fish, macaroni salad and a selection of desserts.
A lū‘au also features TRADITIONAL Polynesian ENTERTAINMENT , including Hawaiian music, hula , fire dances and more—what your specific treat is depends on your venue of choice. Great shows on Maui include: OLD LAHAINA LUAU (oldlahainaluau.com), which is held right off Front Street on oceanfront grounds; THE FEAST AT LELE (feastatlele.com), a gourmet lū‘au paired to wines and creative Hawaiian and Polynesian cuisine; MYTHS OF MAUI LŪ‘AU (royallahaina.com) at the Royal Lahaina Resort; WAILELE POLYNESIAN LŪ‘AU (westinmauluau.com) at Westin Maui Resort; HUAKA‘I LU‘AU JOURNEY THROUGH POLYNESIA is at Maui Ocean Center’s award-winning Seascape Restaurant overlooking Mā‘alaea Bay (huakailuau.com); DRUMS OF THE PACIFIC LŪ‘AU (drumsofthepacificmaui.com) at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa; and THE FEAST AT MŌKAPU, at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort (feastatmokapu.com).
