It may be chilly this time of year Upcountry, but those who live there have a warmth for Pukalani Club House that just won't quit.
UH-Maui College chancellor and bona fide Epicurean, Clyde Sakamoto, raves about the food quality. Honey Bun Haynes brings all of her ukulele playing pals there for dinner once a month.
"We also come every Saturday morning for fried rice and eggs," adds ukulele player Zora Durock. "The food is great and it's just like ohana here."
Article Photos
Husband-and-wife team James Avila and Leslie Frankel-Avila run the back and the front of the house, respectively.
The Maui News / CARLA TRACY photo
Situated at 360 Pukalani St., in a house trailer, the restaurant is unassuming, to say the least. But it's all that was permitted after a fire burned down the original club house years ago.
"It's a little quirky," says partner Leslie Frankel-Avila. "But once people walk around the corner of the trailer and see we've got a nice lanai, sunset and golf course views and a liquor license, they relax. We've even got flowers and tablecloths at dinner."
The first Tuesday of every month is ukulele night, in which Honey Bun and the Coconuts play. Sing along, if you like. In March, a wine dinner will flow.
"We're always trying to gear up for the community," says Leslie. "We're open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. "Our menu is really, really basic as we have a lot of golfers who just want quick bite. But we also offer three to five specials at dinner."
On a recent evening, they included roasted clams with lobster and chorizo in white-wine garlic sauce, pan-seared hapuupuu with penne and pohole fern shoots, and rib-eye in chipotle-bacon butter. Special appetizers were oxtail pot stickers and baby crab cakes.
In addition, Friday night is prime rib night. Happy hour is daily from 3 to 6 p.m. with discounts on drinks and pupu, and there is an ongoing "loco moco challenge" that anyone may enter. "We can also do large functions for 250 people under the tent. There is plenty of parking."
For reservations or more details, call 571-1325.
