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Review of CanoeHouse on the Big Island

Review of CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Just after sunset
Review of CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Just after sunset

I had the good fortune to dine at CanoeHouse on the Big Island of Hawaii twice last year, seven months apart. Each time, my dining experience was spectacular, with a prix fixe menu that varied from visit to visit. Foodies will delight in presentation, atmosphere, and, of course, cuisine. The chef features local and seasonal ingredients elevated to haute cuisine.

Not surprisingly, given that CanoeHouse rates as the best restaurant I’ve encountered on the Big Island, dinner here costs more than most. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Reservations: Required

Dress: Smart casual, or dressier

Location: Auberge Resorts of Mauna Lani

Tips: Ask for a table facing the ocean (weather permitting, which it usually is.)

CanoeHouse on the Big Island

CanoeHouse is located at Auberge Resorts at Mauna Lani, not far from the Fairmont Orchid where we usually stay. You have to walk through the hotel’s spectacular lobby, then exit at the side. The well-lit path to the restaurant hints at the special dinner to come.

Although you can order à la carte, my husband and I prefer to sample what chef Matt Raso thinks are his best dishes. After all, he trained under Nobu Matsuhisa and oversaw three different Nobu restaurants.

The chef follows a similar template from dinner to dinner, starting with a raw fish course and ending with a fruit dessert. For my two visits, only the panacotta with granita and berries stayed the same.

Sashima Course

The Nobu connection was immediately evident with the first course, both times sashimi. I especially enjoyed the hamachi sashimi on my second visit. The tang of yuzu, the bite of jalapeño, and the salt of roe played nicely against the delicate flavor of the raw hamachi.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Hamachi sashimi
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Hamachi sashimi

That’s not to say that the Kona kampachi sashimi lacked flair, but it was more more simple, with a clean, fresh flavor.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Kampachi sashimi
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Kampachi sashimi

Salad Course

Don’t expect ordinary salads at CanoeHouse. Both times, our second course featured more seafood than salad. The seared ahi tuna and seaweed salad, accented with black and white sesame seeds rated as some of the best ahi I’ve eaten.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island:  Seared ahi with seaweed salad
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Seared ahi with seaweed salad

The crab salad over bib lettuce with shredded daikon amd fried Maui onions was also delicious, albeit a little more rich.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Crab salad
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Crab salad

Main Fish Course

Not surprisingly, given the abundance of fish around the Hawaiian Islands, the chef’s main fish course rates at one of his best. Still, on our first visit, he prepared a non-Hawaiian but still outstanding crispy skin salmon.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Salmon with tomatoes
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Salmon with tomatoes

Our return visit featured opakapaka (pink snapper) with crispy lotus root, smoked red bell pepper, and yuzu sauce.

CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Pink snapper with crispy lotus root
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Pink snapper with crispy lotus root

Beef Course

I found the meat course — in this case, both beef cuts — more ordinary than the other courses. And despite looking different, they tasted remarkably close to each other. Both used chimichurri as a topping, and while chimichurri tastes extraordinary on beef, I had hoped for more variation.

Dessert

CanoeHouse on the Big Island:  Panna cotta with berries and granita
CanoeHouse on the Big Island: Panna cotta with berries and granita

Both times, dessert was a panna cotta topped with a berry granita, fresh strawberries, and toasted coconut. Our first visit included mango.

The dessert was light and satisfying, especially after a long meal, but I would have preferred more creativity from the chef. The first time, the dessert was refreshing and interesting, but the repetition of it months later disappointed me.

The Verdict

I consider CanoeHouse at Mauna Lani to be the best high-end restaurant on the Big Island. After visiting Hawaii for years and staying just minutes from the Auberge Resorts, I have no idea how we missed this restaurant until recently. The view at sunset and just after cannot be beat. You might want to time your reservation accordingly. But even after dark, everything looks beautiful due to the lighting.

Although you can’t go wrong with the à la carte menu, I highly recommend the chef’s menu, especially if you are an adventurous eater. The cuisine here is spectacular, and if you consider yourself a gourmet diner, then it will be well worth carving out an evening for CanoeHouse.

By Debbie Lee Wesselmann

I am a world traveler, foodie, and the author of three works of fiction: Captivity, Trutor & the Balloonist, and The Earth and the Sky.