Hakone … No, Zen Zen … No! Raku!
We’ve headed over to the once-again-revamped-re-menu’ed Japanese restaurant at Makena Beach and Golf Resorts (once the Maui Prince) for the last few weeks. Not just because we have to … but because we’re enjoying ourselves.
Thank goodness!
This restaurant was once called Hakone, but that changed when the resort’s owners gave up the ghost. The next iteration of this lovely restaurant was disappointing: bland or worse “Pacific Rim” food was bad enough, but why, oh, why, did they replace the lightbulbs with red and green party bulbs? Eating mediocre food is not fun; eating mediocre food while looking at your tablemate’s bright green face is positively hellish.
The name of the restaurant was Zen Zen. While I’m sure that the management thought it sounded very chic and modern and calming and Japanese and all … the word “zenzen” in Japanese is a modifier that means something like “totally” or more common “not at all.” In other words, an establishment called Zen Zen Restaurant could mean “no good restaurant.”
Well, Hakone, renamed Zen Zen, has been renamed again: Raku. Raku, by the way, means pleasure, or happy, in Japanese.
We have been happy after dining at Raku, as has our assortment of guests. We’ve been working our way through the Japanese buffet on Saturday nights: gorgeous sashimi, lovely sushi rolls, and excellent miso soup, ten different salads, three soups, steamed crab legs, tempura, beef, chicken … a generous feast. And the dessert table? Excellent! Lovely!
Highly recommended for a try as the resort gets back on its feet. Call 808-874-1111 for reservations.
July 30, 2011 @ 5:29 pm
Hi rcp – Yes, we still like their Sunday brunch overall. Unfortunately, Raku is closed again as of end of July, 2011. Sigh. I was so excited when I wrote this post. There will still be a Japanese buffet one night per week, however, so call the resort and ask them about it when you go.
May 7, 2011 @ 4:49 pm
Aloha and hi y’all from visitors to Maui from SC,
We’re regulars by the way, not just one-timers to the islands. Just read about the Prince’s change-over…..what happened? And is there famous Sunday brunch still any good for the 90 dollar pop? We went twice, one in ’05 and it was outstanding…..then again in ’07 and felt it was not a big deal. Just wanted to ask you for your official Maui opinion. e-mail me if you prefer. Thanks, rp
May 19, 2011 @ 2:27 pm
Aloha to you! Every resort on Maui struggled during the recession, and most had a change of ownership of some kind. Yes, I still recommend the brunch at Makena Golf Resorts …