Spirit of Aloha | Articles | Adventures in Dining | May/April 2003

Adventures in Dining
BY LOLLIE GROTH

Twice As Good

Having the good fortune to dine at David Paul's Lahaina Grill on Maui twice in two weeks whets your appetite for even more of the delectable cuisine

David Paul's Lahaina Grill has ruined me. I can no longer drink fund-raiser wines. The Australian Yellowtail (the wine, not the fish) is sitting in the refrigerator door, and all I can think about is Richard, the wine steward at David Paul's, with his Guy Buffet tie, holding a bottle of Testarossa Chardonnay as if it were a newborn.

I'm walking down Lahainaluna Road to David Paul's the second time in two weeks. After my first dinner with Jurg Munch, the proprietor, I read my notes and realized they were illegible-a journalist's worst nightmare. However, in this case it proved to be most fortuitous; I called Jurg with some questions and he suggested I come out again.

Tonight when I arrive, there is a rainbow over the Lahaina Sugar Mill. Outside the restaurant, rosemary shrubs in terracotta pots line the windows. Debbie, the general manager, leads me to a corner seat at the marble bar, where I can watch who comes and goes. Attire is Maui casual chic; men wear silk aloha shirts; women, halter dresses that show off their tans.

Jurg meets me at the bar; I'm convinced that much of David Paul's continued success is due to Jurg Munch's attentiveness and European charm, as well as his epicurean acumen. When Jurg and his wife, Linda, bought the restaurant three-and-a-half years ago, they decided to keep the name, and licensed it from David Paul Johnson, who had first opened the restaurant in 1990. Jurg, who was the executive chef at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong, continues to collaborate with David Paul and carries on the tradition of innovative and award-winning cuisine.

The wine list is sophisticated eclectic, boasting boutique vineyards such as Turley from Lodi, Calif., as well as Flowers from Sonoma County. Whites include such wonders as Caymus "Conundrum" and Chehalem Pinot Grigio. "Richard brings things in that aren't well-known and are hard to get," says Jurg. Knowing I'm a chardonnay fan, Richard orders us the Testarossa "Sleepy Hollow," Monterey, 1999. The wine has all the things about a chard that I like-it's full bodied, buttery, not too oaky, with a fruit finish, and the color is a deep gold, like the sun-drenched slopes
of Haleakala.

To accompany the wine, Jurg orders a compendium of delectable appetizers. First, we have the signature Toy Box Tomato Salad-a pyramid of red and yellow cherry tomatoes marinated in virgin olive oil and drizzled with a basil-honey vinaigrette, elegantly served in a martini glass. The next two appetizers are innovations of Chef Arnulfo Gonzalez-known as Arnie-and bear homage to his homeland, Tepatitlan, outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. Arnie's fabulous Crisp-Fried Blue Corn-Crusted Chile Relleno is filled with Big Island prawns and Monterey jack cheese, and is served with fresh Kula corn, avocado and salsa. Likewise, his Kalua Duck Quesadilla is to die for. Jurg tells me that the duck is "simmered for two-and-a-half hours until it falls off the bone." It tastes so good that I nearly fall off my chair.

After the superb round of starters, I'm ready for the entree. Among my choices are the Kona Coffee Roasted Rack of Lamb, in which the lamb is marinated with freshly crushed Kona coffee beans, and the Maui Onion-Crusted Seared
'Ahi, which is cooked rare, with a bit of sesame seeds, and served with vanilla bean rice. I decide on the Parker Ranch filet, with prawn wrapped in a bearnaise (Steak Christian) and a side of roasted baby beets. To consort with my red meat and beets, Jurg recommends a pristine Pinot Noir
from King Estate.

Although I am trying to pace myself, dessert beckons. You absolutely must order dessert. From my two visits, I managed to try at least six, but my favorite is the Sunken Chocolate Cake, flourless, served warm with Kona coffee ice cream.
The second night I dined at David Paul's, I had the good fortune to meet Jurg's father, Walter, who was visiting from Switzerland. "In Switzerland," he told me, "we have a saying, that eating and drinking are the four nicest things in life." "Four?" I asked. "Yes," he said. "The best things we always do twice." Thus, my advice to visiting Maui diners: Go to David Paul's twice. At least.

David Paul's Lahaina Grill, 127 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina, Maui. Dinner nightly from 6 p.m. Street parking, major credit cards, reservations recommended. 667-5117.

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