Pulehu, An Italian Grill
6 Kai Ala Dr, Lahaina, HI, 96761
Pulehu, An Italian Grill Menu
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Address :
6 Kai Ala Dr
Lahaina, HI, 96761 - Phone (808) 667-3259
- Website https://www.pulehurestaurantmaui.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :5:30 pm - 9:3
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Valet
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Noah G.
Intertwined within the wondrous Ka'anapali Ocean Villas Resort, Pulehu has some of the finest Italian food on the island, as it looks over a giant koi pond and is decorated with tons of modern and chic artwork and architecture. However, there are definitely some other factors as to why I only gave it 3 stars. Out of the several times I have been there, only the most recent visit had an impressive waiter. Other times, waiters have been bland, uneducated about the menu, and one time uttermost rude! The food most definitely makes up for most of this. The first thing they serve is bread sticks with macadamia nut pesto and whipped butter, and the pesto was truly divine. The next thing we order usually is the caesar salad, which is served with one giant piece of romaine, which you must cut yourself. Although it does add character, it just isn't practical. The last few times I went (except the most recent) I ordered the Alfredo fettuccine and it was great. The last time, I ordered chicken in a lemon-caper sauce. It was a combination of dark and white meat, but it tasted fantastic. For dessert, we ordered a chocolate raspberry mousse and it was to die for! Although 3 stars doesn't make it look terrific, it is a must visit for anyone vacationing on Maui!
(4)Adam D.
This restaurant is located inside the Westin Ka'anapali Vila Resort on the lower level with its dinning area open to the Koi ponds. The lavish decor is an extension of the glamorous Westin lobby above it with extensive use of modern wood work that's classy and chic. The ambience is romantic, but does not offer ocean views. Instead, our table located at the edge of the Koi pond was perfect with a distant warm sea breeze present. The light reflections on the pond do offer tranquility while dinning. The tables have Roman influenced prints to bring in the Italian ambiance. The hostess was very professional and cordial while showing us to our table as requested. Our waitress came shortly and introduced us to the restaurant and offed suggestions from the drink menu. She was too friendly, lacking professionalism, after all we were not eating at the beach grill. Not to sound pompous, but she was quite aggressive with her photo lessons while we were photographing our drinks and food for Yelp. When the entrées were delivered, she requested my phone to photograph my entree. Other than that she was attentive and upon request shared her opinions on some of the local restaurants we were hoping to dine at. The water came briskly, a choice of tap or bottled was offered. Then came the crunchy bread sticks with delicious salted garlic butter and basil based dip; the presentation was very cool and the crunchy light batter with the dip was a great substitute for heavy oily Italian bread. Although, they do offer garlic cheese bread that we skipped. For my cocktail, I went with the Cucumber Collins, very refreshing especially after sun soaked day. The menu includes most Italian classics including flat breads. We started with the Arugula and Roasted Beat Salad that was refreshing and crispy, made with baby arugula, upcountry beets, crispy Surfing Dairy Goat cheese, garnished with fresh Maui Onions and vinaigrette. I skipped my usual ravioli and ordered the Lasagna purely based on some photos I saw on Yelp. I just loved the preparation in an iron skillet and couldn't resist. After my first bite, I confirmed my suspicions that this was a dish to have, true Italian sensation. The flavor was very vibrant and complex, with the pasta firm, the sauce tangy and the cheese stringy. Unfortunately, my wife's Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo wasn't a sensation although still tasty, but the sauce was lacking the required creaminess. Overall, I enjoyed my dinner here, but not sure if I would make it a habit unless staying at the Westin purely for its convenience. Although this place did rank high on one of the magazine's Italian restaurant recommendations.
(4)Latrika L.
We had good service and good food. The breadsticks and butter before dinner are good, nothing great. The service was good nothing great. My wife had the chicken Alfredo which was actually really good. I had the risotto fish which was okay...good, but not as good as the Alfredo. We were both up with horrible stomach aches after eating here....something was wrong with the food or at least how it was cooked!
(3)Janet O.
Great location. It is after all inside the Westin. We made a reservation and requested a table by the Koi Pond. We love them Koi's they're very fat and healthy and super colorful. The age dining in this location is very varied. This is a family friendly location. Most customers that dine in are owners like us or families of owners. So you will see a wide range of age bracket. Our server was knowledgable but too impersonal. She made an effort to teach both of us how to take pictures of our food and drinks. We excused her meddling once and welcomed her "tutorial". Rejected her the second time. Sigh...why the need to "teach"? My choice for this dinner was the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. I am very picky with my favorite dish. So this is a 3 star for me. The sauce was watery. The entire dish needs more seasoning. The freshly grated Parmesan wasn't able to help remedy the bland situation. I am disappointed. Salt was all it needed. The drink of the night for me was the Tropical Bellini. This is good. Not much to ruin here. I'd say this is a 3.5 stars place.
(4)Eric F.
Great Restaurant experience for the family. We reserved it for a group of 20 and they gave us the center area that faces the ocean. Absolutely beautiful. The food was plentiful and fresh and we couldn't have asked for anything more. The wait staff was very attentive too and even shook my hand when we left. Probably because we just paid a hefty tab for the group but it seemed very sincere and was a great example of the overall service of the Westin Ka'anapali Villa Resorts. This is probably my favorite place to stay now for Maui.
(4)Angie S.
I loved this place! While we were staying at the Westin, we are here often. The service was great, and the waitresses we had all had really positive attitudes and personalities which I really enjoyed. Will definitely be back!
(5)Lindsey C.
I arrived in Maui with my sister and our friend on a Saturday evening. We had been traveling all day, in and out of airports, so by the time that we had arrived to The Westin we were tired and hungry. Not wanting to drive into Lahaina for dinner, we opted to just take the elevator down a few floors to Pulehu. When we got to the restaurant we were coldly greeted at the hostess stand by a woman who seemed less than please that we didn't make a reservation. (The restaurant had plenty of tables open - plenty... and waiters everywhere) Finally, after she had finagled through her reservation book and scanned the restaurant, she had another hostess take us to our table. Our table was more towards the back of the restaurant: The view at the tables in front is much better, but we didn't care because we wanted to eat. When we sat down our waiter arrived and introduced himself: He seemed nice enough so we were happy. Onllllyyyyyy 1 problem; after he dropped off our drinks he did not come back to check on us for 20 minutes. Finally he arrived and took our dinner order - I ordered the fettuccine alfredo. After ordering we waited, and waited, and waited. Maybe time passes slower when you are tired but man, this was shaping up to be a two hour dinner when all I wanted was a damn Sprite and a plate of pasta! Let me live! Ok, that was dramatic, but that is what was going through my mind. So, finally, the food arrives - thank God. The fettuccine was actually really good, however, the serving size is small and the price is large. ($28 for just the pasta). I guess that's what you get when you dine out in Maui.
(2)Cass K.
The staff here are very nice, and the service was kind and attentive. If you sit down and order before 6 pm, you can choose the 3-course special (salad/appetizer; main course; dessert) for $39 (this was true as of April, 2015). Portions in the 3-course special are identical to ordering a la carte. The best thing about food at the Pulehu was the macademia nut pesto served before the meal and the quality and the freshness of the arugula. Otherwise, food was uninspiring. Upon arrival we were served commercially packaged breadsticks accompanied by house made macadamia nut pesto and whipped butter sprinkled with salt. The pesto has inspired me to substitute macadamia nuts for pine nuts when I start making pesto later this summer. The arugula and beet salad had great arugula which was lightly dressed and salted. However the beets were a teensy, tiny bit off somehow, and the goat cheese was ruined by a fried crust. The arugula and beet salad would have been better had the goat cheese been left on its own and not fried. Tomato sauce on lasagna and flat bread was oily and lacking any herbs. The lasagna was lacking anything to make me go "yumm," and the flat bread I ordered, despite menu description, only had the barest of hints of gorgonzola cheese. Out of the 3+ pieces of flatbread that I ate (nearly half of the flatbread), I encountered only 1 piece with any gorgonzola. On a flatbread, I expect all of the ingredients to be distributed evenly, and if an ingredient is listed, it should be on every piece. Overall impact of the flatbread was resoundingly flat. For dessert we had the Pineapple Tiramisu. This was a nice cake, but it seemed over chilled inside as if it had been frozen and hadn't fully thawed.
(3)John M.
We went into our final night ready to be underwhelmed and fine with it because we'd had such a great dinner the night before at Cuatro, but Pulehu really pulled it out and delivered an excellent meal. I had the monchong with lemon and capers and grilled vegetables, and it was delicious. The short rib over polenta was also tasty, while the drinks were predictably overpriced but passable. I'm tempted to downgrade just on principle that it really shouldn't be a $100 meal, but it's a resort, they delivered way beyond expectations, and I have to hand it to them for that. The setting over the koi pond is intimate and relaxing.
(4)Richard B.
We ordered two desserts to go hoping to enjoy in room, very disappointed. Tiramisu was three dry lady fingers on top of three dry brownie pieces and other was average ice cream with two sour dough balls sitting on top of sugar. Yuk
(1)Eric S.
Don't bother. It's not worth the time or the cost. You'll have a better experience at either of the pool bars. We made a reservation for our honeymoon hoping for something special and instead were treated like dirt. After we were seated in the worst table in the place we asked to be reseated. We then watched people come in straight off the pool getting seated in front of us. No problem I guess. After 30 minutes waiting for a drink and watching many, many people, most likely without reservations because they were dressed like they just got out of the pool, getting seated right up front, we decided it was time to move on. Not a nice way to spend our last day on Maui. We should have gone somewhere else.
(1)Michael S.
LOVED IT! Great service, professional and friendly staff. We ordered some Fettuccine Alfredos for a take out order as we were starving from the water works! It was full of flavor and fresh. Loved the cheese and the pasta sauce. Close to our stay and a very good experience.
(5)Osh O.
We came here after a long day to have dinner, Coustomer service and food quality was beyond perfect.
(5)B J M.
This place is a great respite from your average hotel restaurant. Indoor/outdoor seating with a koi pond view, great contemporary Italian menu with local twist, full wine and bar menu with nice selection of craft beers and to round it out, fantastic service. Complimentary self-parking and convenient valet makes it a great place for locals too. Check out wine social on Sundays and Mondays as great way to start the night early and roll in to dinner.
(5)Megan M.
My husband made reservations for 6:30 on a Thursday evening. When we arrived, we were sat behind a pole, worst table in the whole restaurant. When my husband told the server we were on our honeymoon (married yesterday) and a decent table would be amazing, he said he would move us. We watched the table in front of us cleared and given away. We got up before our drinks arrived (we had already been sitting there 40 minutes). Very disappointing experience.
(1)Wei T.
It's inside Westin villas. I like it, the food was good, especially the crab dip appetizer and the lobster spaghetti, but a little bit too salty. I would strongly recommend to give it a try if you stay at Westin for more than two days.
(4)Veny P.
Food was great - out of our group of 6, five of us had one of the best dishes on the island. Sixth one though it was terrible. However, our problem was with he server, Barbara. From the moment we walked in, she made us feel like she was superior and we were bothering her. When we asked about her wines, and specifically red Zinfandel selections, she said they don't carry it - then we ask d for wine menu and saw they had 7 different ones. Ok, a mistake,not a huge deal. BUT, then we got our wine, one of the members of our group questioned the amount of wine ordered versus received. - Barbara took it personally - brought back little extra wine and said "here you go honey bun" - to a mature person - very disrespectful!!!! Her attitude and demeanor was terrible. From then on, service was horrible. Of course then we were shocked when the tip,is added to the ridiculously overpriced meal. Stay away from this place!!!
(3)Keith R.
The service was fantastic. Cynthia was friendly, fun and good at her job. The food was awesome and well portioned. My wife had the pollo piccata and the fried capers were a fantastic touch. My family was all sharing from each other's plates. The desserts were also delicious. Not much of an ocean view but the koi pond provided pleasant ambience.
(5)Rosanne B.
Awful! Compared to all the restaurants to eat in Maui this is the worst. Do not waste your money or your time. I would not recommend this place. The award winning gnocchi was dry, tasteless, and went back. The fish with risotto was lacking the risotto on my husband's serving! I can't believe as nice as the Westin Villas are they cannot do better with their restaurants.
(1)Karen K.
Our family had a lovely dinner to night. All of our dishes were very good. We had the crab dip appetizer which was so tasty. The dessert wonderful. The best part of our dinner was our waiter Jimmy S. He was very caring and attentive, he made our night. Thank you Jimmy.
(4)John T.
Really good!! Unique flavor, fun and great tasting food. Chef Jessie makes some amazing dishes that blew us away! I was pleasantly surprised by all the great tasting food! Good service, nice location. I highly recommend this spot. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Steve T.
I love Italian food but I love good value too. This place is gorgeous and the service is great. My problem is the food is not as tasty as I expect a high end Italian restaurant should be. My shrimp Putanesca was just okay. My wife's scallops were cooked perfectly but the risotto was disappointing. They have an excellent wine selection and the person picking the wines knows his trade.
(3)Kelly A.
We stayed at the westin villas on a special deal. We sat through the 2 hour vacation club presentation and were given a choice of a gift so we selected a four course meal here. Our concierge made reservations and we showed up on time... There was never a reservation made for us but they were awesome about it and sat us by the koi pond. We had our toddler and all of the staff were very attentive and nice to her. Our server was Cynthia and I told her I had read about her on yelp and she was flattered! She was an amazing server! Funny, attentive, thoughtful. She brought milk for our toddler and made sure we always had breadsticks. I was worried that since we were in there on a free dinner they might not be as helpful but she treated our family like we were the only people there and as I saw her with her other tables and she treated them all the same! Back to the food. The food was good. Better than most food in hotels but it was nothing to write home about. We had the bruschetta duo and it was quite tasty. We both had the tomato soup which was creamy and a tad tart which I found refreshing. For dinner my husband had a fish dish and I had the short ribs on Cynthia's suggestion. The fish was flavorful but dry and my short ribs were tender and wonderful. I could easily use my fork to pull apart the meat which was sitting in a pool of creamy polenta. Out toddler was getting restless so we asked to have the dessert boxed which Cynthia did quickly. I gave a rating of four stars...originally it was going to be 3 but Cynthia was so wonderful I added a star for her service. If you are looking for average/good food in a nice resort setting this is the place for you. Just hope you get Cynthia as it will sweeten the experience!
(4)Dan O.
The Menu boasts more than what the kitchen can actually execute. FULL REVIEW... We asked Hostess if she could sit us by Koi Pond- we saw a table was open but we were told it was being held for a reservation - but two tables were on dessert course & if we wanted to wait- she can sit us...no biggie we realize we are late asking. So we just said sit us anywhere- That free table by koi pond sat empty as we got our courses- meanwhile the tables on dessert course finished and turned over- so we kinda got shafted- didn't see why Hostess couldn't have given us free table and sat Reservation w/ request at the two tables about to turn-(which was a 4 top with 2 kids- they sat around our 2nd course) but again- we were late asking- so not really a deal breaker- just wish it played out better- My issue really was with the food itself- our server was great - Amilya was her name I believe, kudos for her professionalism and thoughtfulness. The Food: 1st Course- Crab Dip Garlic Bread - both swimming in oil, so greasy it kinda weighted the rest of our meal - the crab came with some pita/flatbread? Which were awfully chewy and was topped with sundried tomatoes purée? which when eaten with crab- overpowered the dip- - the garlic bread: it was soaking in butter: you could literally squeeze out excess butter: overkill. 2nd Course Beet salad Purple Pot. Gnocchi - beets were small dice yellow/red which made for a difficult process of eating with overdressed arugula and 3 large marble sized Panko? Breaded goat cheese- my wife literally had to pick for beets & eat the rest of the salad separate - Gnochi was suppose to be the highlight: ( it was a winner of some Maui food competition) - instead we got slimy gnocchi with a weird mouthfeel- mixed in with over cooked pancetta and maybe semi toasted pine nuts ( or maybe not toasted at all) - and Maui onions- great idea: badly executed - 3rd Course Veal Chop split - thank goodness we split chop it was again poorly executed - polenta was gummy and a skin had formed on it, the carrots were nice but it was tossed with some really bitter radicchio sautéed in something - the veal chop: was cooked well, albeit uneven- one side was marked on grill the other clearly went in oven after flipping- (cross hatch on presentation side- but full caramelization on the other) - sauce was goop not nappe at all nor was it "clean" - you could see graininess in the sauce. By this point- I had a slight stomach ache- and we nixed the idea of dessert- which again sounded well... But we didn't want to risk another disappointment. I'm not a fan of poor reviews- I'm in the industry and it sucks to get one- but the disappointment was palpable from start to finish- I get that a captured audience in a Villa setting- you get people who don't know any better gushing at the food- but if I'm wrong and this was an off night-so be it, but it was a poor show from start to finish. I give it a two- just on the performance of the server & food being edible. But will probably not return again- the experience was so poor - we promptly canceled our reservation for Next evening to Ocean Bar & Grill the other restaurant in the Westin.
(2)julie k.
Really enjoyed the service and the food. We would be happy to eat here again. The Alfredo was fantastic and they have the best garlic bread.
(4)Shirley N.
We made a reservation at the last minute via the link on Yelp after reading some of the reviews. It was our last night on Maui and we were staying on the premises. Why not? We checked in and we were walked over to a nice table facing the koi pond. Nice so far. After several weeks in the Hawaiian Islands, we were looking for a change in taste buds. Hubby got a glass of house red $15.00.0, and I got a lava flow $9.75. We had this with some very thin bread sticks. Fresh. Nice. Snappy. Starter = the deep fried calamari. This was different. Calamari steak strips coated in panko. Served with two dipping sauces. We enjoyed this. Soup & salad = hubby got the tomato soup. Somewhat tart but creamy. I got the roasted beet salad with arugula salad. Huge plate of arugula with small diced beets and three balls of fried goat cheese. As we sat facing the koi pond, we got relatively warm and our appetites started to shrink. I barely ate my salad. Boxed most of it. When our pastas came it was too late. Boxed most of it. Hubby got the spaghetti and meatballs. I got the chicken piccata with fettucine after the server steered me away from a couple of other dishes as I wanted to stick with pasta. I didn't really like mine. The boneless with skin chicken breat and thigh meat was seasoned but the breast was over cooked. And a side bed of fettucine with cherry tomatoes on the side. Looked greasy and oily. The host came over and asked how was everything? I said fine. If you say anything negative they'll normally ask do you want something else. And we were so warm we couldn't wait to leave. We boxed our pasta leftovers and figured we would have it on the airplane going home. Our server was friendly and we had a great table. Other than the calamari the rest was so so.
(3)Mike K.
This was our best meal in Maui, although the others we went to were more $$ restaurants. The service was very good -- just attentive enough, without being overwhelming. My wife and I had the calamari on pasta, and it was really excellent. The pasta (tagliatelle, if I can spell it correctly) was clearly home made and was cooked perfectly, slightly al dente. The calamari itself was fine, nothing magical, and the sauce was very good. The portion size was good -- I wasn't starving, but I didn't finish everything, either. We also had a bruschetta appetizer, and I ate some of the mushroom one, which was superb. 5 stars is probably a bit too high -- I've certainly had better meals. But 4 seems a little chintzy. It really should be 4.5 stars.
(5)Kristi N.
Who goes for Italian on Maui? What a nice surprise this was. Excellent food and service. We were 12 people and nothing went wrong. The have a prix-fixe "sunset menu" 3 courses for 40 bones that is well worth organizing your dinner time around it. I had the Duetto of bruschetta, the amount of food I usually eat for lunch, and the diver scallops and Tiramisu. I can't say enough good things about it. Hubby had seafood risotto, he was happy. Everyone loved what they got and we had some particularly picky eaters. We got lucky and had a private dining room which was so great because we could all hear each other and didn't disturb the other diners.
(5)Susan P.
I was craving Italian comfort food one night when we were in Maui on vacation so this restaurant pulls up and we decide to give it a try. We didn't make a reservation and had about a 15 minute wait for seating which I have no problem with at all. Our server came up, asked if we wanted to order alcohol which we declined then asked us if we were ready to order even before we had a chance to look at the menu. She came back a few minutes later and we ordered the calamari appetizer. A few minutes later she comes back takes our entree order. I ordered the beef shortrib with creamy polenta and roasted root veg. My man ordered the lobster carbonara. I really didn't care for the calamari. It was huge chunks deep fried and greasy with no seasoning. By the time the appetizer was finished my partner's glass had been empty for about 10 minutes. If fact it wasn't until we received our entrees that I had to ask a food runner to refill his water glass, making mention of the fact it had been empty for some time, hoping that he might pass along our annoyance with the service to our waitress so she would be more attentive. She did come back once and I asked for an iced tea which she brought over a while later but again my partner had to go up to a server's stand to grab sweetener. The last straw was again when my partner's glass had been empty for another 10 minutes and our server passes right by our table without a second glance with two decanters of water in her hands. She sat them at the server's station then went off in an entirely different area. At this point I went to the hostess stand and asked to speak to the manager. I relayed how poor the service had been the entire evening. My partner and I eat out more than 4 times a week and often in fine dining restaurants and honestly we've received better service at burger joints or chain diners. He also asked about the food which I had to tell him the short rib was without any seasoning whatsoever, The boyfriend had beef shortrib the night before at Lahaina Grill and it was out of this park, this shortrib, though tender, had absolutely no flavor or spice at all, The boyfriend's carbona was a soupy alfredo, We eat out a lot (maybe 4 times a week) and often in dine dining restaurants so we are no stranger to food and we ALWAYS tip 20 percent for average=good service 20+ for stellar attention/attitude. There are much tastier spots in Lahaina. Don't waste your tine with this place unless you like bland food and bad service.
(1)Wei H.
Located in Westin Resort, there are two buildings in the resort, no significant sign in the resort leads to restaurant. We had carb dip as appetizer, it's pretty tasty and good for share, the strawberry lemonade is a good choice for non-alcohol drink. My friend and I both had lobster spaghetti for entrée, we thought it's too salty, but lobster is fresh and tasty. Overall, this restaurant is a good choice Maui.
(4)Emily W.
Echoing the sentiment of a previous poster, my family are owners at the Westin and have also come to expect better service and quality from the resort. My parents had raved about their previous experience here, but this visit the only person who enjoyed their meal had the Piccata, though I personally thought that was on the dry side. My daughter had spaghetti and meatballs and while I am aware that it came from a kids menu, I had to wonder if they actually served that same version for the adult meal. The food was ok, but at that price point I would expect better.
(2)Punesguy J.
Really disappointing from a quality and value perspective. We are property owners at the Westin and we've grown accustomed to fantastic dining experiences at their properties. This restaurant falls short. We ordered a caprese that had overly soft burrata and two tomatoes that weren't properly cored. My wife ordered a prawn risotto that was decent but the prawns were a bit over cooked. I ordered the scallops in a tomato broth that was poorly executed. The broth lacked flavor and the scallops were over cooked on one side making them chewy and then under cooked on the other. The ambiance is nice but the food should be much better for the price. You'll also want to make sure they're open on the night you want to go because they're not open almost half of the week. The lasagna did look fantastic though!
(2)Mike W.
Save your money and eat somewhere else. My girlfriend and I took the Westin villa time share tour and we opted for the free four course meal on Easter Sunday 4/20/2014 at 6:00PM, but it still wasn't worth it. Beautiful restaurant, good service and very elegant dining. Located in the north tower of the Westin villas. The plates look great. Sat next to the beautiful koi pond, not much of a view of the ocean but great view of the villas and partial pool view. I am sure being a head chef must be stressful and intense, I feel this head chef was sleeping during our meal. I felt the food wasn't fresh as it should have been. The food had a pre frozen/canned flavor and wasn't very exciting. FOOD: Table settings- We were offered bottled water and under closer investigation it seemed that the water bottle they had given us was a used bottle that they just refill with water, the water bottle was old and had a bunch of scuff marks on the cap. Bread sticks- hmm... Just not my cup of tea, I would rather have regular bread than these long crackers sticks. The sticks came with sides of butter and a pesto butter. The pesto was good but both of the sides were frozen and we had to wait until it thawed out. Bruschetta appetizer had two pieces of bread, one was topped with a mix of mushrooms with olive oil and seasonings, this was ok. The other was topped with tomatoes, olive oil and other seasonings, the acidity on this one was very high and tasted like it came from a can. We'll both seemed like they came from a can. SECOND COURSE- Caesar salad, finally a regular dish, this dressing tasted really good but unfortunately it was accompanied with wilted and brused lettuce and gave me second thoughts if I should have ate it. MAIN COURSE- I ordered the braised short ribs and my girlfriend ordered the scallops. The ribs were ok, a slow marinated short ribs over polenta, but very tender but just a little bland and didn't have that wow factor, the polenta was good. The scallops were served in a bowl with a broth and what was described as sea asparagus (??) and after tasting the asparagus since it was the only other thing served with the scallop, we realized it should have been left in the ocean. The scallop should have shined and been enjoyed, instead it was bland, chewy, and extremely over cooked. What a shame... DESERT PINEAPPLE TIRAMISU-The pineapple tiramisu was sweet but I felt like they just opened up a can of dole pineapple concentrate juice and just poured it on the tiramisu. You can really taste the pineapple on this dish and nothing else. It definitely had a pineapple wow factor. Hahaha Take a look at my other reviews on the Westin Villas, Longhi's at Lahaina, and poke at foodland.
(1)Tom K.
We have been to Italian restaurants all over the world, in Italy, Germany, Los Angles, New York, Claremont, Denver, ... This place is totally awful. The food is not tasty and not Italian. The portions are miniscule, to say the least. I am surprised they still operate in Maui!
(1)Diane P.
Wow excellent food and even better service. I had the risotto prawns it was yummy very light and full of flavor. The meatballs and spaghetti had a great flavor. The lasagna was very good super flavor Marinara
(5)Ken H.
We had a very active day and decided it stay on property at the Westin Kaanapali Villas rather than go offsite. Unfortunately, we didn't have reservations anywhere so we walked over to Pulehu. While they were booked solid, they found a place of us. The diner was amazing. The service was outstanding thanks to Drew. The desert was a little slow coming out and Drew came by, apologized for the delay and offered a cup of coffee, even though we felt it wasn't necessary. The pace of the dinner was perfect, Drew was there when needed, and provided space when he wasn't. Overall, we couldn't be more pleased with our dinner noting we were truly interlopers and yet they made space for us. We will return. Thank you.
(5)Peter R.
Not bad - not great. Played the old "will you take this lousy table" game to start. (No we won't.) If you win the game the tables by the water are very nice. Appys were FANTASTIC - pork belly for one and best gnocchi ever for the other. Main course was meh. My tenderloin was pretty tough - overcooked to boot. My wife's fish was risotto encrusted and at best ok. Really neither of them were very interesting or matched the appy's promise. Wine list is excellent with decent prices. Service is also excellent.
(3)Jim R.
Food and service were both very good. Great location
(4)Patrina C.
I love you Pulehu We have been here twice! Both times for my birthday! We love staying here at the westin kanapali ocean resort and we also love coming here. The food is great an I love services here. My boyfriend made reservation and while we were waiting for our koi pond table, the hostess gave us splitters :) yum! She said "I heard its your birthday so happy birthday :) awww way to make a girl feel special!!! Lol We ordered Calamari appetizer and it was amazing!!!! The sauces were amazing! Oh we also got some garlic Parmesan pretzel sticks omg that was amazing too! Dip them in pesto with macadamia nuts.... YUM! For entrees: I got Kauai prawn risotto and it was just amazing... My boyfriend got pulehu grilled beef tenderloin. It was pretty good too. Although he ordered medium rare but after cutting into it...it was more on the rare side. We didn't complain though :( Our waitress brought us complimentary champagne since it was my birthday :) She also gave us desert "chocolate macadamia semi fredo" omg so yummy!!! Come here definitely worth it!
(4)Sammie B.
Went to Pulehu on our last night in Maui for dinner. We had a late dinner, around 8 PM and the place wasn't full, so we were able to get seated right in front of the koi pond. The restaurant was very nice, the view beautiful and it felt romantic amidst other parties of families with children :) Upon being seated, we were served parmesan bread sticks with butter and pesto spreads. For appetizers we ordered the duetto of bruschetta. For entrees, I ordered the fettuccini alfredo with grilled shrimp and the bf ordered the risotto crusted pesce. We didn't have enough room for dessert :( All of the dishes we had were amazing, we had no complaints whatsoever! Service was great, very attentive but not overbearing. We stayed at the Westin hotel which is only a couple of minutes away by car. I definitely recommend this restaurant if you're looking for a special dinner or if you just want to eat good food (keep in mind the prices are on the higher end). Aloha!
(5)T J.
Pretty disappointing experience here. My husband and I had great memories of a nice dinner here two years ago, so we had our hotel make us reservations for last night. 3 things wrong with the experience. 1) the lobster in the pasta was so chewy that it was like a rubber ball. Like, I wanted to pick the lobster out, chewy. 2) we were seated next to an overly intoxicated couple who was extremely obnoxious- throwing food from their table to the koi pond, taking on cell phones, loud ect. 3) the waiter wasn't that friendly/ great. For $130 tab (for 2 people) I expect more... Like at least leftovers I'd want to eat.
(2)maria k.
meh. mediocre at best. Wildly over-priced for what they offer. Service was fantastic, but the taste was lacking.
(2)M B.
Sat at the bar and ordered drinks and appetizers. We had (see pics): - fried calamari - crab dip Both were very good. Bartender Michael is a local and super friendly. Gave us a few recommendations on what to order at Star Noodles. Not a bad place to check out if you're in the area. This place definitely is more than a 3 star in my book.
(4)Tom S.
This is over priced Hotel food that's just ok fine if your stating there. Not a destination
(1)Allison K.
Located in the North Villas of the Westin Ka'anapali Resort. Beautiful restaurant with coy pond in front. Food: Expensive, but if you order the right things you won't feel sad about it. Vacation is all about eating anyways! Live a little :) Order the Duetto of Bruschetta (I don't like mushrooms, but this was amazing), Shrimp Risotto or Seppia Tagliatelle (fresh pasta with squid and sausage..this was my favorite) and tiramisu (one of the best I've tasted around the world)! I do not recommend the calamari. Service: a bit slow, but its Hawai'i and we were on vacation. So it was okay...we were in no hurry.
(4)Maui E.
Another Excellent Meal. Cynthia and Mike made our day.
(5)Michael O.
With a setting this beautiful I honestly had relatively low expectations of the food and always view service in resort areas as something of a wildcard. I felt both the service from Kelsea and the dinner over-delivered on my expectations. We arrived with a party of eighteen split evenly between adults and teens and everyone was satisfied with their meals and the service. The chicken piccata was perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. The pasta it was paired with could have been cooked a little longer but was also very good. I would recommend this restaurant for a special occasion with that special someone or the family. While probably not the best overall restaurant on the island it certainly is a great option.
(4)John G.
After many great meals this past week we were disappointed with the quality and value at Pulehu on the night before we left Hawaii. After a wonderful vacation. Nothing about this menu suggested "Italian". There was no fresh baked bread, only breadsticks. The bruschetta was good, the salad tiny and somewhat wilted but the main course was unacceptable. Both entrees were very small and lacked flavor. I had a fish dish which was dry and my wife ordered the steak fillets. She was given braised ribs which we sent back. When the beef arrived I was finished eating and her steak had no taste and we think perhaps microwaved. We split a tiramisu which had no rum flavor and was frozen solid at the center. I think the lady at the next table may have chipped her tooth trying to eat same. No complaints on the wine. We brought my own but thought the $30 corkage fee excessive. Server was nice and ambiance quite pleasant but the food will keep us from coming back.
(2)Mark C.
A day later, I received a call from the food and beverage manager, Si (sp?) who said our server mentioned we seemed displeased. He apologized, offered to refund our money on the meal and asked what was lacking in order to improve. We greatly appreciated this gesture and it increased the likelihood we would return in the future.
(2)Marianne C.
We were staying at a different property but had heard good things so we came to check it out. It definitely lived up to the hype! Everything we had was honestly amazing. Drew was our server and did an excellent job! He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable and I couldn't have asked for better service. The food was absolutely delicious - I had the Risotto Crusted Pesce and I highly recommend it. We had to resist and only get 2 desserts for the 4 of us to split - Sweet Bread Fried Gelato and Chocolate Macadamia Semi Fredo - Also amazing. If you are in the area, I recommend heading over to try it out. I believe you need reservations.
(5)Ray D.
Second visit here. The service is good, but the food and the presentations are just ok. The herb crusted baked ahi was very bland. For the same money you can find much better restaurants in the area.
(3)LL C.
restaurant located on first floor or north building in westin villa. ate here last night, and also once years ago. steep resort prices for average food. they preach sustainability and locally grown, so if thats your thing, then this restaurant may also be your thing. i understand that not everyone likes to, or knows how to, or is meant to, deal with customers and work in service industry. but if there was ever an award to someone who showed it best on their face, it would probably go to our server last night. the special shrimp calzone was presented in a way that was robotic, rehearsed, and in a monotonous manner. in fact, his entire demeanor evidenced that he really did not want to be there. maybe he had a long shift and he was looking forward to closing time? perhaps. but the entire time, it felt awkward, uncomfortable, and i felt unwelcome.
(2)Angela A.
When your tired from driving through Hana all day, you would rather stay in. So we chose to eat at our resort. Pulehu is a good restaurant but there is something missing and it's really hard for me to articulate it. It's pretty, decor is tasteful but the energy is all wrong. No one was rude, it's that thing you can't put your finger on. We were not comfortable here and yet the staff bent over backwards to make us happy. We ordered calamari and bruschetta for appetizers. The calamari was crunchy, but oily and not very flavorful. The dips for the calamari helped but not over the top. The bruschetta was wonderful, fresh, flavorful but really small portions,only 4 pieces. We ordered the fliet mignon medium rare, it came out well-done and had to be sent back, and yet they created a new dish for hubby that was done perfectly. I have to point out that they took care of us, always with a smile and sincere intent, but somewhere they just do not have it. We didn't eat here again during our stay
(3)Kathy L.
Deserves more than 3 stars! Maybe we just ordered the "right" things but then again I have previous diners to thank for this =D We stayed at the Westin Ocean Villas so it was a very easy stroll over to Pulehu The macadamia pesto dip that went with the bread is sooooo good. I think the chef should DEFINITELY consider making this a pasta sauce! Husband and I shared the Crab Dip which was tasty with fresh blue crab. For entrees I had the Spaghettini and Meatballs. YES, this is VERY basic and YES I normally have a far more sophisticated palate but after reading review after review on other sites of how good this was, I HAD to try it. Plus I REALLY wanted something with a red sauce. The meatballs were DELICIOUS and the sauce was extremely tasty. I could have eaten a bucket of this dish. R had the Shrimp Risotto which was also delicious. The Risotto had a very nice combination of textures. I couldn't stop eating his even though I'm never usually a risotto fan Pulehu is a solid choice in Lahaina. Make sure you find a discount coupon. The little market at the Westin Villas had a 15% off coupon at their checkout counter.
(4)Jim R.
The Monday night Italian buffet was definitely the worst meal we had during our week long stay in Maui. If this is the "best Italian" on the island, my advice would be to skip Italian food while on your vacation. At $30 per person it was very expensive given the very low quality food. My two teen sons ate 3 pieces of pizza and some garlic bread. Service was very, slow. Our waiter took almost 15 minutes to bring a glass of wine and the restaurant was only maybe 20% full. It was odd that our concierge sent us here. Perhaps their regular menu is better.
(1)Tenzo D.
Some hotels have fine dinng, some have places to eat because they have a captive audience. The three course meal is the definition of "Meh. Iv'e experianced better" The place was mostly empty on a Saturday night and that should have been a pretty obvious indication of the quality. If you are too tired to get back in the car it's not bad. The quality is what you would expect if you are ordering off a room service menu. If you have never had "Italian" you might like it. But if you can get in your car, head down to Lahaina for better tasting and priced food.
(2)Amy B.
The food was great, Cynthia our server was awesome and the wine was perfect! Of course it is expensive which is what you would expect - however did not expect food/service to be so good and definitely not a 3 star place!
(5)Travis M.
I thought this place was better than the 3 stars, but everyone has a right to their opinions. Was staying at the Sheraton and they had a coupon for 20% off over here in our welcome packet. GF wanted to eat some italian, so we came here. Ordered the ceasar salad and crap dip for appetizers and the short ribs for my entree. The bread sticks were good, the ceasar salad was good, the crap dip was good too, but that killed my appetite as my gf only ate 2 peices and left me to eat the rest. Then the main meal came and I was stuffed. The short ribs was VERY VERY tender. I actually got it because my waitress said that is the chef's specialty. And yes she was right, but I only could finish a third of it. Of course I took it back to the room and ate it the next morning, and it was even better. Again I don't think this should be 3 stars, but maybe it got better. Also note that there's at least 15% off deals out there, just valet your car and you will see.
(4)Mark V.
Man, I love Maui, but this was the worst meal I had during my entire vacation. Ridiculously overpriced average Italian food. I'm really surprised that there are so many reviews on Yelp raving about the food quality, it was comparible to the Olive Garden.
(1)John B.
We ate here on our last night on Maui. Had we eaten here earlier we would have come back we enjoyed the food and setting so much. We had a reservation and were seated courteously and relatively quickly. When we weren't seated at the edge of the Koi pond looking out at the beautiful gardens I asked to be moved. We were courteously moved to a choice seat within a few minutes with a great view. I'd suggest not ordering the garlic bread. There were six large pieces and they were so good we ate all of them before our salad came. I had four of them. It is highly unusual for us to eat that much bread...but they were so good. My wife had the ravioli which she is still raving about days later and my wife is gourmet cook. She loved it and her plate was spotless when she was finished. The portion was surprisingly small however. She did greatly enjoy the wine and wished she had paid attention to the name so she could buy some of it. I had the fish risotto. I am somewhat of a risotto connoisseur and this risotto was fabulous. The fish fillet on top of the risotto was surprisingly large and of excellent taste and preparation. My plate was cleaned as well. I really can't say enough good things about this plate, I totally enjoyed it. Due to how much we ate (remember the garlic bread) we didn't order dessert. The service was very friendly and engaging. So friendly and engaging that our waitress was slow because she was so friendly and engaging with her other tables. She definitely had the Maui attitude and pace. When she was paying attention to us, she was great. Unfortunately she was paying attention to those other tables as well (maybe not unfortunate for those other dinners however). The pricing was borderline shocking but this is the Westin and in Maui so I got over it. We aren't over the ravioli, risotto and darn garlic bread however. If you aren't staying at the Westin, when you drive in go to the north building and valet park. Speaking of valet parking, when we arrived, the valet handed me a discount coupon for the Westin restaurants and mentioned it might come in handy. Since we were arriving at dinner time and weren't staying at the resort, he rightly assumed we were there for dinner. The coupon saved us about fifteen dollars. The valet was rewarded for his thoughtfulness. If you like Italian food with a Maui flair and aren't on a tight budget, check this place out for yourself.
(4)Tony K.
Jessie the very helpful bellman at the westin reccomended this place. We called first and asked if there was outside seating and the hostess said yes.... It's semi-outside with NO ocean view. Our sever Kristin M. was wonderful and very friendly. (sorry to hear about guy last month cause she was great tonight) I ordered the lasagna and they were OUT. Bummer. The calamari was good but our entree was just ok... The chicken was dry and pasta was not warm. The Cesar salad was tasty. The tiramasu was excellent. If you are staying here give it a try but I wouldn't drive too out of your way.....
(3)David S.
The family and I enjoyed a nice dinner here during our trip to Maui. We really enjoyed the dinner and found the food to be surprisingly good. Caesar salad tasted like the lettuce had just been picked that afternoon. Tomato and mozzarella on the Margherita pizza very very good and the crust, the mark of a great Margherita, was crispy perfection. The pasta dishes we ordered all had a local (ie seafood) component and were very good. Lastly, the service from our waiter Drew was attentive without ever being oppressive. Pulehu is not a world class Italian restaurant. It's not even the best restaurant on Maui. It is though way above average for Maui and, it is far better then most of the places we've eaten at in 6 years of visits to the island. The prices are higher than most of the tourist places on Front St that specialize in bar food with a view. That said, the prices aren't out of line with general Hawaii prices and the food and service are considerably better.
(4)Thu M.
Not sure why this place has 3 stars.. maybe people just ordered the wrong thing...?! So we were staying at the Westin and decided to eat here since we were exhausted and didn't want to drive around looking for a place to eat. Came down and was asked if we had reservations.. nope.. oops, didn't know you needed them. They were SO nice about it, they went and set up a table for us right away and we got seated within 5 minutes. Our waitress was AWESOME! She actually moved us to the table next to the koi pond so we can have a better view! Expected food to be OK but it turned out great! We ordered the fish and veal parmesan and they were both delicious. The wine.. I think I found my favorite wine (suggested by our awesome waitress) - she even brought over the bottle so we can take a picture of it so I can find it. :D and dessert.. she offered to pack up our dessert so we can eat it in our room! Talk about great service!!! So she packed up our warm melting chocolate cake and creme brulee... both were soooo good. The creme brulee, I've got to say is my fav creme brulee (i'm a creme brulee freak and have tried it everywhere!) this one had a cookie under it.. sounds weird and I was skeptical but the combination of the soft creme brulee on the cookie.. wow :) :) :)
(5)Angus S.
tired of fish and wanted something simple for dinner. italian - how much can you mess that up? apparently, if you try to hard, you can...with that said, if you go in expecting a hotel restaurant and hotel service and hotel mediocrity, you will not be disappointed - expect when the bill comes. pro's- not much...koi pond was pretty, got a discount with my starwood card con's: slow service, waiters seemed more interested in talking with each other and the bar tender than serving people, food was mediocre (bruschetta was greasy, pasta was undercooked and oversauced, red sauce just ok) and the cost was pricy. would not bother with this place,,,
(2)Deborah V.
We had a large group for dinner here. The food was delicious, pricey, but expected for Hawaii. Appetizers: Calamari - very small portion. They trick you, cause it comes in a basket but half of it is filled with lettuce. We passed it around and everyone took about 2-3 pieces and by the time we got to the end of the table we were out. Crab dip - We got 2 of these and they went over very well. We downed them both! Side of garlic bread - Yummy Yummy Yummy! While everyone was doing the crab dip, I was loving on the garlic bread. It was fresh, soft, and perfectly crisp. Main course: I got the chicken picatta. All week I had kind of an obsession with lemon, capers, white wine - so this seemed fitting. Very delicious. The pasta came in a tomatoe sauce and I wish it was just completely covered in the picatte sauce. Oh well - still good. They had a special with gnocchi and seafood, that I wish I got! Don't get me wrong, mine was good, but the special looked so good. I was kicking myself for not following my Hawaiian rule: Always order the Fish of the Day. Doesn't matter what it is, it is always going to be good!! That coming from a picky eater too. The food in hawaii is so amazing - I was not let down all week. Enjoy!
(4)Jamia N.
Beautiful dining, excellent service, but the food was just not very good in my opinion. The crab dip tasted like canned tuna, and the margarita pizza was bland. I can't remember what hubby ordered, but also not impressed If it weren't for the wine and breadsticks, I would have had to give it one star. It was disappointing because we were told it was awarded the top taste award on the island. My taste buds were really excited, and then let down. I guess next time I follow that advice, I will find out what menu items were the winners, cause what we had was blah. Sorry!.
(2)Laura H.
We were hesitant to try an Italian restaurant while in Hawaii, but decided to give it a chance. The service was slow, but the food was great! Hawaiian-inspired Italian dishes. The lobster carbonara was the best thing we got- but we enjoyed the risotto crusted fish as well. We also tried the crab dip on the menu as mentioned in other reviews- TONS of crab and very tasty.The prices are high, but not more than most other nice restaurants in Maui. There were a decent amount of children in the restaurant (given its in the Westin Villas). Also the prices are high for just being located in a courtyard (no views) Overall, we gave Pulehu a 4-star review for the food- all else deserved a 3-star review.
(4)Peter D.
If you want to pay high prices to sit in a restaurant that lets small children run around the tables screaming while the parents watch and do nothing, then this is the restaurant for you. We requested a romantic table and they sat us with multiple families with small children on all sides of us. The management never asked the parents to stop their children fr4om bothering the other guests and never gave an apology to the disruption. This hapended to us last time we ate at this restaurant also. We will never go back to this place.
(1)Lee S.
Elyse seated us and was great and then Cynthia took over and was FANTASTIC. Food was great for me, tenderloin, and good for my wife, stuffed prawns, but service and ambiance made the meal. Tiramisu is different but tasty and warm chocolate cake was fantastic! Great way to end our stay at the resort.
(4)Kelly K.
Nice place in our hotel. Expensive wine list but you get what you pay for. Great service!
(4)Jojo N.
Great food and wine. Had the jidori chicken fettuccine which was very good. Service was spot on- the most attentive we've had (Maui kind of lacks in the service area at restaurants). Would def come back when visiting.
(5)Erica L.
The best dinner we've had in Maui do far. Due in huge part to Cynthia, our amazing server. She was not only attentive and knowledgable, but fun and witty without being overbearing. Her wine suggestions were 100% on point after hearing our general preferences and I could not have been happier with our selections. The food was also excellent and creme brulee was to die for. Must go for the Maui vacationer.
(5)Mr. Helper L.
The Griswolds go to Maui. In the Westin Villas, located near the Koi Pond which is nice, but then the wheels fall off. Strictly an "in hotel" experience. No one would actually drive here to dine. Weird wine list, wife's lasagna was like a meat casserole with a few noodle pieces floating around, I had the Opaca/spaghettini special and the fish was tough and overcooked. Kids screaming at other tables, our server was young lady with nice tattoos. This is not fine Italian dining. Pass.
(2)Collin W.
This place is a restaurant that tries to feel like a 5 star restaurant with the nice decor but the food wasn't very good. I had the lobster carbonara and the lobster was a little overcooked and the pasta was way too rich and buttery. The service seemed very fake. It felt as if all she wanted to do was get us out or upsell to make a bigger tip. She asked if we wanted refills on wine and alcohol when it was obvious that we had barely even drank any of it. She did that at least 3 times. Also she asked us how we were enjoying our food as we were getting it sat in front of us. No shit we don't know how it is since we hadn't even gotten the chance to try it yet. Overall I don't think it's worth the price and the service wasn't that great.
(3)Deborah G.
This is my first one-star yelp review. I tried to convince myself this restaurant was worth a shot based on a couple positive reviews the restaurant had received since it opened. Bad idea. The atmosphere and service was nice enough, but honestly the food was inedible. I love pizza. I mean, I really think it is HARD to mess up pizza so badly that its not worth eating. So to play it safe, I ordered a pizza. Bad idea #2. When it was set in front of me, I decided it looked like something from a bad bowling alley snack bar. But I didn't give up hope - maybe it just looked bad, but really actually tasted good. Nope - tasted like a bowling alley pizza. Yikes. My husband could barely choke down his chicken piccata also, drenched in butter but still somehow disgusting. Our waiter was a nice enough guy, and I hate sending food back at restaurants (it makes me uncomfortable), so I kept quiet. But I vowed then and there to make note of this awful pizza and let others know to avoid it (and the restaurant) at all costs!
(1)Laura C.
Beautiful setting, excellent food, incredible service. We really, really enjoyed dinner here and Kelsea was an excellent server. We'd recommend this place to anyone!
(5)Crystal D.
Did not actually eat here. Checked in at around 630 they had plenty of open tables but did not seem to have enough waiters. After we were seated someone brought us water and let us know who our waiter would be. However our waiter never came by to take our drink order much less say hello. So after waiting patiently for 15 mins my husband and I got up and left. Horrible service. Even the hostess was a bit rude bc we didn't have a reservation. No thank you!
(1)J. T.
Surprised as well with the negative reviews. For a restaurant in a resort, and Italian for that matter in Hawaii, it was surprisingly decent. We ate during the first 1/2 hour of opening and they had a special where you could choose your appetizer, main course and a dessert for $30. A good deal if you're looking for all three. Their clam linguine was awesome, squash ravioli was okay, and dessert was decent. It was our 10 anniversary the night we went and they presented us with a well thought of dessert medley of 3 or 4 different desserts on one plate. Location is convenient if you're staying at the Westin Villas and the tables adjacent to the koi ponds is a nice touch as well.
(4)John S.
I had read a lot of great reviews about Pulehu so had great expectations of the food. Sadly, we left disappointed. The food was average, maybe just a little better than what you would get at Olive Garden. I had the lasagna and my partner had risotto with prawns. The only saving grace about this restaurant was the ambience. No ocean view, we had a table overlooking the koi pond. I would have rated this restaurant 3 stars except the high prices don't justify the average food, so am rating it 2 stars. I don't mind paying for great food, but Pulehu was just average food. There are so many great restaurants on Maui, I would recommend skipping this one.
(2)Junyi L.
As part of the hotel package, we were offered a free 3 course dinner at Pulehu. We however misplaced our dinner coupon. Thinking about giving a try, we talked to the manager Jim but was mentally prepared to get declined. Surprisingly, Jim was super nice to still offer us the free meal and in addition, helped us arrange a pool front table. Yay!!! 5 stars for Jim and the service! Food there has a 4 star presentation, 3.5 star taste, 3 star price (good that ours was free). Average out, to about 4 stars.
(4)Andrea B.
Jonathan was so incredibly nice and very accommodating...... He went out of his way to make our experience the best and he so succeeded!!!!! We've been here 3 times and he's the best.....thank you Jonathan :-)
(5)Jen T.
I'm long gone from Maui, but I am still dreaming about this food! I had the lasagna - ohhh my. It was a tad burned on the top, but HUGE serving and so delicious. My family had the calamari and bruschetta, the quattro fromaggio pizza, and the chicken piccata, and they were all big hits. We topped it all off with tiramisu (delicious, and I'm a big tiramisu fan) and the chocolate cake. Dolci, indeedy. Oh, and the pinot is to die for.
(4)Jack M.
Never again. I own at the Westin Villas and have dined here several times since it opened. This visit was disappointing. Tomato soup was good, but 1/2 cup portion was absurdly small for $8 charged. Only one fish entree, also overpriced. Does anyone believe in simply grilled fish instead of tons of heavy, rich sauce?
(1)Maui H.
Atmosphere was very nice, but that's the most positive thing that I can say about Pulehu. The service was sub par. Our food took quite a while to arrive. Our waiter asked us about drinks when we sat down but never asked us again in the hour plus we were at our table. The food would've been fine if entrees weren't 30-40 bucks a shot. The food tasted so so, and seemed like they used very cheap ingredients. The waiter also messed up our bill which was fixed by mgmt. no problem. Not a big deal but just the icing on a bland over priced cake.
(2)jocelin p.
not gonna lie...for the prices they charge, we wouldn't have eaten here twice if we didn't have a starhot discount... one night we walked in to an empty restaurant but were told they only had seating at the bar or high top tables (aparently there were lots of reservations coming in?). i can't help but comment that if they managed their reservation system or trained their hosts better, they could better manage their seating. there's NO way in hell that all those tables were going to walk in during the hour long meal we were about to have. the second time, we made a reservation online through opentable and were seated quickly without any problems. when you're spending a week in Maui, there's really only so much spam, poke, rice, and meat products you can eat. We wanted a change and since we were staying here, thought...why not. it's an "italian" restaurant in hawaii. let's just keep the expectations reasonable.... my caesar salad was good. a little overderssed, but even so, the dressing didn't feel heavy. it had a nice acidity to it that most caesar dressings lack. and they use little gem romaine - nice and tender without the big chunks of stalk. crab dip is really really rich and for lack of a better word, crabby. good, but a few bites and i had had enough. the hubby loved it though. caprese was just ok. definitely have had better. the hubby tried two entrees and both were good - i only had few bites of each - veal parmigiana and a risotto crusted fish. appetizer clams were actually very good - not overly salty and had a nice broth. vegetables were all cooked nicely - not a mushy anything on the plate! everything was seasoned well and the service was friendly and attentive. not deserving of 5 stars, but DEFINITELY better than what most people have been rating thus far.
(4)Trish G.
Service and atmosphere were excellent at this Westin resort hotel. We unfortunately filled up a bit on appetizers and the breadsticks before our food arrived. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the chicken piccatta and lobster dish in our doggie bags. The food was very good but nothing to really get excited about. The fourth star is for the service and beautiful cod pond.
(4)Loves G.
This restaurant was recently reconcepted, as it used to be a steak and seafood restaurant. They now serve Great Italian food at very affordable prices. Pulehu, an italian grill is open Thurs - Sunday, 5:30p - 9:30p, so be sure to make a reservation early. Thursday's are always busy. Location is a bit tricky. They are located in the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas - North. Not the Westin Maui, down the road. Don't get confused. The parking is free.... a rare find in Maui, as it costs you $10 in Lahaina to dine on front street. Beautiful restaurant. The food is even better. I did not expect much on our visit there, but to my surprise it was outstanding Italian food. I had the antipasto platter with the grilled garlic prawns and italian sausage. Delicious! The arugula salad was great. Very vibrant flavors. I had the fruitti di mare for my entree. Good seafood linguine dish, served al dente. The spaghetti & meatballs is to die for. I never thought I would rave about spaghetti and meatballs, but the darn thing was excellent. My pet peeve is mushy pasta, but the pasta was served al dente, just the way I like it. Have the warm chocolate cake for dessert. So rich and good.... This is a family resort, so there are lots of children. A casual restaurant, you can go in shorts and flip flops. Nice, as you don't have to dress up. Go early, they open at 5:30pm or late - after 8:00pm, as the restaurant does fill up. Go and check it out... you will be pleasantly surprised.
(5)George A.
Our evening started off with an unenthusiastic welcome at the reception desk. Right away, warning signs of what was to eventually come our way. Being that this is one of the Westin Ka'anapali North Villas' signature restaurant experiences, the service was horrible. Kristen M, our server was nowhere to be found once taking our orders. Even upon trying to pay for our bill, she almost refused to acknowledge us and walked onward toward the kitchen. Our voices calling out, arms waving in the air. We had to walk our card up just to pay the bill and leave. The food was subpar for a resort with the ambiance equal to that of the Four Seasons. My risotto was overcooked, under seasoned. The pasta was void of any true "al dente'ness." Rather each grain of pasta bloated from over absorption of unflavored, unseasoned liquid. Flat. Horrible. Even my wife's risotto with a totally different dish, totally different flavors, was the same. Oh one more thing - it was lukewarm when it was served. My wife Corrine ordered mahi mahi wrapped in "Italian bacon." But when asked, "what is the Italian bacon?" the waitress didn't even know if it was pancetta, or prosciutto. Assuming it was wafer thin pancetta (which is weird amongst itself), it was over cooked, over crispy, and overly salted, utterly extinguishing the essence of the mahi mahi flavor. Finally, my two daughters ordered kids pizzas. They each only ate half their pizzas so we wanted to take them to go. We asked the fill-in wait staff to pack them both up for us. After signing, paying for the meal, then walking out toward the front of the restaurant and waiting for our pizzas in a to go box. No one brought them to us. Nada. Nothing. We waited little bit more, but then finally went back into the restaurant and asked anyone willing to help us where our leftover pizzas might be, only to be told the pizzas must have been thrown out by the same wonderful waitress Kristen M. Which by the way, was apparently boxed up and ready to go. She just tossed it with no explanation. Don't go. Don't waste your time, or hard earned money. The total options on the menu were lackluster and honestly, you're better off going elsewhere on either side of the island.
(1)Joseph F.
We had a bad experience here- the one star is for the service because we left before we could even get a chance to order. We sat down at a high top table by the bar and after 10 minutes placed an order for a two drinks, one was Prosecco which the server gave right off her tray. My drink never came and after 20 minutes we got up and left, told the server and she blamed it on the busy bartender. Unfortunately, we were seated next to the bar and I could see that the bartender was not busy, she just forgot. The manager did call the next day to apologize, but even the weird setup of the restaurant bothered us. It has a hallway going right through it that guest often use right from the pool. Also, lots of kids at this resort so if you are planning on a romantic or intimate setting head elsewhere.
(1)Rick N.
The setting was nice but service was bad felt rushed and the restaurant wasn't busy at all. The food wasn't good and expensive for what you get. We are going to be here a week and won't be going back. It's a shame because we really like the outdoor setting here.
(2)Janie D.
We've been going to the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas for the past five years. A real highlight of the trip is to sit at the bar of the Pulehu Italian restaurant and have Michael, the bartender, mix us a cocktail. We even learned how to make his world famous Mai Tai by attending the mixology class he taught! Twenty shakes....no more...no less!! Having been there numerous times we can say Michael is an outstanding bartender and friend!
(4)Jerry S.
One thing about being on vacation is that people tend to eat uncontrollably. Pulehu was my fourth meal of the day and i was already too full to take another bite, but there is no way i am going to miss the opportunity to experience the 2011 Aipono Award winner of the best Italian restaurant in Maui. Located next to the beautiful koi pond in the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort, the ambience and decor alone is worth the visit. Despite the wonderful backdrops surrounding the restaurant but the dishes weren't quite in sync with my taste buds. Duetto Bruschutta with mushroom and tomato and the Pacfic Mahi Mahi Saltimbocca were freshly made but tasted a little bland. Maybe I am used to the heavy seasonings of garlic, pepper and parmesan cheese from other restaurants. perhaps i should stick with the more traditonal dishes like pastas, veal or pollo piccata. that wonderful warm chocolate cake with vanilla gelato kind of reminded me of Roy's warm chocolate souffle cake. Personally I really enjoy the ambience of the place and i will make sure that my stomach is empty before entering the restaurant next time around!
(2)Scott K.
You should definitely have a reservation because this place is full, and for good reason. Service was excellent and the food was even better. I'd recommend the bruchetta and the calamari for appetizers. My wife had the spareribs and I had the fish. Both were simply fantastic. I woke up thinking about my meal from last night. We're staying at the Westin KOR, and we're already talking about going back before we leave(if we leave) Do yourself a favor and check this place out!
(5)Rick C.
5 stars: rustic crab dip, 4 stars: risotto pesce nai'a, 5 stars: vongole clam linguini, 4 stars: ambiance, 3 stars: wine list options, 3 stars: wine $ mark-ups, 4 stars: service
(4)Donna H.
Restaurant was a little hard to find - GPS said "get ready to park on highway". I had a great table at the koi pond but facing the board meeting for one of the owners' groups. Appetizers (bruschetta) was fair. Lobster carbonara was good - I almost think the lobster should not been incorporated into the sauce but steamed/boiled and placed on top. Friendly service and reasonable prices.
(3)P M.
Great service, exceptionally delicious food, amazingly talented chef! That's all I can say. We would go there again if we are lucky enough to go back to Maui again. I highly recommend the restaurant. Ask for Chef Saipin. She is friendly, welcoming, pleasant, and more importantly a great chef. She would make your dinner memorable as she did ours.
(5)Jefferson W.
Just ate here for the second time. It was great. I have to say the first time wasn't all the wonderful, but it was for a buffet type thing. They don't do that anymore. Dinner was great, I had the insalata arugula, zucca ravioli (Butternut squash, infused sage brown butter, cranberries, shalots, macadamia nuts) and the warm chocolate cake. My wine flight keep me going all the way though. My girlfriend had the Pacific mahi mahi saltimbocca minus the prosciutto, it was excellent as well. We will be back.
(4)Zachary L.
Unfortunately my experience here was not worth it. The food is far too highly priced for the quality they give you. the breadsticks and salad that I had were good, but not enough to redeem this restaurant.
(2)R L.
Hurray, first to review this restaurant. Pulehu is in the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, wow, that's a mouthful. Great resort, mediocre restaurant. We went there a few days ago, about 2 weeks after it opened. For a Saturday night it was pretty dead. The place was about 20% full. Wait staff was excellent of course since there were only a few tables to be served. Food was meh. Pretty bland all around. For the price, I definitely expected better. The open air view of the garden, pool and pond adds to the cool factor? I dunno, maybe 2* is a bit harsh, but it is what it is for now.
(2)Kari S.
We were staying at the villas and ate brunch here on Mother's Day. Unfortunately the hostess was also the only buser so it took forever to get seated even though there were open tables (hadn't been cleaned yet). They were also understaffed in the dining room so it was hard to get drinks and to place orders. We decided to get the buffet so that we wouldn't have to wait to place our orders and wait for the food. The buffet was mediocre and I expected much more from their "high end" restaurant. It was just the general lukewarm food in chaffing dishes. A number of the dishes and fruit were empty so that was a bummer. Needless to say we didn't eat here again during our stay.
(3)R D.
Stayed at the Westin Villas last week and came here to eat trying to avoid going out in the rain. It was about 630pm. The hostess said that they had nothing available until 8:30 despite OpenTable showing an available slot at 7pm as we stood there... Hmmm. Very disappointed in the treatment here - and to add insult to injury - when we ordered from here for room service (we were still hungry and not wanting to go out in the rain, and were really craving Italian), it not only took about 20 minutes to get someone even on the phone - but despite the manager's apologies and guarantee that our food would arrive ASAP, it took an hour and 15 minutes for our food to arrive. Not to mention when it FINALLY did arrive - it was cold. For such awful service and even after complaining to the manager, you would think that they would at least do something. In most upscale/resort dining establishments, they at least offer you a free dessert or a discount of sorts. They even still tacked on the $5 delivery charge for the 5 steps from the restaurant to our room, which I thought was really in poor taste. I'd rather go hungry next time!
(1)Law K.
Overpriced Olive Gardens. Only reason to dine here is if you are staying at the Westin and you don't want to drive to somewhere outisde of the resort.
(2)Kathy M.
I am surprised at the negative reviews because that has not been our experience at all with Pulehu. We ate there for the first time in October of 2009 and the food was outstanding and the service was good as well. We are from the Chicago area and are picky about our Italian food and the marinara sauce was better than anything I've had back home in a long time. It's the only good Italian Food we've had on Maui in the 13 years we've been coming here. I had the seafood dish with pasta and my husband had chicken and pasta and everything was cooked as it should be. This year we tried the Monday evening buffet and I wasn't expecting a lot but the food was fresh and the lasagna, shrimp risotto, penne and several other pastas that I tried were all fresh, hot and flavorful. The Tiramasu was also very good. For the people that ding the location - it is what it is. I like the patio and you can see enough of the ocean and scenery that it does beat eating indoors other places. Although I didn't like the pizza, I wasn't expecting Pulehu to pull that off...I'm extremely picky about my pizza and there is very few places that make it the way I like it - so far no one on Maui has done that. It's not easy to to pizza well. I also would put this a step above the Olive Garden (where I do eat frequently enough) - The sauce was tastier and the overall selection was more original.
(5)Trina W.
The worst place I have ever been to in Maui, actually across all of the Hawaii islands. The hostess was incredibly rude, for we were maybe 5 mins late for our reservation. To punish us, she made us wait and stand around for over 15 mins, as we looked at all of the open tables in the place. The food was also less than memorable, probably the smallest portions ever served at an Italian restaurant. And everything was over priced even for Maui. We probably could have had a better meal at an Olive Garden (yuck!). The waiter could not have been more lame. He spent most of his time making small talk with another table, ignoring all of our signs of wanting to get our check and leave. It would have been OK if we could have found someone else to help us at 9:30 on a Friday night. But, No. If I knew this was a hotel (Westin resort) restaurant when I booked the reservation, I would have never have gone. Now all I can do is warn all of you that read this to not waste your time and money by going here. Even if you're tired of fish, almost anything would have been better than this place. Bottom line...Pulehu offer horrible service, fair food, but pricey and very small portions. All in all it's not just a no go, it's a NEVER GO!
(1)Eston B.
This is the only food I have had in Maui over the past few days that has been good at all, and I was pretty happy. I had Frutti di Mare whilst my sister has Chicken Piccata, and we ordered a bottle of wine off of their menu. All in all the food was solid and we all were happy. Waitstaff was excellent. One star off because if I'm going to start spending upwards of $50+ per person on food I'm going to expect something completely excellent, since back at home where the cost of living is already crazy I can find some really awesome food in that range. Whilst the food was good, it wasn't something completely remarkable outside of the Maui frame of reference.
(4)Susan H.
We went to Pulehu on a Saturday night and were promptly seated in the far-right corner next to the koi pond. We requested a table closer to the center of the pond and our hostess graciously changed our table, regardless of the fact that it had been saved for a reservation. She was certain that another table would be open for the reservation and was happy to fulfill our request. We were lucky enough to have Vivian as our server. She was professional, helpful with the menu, and did whatever she could to make our experience an enjoyable one. Based on other yelp recommendations, we ordered the garlic bread. It is delicious,buttery, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside. If you don't like a lot of butter, this might not be a good choice. We also shared a caesar salad prior to our meal. It was delicious! Simple, with shaved parmesan cheese and not overloaded with dressing. After finishing the salad, we were told that our meals would be served in a few minutes. It didn't seem as if we were waiting a long time, but another server brought us complimentary bowls of tomato soup "courtesy of Vivian." We were pleasantly surprised and ate every last drop as it was unlike any other tomato soup we had ever eaten. It was closer to a puree than a soup, but sweet and seasoned perfectly. Paired with the garlic bread, it was a match made in heaven! Our meals arrived shortly afterward. I had the lasagna and my husband had the vongole linguine. The lasagna is very good. It's full of meat and sauce with a good amount of gooey cheese on top. I would have a hard time ordering anything else on the menu should we dine here again during our stay. After the soup, bread and complimentary bread sticks (served with pesto or butter), I was only able to eat a little more than half of the serving. My husband also enjoyed his linguini. There were at least a dozen clams in it, although the amount of actual pasta was a bit skimpy. After boxing our meals, I asked Vivian why we were served the delicious tomato soup. She explained that the lasagna was going to take longer than it should have, so she had a server send something out to make up for the delay. When she asked if we wanted dessert, my husband declined, but I had my heart set on the warm chocolate cake. I mentioned the cake and Vivian convinced us to get it, as it would be on the house. How could we argue with that? And, it was very good, like the rest of our meal. All in all, here is how I would rate Pulehu - SERVICE - 5 stars (we may have gotten lucky with Vivian) FOOD - 5 stars (our choices were great, but I'm sure there are some misses on the menu) PRICE - 3 stars (it's Maui, at the Westin, but still a little pricey)
(4)Carla M.
We ordered the Vongole Linguini and the fliet mignon. Linguini was really salty. The breadsticks instead of bread was a bit disappointing since I'm such a bread-lover. Caprese salad was decent. The filet was tender with good flavor. The pineapple creme brulet was good, but we were too full to finish it. View of the courtyard at sunset was beautiful. A great way to finish off our vacation.
(3)Curtis L.
We dined here because we had credit for one dinner here during our stay. They only open Thursday through Sunday so the reservation we made on Wednesday didn't happen. Luckily we called the front desk on Thursday and that they were not that busy. When we got there, we were immediately seated in the booth we chose. Originally they were taking us to a table on the patio but the booth is much quieter and romantic. We were brought bread stick crackers with a few spreads and they took our drink order. We both ordered drinks and they were decent. The tiramisu drink was too sweet. It was like drinking desert. For our entrees, we had the tenderloin and the shrimp risotto. It took a while for our food to arrive. Probably because they were pretty busy. While we were waiting, I had the opportunity to watch a customer act like he owned the place. He probably was a regular but very arrogant and had to have things his way. Anyways, beside the drama, the steak was nicely cooked but the risotto was not very good. The risotto was on the small side and it was dry. The shrimp were over cooked and over breaded. The beef was on par. For $30 a dish, you would expect more. Our server could have also been a little more composed. He either was new or just always in a hurry. With the two drinks, two entrees and tip, we used up the $100 credit. The meal was just like any experience at any normal restaurant. I expected more from a hotel establishment. I wouldn't come back unless I have more credit to use.
(3)Leslie C.
this place is amazing!!! the wedding reception was held here and the outside set up away from the restaurant was beautiful. very intimate, simple yet elegant. we had a 4 course meal and each plate was delicious. while we were waiting, they provided us with a variety of cheese with crackers and fruits. then the salad was a starter and for something so basic, it carried a lot of flavor. then we moved onto the scallop, and for it's small portion i had to savor every bite because it taste like a bit of heaven that i didn't want to end. the main course was the real deal. i had the ahi tuna and i don't have the words to express how good it was. when they serve your plate it looks like two small pieces of meat, but to my surprise it was completely filling and the taste is so different that even when you're full, you seek for more. the dessert was the cherry on top of this spectacular meal. it was a marble cake and it had a level of sweetness making a perfect mix in finishing the course. even the drinks were good. you can never go wrong with unlimited drinks so during the whole celebration i ordered mango margaritas. if you are somewhere new, you gotta try new things like the mango margarita to grasp in the full effect of paradise.
(5)samantha d.
good decent food price is quite up there. but that's the norm for Hi
(3)Lauren C.
Best Italian food on Maui! Try the antipasti platter, the presentation is beautitul and each appetizer is unique and delicious. For my entree I had the prawn risotto with sonoma cutrer. This restaurant is afforable, delicious and has great ambiance at the Westin Ka'anapali Villas. I'll definitely be back!
(5)