“Sunsets in Maui are a special experience, and not just because of their beauty. They are evening shows that happen on cue, fiery ends to activity-filled days.”
—Bernard Spragg
It is about a ten-minute walk along the beach from the Maui Marriott Ocean Club to the restaurant, and boy were we treated to one of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen on the island. While Cecile and our son-in-law Kyle were strolling Lyla to the restaurant, Michelle and I were having a field day taking serial photos of this sky. It was like witnessing one eye-opening watercolor painting after another on display.
We enjoyed a casual dinner at Leilani’s which means Heavenly Flower, named after the daughter of one of the restaurants’ founders. “Leilani’s promise,” their website states, “is to make every guest feel like she took a lei from her shoulders, and gently placed it over yours" We began with cocktails, and Appetizers: Hummus Trio (Edamame, macadamia nut, taro, local veggies, flatbread) and Calamari Strips (Panko crusted ginger-yuzu cocktail sauce). For the main course Cecile enjoyed a Maui Onion, Walnut & Feta Upcountry mixed greens, Kula strawberries, candied walnuts, papaya seed vinaigrette; Michelle enjoyed the Fresh Hawaiian Catch of the day (Mahi-Mahi) and Kyle and I each had Fresh Fish & Chips (battered in Duke’s Blonde Ale) with lemon tartar. Lyla had a little of what everybody else was eating that was permissible.
For dessert, we enjoyed Kimo’s Original Hula Pie, which is a mountain of pure delight. Ready-made ingredients include chocolate cookie pie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream, chopped mac nuts and no baking required. It is served on its own designated hula pie plate, is sized for sharing, and rarely goes unfinished.
The magical sunset this evening reminded me of a traditional sunset ceremony ritual that takes place at the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua, which is perched above an ancient burial site. The ceremony begins with the blowing of the conch (pu) just as the sun disappears from the sky followed by a beautiful incantation of a Hawaiian oli (a chant) which symbolizes the beginning of the legendary sunset. The chant calls on the gods and the ancestors to give its' people wisdom and to help them bid farewell to the day, whose light is represented through the heartbeat-like rhythms of the sacred drum. Releasing the day with the sinking of the sun evokes a soothing image of a moment of reflection and intention to release ourselves from our mistakes, failures, and misgivings each evening and begin anew the next day, fully refreshed.
