Chef
Mark Ellman

Honolulu

My Venues

Mala Ocean Tavern
1307 Front St
Lahaina, HI

View all venues ▾

Accolades

Founding President
Hawaii Regional Cuisine
The 50 Hottest People, Places, & Plates in Hawaii
Modern Luxury Hawaii

Winner Diners' Choice (Honu Seafood & Pizza)
OpenTable
Author
Mala Ocean Tavern Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle
Co-author
Practice Aloha: Secrets to Living Life Hawaiian Style
ChefsFeed Winner
One of the Best Things to Eat in Hawaii

View all accolades ▾

Where I Go Out

Sliced brisket dinner

Beach Bums Bar And Grill

$$, Bbq, Breakfast, Wine Bar, American, Bar,

"When I'm back in Maui, I go to Beach Bums in Maalaea for some great barbecue. They have a real wood-smoked flavor, and you get great views of Manele Bay. The brisket is my favorite, but their ribs are delicious, too."

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

Lechon

Paradise Supermart

$$, Restaurant,

"Lechon is delicious at Paradise. I love going there when I am on a restaurant Costco run"

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

Leader of the Pack

Cool Cat Cafe

$$, Burgers, Modern, American,

"For a great burger, go to Cool Cats Cafe. You can dine upstairs and overlook Front Street. Their burger is charbroiled, moist, and comes with cheddar cheese. I get mine medium rare."

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

Dim sum

Little Village Noodle House

$$, Chinese, Downtown

"In Chinatown on Oahu, I like Little Village Noodle House for their dim sum. They use organic ingredients and no MSG in their food. They also have great noodles that are stir-fried with olive oil."

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

Ahi Avo

Star Noodle

$$, Full Bar, Reservations, Noodles, Asian,

"The simplicity of this dish is fantastic. I crave it."

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

Soft grilled fish taco

Maui Tacos

$, Mexican, Tacos,

"Maui Tacos is still where I go for tacos. Although I used to own the company, they still make the best burritos and tacos. Make sure to get them with the “Hula Heat” chile árbol salsa."

Chef

Mark Ellman

Honu Seafood & Pizza, Mala Ocean Tavern

At My Venues

Ahi bruschetta

Honu Seafood & Pizza

$$$$, Seafood, Pizza,

"Perfectly balanced bites of ahi! It all works so well together. I especially loved the microgreens and the depth of flavor they added - not just a pretty garnish!"

$$$$, Happy Hour, Full Bar, American, Outdoor Seating,

"Mala has an incredible gado gado salad. I like the fresh, local veggies in it and the fact that it has lots of textures."

$$$$, Seafood, Pizza,

"I love Honu's ahi bruschetta. They also serve fantastic poke."

Chef

Peter Merriman

Merriman's

Grilled Spanish octopus

Honu Seafood & Pizza

$$$$, Seafood, Pizza,

"Grilled octopus is one of my favorite Mediterranean dishes. I order it whenever I find it on a menu. I love Mark Ellman's food, and the octopus is to die for. He chars it on the grill and serves it with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, edamame hummus (a Maui twist), a ladle of mojo verde (a wonderful sauce made of tomatillos and poblano peppers), and then gives you the most delicious flaxseed bread for the crunch. I could eat it all day long!"