When in Butuan and looking for that perfect spot to dine with friends for lunch or have coffee during your midday break, I strongly suggest hitting Lahaina, a cute and cozy Hawaiian-inspired resto close to downtown Butuan. I discovered this place two years ago and it’s certainly become one of my favorite places here in Butuan and every time I come here, I still feel like the beach is just outside the resto and all I need to enjoy my visit is a cold glass of Lychee-Pineapple Shake — with a little umbrella, of course.
In my latest visit, we had the chance to catch up with the owner of Lahaina and she told us all about how all of this started because of her love for the beach and for food. She lived in Maui for a few months and got the inspiration from there and when she came home, she put all her ideas together and with the help of her sister, the concept of Lahaina slowly came to life.
Customers can honk the horn in their booths whenever they’re ready to have their orders taken or ready to pay their bill.
You can choose what you’ll be having from this cute Menu with their list of options printed in spoons and inserted here (photo on upper right)
some of their food items are also written in chalk on these wood planks hanging on the wall
When in the loft upstairs, you may write your orders down on a piece of paper and lower this bucket to the servers downstairs
Every corner in Lahaina is absolutely photo worthy, and it was fascinating to find out from the owner that most of them are DIY (do-it-yourself) projects ! From funny and inspirational quotes painted on oars that are hung on the wall, to garlands thrown lazily on the handrails, to a hand-wash basin molded with what looked like sand and small stones. Every detail was well thought of, artistic and put together so wonderfully that it made sitting on a corner sipping my cup of coffee and drumming my fingers to the unique sound of Kina Granis just pure moments of happiness and contentment.
Ok, so I’ve rambled on about how much this whole place is such an eye candy. What about their food? Well, the good news is, Lahaina will not disappoint in that area either. When in Lahaina, you can’t pass up on their Kahana Kawali, by far my all time favorite here. It’s basically Lechon Kawali with a twist. The crunchiness of the Lechon Kawali paired with the juiciness of sauteed tomatoes and onions make a perfect blend. Second on my list and usually a favorite among their loyal customers is their Maunaloa Paella which is spicy curry with pork, sausage and mushrooms. This meal is good for two to three persons especially if you’re sharing the rest of the meals so make sure you’ve got good friends or family to share this meal with. If you’re a fan of fresh lumpia, theirs does not fall short of that superb sauce you usually can’t get enough of.
Kahana Kawali – (Lechon Kawali with Sauteed Tomatoes and Onions) 155PHP
Fresh Lumpia – 65PHP
Maunaloa Paella – (Spicy Curry with Pork, Sausage and Mushrooms) 165PHP
Their Molokai Adobo is the Filipino Adobo with rice wrapped in banana leaves. If you love your mom’s homemade dish of Adobo and miss it so much but now have to cook for your grown up self, I think this’ll help bring those good memories back. If you’re a huge fan of baked lasagna, you could try this baked spaghetti for a change, I enjoyed the saltiness and creaminess of the baked cheese on top but I must say, I would prefer the spaghetti with a bit more sauce so it doesn’t get dry while baking.
Molokai Adobo – (Adobo rice with Pork) 165PHP
Kihei Ghetti – (Baked Spaghetti with Toasted Bread) 165PHP
The Lahaina Bacca was the day’s sweet surprise. It doesn’t look much but have spoonful of this dish with and you might find yourself pleasantly surprised. This beef tenderloin and corn kernel sidings make for a complete meal as well. The beef is tasty and tender and goes perfectly well with the corn kernel sidings.
For drinks and dessert, we had their Lychee-Pineapple Shake, perfect for the hot summer sun outside and the healthy Guava juice. You can’t miss out on the Meauhana Island as well, which is made up of sticky rice, mango and coco cream and also their Hau Ho’ohui, which is their version of the philippine halo-halo.
Hau Ho’ohui – (their version of the Filipino Halo-Halo) – 85PHP
Meahuna Island – (Sticky Rice with Mango and Coco Cream) 95PHP
I always enjoy my visit here so I’d strongly suggest that when your visiting Butuan or dropping by before heading out to see the rest of the Caraga Region (Surigao, Siargao, Brittanya Islands, Bislig, Hinatuan, Bega Falls, Enchanted River, Carmen), drop by Lahaina and enjoy having a meal with your family and friends in this cute and cozy restaurant.
Lahaina
PS Arcade, Gov Rosales Street
+6385 341-5886
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Lahaina121211
Instagram:
Lahaina1212
Looking for more things to do while in Butuan? Check out this link for my Top Five Things To Keep You Busy In Butuan City
https://www.wheninmanila.com/top-five-things-to-keep-you-busy-in-butuan-city/
