Mama’ Fish House is famous for a reason. The location next to the beach is peak Maui combined with outstanding food and service make it a destination. My husband and I were lucky enough to visit twice this trip so I have twice the dishes to show!

Service at Mama’s has always come with bread and a small cup of bisque. The bread is a poppyseed loaf with some butter and the soups we got to try were a carrot ginger and then an asparagus broccoli. Both were great but I did like the asparagus more as it still had the spicy ginger notes but more body with pieces of broccoli. It’s a delectable combination to start your meal.

For drinks, I tried the lava flow and the guava punch. The lava flow was to sweet for me, it tasted good but was pretty generic. The guava punch was tart & tangy and just a touch sweet from the fruit juice, would recommend.

Husband tried the Papa’s Whiskey Sour. He seemed to enjoy that more than other drinks he’s had in the past.

For starters I tried the Mahi-Mahi Luau Soup and my husband had the Garden salad with Kula Strawberries, Dragon Fruit, Honey Pecans and Goat Cheese.

The soup had a coconut base broth that reminded me of something I couldn’t place. It’s tangy with large chunks of tender mahi-mahi and sweet potatoes. There’s also a large taro crisp that adds a nice earthiness to the soup. It was a bit more filling than I needed but I have no regrets.

My husband enjoyed his salad. The few bites I had were tasty. It had a nice balsamic vinaigrette that paired well with the strawberries and goat cheese. The greens were very fresh and bright as well.

The second entree I got was the Hawaiian Kanpachi baked with lobster and crab in a macadamia nut crust. It’s a very good dish with a well cooked lobster tail that gets bonus points for being easy to remove from its shell! It’s always a treat getting well cooked lobster, and it came with a nice sauce that I can’t remember the name of. The fish is flaky and has a crunchy mac-nut crust with an almost sweet crab filling. The dish is great and I would recommend it to anyone who likes lobster, fish and crab. But I can’t quit the curry offering.

I love this curry. It’s a panang curry with plenty of crisp vegetables and moist fish inside the curry sauce. I have been getting this dish for years now and I will continue to get it for as long as it’s on the menu. It’s a huge portion and is generous with how much you’re getting. I like the variety of veggies with the fish as it makes the dish more interesting and gives it a depth of flavor. Everything pairs well with the curry which you will want to drink. At least I do.

On our first visit my husband got the Bouillabaisse. It’s got a nice variety of seafood inside the broth as well as some veggies. It’s tangy and all the seafood is cooked tenderly. My husband gave me a scallop and it was perfectly cooked. This meal is his go to at Mama’s.

My husband got the mahi-mahi on the second visit. It was apparently good but lacked the variety, unique was and interest of the Bouillabaisse. It’s a nice big piece of fish, but it’s mostly just fish. Would recommend but not his preference.

For dessert we finally tried the black pearl. I always dismissed it as an overly chocolate dish that was pretty but would disappoint if I tried it.

I was very wrong.

It’s popular for a reason! It’s really good as the chocolate is not overpowering as the lilikoi sauce is super tart and goes well with the chocolate. The pearl itself has layers to it, the bottom is a chocolate sponge with chocolate mousse on top, with a core of vanilla custard that is delicious. The shell is a crunchy cookie that I used as a chip to scoop up the chocolate. It’s great. Get it. I’ve gotten almost every other dessert here and this is the one that is unique and stands out.

I love Mama’s. The history and the views are unparalleled and as a dining experience it’s something that can only exist in Maui. I think the best time to come is lunch, as it’s impossible to see the ocean past sunset and the vibe is chiller.