Our favorite meal at Chef David Paul Johnson's table started with a bean soup so hearty and creamy that we would have licked the bowl clean if we hadn't been raised with boarding school table manners.

Black beans, earthy-sweet and tender, arrived completely pulverized by a blending that lasted, according to the waitress, for at least fifteen minutes. The texture of the soup was silky smooth, thick enough so that when you dragged a spoon through it left a soft trough. A dollop of crème fraiche sat on top like a princess's bottom on a plump cushion.

David Paul is known for fresh ingredients that layer bold flavor upon bold flavor, and this soup was - despite its rather plain Jane appearance - no different. Earthy, sweet, spicy, pungent, and salty tastes rampaged around our palate in a riotous, perfect harmony. With all that activity, the ultimate effect was utterly simple. This soup was perfect.

There are only a handful of chefs working on Maui who are in the business for all the right reasons, and David Paul Johnson is one of them. His ambition shows in everything from the unobstructed view of Lahaina Harbor to the carefully chosen colors on the walls to the gleaming exhibition kitchen to the dark bar glowing from a recent polish. His menu is omnivorous, roaming over the island (and sometimes to the mainland) for ingredients that are in season and hungry for new pairings.


The menu is a single sheet, but it's a legal-sized sheet with small type. The number of dishes represented is overwhelming; and while we laud the aspiration, we sometimes wish the selection was pared down to include only those that are truly spectacular. Many are delicious enough to order twice in a week, which makes the few that disappoint stand out that much more.

Dishes tend to be seasonal - that soup was served in the fall - and so we hesitate to describe too many in detail for fear they won't be served when you make your reservations. Standbys include the extremely decadent butternut squash ravioli stuffed with mascarpone cheese and topped with lobster, scallops of nearly any preparation, and ahi preparations (although one topped with foie gras felt gratuitously rich). Beef preparations feature excellent flavors, but the cuts of beef themselves can be disappointing when Maui's local beef is used. (Maui Cattle Company can be tough and gristly, and Maui lacks an excellent butcher.)

Starters and salads are usually very nice, as are drinks and desserts. We've cradled martini glasses filled with cool watermelon gazpacho - sugary, savory, and so spicy our eyes watered - and crunched slightly sweet walnuts paired with creamy blue cheese and teensy diced roasted beets. We've had mind-numbingly delicious martinis and succulent slices of the triple berry pie.


The wide-ranging menu can be cut down easily by choosing to have the Tasting Menu, where the evening's nine best dishes are plated and served in four courses. This is an excellent way to scope out the menu without having to make a decision yourself. The trick? Everyone at the table must order the menu.


Another way to taste more is to ask for half portions of two entrees, so that you get to try more than one thing.


The wine list is good with several sold by the glass. There's also a wine room - a walk-in off the main dining room - with walls filled with well-priced bottles. This is a retail outlet, but your purchase can be added to your tab. In general, the prices are not more than what you'd generally pay at a liquor store on Maui.

Service can be slow and un-coordinated or quick and friendly, depending upon who's doing the work. Every Maui restaurateur typically relies - or rather cannot rely - upon a transient population for workers, many of whom come for the lifestyle, not the opportunity to fill your water glass. On an island where even CPA's fail to show up if the surf's up, service can really falter. We've heard consistently from readers that service is the only real flaw this restaurant has (great food doesn't taste so great if it's cold). We fully expect that this will continue to improve over time. We recommend David Paul's Island Grill, and named it one of our two favorite new restaurants of 2009.

    Food:     ★★★★
    Ambiance:     ★★★★★
    Service:     ★★★
    Love:     ★★★★★
    Value:     ★★★★★

Overall: 4.4 out of 5 stars

David Paul's Island Grill
Address: 900 Front St., Lahaina, West Maui
Location: Near Warren & Annabelle’s and Hard Rock Cafe
Meals:  Dinner
Hours: Su-Th 5pm - 10pm, F-Sa 5pm - Midnight
Parking: Validated for Lahaina Center parking
Phone: 808-662-3000


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James and Molly Jacobson are food writers who live on Maui. Their popular dining review guide to Maui restaurants is available at stores all over Maui and at online booksellers. Visit the website www.TopMauiRestaurants.com or the authors' blog www.MauiRestaurantsBlog.com.

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