Shellfish availability... (Kahului, Kihei, Lahaina: live, restaurants, stores)

[sayulita]

Aloha,

I used to vacation often on Maui many years ago but haven't been able to come back for a while. When I was there, I noticed that although there were plenty of fish choices in the supermarkets, there wasn't much available in the shellfish category. I'm wondering if that has changed and if I'd be able to get clams, mussels, crab (Dungeness), etc. when I come to vacation next January. I realize that none of these are fished there, but do they get flown in? And how astronomically expensive do they run, if available?

Mahalo for any feedback and I cannot wait to come back to your beautiful island!

[hothulamaui]

crab legs and lobsters are available at safeway. I would guess clams and mussels as well, but I don't eat them so not sure.

[MitchTempo]

Originally Posted by sayulita

Aloha,

I used to vacation often on Maui many years ago but haven't been able to come back for a while. When I was there, I noticed that although there were plenty of fish choices in the supermarkets, there wasn't much available in the shellfish category. I'm wondering if that has changed and if I'd be able to get clams, mussels, crab (Dungeness), etc. when I come to vacation next January. I realize that none of these are fished there, but do they get flown in? And how astronomically expensive do they run, if available?

Mahalo for any feedback and I cannot wait to come back to your beautiful island!

Dungeness crabs are available when in season, you can get live, but most common would fresh cooked -> chilled. Not many stores still have the tanks to hold them fresh. Lahaina @ The Fish Market has a tank.
Oki's in Kahului will have chilled, Safeways/Times/Foodland will have the cooked/chilled. I haven't been to the Foodland Kihei Seafood department in a little bit, but last I checked they had a lobster tank with crabs in there during season. If you are looking for fresh live Cheasapeake Soft Shell blue crabs Okis will have them often. Lobsters are grown in Kona and flown over. They are starting to do oysters there too.

Shell fish is usually Pacific Beach Oysters (medium size) and Little neck clams. Usually from New Zealand or Washington. Fresh mussels were hard to bring in live safely so we usually opted to bring in frozen 1/2 shell mussels or whole east coast black mussels.

Some other varieties will be found in the local oriental food marts around town. Prime meats and seafood in Lahaina I don't recall if they carried some of it, but Carry n Eddie's is usually the biggest purveyors of shellfish here on Maui.

I used to wholesale seafood to the supermarkets here on Maui, but this was about 5-6 years ago so suppliers will most likely have changed alot.

[sayulita]

Wow, thank you so much for all that information. I never expected to hear from anyone with such local expertise, even if it was 5-6 years ago. We will be there in January so the Dungeness crab should be in season. I'm not much interested in oysters, but love little neck clams. And if we can get mussels, even frozen ones, that would be great. Sounds like things HAVE changed since we were last there

Again, many thanks for such terrific input! I'm printing it out and putting it with my travel stuff for easy reference.

Mahalo!

[MitchTempo]

Originally Posted by sayulita

And if we can get mussels, even frozen ones, that would be great.

Not a problem, and the 1/2 shell mussels should be easy to find in any store in the frozen area. They are usually the 1/2 Shell greenlip mussels from New Zealand. You might have to go searching around the oriental foodmarts for the whole black mussels. They come in 2lb vacuum sealed packs, but usually only the sushi bars bought them from me, and not retailers.

[sayulita]

Again, thank you. In appreciation, here's the recipe I want to use for the mussels.

Mussels a la Carafe (a restaurant, now defunct, here in Portland)

4 lb Black Mediterranean Mussels
4 T shallots, minced
2 TB unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup crème fraiche
2 TB fresh thyme leaves
2 TB chopped parsley
S & P to taste

Saute shallots and thyme in butter until translucent. Add all other ingredients except the creme fraiche and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, and steam until open. Remove mussels. Add Creme Fraiche to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes until thickened , correct seasonings and add parsley and pour over mussels. Serve with a good baguette for sopping.

Obviously, if using other kinds of seafood/shellfish, pre-cook or add to broth as appropriate for the item.
Mussels a la Carafe

4 lb Black Mediterranean Mussels
4 T shallots, minced
2 TB unsalted butter
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup crème fraiche
2 TB fresh thyme leaves
2 TB chopped parsley
S & P to taste

Saute shallots and thyme in butter until translucent. Add all other ingredients except the creme fraiche and parsley and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels, and steam until open. Remove mussels. Add Creme Fraiche to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes until thickened , correct seasonings and add parsley and pour over mussels. Serve with a good baguette for sopping.

Obviously, if using other kinds of seafood/shellfish, pre-cook or add to broth as appropriate for the item.

[Maui Moving Source]

Oh gee, I misread the title. I thought it read "Selfish availability". I was about to offer a Gilda Radner like reply. Never-mind.

[TwoByFour]

Lessee here, you are from Portland OR which is close to the cold NW Pacific Ocean which is ideal for growing shell fish and indeed has a variety of local oysters, clams, and mussels to choose from. Now you fly to Hawaii which being a warm water place is not ideal for shellfish and so most (if not all) shellfish need to also be flown in from the Pacific NW. I don't get it - why not eat shellfish at home, where it is all pretty much local food and while in Hawaii eat the fish that are local to Hawaii?

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by TwoByFour

Lessee here, you are from Portland OR which is close to the cold NW Pacific Ocean which is ideal for growing shell fish and indeed has a variety of local oysters, clams, and mussels to choose from. Now you fly to Hawaii which being a warm water place is not ideal for shellfish and so most (if not all) shellfish need to also be flown in from the Pacific NW. I don't get it - why not eat shellfish at home, where it is all pretty much local food and while in Hawaii eat the fish that are local to Hawaii?

Because we want to, that's why.

[TwoByFour]

OK, you don't like eating the local fare. So when you are in France or Italy you only eat at American restaurants? Just curious.