‘Bao’ down

If you’re craving all things bao, look no further than Suns Out Buns Out, a food truck located in Kihei.

“Bao buns are our main calling card; we feature freshly made products of top quality, and they’re all made to order,” says Hannah Stanchfield, who owns the business with TJ Borawski. “Our business started last June, all based on a dream to do our own thing — create a business, food truck and work for ourselves.

The duo met at a catering event while working for separate businesses, and later had the opportunity to do a pop-up event together.

“We decided to make pork belly banh mi sandwiches and make everything from scratch,” Stanchfield says. “The pop-up was successful and we realized we had the potential to do so much more. We spent countless nights researching and developing, and in a matter of two or three months, Suns Out Buns Out was born.

“Suns Out Buns Out is a chef-driven operation that focuses not only on top quality food, but also the entire atmosphere and experience we create for the guest,” she adds.

The menu features a variety of bao buns steamed to order. Choose from flavors like Little Piggy ($7.50) — ube bao bun with guava-glazed pork belly, pickled daikon and carrot, jalapeño and cilantro — Duck, Duck, Goat ($8), featuring confit duck, balsamic onion, fig jam and goat cheese; and Bao-Chicka-Bao-Bao ($7), with buttermilk fried chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch slaw and housemade pickles. The biz also features loaded tots like Aloha Tots ($14) — kalua pork, barbecue sauce, tropical salsa, spicy mayo, jalapeño and pickled red onions — that are great for sharing.

“The Little Piggy is our signature dish,” Borawski says. “We did it at Maui’s first annual Ube Fest and we won first place with it. It’s based on a banh mi.”

“We always suggest choosing the ‘Bao Bun Trio’ ($20), where you can pick any three buns off the menu,” Stanchfield adds. “We run special menu items weekly that feature new, different bao fillings. Our most recent special was the lobster and shrimp salad bao. Other popular specials include the Black Widow Bun — black activated charcoal bun, soft shell crab, avocado, lettuce, spicy mayo and unagi drizzle — and ‘KFC’ Korean fried chicken bun.”

For dessert, indulge in an ice cream bao ($7.50), which includes your choice of ice cream and sauce.

The business is open noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays. Follow the biz on social media for updates.

Suns Out Buns Out

Address: 1 Piikea Ave., Kihei
Phone: 808-646-2867
Web: sunsoutbunsoutmaui.com Opens in a new tab
Instagram: @suns_out_buns_out_maui
How to order: In person, phone or online
How to pay: Cash, credit cards and Apple Pay accepted