If you’ve spent time in Lahaina, Merienda Maui might look familiar. The food truck started there, but relocated to Oahu after the Maui fires. The biz is known for its contemporary twist on traditional Filipino food.
“Our soft opening was July 18,” confirms chef Danielle Soriano, who co-owns the business with chef Motley Adovas.
“‘Merienda’ means snacks in Filipino,” Adovas adds. “Spanish also uses it. It means snacks, or midday snacks.”
Bestsellers on the menu include chicken inasal ($16) — Filipino-style char-grilled lemongrass chicken with calamansi ponzu — and bistek and egg ($18). The latter features citrus-soy beef, Maui onion sauce and ginger scallion sauce.
“That’s our take on steak and eggs, which is popular in Hawaii,” Adovas says. “Our Filipino-style char-grilled chicken is brined with a lemongrass and salt marinade.”
All rice bowls come with pickled vegetables and annatto garlic rice. Other popular dishes include pork sisig nachos ($16) — citrus soy seasoned pork, egg, guacamole, pickled red onions, chile-mansi aioli — and pork lumpia bites ($11), which feature 12 pieces of Filipino-style spring rolls with nuoc cham sauce.
Be sure to check out refreshing drinks like ube horchata ($7) and mango sago ($7).
Merienda Maui is currently open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays in the former Sears parking lot at Pearlridge Center. For updates, follow the business on Instagram
(@merienda.maui).
Merienda Maui
Pearlridge Center
98-1005 Moanalua Road, Aiea
Instagram: @merienda.maui
How to order: In-person only
How to pay: Credit cards and cash accepted
