If you are planning a trip to Costco to stock up on groceries and other necessities for your Maui vacation, we recommend you try a delightful to-go snack that can be found in various restaurants around the island. Across from Costco you will find a parking lot full of food trucks. This place is filled with smells wafting out from the vehicles and into your nose, overwhelming your senses with a myriad of options.
One of the favorite food trucks is Mo’ono Hawaii, a local staple for those who want quality-assured açaí bowls (a typical Brazilian dish made of frozen and mashed açaí palm fruit. It is served as a smoothie in a bowl or glass, and is commonly topped with granola and banana, and then mixed with other fruits and guaraná syrup). Not only is it delicious, but it contains health benefits as well.
This was a passion fueled business idea, started by two local entrepreneurs, Tony Matsuda and Ku`ulei Hanohano, who are both graduates of Kamehameha Maui High School. They continued on to accomplishing their undergraduate degrees at UH Maui College, but now devote most of their time to their business venture. In a recent interview with Maui Time, they talked about how they discovered this health craze before it came to Maui. After spending time experimenting with their own recipes at home, they finally felt ready to present their explorations to the world. They began making bowls for events and doing pop-ups before they made the decision to turn it into a mobile-truck business.
Dining at Mo’Ono or any of the food trucks around the island is a great way to support our local businesses!