I’ve always had this foodie fantasy about owning my own food truck. I would consummate my steamy love affair with food by creating gourmand meals in a tight space, but I also know full well that it would basically be a hot mess. The chefs that do actually get behind the wheel of Maui’s food trucks are damn near saints as they slave over a tiny, boxed-in kitchen to bring the hungry gourmet grinds at a reasonable price. Maui’s newest food truck, called “My Office” and run by Douglas and Belia Paul, now serves home style breakfast and lunch from their spot in the parking lot at the Park Plaza in Kihei’s Tech Park.
While you and I leisurely live out our Sundays, Belia and Douglas are up in their truck, roasting chickens, making soup and figuring out their specials for the coming week. My Office is nested in the back of the parking lot that wraps around the Park Plaza building. The kitchen inside is gorgeous. The Pauls tell me that it’s eight feet by 20 feet, but with all of the commercial kitchen accoutrements it looks smaller when you are standing inside. But you don’t need a huge space to create food; you just need quality ingredients, and that is exactly what they are doing.
The truck offers a stunning view of Ulupalakua. The morning I show up it’s blazing hot – so much so that I almost didn’t order a hot coffee. Stiff county permits and regulations for food truck establishments mean these guys can’t build a seating area or even a shade tent; they know it’s hot, but they just can’t do anything about it. Their food is strictly to go. Since they serve the 500 or so folks that are in the tech park, where most people eat in courtyards or their own offices, it’s not a problem.
“So far the breakfast burritos and spam musubis have been our popular morning items,” Douglas told me. “Our soups are flying out the door. For lunch, the ‘Big Maloney – a barbecue pork sandwich that was named after a dear friend that passed away – has been very popular. He is the one who encouraged us to get a food place going up here. He worked for Pacific Rim Land Company.”
The breakfast burritos start at $3.75 and contain eggs, potatoes, cheese and salsa. If you want additional protein like bacon, Chorizo or Portuguese sausage, your burrito’s cost will rise to a still very reasonable $5.75. The Chorizo burrito I sampled was fantastic. Everything from the potatoes to the scrambled eggs were freshly made and you can’t beat the flavor. The Pauls know they are up against Subway and other fast food grabs for breakfast and lunch and have priced their offerings accordingly. But the fast food joints cannot compete with the taste and quality of ingredients offered at My Office.
For lunch, the lure of lox was great – glossy salty smoked salmon is such a treat. The lox and bagel sandwich was scrumptious, with the sprouts and cucumber adding a nice touch of delicate greens that enhanced the salt and bread standard. The sandwich cost less than $6.
The quiche is baked in the truck and by Thursday morning they were already out. The Office always has a vegetarian soup as well as a meat soup on the menu, and they are amazing. You might just want to start with the 24oz helping so you can take some home.
The lunch menus includes a nice list of sandwiches and wraps. There’s the Italian sub, turkey, chicken salad, turkey or beef burger, with fries or salad for a side. The salad list is epicurean, with chicken couscous with pine nuts, watercress with tofu and bow tie pasta with feta and artichoke hearts. These are the kind of dishes I want to bring for lunch but don’t want to spend so many hours preparing.
There’s always a dally plate lunch special as well with the protein, salad and starch combo. My Office is also well stocked with fresh baked cookies, hummus, veggies and fruits for snacks. On the horizon the Pauls plan to offer take-home dinners so you can grab something healthy on your way home.
Douglas was a pastry chef at Spago and knows his baking chops. Now he’s turned that into his own business.
“Being your own boss is such an uplifting thing,” he said. “If someone wants a half sandwich, no problem. If someone wants a different kind of salad with their sandwich, no problem. It may cost them extra or less but I don’t have to check with the owner or go beg the cook to do this for me just this once. We just do it!”
My Office
808-280-9201
Park Plaza Building
1300 N. Holopono St.
Kihei, Maui 96753
Monday – Friday 7:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Breakfast served all day; Lunch begins at 11:00 A.M.
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My Office MenuBreakfast items
Bagels-Toasted $1.50
Lox & Bagel-Cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers, onions, cucumbers $5.95
Eggel Bagel: Cream cheese, swiss cheese, ham and fried Egg $5.75
Add: Cream Cheese $1.00, Sprouts $.50, Tomato $.50, Cucumber $.50, Smoked Salmon $2.00, Egg $.75, Meats $2.00
Breakfast Burritos-Basic $3.75 includes 2 scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, fried potatoes, fresh homemade salsa. Add: Bacon, Portuguese sausage, or chorizo $2.00
Maui OMA Coffee SM. $1.50, LRG $2.50, Refill Mug $1.50
MY OFFICE REFILLABLE MUG $12.50
Spam Musubi $1.95
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich $2.25 on Maui Crunch Bread
Fruit Cups & Cottage Cheese $3.50 includes mixed or choice of fruit and 4 oz. cottage cheese.
Assorted Pastries inquire daily of what’s available
Granola and Yogurt $3.50 includes granola topped with sliced almonds and 4 oz. Vanilla yogurt.
Quiche of the Day $4.25 posted daily on board
Side of green salad $2.50
Hard Boiled Eggs $0.75
Whole Fruit $1.25
Homemade Soup
One Vegetarian and One Meat Daily
8 oz. $4.00 16 oz. $8.00 24 oz. $12.00
Posted on the board daily may include: Chicken Tortilla, Thai Beef Stew, Pork Chili Verde, Turkey Chili, Vegetable, Coconut Chicken, Tomato-Basil, Pork and Spinach, Carrot Ginger, Split Pea and Ham, Corn Chowder
Salads & Plates
Chicken Couscous Salad
Cucumber, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, Basil, Green onions, red wine vinegar, olive oil.
$5.00
Watercress Salad
Red onion, tomatoes, mung bean sprouts, cilantro, spun carrot, red cabbage, cucumbers, sesame seeds, Asian dressing $6.75
Add: chicken or tofu $2.00
Cold Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Tossed in basil pesto with feta cheese, grape tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts and toasted pine nuts. $6.75
Daily Special
Will include: protein, vegetable/salad, and starch $12.00
Ready to grab
Hummus and veggies $3.00
Individually wrapped Cookies $2.75
Turkey Chili and Rice SM. $3.25 LRG. $5.75
Fruit Cups $3.00
Candy Bars $1.00
Sandwiches, Wraps and Burgers
Served with small green salad or french fries
Italian Sandwich-Wheat Hoagie roll, hard & Genoa salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, tomato, chopped pepperoncinis, red onion, Italian herb Vinaigrette. $8.25
Turkey Sandwich-Maui Crunch Bread, turkey breast, cranberry-mayo, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, sprouts, red onion. $7.25
Chicken Caesar Wrap-Spinach tortilla, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, caesar dressing. $7.25
Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich-Maui Crunch bread, Craisins, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, red onion, celery. $7.25
The Big Maloney Sandwich-Hoagie roll, BBQ pork, crunchy slaw. $7.25
Beef or Turkey Burger-Maui Onion Bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayonnaise and mustard. $6.75
Add-Cheese $.50, Extra Pepperoncinis $.35, Sprouts $.50, Avocado $.75
Take Home
$4.00-$12.00
Soups
Daily Special Plate
Chips $1.00
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