On your Maui resort vacation, you'll definitely want to bring along your appetite. That's because dining will be one of the high points of your stay. From snack bars dishing out Hawaiian-style shave ice to exquisite restaurants serving innovative island cuisine prepared by some of the country's most respected chefs, variety describes your dining choices on Maui.

Hawaii regional cuisine. Maui is the birthplace of this exciting culinary style that blends the freshest local ingredients with the flavors of Asia and Europe, served in an elegant and decorative style. Local food combines Hawaiian, American, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and several other types.

Island fish and seafood. Nearly every restaurant on Maui serves fish, including Ahi tuna, lobster, mahimahi, marlin, monchong, onaga, ono, opah, 'opakapaka, 'opihi, poke and shutome.

Pacific Rim. This contemporary cuisine represents a fusion of American, Asian and Hawaiian.

Luaus. Celebrate the food and culture of the South Seas in a beachfront setting. These giant outdoor Hawaiian parties offer live entertainment and buffets featuring a variety of dishes, which might include:

• Chicken luau (chicken cooked in coconut milk and taro leaves)
• Hapia (coconut custard)
• Kalua pig (pig cooked underground, then shredded and mixed with Hawaiian sea salt)
• Laulau (pork, beef or fish wrapped in taro leaves and steamed)
• Lomi salmon (chilled salad of raw, salted salmon, tomatoes and onions)
• Poi (steamed taro root pounded into paste and eaten with kalua pig or fish)

Other island food. During your Maui resort vacation, you must try apple bananas (smaller, denser and smoother than regular bananas), barbecue sticks (teriyaki-marinated pork, chicken or beef pieces barbecued and served on bamboo sticks), Bento (Japanese lunch box), breadfruit (melon-sized fruit served baked, deep fried, steamed or boiled), crackseed (Chinese-style, spicy preserved fruits and seeds) and guava (tart fruit prepared with lots of sugar).

American. Even all-American dishes like hamburger and pizza taste better on Maui.