Maui Wowie 2012- Geste Shrimp

After seeing my local colleagues' eyes light up at the casual mention of Geste Shrimp, I knew I had to make a stop there for lunch. They also had pretty high reviews for a shrimp truck on Yelp. Had to check what the hype was all about.

Located on Kahului Beach Road right in front of the water, Geste Shrimp and a few other lunch trucks line up every day around 11am to serve up their specialties. Choose from plate lunches like Chicken Hekka, Chow Fun, BBQ Plates and even sweets such as Poi Mochi. Once the lunch hour strikes, construction workers in neon green shirts and tourists alike pull up to pick up their lunch. Just remember, there are no tables or chairs and it may take awhile for you to get your lunch. Most of these trucks are a one-person show, plus everything is made upon ordering, so if you are in a rush, this isn't for you! Some trucks (like Geste Shrimp) offer the option of calling ahead to put in your order, and then when you arrive, you can quickly grab 'n go.

Verdict of Geste Shrimp? I'm a shrimp-lover, and a garlic shrimp one at that! Dad asked me, while I was chomping away, if I thought Geste Shrimp was better than the shrimp trucks that line Kahuku on our North Shore. I didn't say much, because it was pretty similar. The Hawaiian Scampi sauce at Geste was more red in color, but the garlic butter sauce tasted the same. The only difference I could pinpoint was how much larger the shrimp were! Juicy, robust and chunky morsels of shrimp. Much bigger than the ones seen in the plate lunches at Giovanni's, Romy's or Fumi's. Prices were actually better here too- $12 for 12 shrimp. I think on Oahu's North Shore, shrimp plates go for $12 for 11 shrimp. BOOOOO.

Next time, I'd probably try their Spicy Pineapple Shrimp, which I heard is extra popular! Also on the menu is their Combo Plate, which comes with a mix of shrimp and sliced jumbo hotdog. That's something Oahu doesn't have! Did I also mention they serve Crab Mac Salad with their plates? Pretty tasty and extra unique. I give them that!

Much smaller than I imagined. Their sign said POI MOCHI MALASADAS, so I was expecting the same size as a malasada (tennis ball size), but instead got bit-size pieces of crispy fried mochi. Not bad- all were tasty, but my favorite had to be the Poi Mochi or their Banana-flavored one. Reminded me of Banana Lumpia!!

Inside of the Poi Mochi