Moorea – Tahiti Food Tour (Post #18)

We met Heimata outside the port gate at 8:30 am.

There would be a total of 8 people on the tour, and we were the first guests Heimata picked up.  Heimata headed east and stopped at the Hilton, Manava Beach Resort, and finally the Sofitel picking up one couple at each resort.  Once our van was full, we headed off to our first stop – the Ferry Landing Terminal.

Along the way, we learned that Heimata was born and raised in Moorea and worked in the family pearl business while growing up.  Heimata went to college in California and then moved to Hawaii to study at the Pacific Culinary Institute in Honolulu.

The three other couples on the tour were from Michigan, New Jersey, and France.

Before we sampled our first dish, Heimata explained what we would be seeing today and a little history of the island and the tour.  He would be taking us to places that we would probably never find on our own but represent some hidden food gems on Moorea.

A few fun facts:

– 35 to 40% of Moorea residents commute daily to Papeete by ferry for work.

– There is no grade 11 or 12 on Moorea so everyone in those grades commutes to Papeete.

The Ferry Terminal is home to the ferries to Papeete and we headed to the fruit stand at one end where Heimata ordered a bowl of fresh Mangos and Pineapples.  The Mangos were sweet and crunchy and coated with a red plum powder.  There aren’t any tables or chairs here and we enjoyed the food standing.

We continued our tour in the van, moving counterclockwise around the island.

Not every stop was at a restaurant.  Our second stop was at the Toatea Lookout where we sampled some Banana Beignets (aka Banana Fritters) from a roadside vendor.  A Crunchy crust covered a soft center, and we enjoyed the Beignets along with the view.

Our third stop at the Golden Lake Restaurant would prove to be the most interesting and unique.  The Golden Lake Restaurant is hidden behind a fence covered with palm trees and you may miss it if you are driving by and not paying close attention.

While we waited at picnic tables next to the restaurant, Heimata ordered a tray full of Chow Mein Sandwiches.  These sandwiches were invented by Chinese immigrants to Polynesia and have also found a following in the USA in the southeastern corner of Massachusetts.

A Chow Mein sandwich is as simple as it sounds.  A helping of Chow Mein inside a fresh sandwich roll.  Not a low-carb lunch, but they sure are good!

The Moz Café was our fourth stop and is above the Banque de Polynesie.  It’s not obvious there is a restaurant on the second floor.  This is the value of this tour as you would never find these places if you were simply wandering around on your own.

Shortly after we sat down at a long table, we were each served a small plate with three items:

• Poisson Cru, like ceviche
• Crispy Wonton with Tuna Tartar
• Banana & Pumpkin Poe – made with tapioca pudding and coconut milk

We enjoyed our food here for about 15 minutes before heading back out to the street.  We had a little free time to explore the Maharepa Grocery across the street and went looking for some more Tim Tams and the Red Prune Powder we enjoyed on the fruit at our first stop.  The trick is to hide the Tim Tams away onboard so you don’t eat them all on the first day.

Our next stop (#4) was another roadside viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay where we sampled small rice balls with chicken inside called Boulettes, and Rambutan, a red spiky fruit common throughout the Asia Pacific region.  Off in the distance, we could see Mouaputa, a sharp peak with a profile of a woman looking at the sky with a hole toward the top.

French Polynesia is not known for its pizza, but our fifth stop was Allo Pizza.  This is easily spotted from the road and has pizzas available for eating in or carrying out.  Our pizza was topped with pineapple, and tuna and covered with cream cheese over a thin chewy crust.  Although not a combination often found in the USA, it was delicious and highly recommended.

Up to now, all the stops were not places that you would likely visit as a cruise ship passenger.  Our 6^th stop was Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea, a juice factory that sells fresh juices and a variety of alcoholic beverages.  Most cruise ship tours will probably work in a stop here as they offer free samples and can accommodate large groups of passengers simultaneously.

When you first enter, you will head back to the bar where they will offer you shot glass size samples of their Tahiti Drink (pineapple, passion, and orange juice with vanilla and cane spirits added), Pineapple & Coconut Liqueur, and finally Pineapple Rum.  After your tasting, you will have a chance to browse the shop that sells a variety of souvenirs in addition to their beverages.

Our 7^th and final stop was at The Tropical Garden a vanilla farm and restaurant that is well off the beaten path at the end of a bumpy, half-lane paved road up the side of the hill.  The restaurant has a spectacular view of Ōpūnohu Bay and the Zuiderdam at anchor.

Here we sampled Guava, Banana Crepe with tapioca flour, and a variety of jams spread on coconut bread, followed by some fresh fruit sorbets.  Judy had lime sorbet and I had pineapple – they were both very good.

There is also a shop here that sells pareos and vanilla.

At 1:30 PM, 5 hours after we started, we returned to the tender pier and said our goodbyes to Heimata and our fellow travelers.  We took one final walk through the local craft market before heading back to the Zuiderdam.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing in our cabin and getting a quick dinner in the Lido.  The ship got underway around 5 PM and headed over to Papeete arriving around 9 PM.

We stayed on the ship, and I went to the World Stage to see the Tahiti Cultural Show that started at 10 PM.

After several days in a row of early starts, we planned to sleep in tomorrow and explore Papeete in the afternoon.