My new bride insisted we go to the Plantation House for a post-wedding celebration dinner since she had had a good experience there years ago. Unfortunately, I got the feeling that the chef or whoever oversees the kitchen either doesn't care, has gotten lazy or has been given pressure by new, corporate owners to cut cost wherever possible. The scallops in the appetizer were badly overcooked. My steak was cooked to the requested temperature, but it was a sad, dry little fillet. I realize that a restaurant in the middle of the ocean may have to get beef from far away, but, if it is possible to get fresh Sushi from around the globe, then certainly getting quality beef is possible. If it isn't possible, they shouldn't serve it -- or at least shouldn't charge nearly twice what a decent steak at a great restaurant on the mainland would charge for it. Frankly, the beef they served me was unfit for anything but Sizzler. By the time dessert menu came around, I asked about the ""chocolate sauce"" on one of the selections and joked that, based on the quality of the food up to that point, it was probably Hershey's syrup. I was appalled, but not entirely surprised, to find out I was right. What self-respecting chef would allow Hershey's syrup in his kitchen -- even for use in great Maui coffee? I don't know if there was an actual business decision to leverage the good reputation of the restaurant to make it in to a complete tourist trap, but it appears to me this is exactly what has happened. I realize most people don't know the difference between excellent food and garbage (or else places like Outback or Olive Garden couldn't thrive) and that a nice view is all they need to be happy. I do know the difference. I'm fat and broke for a reason. When I pay fine dining prices for a meal, I expect the quality of the food to reflect the cost or at least to come somewhere close. In this case, the Plantation House wasn't even in the ballpark. And that makes me really mad.
Pros: Beautiful view of ocean and world class golf course
Cons: Pay for fine dining, but get much, much less
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