The photograph above shows a free diver just out of the ocean. In his left hand he carries his catch, an assortment of tropical reef fish. In his right hand, his spear. The setting sun forms a glorious background and the diver, still wet from the ocean (and surely hired by some agency for the day), smiles into the camera for the perfect PR shot.

Except the diver isn’t a model, and the shot wasn’t staged at a photo shoot. The free diver is the chef at Mama’s Fish House, and his catch represents a sampling of reef fish found around the island —and on lucky diners’ plates. Perry Bateman spends much of his time in the kitchen at Mama’s, where for the past 17 years he has created some outstanding fish dishes. The rest of the time you may just find him in the ocean, free diving amongst the fish.

It’s one of the small things that make a trip to Mama’s Fish House such an extraordinary experience.

Opened in 1973, the beachfront "house," which really is a converted beach house, has managed to retain all of the essence of old Hawai‘i. From tapa print tablecloths to koa wood furnishings and fresh tropical flowers in each room, a visit to the restaurant is like taking a step back in time—except as far as the food’s concerned.

"The menu has changed since the early days," says owner Karen Christenson, "largely because today there are so many products available from our farmers—and we like to use what we can on the menu." Restaurants on Maui have always been fortunate. Local farmers and fishermen have a relationship with chefs that is unique. Fishermen call Mama’s from their boats as they’re pulling in their catch. "We get calls every day from our fishermen," says Karen. "There’s a boat ramp near the restaurant where they pull up and bring the fish over." That means, of course, that the fish on your plate at either lunch or dinner may have been in the ocean just hours ago. In Hawai‘i, that’s really something special, because the very nature of some of the more exotic fish means that their flavor deteriorates more quickly than larger, more robust species. Getting the fish right from the ocean, without even a trip to the auction house, adds hours—sometimes days—of freshness.

But Mama’s has always been a little different.

In the 1960’s, founders Doris and Floyd Christenson sailed with their two children, Keith and Karen, around the Polynesian islands, stopping where they could, (some islands are almost inaccessible except by sailing boat) and learning from the islanders as they went. "Mama Doris" learned to cook island style, by watching Polynesian women cook up feasts for their families.

When it was time for the kids to go to school, the family sailed to Maui, docked boat and opened up the beach house.

"In the beginning we were sustained entirely by local people," says Karen. "My parents basically opened a restaurant in the middle of nowhere in the days when people didn’t venture out from their hotel rooms." And in the days when dinner in a restaurant usually meant a big steak with baked potatoes or fries, not a healthy plate of freshly caught fish. But when you have something great going on, it’s amazing how hard it is to keep it secret, and within a couple of years, kama‘aiana (local people) were recommending Mama’s to tourists who began to venture from their hotels to try a taste of local Hawai‘i.

Today, visitors to the island make up about 75% of Mama’s clientele—many of them guests who return year after year to relish an atmosphere that rarely changes.

While the restaurant, with its intimate rooms and glorious views of the ocean, has remained in essence the same since opening, the menu has changed considerably.

"So much has become available to us locally," says Karen, "and we use local farmers, as well as our fishermen, whenever we can." What makes dining at Mama’s different is that there’s never any doubt where dinner came from. The menu boasts not only daily fish specials, but the catch and where it was found. Sometimes you’ll even know the method by which it was fished from the sea. "Ono caught by Richard Dorzab, trolling on the Papa Joe, served in Hana ginger teriyaki sauce with macadamia nuts and crispy Maui onions," for example.

Or perhaps you’d prefer "uku caught by Shawn Conners bottom fishing near Kaho‘olawe." Or how about some hours old "mahi mahi caught by Alan Cadiz along the North Shore of Maui." Even the wait staff gets in on the act. A few weeks ago, one of the daily specials read "deep-water ahi caught by our own fisherman/waiter, Eric Stoneman."

One of the most popular dishes at Mama’s, and one you should try when you visit, is the Pua Me Hua Hana—in the style of Old Hawai‘i. It’s a simple enough dish of freshly sautéed mahi mahi with coconut milk and slow cooked kälua pig, served with grilled banana, Moloka‘i sweet potato, lomi lomi salmon, poi, island fruit and a fresh coconut. Seems like a complicated list of ingredients if you live in Tennessee or Washington, but it’s a relatively easy dish if you live on Maui with access to all the fresh fruit and fish you need. It’s one of the recipes Mama Doris learned years ago from her Polynesian teachers, and one that represents much of what the restaurant is all about. The dish is like a lü‘au on a plate. Add a glorious sunset, a couple of Mai Tai’s and the roar of the ocean—and you’ve found a true taste of Hawai‘i.

Oh, and while you’re enjoying the view of the ocean, keep a look out for Perry—you never know when he’s going to surface from the sea, fresh catch in hand for dinner.

Shrimp Wontons with Macadamia Nut Dipping Sauce

15 Servings

Ingredients:

30 shelled Shrimp (16-20’s is a perfect size) cleaned and butterflied

30 Wonton Wrappers (Azumaya brand 3" size square)

The Macadamia nut dipping sauce Ingredients:

1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

½ cup Water

2½ cups Sugar

2 Tbsp. Minced Ginger

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

2 tsp. Chile Garlic Sauce

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for two to three minutes, turn off heat and let cool. Add:

4 Tbsp. Diced Red Bell Pepper

4 Tbsp. Diced Maui Onion

4 Tbsp. Diced roasted macadamia nuts

2 Tbsp. Fresh chopped cilantro

2 Tbsp. Fresh chopped basil

2 Tbsp. Fresh chopped mint

Lay the clean and butterflied shrimp in the middle of the wonton pastry with the tail laying outside the corner. Fold over the left and right corners then moisten the last corner with water and egg wash, then fold. Turn over the shrimp wonton so the seal is face down on a dry area. Continue with the rest until finished, then chill. Pre-heat oil at 325 degrees in a heavy skillet. Cook shrimp wonton until nice and golden. Serve with dip.