Niu Life Kitchen opens its first storefront in Wailuku

Chef Sha’anan Fader and his wife Ashley Stewart have opened their first storefront deli for Niu Life Kitchen, presenting their farm to kitchen operation and featuring plant-based foods, including deli lunches and dairy-free, low glycemic desserts, dips, and drinks.

It’s at the Wailuku Promenade’s Food Court at 2050 Main Street.

Fader, the former chef of Maka By Mana in Pāʻia, and Stewart, the daughter of the former owner of Paradise Fruits in Kīhei, have been operating Niu Life Kitchen since 2016, selling food products every Saturday at the Upcountry Farmers Market.

Besides using coconut for yogurts and dips, they replace spinach with lūʻau leaves, creating innovative island foods and popular western and European meals and baked products by putting a local spin on them.

“That’s our specialty, and we do what we can to support our farm,” Stewart said.

A popular item is their Kalo Napoleon, using taro as a substitute. The sweeteners in the desserts are derived from coconut nectar, monk fruit, and xylitol.

The traditional Black Forest Cake has been replaced with their Green Forest variation. They still have a cherry compote but add superfoods like spirulina, moringa, and chlorella into their icing.

“We do quite a bit of special order cakes,” she said.

Fader who worked at a vegan flagship restaurant in New York, uses house-baked sesame focaccia for sandwiches, including Tempeh Katsu and Coconut Teriyaki. He also offers a Loaded Falafel Wrap, a Pesto Pasta Salad, and O.G. Balsamic Tofu Salad.

There’s also a variety of additional desserts, including “Hapacakes,” creampuffs and parfaits — all based with local coconut and kalo.

The Kitchen is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Their website is niulifekitchen.com. For more information, send queries to [email protected] or call 808-242-9424.