Moorea Food Tour

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We enjoyed this food tour very much

Moorea – Tahiti Food Tour (Post #17) By The Inside Cabin on May 01, 2022 02:42 pm Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 South Pacific Cruise   Moorea – Pineapple Pizza and Chow Mein Sandwiches.   Our tour group enjoyed the view of the Zuiderdam anchored in Ōpūnohu Bay at our final stop. Cruise Map Itinerary, Menus, When & Where and Featured Entertainer Cruise Reference We love food tours and cooking classes.  These are our first choice for something to do in almost every port.  Here’s why: Food tours are usually small groups – usually less than 12 people Tour format facilitates discussion among guests and guide Discover restaurants and food you might miss otherwise While named for the neighboring island, the Tahiti Food Tour takes place on Moorea.  Later, we learned that the owner, Heimata Hall, was ready to expand to Tahiti and Moorea, but when COVID stopped all tourism, he was forced to consolidate on Moorea where he grew up and lives today.  Arranging the tour was easy via email.  Heimata responded within 24 hours. HERE is a link to his home page where you can book a tour on your next visit.  The maximum number of guests is 8. NOTE:  Most tour guides outside the USA use What’s App, instead of SMS Text or I-messages.  Using What’s App requires Wi-Fi or a data plan and you need to download the APP before you leave for the cruise.  It’s also helpful to get used to using it at home before you use it for the first time on a cruise. Moorea is a tender port and despite what it may say on your itinerary, you will anchor in Ōpūnohu Bay, not Cook’s Bay, and tender into what’s labeled as the “Tender Dock for Paul Gauguin” on Google maps. A close up satellite view of the area around the tender landing in Moorea  Our meeting time was 8:30 am so we needed to be on one of the first tenders.  The tender landing area on Moorea has a pier, a covered craft market area, and a large parking lot for tour operators.  Many of the private tour operators including the HAL tours will have their vehicles in this close parking lot.  Tahiti Food Tours doesn’t do enough cruise ship business to justify the steep cost of buying access to the closer parking lot.  This means that they will meet you outside the port gate as shown here.  It’s not much further than the parking lot, and it’s easy to find.  Make sure you understand the difference when booking a private tour. On arrival at the tender landing, you will find greeters passing out flowers along with a musical group playing local songs.  It’s worthwhile getting ashore a little early to give yourself time to peruse the craft market before it gets busier later in the day.   Friendly greeters passed out flowers on our arrival in Moorea       Local musicians played during our arrival     Inside the Artisan market next to the Moorea tender landing You will usually find a few tour operators offering last-minute excursions outside the covered craft area and before the parking lot. We met Heimata outside the port gate at 8:30 am. Here is where Heimata met us with his van outside the tender landing 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.   Heimata explained what we would see on today’s tour Here are the locations of our 8 food tour stops   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.   The fruit stand is attached to the ferry terminal and sells a variety of fresh fruit We enjoyed mango and pineapple, sprinkled with red plum powder at our first stop   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.   Toatea Viewpoint The view from Toatea viewpoint on Moorea The Banana Beignets were crisp and tasty, with a soft center   Our third stop at the Golden Lake Restaurantwould 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. The Golden Lake restaurant is hidden behind some palm trees. They serve Chow Mein sandwiches and a variety of other snacks 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. Chow Mein Sandwich from the Golden Lake Restaraunt 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.   The Moz Cafe is on second floor of this building Here are the steps leading to the Moz Cafe   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 Poisson Cru, Crispy Wonton, and Banana & Pumpkin Poe 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. Maharepa Grocery sells Tim Tams and the Red Plum powder they used on the fruit at our first stop 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.   We enjoyed these Rice and Chicken Boulettes during our stop overlooking Pao Pao Bay We sampled a Rambutan at the viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay Mouaputa, meaning “pierced mountain” in Tahitian, literally has a hole in it   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.   Allo Pizza serves a wide variety of delicious pizzas Alla is the proprietor at Allo Pizza Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza   Up to now, all the stops were not places that you would likely visit as a cruise ship passenger.  Our 6th 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. Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea 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.   Pete and Judy at the bar inside Manutea Tahiti Pete outside the Manutea retail shop and bar   Our 7th and final stop was at The Tropical Gardena 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. The Zuiderdam in Ōpūnohu Bay 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.   Heimata summarized our day at the Tropical Garden, our final stop We enjoyed fresh guava, banana crepes, and coconut bread at the Tropical Garden, our final stop Our final stop included our choice of sorbets from the Tropical Garden   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.

[57redbird]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We enjoyed this food tour very much

Moorea – Tahiti Food Tour (Post #17) By The Inside Cabin on May 01, 2022 02:42 pm Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 South Pacific Cruise   Moorea – Pineapple Pizza and Chow Mein Sandwiches.   Our tour group enjoyed the view of the Zuiderdam anchored in Ōpūnohu Bay at our final stop. Cruise Map Itinerary, Menus, When & Where and Featured Entertainer Cruise Reference We love food tours and cooking classes.  These are our first choice for something to do in almost every port.  Here’s why: Food tours are usually small groups – usually less than 12 people Tour format facilitates discussion among guests and guide Discover restaurants and food you might miss otherwise While named for the neighboring island, the Tahiti Food Tour takes place on Moorea.  Later, we learned that the owner, Heimata Hall, was ready to expand to Tahiti and Moorea, but when COVID stopped all tourism, he was forced to consolidate on Moorea where he grew up and lives today.  Arranging the tour was easy via email.  Heimata responded within 24 hours. HERE is a link to his home page where you can book a tour on your next visit.  The maximum number of guests is 8. NOTE:  Most tour guides outside the USA use What’s App, instead of SMS Text or I-messages.  Using What’s App requires Wi-Fi or a data plan and you need to download the APP before you leave for the cruise.  It’s also helpful to get used to using it at home before you use it for the first time on a cruise. Moorea is a tender port and despite what it may say on your itinerary, you will anchor in Ōpūnohu Bay, not Cook’s Bay, and tender into what’s labeled as the “Tender Dock for Paul Gauguin” on Google maps. A close up satellite view of the area around the tender landing in Moorea  Our meeting time was 8:30 am so we needed to be on one of the first tenders.  The tender landing area on Moorea has a pier, a covered craft market area, and a large parking lot for tour operators.  Many of the private tour operators including the HAL tours will have their vehicles in this close parking lot.  Tahiti Food Tours doesn’t do enough cruise ship business to justify the steep cost of buying access to the closer parking lot.  This means that they will meet you outside the port gate as shown here.  It’s not much further than the parking lot, and it’s easy to find.  Make sure you understand the difference when booking a private tour. On arrival at the tender landing, you will find greeters passing out flowers along with a musical group playing local songs.  It’s worthwhile getting ashore a little early to give yourself time to peruse the craft market before it gets busier later in the day.   Friendly greeters passed out flowers on our arrival in Moorea       Local musicians played during our arrival     Inside the Artisan market next to the Moorea tender landing You will usually find a few tour operators offering last-minute excursions outside the covered craft area and before the parking lot. We met Heimata outside the port gate at 8:30 am. Here is where Heimata met us with his van outside the tender landing 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.   Heimata explained what we would see on today’s tour Here are the locations of our 8 food tour stops   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.   The fruit stand is attached to the ferry terminal and sells a variety of fresh fruit We enjoyed mango and pineapple, sprinkled with red plum powder at our first stop   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.   Toatea Viewpoint The view from Toatea viewpoint on Moorea The Banana Beignets were crisp and tasty, with a soft center   Our third stop at the Golden Lake Restaurantwould 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. The Golden Lake restaurant is hidden behind some palm trees. They serve Chow Mein sandwiches and a variety of other snacks 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. Chow Mein Sandwich from the Golden Lake Restaraunt 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.   The Moz Cafe is on second floor of this building Here are the steps leading to the Moz Cafe   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 Poisson Cru, Crispy Wonton, and Banana & Pumpkin Poe 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. Maharepa Grocery sells Tim Tams and the Red Plum powder they used on the fruit at our first stop 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.   We enjoyed these Rice and Chicken Boulettes during our stop overlooking Pao Pao Bay We sampled a Rambutan at the viewpoint overlooking Pao Pao Bay Mouaputa, meaning “pierced mountain” in Tahitian, literally has a hole in it   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.   Allo Pizza serves a wide variety of delicious pizzas Alla is the proprietor at Allo Pizza Tuna, cream, and pineapple pizza   Up to now, all the stops were not places that you would likely visit as a cruise ship passenger.  Our 6th 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. Manutea Tahiti – Jus de Fruits de Moorea 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.   Pete and Judy at the bar inside Manutea Tahiti Pete outside the Manutea retail shop and bar   Our 7th and final stop was at The Tropical Gardena 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. The Zuiderdam in Ōpūnohu Bay 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.   Heimata summarized our day at the Tropical Garden, our final stop We enjoyed fresh guava, banana crepes, and coconut bread at the Tropical Garden, our final stop Our final stop included our choice of sorbets from the Tropical Garden   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.

Thanks for this!  We've already got it booked.