Humuhumunukunukuapua’a Is Actually the Name of a Restaurant

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a restaurant in Maui. Photo credit: Grand Wailea resort.

Humuhumunukunukuapua’a.

That’s nine u’s, separated by a mixture of consonants, ending with a couple a’s.

It’s the name of Hawaii’s state fish, a type of reef triggerfish that, while edible, is so beautiful that fishermen tend to leave it untouched. Humuhumunukunukuapua’a also the name of a restaurant in Maui’s luxurious Grand Wailea resort. Why the powers that be (or powers that were) chose the name when they opened the restaurant 23 years ago isn’t exactly clear, but Anthony Torres, the hotel’s current food and beverage director, thinks it was a smart decision.

"It’s fun and it creates a talking point and people love to take pictures under the sign with the full name," he told us. "People remember it."

Whether patrons can actually pronounce Humuhumunukunukuapua’a is another story. “Everybody tries, but they don’t usually go the whole way,” said Torres. “They’ll say, ‘We want to go to go to your restaurant … it’s hu … humu… hu … and right away the dining desk will say, ‘Oh you’d like to make a reservation at Humuhumunukunukuapua’a?,’ And the guests will get a quick chuckle out of it.”

"There are usually adults who have had quite a few adult beverages who keep trying to say it."

Hotel employees use the shorthand “Humu” amongst themselves, but they must use the full the 21-letter word when speaking with hotel guests and restaurant diners. "The entire team can say it," said Torres. "They may all sound a little different, but they can do it."

So can you. “If you look at the word, you see “humu-humu” and then “nuku-nuku,” says Torres. “As with most Hawaiian words, you’ll find the breaks and you’ll find the rhythm with it: Humu-humu-nuku-nuku-a-pu-a-‘a.”