In ancient Greece, a philosopher named Epicurus inspired a school of thought that advocated indulgence in sensual pleasures. In this spirit, the culinary team at The Royal Hawaiian, overseen by rising-star executive chef Colin Hazama, has launched Epicurean Journeys, a decadent dining experience in one of Waikiki’s most celebrated hotels. A quarterly affair designed to […]
On Maui’s famous Road to Hana, away from town and cell phone reception, is a culinary gem that’s wowing people from all over the world. It’s a little barbecue shack (or what we would describe as a few tarps thrown over a metal frame) near Mile Marker 10. Next to it is a small parking
“This is the fish of the future,” David Lukela, chef de cuisine of Beachhouse at the Moana, tells me on a sunny Waikiki afternoon. The fish in question is the Hawaiian Kanpachi, a premium member of the amberjack family that has caught the attention of the culinary world. Dubbed by some as “the wonder fish”
In our May/June issue of HAWAII Magazine, we asked members of our social media audience what their dream trip to Hawaii would be, and then helped plan it out. “I want to go on a culinary trip to every island: Tasting the local flavors from the basic food trucks to Michelin-rated restaurants.” -Jennifer Vick Cox,
On Maui’s Road to Hana, there’s a phenomenon that is just as memorable as the hundreds of switchbacks and one-lane bridges. We’re talking about banana bread. On Maui, banana bread is serious business. It’s usually made with the local apple bananas that grow abundantly in Maui’s tropical weather and generous rainfall, but you’ll also find
*Editor’s note: Koa Table has closed as of April 2018. Philip “Ippy” Aiona was raised in a foodie household. His Hawaiian father had a local plate lunch joint in Waimea and his mother had an Italian restaurant in Waikoloa. It was common to find a young Aiona doing homework at an empty table in
*This story was updated in January 2026. Drive some of Hawaiʻi’s main thoroughfares and you might notice a curious thing: The presence of restaurants declaring themselves “drive-ins,” although that is clearly not the case. An idea popularized in the 1950s across America and recreated in the Islands with local-style plate lunches, loco moco and saimin,
Ahhh. Lounging poolside while sipping a tropical cocktail. That’s pretty much the quintessential vacation moment of bliss, and it’s been true for generations of relaxation-seekers. At the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, for example, one of the Starwood Hotel & Resorts in Hawaii, drinks have been flowing since the hotel originally opened, back on King Kamehameha Day,
Mead, a honey wine considered the oldest alcoholic beverage in recorded history, is as versatile in style and flavor as beer or wine. In its simplest form, mead is fermented with honey, water and yeast, but Nani Moon Meadery in Kapaa, Kauai, puts a unique Hawaii spin on the traditional recipe. Hawaii’s only meadery, Nani
1. Hotel Wailea, Kihei, Maui The Cabanas’ Ginger Mojito, served in an eco-friendly cup poolside, is incredible. Photo: Tracy Chan Clink cocktail glasses 300 feet above sea level at the renovated Hotel Wailea, a gorgeous, adults-only boutique getaway with a serene poolside where you’ll find The Cabanas, an orchard-to-glass apothecary bar so remote that visitors
Since its massive renovation in 2016, the International Market Place, which dominates the center of Waikiki, has a totally new face. Change isn’t all bad, though. In place of the old food court, we got the third-floor Grand Lanai, a world-class collection of restaurants by some of the most esteemed names in the culinary biz,
Inside a tiny, cream-colored shanty shrouded by coconut trees, vegan chef Hollan Hamid cooks up delights that are sweet and savory. On a floor of crushed sea glass in the backyard garden, diners feast on Hamid’s delicious, plant-based creations—lilikoi (passion fruit) cake or blackened tofu over sautéed kale and mustard-cape—surrounded by green vines and banana
