It’s not quite lunchtime and there’s already a line forming outside a small window on Mokauea Street in the industrial part of Kalihi. And no one here needs a menu. The loyal customers of Alicia’s Market, a former grocery store that started serving poke when it opened in 1949, know exactly what they want, whether […]
When ESPACIO opened in Waikīkī in September 2019, it was lauded as the most indulgent luxe hotel on Oʻahu—arguably the state. The hotel features just nine three-bedroom suites sprawling over 2,250 square feet each with ocean-view balconies equipped with Jacuzzis and personal butlers. Rooms start at $5,000 a night, which includes two 50-minute spa treatments and
Starchy and addicting. That’s how I describe poi and kūlolo, two Hawaiian staple dishes made from kalo (taro). Poi, which is made from a mixture of cooked kalo and water, starts off sweet and sours as it ferments. It also has a starchy taste and a puddling-like texture. Depending on where you get it from,
This year may just be the year of peak poke. As far east as New York City, you’ll find hip restaurants and lunch counters slinging bowls of the seasoned cubed fish, piled high with every topping under the sun, from boiled soybeans to crunchy puffed rice. More often than not, these teeming bowls are starkly
It’s not a beach day without something to snack on. And you can’t just bring any snack, either. Nothing that melts or spoils—so chocolate-covered mac nuts and poke bowls are out. Here are our picks for grab-and-go snacks that are sure to satisfy—and will last an entire day at the beach. Coconut Chips, Foodland
A decade ago, Watermark Publishing, our magazine’s sister company, published a book that became the go-to resource to understanding Hawai’i’s unique culinary history. And I loved it because it was filled with Island-style recipes! But “Kau Kau: Cuisine and Culture in the Hawaiian Islands” by Hilo-based writer Arnold Hiura had been out of print for years—until
What started as a Sunday-only pop-up in Hanalei, Kaua‘i, is now a full-fledged food truck operation that offers locally harvested taro doughnuts and plant-based beverages made to order. “The creation of the idea is something that we have been developing over the past four years together,” says Nile Dreiling, who owns Holey Grail Donuts with
(Editor’s Note: This story was published in our Summer 2020 issue. Currently, as of Aug. 27, all of these restaurants have had to close dine-in services and many are only doing take-out or delivery. Some may have temporarily closed. Use this as a resource for your next trip to the Islands.) If breakfast is
Vote now in our 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards! Tell us which beaches, hiking trails, lūʻau, hotels, food trucks and surf spots are your favorites! The results will be printed in our March/April 2021 issue! People may argue about who’s got the best loco moco. But one thing is rarely disputed: the origin of the
If you’ve never had a vegan poke bowl before, get one from Raised by the Waves. Trust us, you won’t miss the fish when you get your hands on this bowl of organic brown rice, cube beets, spicy vegan mayo, cucumber slices, green onion and seaweed flakes. Located in the Kahuku Sugar Mill, behind Seven
It’s notoriously windy in North Kohala. Trade winds reliably blast Hawai‘i Island’s northern coast and the smoothed hump of its oldest volcano. It’s morning as I step out of an air-conditioned tour vehicle onto the dusty landscape. Tucked behind a row of windmills, on a 40-acre plot, leafy stems tower above me, shaking in the wind.
On Hawai‘i Island, wooden totems greet you at the entrance to Don’s Mai Tai Bar, the largest open-air oceanfront watering hole in Kona. These tall, carved columns look out over the ocean, just a few feet away from the circular main bar made of wood and stone. Above your head is a thatched grass roof and
