How does Hawaii like its mochi? Let us count the ways. No matter which culture these tasty tidbits are from, they’re made from sugar, rice and everything nice, and we’re into that. Here are some places on Oahu to get your local-style, Korean, Chinese, Japanese or Filipino mochi fix. Modern Colorful vegan options from Peace […]
The Road to Hana is a long and arduous journey, packed with twists and turns and plenty of stops. Around the 10-mile marker, when the waterfall hikes have got you feeling tired and hungry, take a break from the road and turn into the Garden of Eden. Here, you’ll find the Garden Café, a bright
Satisfy your craving with a slice—or two—of delicious homemade pie from one of these classic Hawaii bakeries. Oahu: Ted’s Bakery If you’ve ever been to Ted’s Bakery, you’ll know why our mouths are watering. Photo: Michael Ocampo/Flickr When we think of pie on Oahu one place immediately comes to mind: Ted’s Bakery. Open since 1987
A visit to these Islands isn’t complete without a stop at one of these hole-in-the-wall restaurants that every local swears by. OʻAHU Ethel’s Grill, a cramped 20-seat eatery on the ground floor of a walk-up apartment building, is one of Honolulu’s best hole-in-the-wall spots. It’s an ode to sumo wrestling—photos of wrestlers cover the walls—that
*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,
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
The view is so extraordinary you can’t take your eyes off it. Walking into St. Regis Princeville’s restaurant Makana Terrace, I’m immediately stunned by the panoramic views of the gorgeous, green Hanalei Mountains, named Hihimanu, Namolokama and Mamalahoa, with thousand-foot-high waterfalls flowing down their sides. It’s a view that can only be described as absolutely
Hawaii definitely has its own way of doing fast food. Being on-the-go doesn’t mean sacrificing local flavors as these establishments prove. Local breakfast platter from McDonald’s Breakfast platter from a McDonalds in Hawaii. Photo: _Weidz/Flickr Do you ever wake up in the morning craving rice, meat and eggs? Because Hawaii people sure do. Every McDonald’s
Helena’s Hawaiian Food doesn’t open for another hour, but the kitchen, at 9 a.m., is already bustling with activity. Just beneath 250 pounds of its famous pipikaula (salted dried beef), hanging in long strips above the stoves, a pair of chefs stir massive aluminum stockpots filled with bubbling beef stew, squid lū‘au, chicken long rice
Not all that long ago, in a city far, far away (from Honolulu), there were many people who swore Hilo had the best okazuya in Hawaii. So what if most of those people lived in Hilo? It was true. The breed of take-out lunch shop known as okazuya—a Hawaii-born amalgam of the Japanese words “okazu”
I can’t remember a time when I’ve visited Kauai and someone—a coworker, a neighbor, my mom—didn’t ask me to bring back a brick of kulolo. You can find kulolo—a Hawaiian dessert staple made from mashed kalo (taro), coconut milk, sugar and little else—for sale on just about every Hawaiian Island. Most local grocery stores sell variants of
“If you drive too fast, you’ll miss it.” That was the sage, if succinct, advice I received from a friend several years ago when I mentioned I was headed to the small farming town of Hanapepe on Kauai’s south shore. She was describing a worn-down, faded green cottage on the biggest bend of the town’s
