There’s a difference between local food (loco moco, chicken katsu, saimin) and actual Hawaiian food. If you’re craving the more traditional stuff, stop at these reader-endorsed restaurants to get your poi, laulau, kalua pig, poke, squid luau, pipi kaula and haupia fix. 1. Helena’s Hawaiian Food The James Beard Award-winning Helena’s is one of those […]
(Editor’s Note: As of 2022, Lucy’s Lab Creamery is permanently closed.) While the Islands are known for warm weather, especially in the summer, the past few weeks on Oahu have been stickier than usual, with temperatures reaching up into the 90s. As we wait for our beloved trade winds to return, cruise over to
A couple of years ago, a bright-purple yam from the Philippines was all the Instagram rage. Ube (pronounced oo-bae) is traditionally used to create a gorgeous pudding dessert (called ube halaya). Today, though, it has become the base flavor for artisanal desserts—from doughtnuts to cheesecakes to ice cream. It has a creamy, subtly sweet flavor—one chef
I got the last cranberry cream cheese scones, and I actually felt horrible about it. The couple at the table next to me started sneaking looks at my plate, crowded with four hefty cranberry-studded disks, shimmering with a sugary glaze. I overheard that they were hoping to snag one—or two—before they left. They had met
There are only three Hawaii restaurants on Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. list in 2019—and Alii Coffee is the only Island-based coffee shop. (The other two: Porky’s Kauai, a food truck, at No. 11 and Kahuku Farms, a roadside stand, at No. 63.) So we had to find out why. One
Growing up on Oahu, there are few places that I would frequent as a kid that are still around. There’s no more Castle Park in Pearl City, Kanda Lunchwagon at Kewalo Basin is closed, and I’ll never see a movie again in a theater in Waikiki. But a favorite restaurant of mine growing up was
It’s not every day that you want to splurge on the best restaurant you can find. For those busy days, casual lunches or when you only have enough time and money to grab and go, we’ve got you covered. The HAWAII staff put our heads together and came up with this list of affordable and quick
Locally owned and operated since 1948, Foodland has long been the go-to supermarket for locals. Its popular poke, made fresh in each store daily, tops our 2019 Readers’ Choice Awards, and the company has been committed to stocking its shelves with local produce and products. Late last year, Foodland, the state’s largest locally owned grocery
The original Liliha Bakery has been an institution in Hawaii since the Takakuwa family opened it in 1950, serving freshly baked cakes and pastries and operating a counter-only coffee shop with comforting local dishes. Growing up on Oahu—a mere 2 miles from this bakery—this has long been the go-to spot for my family. (My grandparents
A fish what? I had to read my email again. When I heard about the world’s first fish sommelier at Mina’s Fish House, a line-to-table restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, I needed to know what that meant. I knew what a sommelier was: a highly trained and knowledgeable wine professional who
Several Maui restaurants have dedicated zero-proof menus for patrons who want to enjoy beverages sans alcohol, which isn’t a bad idea following an overindulgence of food and drink during the holidays. Dubbed mocktails—mock cocktails—these handcrafted drinks are made with fun ingredients such as housemade syrups, local fruit juices and muddled herbs. They’re so good, you
Chocolate just may be the perfect gift—and not just for Valentine’s Day. And if you’re going to buy chocolate in Hawaii, you should find a chocolatier that sources locally. (Yes, we grow cacao trees in the Islands!) Choco lea, a charming chocolate boutique—with a white picket fence!—in lush Manoa Valley, crafts artisanal chocolates using a
