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 […]
Don’t worry, the taste and quality of Matsumoto Shave Ice’s popular icy treat haven’t changed and it’s located in the same area—just bigger and better. The expansion resulted from the construction of the Haleiwa Store Lots, a cluster of recently-built storefronts in the surrounding area, which includes Matsumoto’s. And, we are happy to report that
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
Stanley Matsumoto is a one-flavor kind of shave-ice guy. “Typical old style,” he says, with a light chuckle, proclaiming strawberry his favorite. Favorite, that is, unless it’s really hot outside in Haleiwa, or he just finished mowing his lawn. Then the flavor’s definitely orange. Matsumoto—everyone calls him Stan, and I will, too—is the owner 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
“You didn’t pre-order?” As she says this, the woman behind the counter at Two Ladies Kitchen stares at me in disbelief. A line of customers winds behind me and out of the small downtown Hilo mochi shop and onto the sidewalk alongside bustling Kīlauea Avenue. “You have to pre-order. They sell out,” she scolds, gently.
It’s easy to brand the popular and pervasive North Shore O‘ahu shrimp shacks and trucks as tourist traps. On most days near lunchtime, it’s not uncommon to find dozens of packed tour vans parked outside shrimp purveyors between the North Shore towns of Hale‘iwa and Kahuku, their passengers scarfing down plates of shrimp. Catch us
We thought we were early for lunch. It was 9 a.m., after all. But by the time we walked up to the entrance of Sam Sato’s, an unpretentious, old-time restaurant in Wailuku’s industrial area, a crowd of hungry patrons were already gathered, names written on a little yellow pad at the takeout window. Waiting to
There’s no shortage of bakeries across Hawaii, serving everything from exotic Japanese cake rolls to old-fashioned apple pies to extravagant modern desserts. There are old-time neighborhood bakeries like Kamehameha Bakery in Kalihi on Oahu that sells some of the best—and inexpensive—glazed donuts around. Or donut shops like Regal Bakery—three locations on Oahu—with its creative donuts,
*This story was published on May 1, 2013, and updated in February 2026. The phone in Mike Hirao’s office is ringing off the hook. He doesn’t answer it. “I bet this person wants chichi dango,” he says, eyeing the noisy phone. It’s 3 p.m. on a Thursday. Nisshodo Candy Store has been open since 7
Elmer Guzman was so desperate for a poke bowl while working in New Orleans for Emeril Lagasse he came up with a version using Louisiana ingredients. Instead of Hawaiian ahi, he used escolar (a deepwater fish similar to tuna). With no kukui nuts, he resorted to grinding pecans to give the poke its signature nutty flavor. Some sea
Jim Gusukuma sits at a picnic table near Rainbow Drive-In, his board shorts still damp from his morning surf in nearby Waikiki. A line of customers is already at the takeout window, ordering plates of fried rice, loco mocos and buttermilk pancakes. This is Thursday ritual for Gusukuma, owner of the iconic comfort food haven,
