Hawaii Tourism Blog

Hawaiian cuisine represents a fusion of the many cooking styles that immigrants brought to the islands. When you eat at a local restaurant, you will detect culinary influences from the United States, China, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Polynesia and Portugal. While fish and pork dishes receive most of the publicity, visitors with the proverbial sweet tooth will feel like kids in a candy factory.

Chocolate
Hawaii is the only U.S. State where cacao can grow. In fact, it has been growing on the Big Island since the 1850s, but only gained popularity in the late 20^th century. Still, the state has less than 200 acres of cacao growing land, which makes Hawaiian chocolate a rare commodity.

At the Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory in Kona, the owners grow, harvest, ferment, dry and roast their own beans and process it into chocolate. All of the work takes place on their own farm. Waialua Estate on the North Shore of Oahu boasts the largest cacao farm in Hawaii, with 25 productive acres. The workers carefully harvest the cacao pods, ferment the nibs and allow them to dry in the warm Hawaiian sun. Talented chocolate artisans transform the nibs into enticing chocolate.

Liliha Bakery Honolulu
Chocolate is one of the key ingredients in the Coco Puff, made famous at the Liliha Bakery in Honolulu. Chocolate pudding fills this cream puff pastry. A buttery macadamia nut and Chantilly frosting tops it off.

The bakery, which opened in 1950, was located in a tiny retail outlet at 1703 Liliha Street. When their baked goods gained popularity, they moved to a bigger store, but kept the same name. Liliha Bakery became a local tradition. Children would stop on their way home from school and enjoy a glazed doughnut. Friends would chat over coffee, and aunties would pick up cakes for the family potluck dinner. Some of the staff members have served the company for as long as 40 years. Open 24 hours, Liliha Bakery also serves meals.

Coconuts
Although coconuts are not indigenous to Hawaii, they are deeply integrated into Hawaiian traditions and culture. When the Polynesian introduced Hawaii to the coconut tree,  the created a match made in heaven.Since the coconut thrives in tropical climates, the trees were at right at home in Hawaii.

While relishing its nutritional benefits, the Ancient Hawaiians also used coconut fibers to cover their canoes and coconut shells to help create the drums used in spiritual rituals. Coconut also served as construction material, and as a beauty product.

If you love coconuts, plan to visit in July for the Niu Festival at Grand Wailea Maui. If you can’t make the festival, be sure to try Haupia, a traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert, which often graces the tables at luaus and other Hawaiian celebrations. Although technically a pudding, its consistency resembles a gelatin dessert. Haupia is served at the luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. If you happen to be at Sunset Beach on the North Shore in Haleiwa, drop into Ted’s Bakery and try the Original Chocolate Haupia Pie.

Ted’s Bakery
In 1906,  after obtaining a five-year contract to work on a sugar plantation, Torojiro Nakamura immigrated to Maui from Japan. He was eventually transferred to a plantation on Oahu. When his contract ended, he decided to lease the land.

In 1950, he bought land in Sunset Beach, on the North Shore of Oahu, and opened a small grocery store. His grandson, Ted, eventually joined the business, and added a bakery. The bakery also serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Malasada
During the late 19^th century, Portuguese laborers from came to Hawaii to work in the plantations. With them came their traditional foods with them, which included a fried dough pastry called the “malasada.”  These confections are comprised of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil, then coated with granulated sugar.

Tex Drive In
Tex Drive-In is a landmark on the Honokaa-Hamakua coastline. Their bakers elevate the malasada to an art form. Perhaps that’s why they sell almost 70,000 a month. In addition to their regular malasadas, they offer varieties filled with a fruits, Bavarian cream or chocolate.

Guri Guri
Guri-guri is a Hawaiian frozen dessert which is a cross between sherbet and ice cream. Supposedly, its ingredients include fruit juices, soda and condensed milk, but nobody knows for sure. The Tasaka family of Maui has been selling this beloved desert for 90 years, but the recipe is a family secret. Their shop at the Maui Mall in Kahului opened in 1973. Before that, they sold their product at their candy store.

These are just a few of the tasty sweets you will find in Hawaii. They add a whole new meaning to the words “sweet vacation.”

Even the most ardent followers of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to promote healthier food are going to buckle if they pass Angel’s Ice Cream store located in the Laie Village Shopping Center on the island of Oahu. Angel’s Ice Cream is always busy with locals and tourists, even during the dead of winter, from 10 am until 10 pm each night (except Sunday).

She has a top team of ice cream specialists on hand creating the most delectable treats known to mankind to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Angel Ho has been perfecting her signature desserts since 1996. Matsumoto’s, Oahu’s oldest shave ice store is located 30 minutes away in Haleiwa, is famous for its shave ice, but I prefer Angel’s slightly more because of the texture of the ice and the shave ice flavors. Plus at Angel’s, I like the fact I don’t have to stand 20-30 minutes outside to wait in Haleiwa where there is little or no parking available.

She and her energetic staff are always happy to be of service to their customers and care about the quality of their products. They feel rewarded as they watch them enjoy every ounce of their desserts.

You may think that all ice cream desserts may be unhealthy. Angel also serves wonderful Acai cups and smoothies that provide a safe and tasty boost of energy to surfers, busy moms and workaholics.

After Michelle Obama visited the Ice Cream store last month in January, Angel was inspired to start developing a special healthy smoothie using the top 20 nutrient dense foods in the world mixed with her standard smoothie adapted from Dr. Schlacter’s (a local physician’s) and Dr. Fuhrman’s (an expert nutritionist) food pyramids.

Her healthy smoothie contains spirulina, kale, chia seeds, baby spinach, broccoli, kiwi fruit, pear, bananas, peach, pineapple, soy milk, apple juice, cinnamon, organic honey, blueberries, strawberries, unsweetened cocoa, Kona Red super juice, and ice. Future ingredients may include the following super juices from brazilbotanicals.com: Hawaiian noni juice, Tibetan goji juice, Thai mangosteen juice, Brazilian acai juice, South American camu camu juice and Red Nopal juice. One her customers is on her “healthy smoothie only” regimen for 2 weeks and has lost over 30 pounds. He plans to lose 90 pounds in 60 days. Who would have thought that an ice cream store would be the best place to lose weight and get healthy?

If you are one your way back to the White House or if you want a treat to reward yourself for braving Oahu’s North Shore’s Shark Adventure Tour, Angel’s is the place to go. They offer plenty of free parking and welcome people of all ages. There are 3 tables inside the store and plenty of dining tables just outside the store. There are no restrooms inside but there is one available at the Laie Village Shopping Center at L & L’s family restaurant.

55-510 Kamehameha Highway
Laie, HI 96762
Laie Shopping Center‎
(808) 232-2233

Video clip of Angel's Ice Cream

Map

Kahuku Farms Country Cafe offers a refreshing alternative of what a typical Waikiki café offers. For one thing, being in Kahuku, you are on the opposite side of the hustle and bustle of Honolulu. This northern point of the island is of the few open and undisturbed scenic places that many local residents are trying to preserve for future generations to enjoy.

Most roadside stands normally do not represent the farmland behind them, rather, they purchase most of their fruit wholesale from Dole Plantation or harvest the fruit from a farm on a different part of the island. Kahuku Farms, however, grows all of their own fruit from their large farm. They wholesale their fruit to large restaurants all over the state.

Kahuku Farms is not a typical roadside fruit cart, but a beautifully and cleverly built café, kitchen and covered seating area in the middle of their landscaped garden and plantation. The front of their café offers sweeping views of the ocean, and the back of the café offers views of the mountains and over a hundred acres of their own farmland.

The quality of their farm is a testament of the many decades the families of hard work the owners have put into this fine property. The beauty of the plants and gardens are very inviting. Combine that great country feeling with friendly café that offers refreshing treats, farm-harvested vanilla bean ice cream, tangy lilikoi sorbet, thirst-quenching mango iced tea, and delicious fresh fruit smoothies and you have a place that irresistible to visitors.

The menu is also topped with a wholesome farm fresh salad and a hearty Panini sandwich. Sweet Papayas and Apple Bananas from their farm are also available, as well as a variety of country products and gifts. Even if you are not a vegetarian, I promise you will enjoy the food here such as: fresh mango teas, lilikoi, banana, haupia and papaya smoothies, ice cream and sorbets, sundaes, grilled banana bread, grilled veggie salad, veggie Panini sandwich, farm pizza and salad, or how about tomato & eggplant Bruchetta topped with mozzeralla?

Kahuku Farms has been a great partner with the neighboring Kahuku High & Intermediate School with their Green Summits, recycling drives and sustainability intitiatives. Their tasty and fresh food makes it easy to inspire young people to make healthy eating a life-long habit.

Kahuku Farms is open Friday – Monday, 11am – 4pm. Farm tours offered from Friday to Monday.

For Tours and Reservations: 808-628-0639
Farm Cafe: 808-293-8159

Kylie Matsuda
reservations@kahukufarms.com

They are located on the island of Oahu, across the street from Romy’s Shrimp Stand at 56-800 Kamehameha Hwy, Kahuku, HI 96731.

Website:

http://kahukufarms.com

Video:

I have dined at Cholo’s 5 times over the past 6 years. The first time I went to Cholo’s the water tasted like it had a little chlorine in it. I’ve experienced the same thing in other Hawaii chain restaurants such as IHOP, Ruby Tuesdays and Chili’s so I stopped drinking water at those restaurants. But the 3 times I visited Cholo’s in the past 2 years, the taste of the water is now fine.

I like the colorful and bright décor of the restaurant, it reminded me of the time I lived in Mexico City for 8 years when I was a child. I don’t think I will ever find a place that will cook Mexican food as well as our cooks did when I grew up in Mexico, but I am always hoping for a restaurant that can come close.

When I first arrived at Cholo’s this past week I was a little concerned because it looked very busy from the outside. But just when I thought I might have to wait 5-10 minutes outside, a friendly waitress whisked me inside and found me a table. Within a minute of sitting down another friendly waitress had some nachos and salsa on the table for me. I am very picky about nachos that are too salty or get soggy when mixed with salsa or guacomole. Cholo’s nachos were perfect for me.

I browsed the menu quickly since I already knew what I wanted, a enchilada combo with ground beef, which is served with refried beans and friend rice. My order arrived quickly and was surprised by the serving size. My waiter also brought by a second bowl of nachos chips which I ate with the enchiladas. I ordered a glass of sweet and delicious lilikoi juice to add something different to my dining experience, which didn’t disappoint.

After completing my meal, I paused for a few minutes to collect my self because I felt the serving size was bigger than I had expected. I felt the value for the meal was worth it and appreciated the friendly and attentive waitresses even though my appearance and attire was a little scruffy after a long day of work.

Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself after a long week of work, and Cholo’s delivered. I am not sure why they have received some negative reviews on Yelp. I tried hard to look for weaknesses that other people have been pointed out, but I couldn’t find any glaring problems to report. Maybe it was a former disgruntled employee or a competitor, not sure. I appreciate Cholo’s attention to excellent customer service and the way they express genuine gratitude for patronizing their restaurant. When you have spent big money for a vacation on Hawaii, you do want businesses to appreciate the time and money you have saved to be greeted by a business that is happy to see you.

North Shore Marketplace
66-250 Kamehameha Hwy
Haleiwa, HI 96712

(808) 637-3059

http://cholosmexican.com

 

 

Vietnamese Food and Sandwiches
45-1151 Kamehameha Hwy
Kaneohe, Hawaii  96744

235-6107

Open Daily from 10:30am to 8:30pm

I have visited this restaurant twice now, each time for dinner and each time I have not been disappointed.  The service is friendly, the restaurant is clean and bright, they offer a large variety of food that is priced reasonably.  The restaurant has about a dozen tables and the layout of the restaurant is rather generic but does offer Asian decor.  The restaurant staff are Vietnamese so the food is authentic but does cater to the taste of the local people.  Parking is available but it gets filled up between 6 and 8 pm because of neighboring restaurants and other businesses.   The restaurant does have a restroom available.

 

For dinner, my friend and I shared Papaya Salad with Shrimp, and for a dollar more, spring rolls were added.  We also added a spicy shrimp plate. I have tried their curry chicken plate and caramel flan in the past, and they were both great. It took less than 15 minutes for our to be served to us.

The restaurant is family friendly.  They serve lemonade, Expresso French Coffe, Soybean, but do not serve alcohol.

You are not going to find too many restaurants that large servings at low prices in a clean and friendly restaurant.  So if you are doing a circle island tour of Oahu and you are near the large town of Kaneohe, I heartily recommend this restaurant.

View Larger Map

I have lived near Kahuku for many years before realizing that it is the source of the best poke in the State of Hawaii. I used to think the best poke was from another town 10 miles away before I finally stopped by Kahuku Superette to see what all the fuss was about.

I was puzzled to see the store was empty except for a long line leading to the area where the poke is sold. Everyone that stood in the line was there for the same reason, they all looked they were in a trance, all craving the spicy shoyu poke and rice even though it is not an inexpensive delicacy. When I reached the front of the line, I watched the server slowly scoop out and measure some fresh poke from a tray and put into a large clear plastic cup along with warm rice. I took the poke, hid it in a bag and drive a block away to the Kahuku Golf Course parking lot to enjoy my first taste of Kahuku Superette Poke and rice in private.

My first bite set off alarm bells in my head. I knew at the moment I would never be able to stop craving abd eating this incredible food. I knew I would never be able to get past the first steps of the 12 Step Addiction Program:

1) We admitted we were powerless over Kahuku Superette Poke – that our lives had become unmanageable…

Unlike other food, Kahuku Superette is difficult to share with other people, even loved ones, I would recommend that everyone should get their own container to avoid arguments. Poke is better than using chocolates for getting out of a doghouse. You can command people’s attention and get special favors just by raising it in front of you.

There have been numerous and futile attempts to get the recipe for the Poke from the owner, so you are going to have to buy from here for the rest of your life. I highly recommend buying this for brunch if you are on your way to spend a full day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, which is open from noon to 9 pm.

 

Kahuku Superette is open daily from 6 am to 10 pm, accepts credit cards, has free parking and is wheelchair accessible. The rest of the store is quite standard, except for the large selection of beverages.

View Larger Map

On another beautiful day on the North Shore, I decided to try another Shrimp Truck to see who provides the best tasting meal. I chose a truck that I had never visited before that offered a Garlic Shrimp plate for a mere $10.95, the cheapest price I have ever seen in Kahuku, Hawaii. The location looks a little run down, but that’s the norm for the Kahuku Shrimp trucks.

I thought to myself, the portion size must be much smaller or they are going take a shortcut somehow. There was no one waiting in line before I placed my order. That is a big plus because the lines in front of the other shrimp trucks were at least 10-15 people deep and I didn’t want to spend that much time waiting. The owner was friendly and greeted me and took myh order.

I decided to go around the corner to purchase some fresh pineapple juice from a fruit stand selling coconuts, pineapples, mangos and other fruits. The friendly Chinese lady filled my cup with ice cold pineapple juice to the very top so I had to sip some so I could walk back to my table.

There were four picnic tables arranged under a tent next to the Shrimp Truck. After waiting only waiting 5 minutes or so, my order was ready, which startled me a little because I am used to waiting 10-15 minutes for a cook to order meal to be prepared.

I was pleased to see a large portion of fresh shrimp smothered in garlic. It wasn’t too spicy, more on the bland side, but I did have a choice of ordering spicy which I should have done, in retrospect. The rice mixed with the shrimp was fine, but nothing to write home about. The small side salad tasted fresh and had a topping of ranch dressing. The small pineapple wedge was delicious as was the corn.  A small purple and white orchid flower added a colorful touch.

Overall, the Garlic Shrimp plate I tried was a good value considering the price, but lack of taste was a little discouraging.

View Map

My friend and I decided to try one of Hawaii’s best restaurants that I hadn’t yet visited.  I’ve heard many great things about Roy’s Restaurant but I am a picky eater so I wanted to see for myself what all the hype was about.  We arrived just before 8 pm so the beach scenery was a little too dark to appreciate.  There we were torches in front of the restaurant to welcome us.  There is an Outback Restaurant right next door, so I almost had second thoughts about going to Roy’s, but I promised myself I would do something different especially since I have lived on Oahu for 32 years.

The greeter was happy to see us even though there were about 15 or so people waiting in line.  We sat down near a pool of attractive koi fish to pass the 10 minutes or so of wait time.  I noticed they had an elevator taking guests up to the dining area, but we walked up their beautiful spiral staircase.  The dining area was filled with well-dressed professional people and there was a busy open kitchen on the side.  Well-dressed and well-mannered waiters were busy taking care of the diners.  We were offered a window seat and two menu “books”, one for liquor, the other with the dinner menu.  It took 5 minutes or so for us to go through all the options and we asked the waiter for further descriptions.  His tantalizing descriptions of the dinner entrees overwhelmed our expectations of what the best meal in world would taste like so we had him take our order right away without further ado.

The lighting around the table was not too bright or dim, it brought out the flesh tones of the diners but focused white light directly on the table and entrees.  There was no background music playing which I thought would be boring, but the pleasant sound of people having pleasant conversations over wonderful meals was just fine.  The dining table linen was white and spotless, as were the glasses and silverware.  The chairs were comfortable and very sturdy. It was obvious that the owners of the restaurants had spent years perfecting the quality of their dining experience.

Now for the food!  We selected sushi for our appetizers and those were great.  I ordered filet mignon for my main dish surrounded by mashed potatoes and asparagus.  It wasn’t a large piece of meat, but quality overrules quantity for a fine dining restaurant such as Roy’s.    I was amazed by the rich taste of the meat combined with the asparagus and caramelized sauces.  Of all of the file mignon I have tried throughout the world, this had to be the best, and believe me, it is very difficult for a steak to taste better than one prepared at an Argentine restaurant.

Just when I thought I couldn’t taste anything better, the chocolate soufflé with vanilla ice cream dessert arrived at our table after I finished my steak.  I can only describe the dessert as a fireworks show going on between my taste buds and brain cells.  I was trying to force my memory cells to retain the memory of the delicious taste of the freshly made soufflé so I could always cherish it.

Overall, I think the restaurant deserves a 9 out of 10 score. If price isn’t a barrier, this is restaurant is definitely the place to celebrate a birthday of a loved one to honor a big accomplishment. Roy’s Restauraunt is the perfect place to unwind after an Oahu Circle Island Tour or the last day of your Hawaii vacation.

 

 

My friend accompanied me to Roy’s Restaurant the same evening. This is his detailed review:

Kahuku Shrimp & Thai Food Truck
Next to Tanaka Store
56-931 Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku, HI 96731

If you like Thai food, curry or shrimp, Kahuku Shrimp & Thai Food Truck is a great choice for a delicious and satisfying meal, especially if you are on a budget and don’t want to wait 20-30 minutes for your order at any of the other nearby Oahu North Shore shrimp trucks. Kahuku Shrimp & Thai Food Truck cooks to order, so you can expect to wait 10 minutes for your food to be prepared.  Some tourists think a shrimp truck is like McDonalds and expect immediate delivery of their order. There are normally one or two people in line depending on the time of day. Almost all other Shrimp trucks charge between $13 and $17 for their shrimp plates and sometimes the serving size isn’t big enough to fill you up, which is one of my biggest pet peeves. Almost all of their plates cost around $9, which is a bargain compared to most of the surrounding shrimp stands or trucks.

 
They are usually open from 10 am to 5 pm every day. There is plenty of free parking and if you prefer to dine in, there are 4 picnic tables under a tent next to the truck. Except for the sound of passing cars on the freeway, it is relatively quiet since there is a large open stretch of land between the highway and ocean.  If you are on your way to the Polynesian Cultural Center, you should stop here for lunch so you won’t have to eat both lunch and dinner in the same place. The weather is usually sunny all year round except for a few weeks during the winter.

 
I have dined at Kahuku Shrimp & Thai Food over 10 times now, I am lucky that it is located only 5 minutes from where I live.  The owners and operators of the food truck are all from Thailand and are expert cooks and are very friendly and professional. My personal preference for lunch is their yellow chicken curry with rice with a cold Thai Tea or Coconut Water drink.  Thai rice is drier and stickier than the standard rice you buy in a grocery store, but that is my personal preference.

 
I am still surprised why more visitors don’t stop and eat here, I think it is because they don’t pay tour or limousine drivers ‘kickbacks’ for bring tourists to their food trucks. The other reason not too many tourists stop there is due to the fact that the food truck is relatively new in its current location, and their information isn’t posted on the internet yet, and they don’t have any signs leading up to their location and the speed limit is 45 mph around a curve, which limits their visibility to drivers.

 
There are some run down shops and a restroom nearby and a nice view of Kahuku Beach (this area is the northern most tip of Oahu) and the Kahuku wind farm.  Most people think of Haleiwa as being the north part of the island, but Kahuku is actually further north than Haleiwa.

 

Of all the shrimp trucks in Kahuku, this would have to be one of my favorites because of the price, value, quality of the food and the charm the location and cooks provide.
Aloha

On the North Shore, near Laie and Turtle Bay there is an amazing little restaurant called Tita’s Grill that has been spotlighted on the Hawaii’s Channel 2 news and voted #1 by Trip Advisor and Yelp in that area. The owner are local’s, Junior & Almira and their son, Kingsley AhYou who have grown up and raised their children right there in Laie. They are one of the most prominent members of the community there in Laie and on the North Shore. The locals love the food and the portions. Everyone that stops by, always mentions about the owner and he, Junior AhYou coming out visit with the customers and bring them their famous Hawaiian bread out for free. When there, you truly feel the ALOHA SPIRIT there at Tita’s Grill. It’s worth the drive from town or if you are planning on going to the Polynesian Cultural Center, have lunch at Tita’s Grill

http://www.titasgrill.com/