During our week in Honolulu, we tried to get as much seafood as well as local Hawaiian fare that we could. Shaved Ice and Poke most definitely made the cut. Here is our list of favorites from the island of Oahu.Breakfast/Coffee: Olive & Oliver Basically an espresso bar located in Waikiki. They only have a couple little bites for purchase but many coffee places we visit in Austin are this way. We were going specifically for the espresso and they had great roasts and a few different milk options. Arvo More in the city of Honolulu. It’s located in a flower shop and they have a full breakfast menu. Great coffee, serious hipsters working there... being from Austin, we have a ton of hipster places but Arvo’s hipsters were a tad too much for us! I’m keeping this place on here because their food and coffee was great! Just be prepared for slow, lackluster service. Kona Coffee Purveyors | b. patisserie A block from the beach, we went in for some Hawaiian source coffee beans. They have the traditional lattes and such but their espresso is not Hawaiian. You have to get some variation of drip to try Kona coffee. We opted for pour overs and the coffee was awesome! If you go make sure and grab a pastry since the coffee shop partners with b. patisserie and their baked goods were great! Bills A legitimate breakfast restaurant, which is a rarity for us. The interior is gorgeous and the food was delicious. The coffee, juice, and all the food we ordered was scrumptious. It’s a big space but we were glad we had reservations since it was full when we got there. Lunch Spots: Poke As for local cuisine, poke (poké for pronouncing purposes) is one of the healthier options. It’s basically a deconstructed sushi roll: a rice bowl with raw fish and toppings. We have a couple great poke spots in Austin but I couldn’t wait to try it in the motherland. Y’all, so good! If you like raw fish, you should try poke! We went to a couple different spots; the photo below was captured at Pa’ina Cafe down the road from Hanauma Bay. Hawaiian plates Hawaii’s version of a bento box! It’s served with white rice, macaroni salad and some kind of main portion, usually meat. It’s such a heavy meal that we preferred it for lunch! Our first taste was at Fat Boys. Their macaroni salad is incredible! A few nights later we stoped at the Rainbow drive-in for their version (preferred Fat Boys). Mahaloha Burger By the end of the week, we were ready for some red meat. We got Mahaloha burgers in Kailua after hiking Lanikai pillbox trail. It’s fresh and local and quite delicious. Giovanni’s shrimp truck Ok y’all. This place has a lot of hype and Chase and I were both in love! It was raining the day we were in the North Shore area so we got our food and ate it tailgate style, with the hatch open in our SUV rental. If you like garlic and shrimp, this will be an epic meal for you! Plus, more macaroni salad. But you’ve been warned, it’s so messy and so garlicky. Dinner Options: Duke’s on Waikiki We got lucky with spotting two bar seats opening up as we walked in. The bartenders took a solid 20 minutes to get to us but we ordered a flight of beers and some fish tacos. The dessert was gigantic and indulgent. Duke’s is touristy but if you’re up for the crowds, it’s a fun atmosphere. Plus you can’t beat their location for beautiful views of the evening sunset. Mahina and Sun’s After our first visit to Olive & Oliver, Chase noticed the sign for Mahina and Sun’s and read great reviews for their dinner. We made reservations and enjoyed a 90 minute dinner. Afterwards, we ordered some sherrys and drank them over by the pool as we listened to a local musician! It was a wonderful, boutique style experience. Roy’s Hawaiian cuisine with a few different locations around the island. We were on the west side that evening so the Roy’s we dined at was located inside the Ko Olina Resort (over by the Disney resort). The atmosphere was a bit fancy but their food was more casual... we had their ribs and whoa... I’m more of a brisket girl but those ribs were perfect. We absolutely plan on a repeat visit whenever we go back to Hawaii. Marukame Udon Anytime an opportunity arises for us to get Japanese food, we go! We hadn’t had udon since we were in Japan so we couldn’t wait to try the noodle shop down the street from our Airbnb. The wait was rather long and right as we got in the door, they had to make more noodles so it took extra time to get our bowls. But the noodles were super fresh and had great flavor. If you like udon and tempura, this place is a great option in O’ahu. We also got spam musubi... it was interesting. All The Snacks: Leonard’s Bakery This is a super touristy place and there’s a reason... the malasadas are so incredible! The parking lot is insane so the best option is to walk or park around the block. I wish we could get these Portuguese donuts all the time. We ordered a few staples and tried their seasonal, which happened to be pumpkin. Yeah, don’t miss this place. Banan Bowls There are a few locations (in trailers and brick and mortars) but the one closest to us was in an surf storage alley half a block from Waikiki beach. Their most famous flavor is banana but they regularly have açaí and matcha as well as seasonal flavors. We got bowls twice during our week there and it was perfect on a hot day. Matsmumoto Shaved ce North Shore hot spot! Our North Shore day was so rainy that there wasn’t a line and we parked in the shopping center's lot... I’m assuming this is not normal. Their house made syrups are flavorful without being overly sweet. I’m a shaved ice over dairy person so Matsmumoto was high on my list and it did not disappoint. Pineapple anything I mean it's Hawaii, the land of Dole so this is an obvious statement! We got a pineapple smoothie after our Diamond Head hike and it was exactly what we needed! So much sugar but so yummy. Maui Brewing Company Located a block from Waikiki beach. We went there after dinner one night and it was packed! With that being said, our service was amazing and our waitress was so helpful in making selections. They have a huge beer menu as well as food. We stuck to ordering flights and really enjoyed several of the beers we sampled. It isn't until I put together one of these Foodie posts that I realize just how much we eat on vacation. Hawaii might have been a record since we had so many recommendations from friends! Also, we absolutely loved staying in Waikiki because so many places we wanted to visit wound up being just a few blocks from where we stayed. If we missed a favorite, let us know in the comments.
Until Next Time, C + D
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