Eats in Oahu

December 27, 2019 by Leave a Comment

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is gearing up to celebrate the new year and end of this decade – here comes 2020! As I am reflecting on this past year, I am grateful that I had an opportunity to do all the travel (links to my index of travel posts) – from Singapore to Penang to Hawaii, New Orleans, and several visits to California. My trip to Hawaii was to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, and resulted in many happy memories as well as onolicious eats in Oahu. Here are a few highlights I would recommend if you are in Waikiki, all are family friendly.
Staying at the Aston Waikii Beach Tower, right across from Waikiki Beach. View from the lanai, aka balcony Staying at the Aston Waikii Beach Tower, right across from Waikiki Beach. View from the lanai, aka balcony

Our stay at the multi-bedroom, equipped with kitchen Aston Waikiki Beach Tower was an incredible location as it was right across from Waikiki Beach, with great views. It was very family friendly with a king bed, two single beds, a pull out couch bed, and full size kitchen. They even have free beach toys for the kids! The location could not be beat, as it right on the very walkable and bustling Kalakaua Street. The location is right across the street literally from the especially children friendly Kuhio Beach section of Waikiki Beach. This part is protected by a sea wall for calmer waters, which is perfect for little ones like my 3 year old niece and my 4 month old nephew.
Staying at the Aston Waikii Beach Tower, right across from Waikiki Beach especially Kuhio Beach which is protected by a sea wall making it very accessible to lil kids

It also was only blocks away from Musubi Cafe Iyasume, where we procured multiple musubi on different days for breakfast, for a snack, to eat on the plane back… They make the musubi to order, so the combination of fresh rice and teriyaki Spam is still soft and warm when you receive it. There also are a few bento boxes available too, and lots of different flavors of Spam.

Don’t be intimidated by the line – it moves quickly. At the location on Prince Edward/Kuhio and Uluiniu Streets, you will find the most variety to select from – almost 2 dozen starring Spam, and more traditional onigiri rice balls too. My favorite that I kept returning to was a combo of Teriyaki Spam Musubi with Avocado and Egg and Bacon, although we also enjoyed a version with Unagi/Eel. Most people take theirs to go, although there is a small seating section in the back.
Eats in Oahu - check out Musubi Cafe Iyasume for delicious combinations of musubi, my favorite was one with avocado that could be with egg and bacon as seen here or with eel. They make the musubi to order

A visit to Oahu also isn’t complete unless you try out the fried to order malasadas. Malasadas are essentially a round Portuguese donut without the hole in the middle and dusted with sugar and possibly filled with a cream that can range in flavor from macadmia nut to haupia/coconut, guava, or more.

They look big but are light and fluffy, making it a little too easy to put down two even before you drive away. Leonard’s Bakery is the famous original malasada bakery in Oahu, frying them up since 1953. There is a small parking lot in front of the storefront, but you can also find some street parking, and call ahead orders of two dozen or more. We reheated some malasadas for breakfast the next day.
Eats in Oahu - check out Leonard's Bakery for famous malasadas Eats in Oahu - check out Leonard's Bakery for famous malasadas Eats in Oahu - check out Leonard's Bakery for famous malasadas Eats in Oahu - check out Leonard's Bakery for famous malasadas

[Read more…]
Signature
Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Surfing Goat Dairy in Maui

October 7, 2013 by 3 Comments

I enjoy looking up dairy farmers (cheeeeeese) and breweries in local areas when I travel. When I was in Maui, I was really excited to stumble across Surfing Goat Dairy, which is in the area of Kula that is nearby the famous Haleakala Crater. If you are visiting Maui, there is a pretty good chance you will hear about how spectacular the sunrises are up here at the summit of Haleakala Crater, and that you must go. And, you are told to do this early in the vacation, because with the several hour drive if you are staying in the Lahaina/west part of the island, you may be leaving at 3 am.

I love sunrises, but I also love sunsets, so we decided to visit Surfing Goat Dairy, and then go for sunset at Haleakala instead. This netted me an extra bonus that as we were driving up, instead of being in the complete dark, we were able to drive up to the clouds, building up the excitement for the view that seems like we are angels in the sky at the top. Driving down was also very easy since I had already been on the road at light. But, if you decide to do the sunrise instead, consider lingering at various stops (or do the bike downhill tours) so that you can visit Surfing Goat Dairy when it opens in the late morning.

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Maui is a national award winning dairy producing about 30 varieties of goat cheese on its 42 acre farm with some 200 goats! Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Maui sign: Please close ALL car windows and doors. Our cats like to steal food!

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm is a national award winning dairy producing about 30 varieties of goat cheese on its 42 acre farm with some 200 goats! The dairy is owned by a former German Software company expat. You can sample many cheeses, including cheese flights. Some of their cheeses include

  • Ivory Coast chevre with fresh cracked black pepper
  • Rolling Green chevre with fresh garlic chives
  • Ole chevre with jalapenos, artichokes, cilantro, and lime juice
  • O Sole Mio chevre with sun dried tomatoes
  • Purple Rain chevre with lavender
  • Men’s Challenge chevre with horseradish and cayenne pepper
  • Mandalay chevre with apple bananas and Madras curry
  • A Canada (!) chevre with cranberries, cinnamon, honey, and pomegranate
  • Swedish Heart aged cheese with caraway seeds
  • Feta 5 month aged cheese with olive oil and rosemary and ripened in olive oil in a glass jar
  • French Dream aged cheese with herbs de Provence
  • Broken Hearts aged 3 month cheese with olive oil, basil, and garlic and ripened in olive oil in a glass jar
  • Mac Goat Nut, a cheese smoked and then in macadamia nut oil with nuts and ripened in olive oil in a glass jar
  • Diabolic aged cheese with olive oil, peppercorns, garlic, hot Thai Dragon chilies, fingers of Buddha Hand Citron

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Maui is a national award winning dairy producing about 30 varieties of goat cheese on its 42 acre farm with some 200 goats!

YUM right? They also have a few snacks if you want a little more. I was drawn to the “Cheese on the Shirt” that includes includes 4 Ping Pong Balls (drained chevre in olive oil with garlic) of goat cheese on Mango Chutney

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Maui is a national award winning dairy producing about 30 varieties of goat cheese on its 42 acre farm with some 200 goats! You can sample cheeses, and they have some snacks Surfing Goat Dairy Farm Cheese on the shirt snack in Maui includes 4 Ping Pong Balls (drained chevre in olive oil with garlic) of goat cheese on Mango Chutney

Finish up with ordering some of the truffles they also offer, such as this one we had, a chocolate truffle with apple banana curry powder with goat milk. For an extra $1 for a hay bag, you can also feed their silly kids. The goat kind, not human. They also offer tours where you can see the cheese making process and even milk a goat, but we came too late in the day to participate. Something to definitely keep in mind for a change in pace of beach activity while visiting Maui!

Surfing Goat Dairy Farm in Maui's chocolate truffle with apple banana curry powder with goat milk Surfing Goat Dairy Farm, feed their kids (the goat kind, not human) at $1 a bag of hay! in Maui as a little break on the way to Haleakala Crater

And here’s some picks of the pics of sunset that we took:

    

Have you ever visited a dairy? Would you have done sunset like us or toughed it out to watch sunrise?

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Acai Bowls from Choice Health Bar, Maui

September 6, 2013 by 2 Comments

I was in Maui last week, and on the recommendation from our waiter our first night (then also verified by the consistently pleased reviews on Yelp), we checked out a place called Choice Health Bar in Lahaina. We came back two more times because if their amazing acai bowls! I mean, just take a look at these beautiful bowls!

The big menu: they have it spread across 8 chalkboards (there’s another one listing the specials of the day by the register just out of the shot)

Choice’s Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, topped with banana, bee pollen, goji berries. The acai is extra thick and topped with granola and fresh local fruits.

Choice Health Food's Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, banana, bee pollen, goji berries in Lahaina, Maui Choice Health Food's Green Buzz Bowl: acai, banana, berries, spirulina, caramel, banana, bee pollen, goji berries in Lahaina, Maui

Visit #2 got the one I had my eye on (the Green Buzz was F’s favorite, this was mine): the Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs. Wow right?

Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui

F also tried a “healthy plate lunch”, which included a plentiful kale salad, one of 3 soups, and the quinoa of the day along with a little fruit bar as a sweet treat to end with. One day the soup was smokey split pea soup, another time it was a cream of kale soup, or a choice of red bean chili. The quinoa I loved (that they topped with the thick creamy kale soup as part of their option of Vegan Soup and Grain) was a coconut garlic quinoa.

Other options included a raw PB&J with almond butter, fresh berries, coconut and honey on banana date bread, a papaya bowl that was half a papaya stuffed with granola, goji berries, bee pollen, and coconut… and an intriguing item (which they were out of unfortunately) of “raw vegan oyster shootersz”. The waiter who recommended this place had convinced us as we were chatting at dinner by raving about the time he had a “cheese” plate here where it wasn’t really dairy cheese but still seemed like he was eating a blue cheese and cheddar cheese.

And then there’s this video showing a wrap!

Clearly owners Chefs Emily Kunz & Kathryn Dahm are really bringing it, putting together amazing flavors using the fresh local offerings of Maui, all vegan and vegetarian but with a focus on celebrating bright flavors rather than the often blander, earthier food I usually associate with a health food store. Ok, I will admit there are crystals in here and there is a pretty large fantasy mural on the walls, but the bright light streaming through the big windows made it seem like a local cafe rather than a hippie joint. This was F’s favorite food all week in Maui. Since I am not vegetarian, I reserve that crown for some fresh seafood I had during the week, sorry.

Choice Health Bar's Plate Lunch with kale salad, soup, and quinoa in Lahaina, Maui

I would heartily recommend this for a healthy option for breakfast or lunch if you are staying on that West part of Maui!!

Choice Health Food's Dessert Sunrise Bowl with acai, banana, strawberries, macadamia, cacao, honey, almond milk, and topped with bananas, strawberries, coconut, hemp seeds, and cacao nibs in Lahaina, Maui

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ono-ness in Kauai: Fish Express and more

January 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

It is a hole in the wall, but as soon as it’s lunchtime, be prepared to be battling for a parking spot in this carryout only storefront with its tiny little lot for maybe half a dozen cars. I am definitely going back here to Fish Express again next time in Kauai. It’s a bit farther away from the lovely beaches I saw as we drove up north to Princeville… but whatever, it’s worth it.

Don’t get distracted by the golden fried chicken or those bento boxes of various food packaged up ready for a quick grab and go. You want the little bit of each of the various poke and lobster salad if they have it or what else is behind the glass, and the fresh fish hot plates. You can stick with just the deli portion and make yourself a buffet out of their various cold offerings. But, choose your amounts carefully of each unless you can take it back to a fridge- I was so sad when I couldn’t finish off the poke later for dinner because I couldn’t eat all the buffet during lunch with the hot fish, and it didn’t do well sitting in the car while we visited Waimea Canyon.

Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiFish Express, Kauai, HawaiiFish Express, Kauai, Hawaii

But take a merely priced at $8.95 fish special (it tastes just as good as the $25 entrees you would get at a sit down seafood restaurant) with you too, even as you get the poke buffet. They have 7 possible preparations for the cooked fish, and the exact fish that goes with each style depends on the day. You’ll have to take it out to your car and drive away- we went to a Costco parking lot to enjoy, because then we could go wash our hands and use the restrooms afterward. And, that way you can discard your big cardbox box of takeout food (just like how Costco “boxes” your purchases as well) there. Also, maybe Costco is oddly really well marked on the map from the Dollar car rental magazine.

Below, see the Shrimp Scampi, Ono sauteed with garlic and herb butter, and Macadamia Nut Panko crusted Ahi with lilokoi dill sauce. That Macadamia Nut Panko Ahi was the best thing I ate during my vacation in Hawaii this time round.

Shrimp Scampi, Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiOno sauteed with garlic and herb butter, Fish Express, Kauai, HawaiiMacadamia Nut Panko crusted Ahi with lilokoi dill sauce, Fish Express, Kauai, Hawaii

As an honorable mention in Kauai yumminess, there was also dangerous fast driving in the dark to get to Puka Dog in Poipu before they closed. It was scary getting there in the dark streets while being speedy, but worth the misadventure as we bit into the freshly grilled hot dog. You select your choice of meat aka Polish Sausage or Veggie, followed by spice level of garlic lemon sauce, and then a tropical relish menu option (ranging from pineapple which is great with the spiciest level to mango, or starfruit, or coconut or banana) all squished into a bun that is not split but just has a hole to insert the selected hot dog and accompaniments so they are all swaddled by the bread for less mess. Cash Only… though I and the person before me ordered $50 worth of Puka Dog, so clearly these are not priced like your cheapie gas station dogs, nor should they be, and they are worth craving!

Puka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, KauaiPuka Dog in Poipu, Kauai

Finish up with dessert in that same shopping complex at Papalani Gelato, that offers gelato that is handmade and 1/3 less fat then ice cream, as well as sorbetto, and boasts local specialty flavors such as papalani pie, sesame crunch, lilokai, lychee, POG, and more.
Papalani Gelato in Poipu, KauaiPapalani Gelato in Poipu, Kauai

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , ,

Giovanni’s, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu

January 18, 2012 by 1 Comment

I’m not a huge fan of Waikiki because there are so many other wonderful less touristy areas to explore in the Hawaiian Islands – although I will admit to its convenience in hotel rates and lots of easy access without need for a car for shopping and food. So I understand and accept its logistical appeal. But, the best food I’ve ever had on the island of Oahu is up in the North Shore, at the various shrimp trucks in Kahuku. So get to it and rent that car when you are in Oahu.

Last time I went to Hawaii in 2008, I stopped at Romy’s. I picked Romy’s over the others at the time because it had a larger variety in its menu. This time in 2011 I tried out Giovanni’s based on my sisters’ friends’ recommendations. Truthfully there were also a lot of support votes for Macky’s, but it was out of our way based on other activities we planned so that’s that. Hello Giovanni’s! You could concievably map it out to visit 3 trucks in Kahuku (add in Romy’s and also Fumi’s) since they are close to each other and even on the same road, but Giovanni’s is the first you’ll come to as you drive up north. It is an unassuming white truck with signatures from visitors all over it, with a roofed wooden open dining area (the kind you might expect in a public park) right next to it.

Giovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, HawaiiGiovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, HawaiiGiovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, Hawaii

As soon as we got there around 11, I leapt out of the car to order since there was no line… and 15 minutes later there would be one six people deep. Ha! We ordered one of each of the three flavors they offer: the simple lemon butter shrimp, the garlickly shrimp scampi, and the hot and spicy shrimp. Plan ahead and bring wet naps- you’ll want those even though they do have a sink to wash up after peeling and eating. Our favorite of the three was the shrimp scampi. I also learned that my youngest sister, over the past 3 years, has become more masterful at peeling shrimp then I. I can’t believe my motor skills are already slowing down.

Giovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, HawaiiGiovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, Hawaii Giovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, HawaiiGiovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, HawaiiGiovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, Hawaii

What we didn’t expect though is that there was also a sweet grilled corn stand along with the truck (and a few other open air “stores”) which was the best thing I ate in Oahu this time. It lives up to its shrimp neighbor by also being extremely messy to eat, except instead of having super messy fingers you have a super messy face. The corn made me feel so much better about my reduced shrimp peeling level.

Giovanni's, a Kahuku Shrimp Truck on Oahu, Hawaii

Signature

Filed Under: Food and Drink, Travel Tagged With: , , , , ,
Next Page »