Locally grown tea is a new crop for the Hawaii agriculture industry. Most of it comes from the Big Island where the east side is populated with small tea gardens that grow and process 100% Hawaii teas. You can also visit the tea gardens!
Tea room at Tea Hawaii & Company
Did you know Hawaii is one of the few places in the US that can grow tea?…
Pumpkin Crunch Bars/Cakes and Lemon Crunch Cakes are popular local desserts in Hawaii. Growing up, we ate them often at birthday parties and potlucks. Now as adults, we make it at home or buy it from local bakeries!
Pumpkin Crunch Cake from Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery (Oahu)
It’s a local favorite!…
Travaasa Hana is a tranquil resort located in Hana, Maui. With cottages in place of traditional hotel rooms, it’s remote and relaxing, unlike any other hotel on the island.
Our cottage at Travaasa Hana
We are here to unplug and relax 🙂 …
Luau Stew is a traditional Hawaiian dish made by cooking fresh luau leaves (which come from the taro plant). Eat it with rice and/or poi! You can find luau stew plain (happens to be vegetarian), or with squid, chicken, or beef.
Luau stew served over rice, with kalua pig (aka kalua pork), ogo (seaweed), sweet potato, and ulu (breadfruit). Kulolo on the side for dessert. Iced mamaki to drink.
Luau stew is saucy, savory, and so good spooned over rice!…
Honolulu has many great dim sum options. From Jade Dynasty to Legend Seafood, Tai Pan, and Tim Ho Wan Waikiki, these are the restaurants we love to visit for dim sum.
Sesame shrimp mousse and eggplant at Jade Dynasty
Going for dim sum (aka yum cha) is a popular thing to do in Honolulu….
Halekulani is a luxurious and iconic Hawaii hotel. Located in Waikiki, Halekulani also has great dining (think coconut cake, afternoon tea at Orchids and sunset mai tais at House Without a Key). Put it high on your list of Hawaii hotels to visit and stay.
Halekulani is a Hawaiian word. It translates to, house befitting heaven. …
Poke is Hawaiian dish of diced raw ahi tuna mixed with Hawaiian sea salt, inamona (kukui nuts), and ogo (seaweed). There are many variations. Poke is so trendy now, but we ate this often growing up in Hawaii!
Big poke platter at Pono Market (Kauai)
Nothing so nice like poke and rice!…
Maguro Brothers Hawaii is a wonderful place in Honolulu for super fresh sashimi, grilled fish, and ahi poke over rice. We love this place!
King salmon sashimi on rice, add uni. Eaten in the car!
Super fresh King salmon sashimi and uni! What is this bliss?…
Mac salad is a staple side dish in Hawaii. Our version is unique to the islands, often a bit tangy and loaded with add-ins like kamaboko and ‘ulu (breadfruit).
Mac salad (with chicken katsu and rice) at Gochi Grill (Oahu)
We love to eat mac salad in Hawaii….
Opihi is a Hawaiian delicacy. It’s a limpet that lives on seaside rocks (they are notoriously hard to pry off). Remove the shell and eat them raw or cooked.
Cleaning and eating raw opihi at home
These tiny gems are often called “baby abalone.”…
San Francisco is rich with Hawaii-influenced food. From shave ice to homemade spam and butter mochi, it’s easy to find a taste of Hawaii in SF.
Homemade POG at Boba Guys
Did you know there are lots of Hawaii people in San Francisco?…
Hawaiian Plate #7 at Yama’s Fish Market