Hamura Saimin is a famous, no-frills noodle restaurant in Kauai. They are best known for two things: saimin and lilikoi chiffon pies!
If you ask a dozen people for a list of where to eat in Kauai, guarantee all those lists will include Hamura Saimin Stand. And if it doesn’t…well you should be skeptical ^_^…
Liliha Bakery is a Hawaii institution famous for Coco Puffs, grilled butter rolls, and oxtail soup. It’s part-bakery, part-diner, and very delicious.
Ok Liliha Bakery! Liliha Bakery is an iconic, famous, all the good things, etc. bakery/diner in Honolulu. It’s an institution! The original location was opened by the Takakuwa family in 1950 and it is still thriving….
Ala Moana Center is located in Honolulu, and it is Hawaii’s biggest shopping mall. From restaurants to snack shops and desserts, this is where we eat at Ala Moana.
Ala Moana Center is Hawaii’s biggest shopping mall. Locals just call it Ala Moana.
Ala Moana is also the name of a neighborhood, but everyone will know you’re referring to the mall. Ala Moana also happens to be the largest open-air shopping center in the world. The world! Very cool, yeah? Hawaii has a lot of largest this, highest grossing that, etc (we can do a future post that covers all those things!)…
Whether you call it coconut cake or haupia cake or coconut-haupia cake, all you need to know is that Hawaii loves these cakes. Here’s where to find the best of the bunch.
Coconut cakes in Hawaii are EXCEPTIONAL.
Sometimes they’re called coconut cakes, sometimes they’re called haupia cakes. To make things even more confusing, you’ll also see the name coconut-haupia cakes. They’re all pretty much the same thing. Haupia is a Hawaiian coconut pudding/custard. So if you make a coconut custard for your cake, it’s technically also a haupia cake. But let’s not get bogged down with these details. Point is, order the cake. Eat the cake. They are so good! Coconut haupia cakes are made of three main parts:
Spend enough time in Hawaii and you’ll see coconut haupia cakes all over the island. From hotels to fancy restaurants and local bakeries, there is no shortage. But if you’re going to eat them, might as well eat the tastiest ones, yes? These are the best spots….
House Without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel is my favorite place in Honolulu for sunset drinks. It has the best mai tais (very strong), onion chips, and beautiful Waikiki sunsets.
This is the famous Halekulani Hotel tree before the fall.
The tree fell on a Sunday (August 21, 2016) and it was all over the news. It was a kiawe tree that had stood there for over a century. Coincidently, kiawe means “to sway” in Hawaiian. The tree was iconic symbol of the Halekulani and faithful provider of shade on many a sunny day.
“This tree was planted in 1887,” Halekulani general manager, Ulrich Krauer said. “129 years this tree was here and it was very quietly planted as a family affair.”
Guess what? It’s still there!…
Kahala Mall is my favorite Hawaii shopping mall. It’s small, but has everything you need and is family friendly. Plus it has good food! There are my favorite spots at Kahala Mall.
There are four main shoppings malls in Hawaii.
Ala Moana Shopping Center is the biggest. Then there are three smaller neighborhood malls: Pearlridge Center, Windward Mall, and Kahala Mall. Everyone has stories (most of them happy) about time spent at the mall they grew up with.
We lived on the east side of Oahu, so Kahala Mall was our default mall……
Afternoon tea is a must-do activity when in Honolulu. There are three main afternoon tea spots in the city, and we’ll take a look at the pros/cons of them all.
Many major cities may have more afternoon tea options, but no one does afternoon tea the way we do in Honolulu.
Below, we’ll take a look at the three main afternoon tea venues in Honolulu. They are all located within beautiful hotels. Here we go……
Chili Pepper Water is beloved Hawaiian condiment made from garlic, chilis, and vinegar. Think of it as a Hawaiian hot sauce. Here’s where to get it and how to make it.
Bottle of housemade Chili Pepper Water on the table at Saimin Dojo in Kauai.
Chili Pepper Water! Also known as Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water or Chili Peppa Watah.
Chili Pepper Water is Hawaii’s default spicy condiment. We use it the same way you use hot sauce or shoyu (soy sauce)…in abundance and with joy.
Every household and restaurant has their own recipe for chili pepper water (like how everyone has their own go-to butter mochi recipe). There is no right or wrong way to make Chili Pepper Water, but there are many variations….
KCC Farmers’ Market (Saturday mornings) is Hawaii’s most popular farmers’ market, loved by locals and tourists. These are my favorite food/drinks at the market.
Welcome to the KCC Farmers’ Market!
This market is big and has GOOD food. But you must come prepared. Bring sunglasses and a hat. Make sure you have on sunscreen. The market is crowded. Crowded with local and tourists so patience is required. The rewards are worth it. Fresh grilled abalone, fried green tomatoes, bowls of phở, onigiri, sugarcane juice, and more….
The Rice Factory on Oahu is a true Hawaii gem. Here you can get fresh rice milled on the spot alongside other Japanese treats like onigiri and ohagi.
The Rice FactoryI go back and forth between Hawaii and San Francisco often. And on every flight to SF, guarantee you can find a five-pound bag of rice in my carry-on suitcase. The rice is from The Rice Factory, and this is the main rice we eat at home in both Hawaii and SF. We keep many different types of rice (mochi rice! arborio rice! purple rice!) in the pantry, but this is our go-to, dinner-at-home rice. We love it very much.
The Rice Factory has a tiny retail stop in Kaka’ako. The bulk of their business is restaurant wholesale (you can find their rice at served at MW Restaurant, Halekulani, Hy’s Steak House, etc.), but they have a devoted retail following……
Whole Foods Hawaii is very different (and I daresay, better) than mainland Whole Foods. We have many Hawaii-only items like poke, li hing mui, and mamaki, come take a look!
At risk of sounding too proud of my home state (but what a wonderful place!), many things are better (and cleaner) in Hawaii. The fast food places are nice, the service is friendly. Even the 7-11 stores here are fun. We can add Whole Foods into this list.
I run into friends at Whole Foods Hawaii, and sometimes I eat lunch there. Whole Foods has four Hawaii stores (three on Oahu and one on Maui). If I had to rank the Oahu stores, I’d put them in this order: Queen, Kahala, and Kailua. Whole Foods Queen is the newest and biggest. They even have a restaurant/bar and multiple food vendors. I also like Whole Foods Maui which is conveniently right by Kahului airport.
One thing all Whole Foods Hawaii stores have in common are special Hawaii items offered only at Hawaii stores. Here’s what to get at Whole Foods Hawaii….
This is the tale (or should we say saga?) of the beloved Oatcakes from Starbucks / Costco / Honolulu Baking Co. The legend is real. And delicious.
Starbucks Oatcakes are were a thing in Hawaii. For a long time, since mid-1990s.
After school, my friends and I often walked to Starbucks Manoa. We’d split a Frappuccino and each get our own Oatcake. When I went on a trip, we’d visit Starbucks on the way to the airport and get an Oatcake to tuck in my backpack. For just in case I got hungry……