Places to Eat in Hawaii

July 11, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Coconut Haupia Cake in Hawaii

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:

Cake – typically a vanilla sponge cake.
Filling – either a coconut or haupia pastry cream or custard.
Frosting – no heavy sugary frosting. Only the light, lush, whipped cream type frosting.

Best Spots for Coconut Haupia Cake

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….

July 10, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

House Without a Key (Oahu)

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!…

July 9, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

The Good Stuff at Kahala Mall

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……

July 8, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Afternoon Tea in Honolulu

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.

What makes afternoon tea in Honolulu special?

Location/setting. Afternoon tea in Honolulu is almost always served on a veranda (similar to a porch or lanai), a half-indoor, half-outdoor seating situation. There are tradewinds (light breezes), you get some sun but also cocooned safely under a roof.
Honolulu tea vibes captures an ideal combo of laidback and elegant.
Tea often comes with ocean views! Sometimes even oceanfront ^_^

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……

July 6, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

What to Eat at KCC Farmers’ Market (Oahu)

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….

July 5, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

The Rice Factory (Oahu)

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 Factory

I 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……

July 4, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Special Items at Whole Foods Hawaii

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….

July 3, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

The Tale of the Starbucks / Costco Oatcakes

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……

July 2, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding)

Haupia is a Hawaiian dessert that is often referred to as “coconut pudding.” The key ingredient in Haupia is coconut milk and it’s pronounced as: “how-p-ahh.”

Hawaiian plate lunch at Yama’s Fish Market (the cup of haupia is served in the lunch box)

The word haupia sounds mysterious and complicated……

July 1, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Afternoon Tea at Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)

Afternoon tea at Halekulani Hotel, one of Hawaii’s best afternoon tea spots. We’re taking a detailed look at the menu, food (and tea!) offerings. Plus a few tips for your next visit.

Hong Kong is full of afternoon tea options. As is New York City. And London. And especially Singapore! But after you visit a few, they all start to feel the same.

But Hawaii afternoon teas are very different from the rest of the world. The Hawaii spots have an ideal blend of ambiance, location (tea with ocean views are the norm), and that aloha spirit. That’s why I love afternoon tea in Hawaii.

While there aren’t tons of tea places in Hawaii (quality over quantity!), what we have is special……

June 19, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Special Menu at McDonald’s Hawaii

McDonald’s Hawaii offers a special menu of items you can only find in Hawaii. There are breakfast platters loaded with Spam and Portuguese sausage, a dessert menu with hot haupia (coconut pudding) and taro pies, fried apple pies (only state where you can get the pies fried in the US!), and much more. Below are our favorites, ranked.

The only time I eat fast food is in Hawaii. Fast food places here are clean, service is friendly…and the Hawaii-only menu items are a treat. There are breakfast platters loaded with Spam and Portuguese sausage. The dessert menu offers haupia (coconut pudding) and taro pies. Bonus: did you know Hawaii is the only state where you can get McDonald’s fried apple pies (not baked!) in the US?

Below, my favorite Hawaii-only McDonald’s menu items, ranked.

1. Fried Haupia (and Taro) Pies

Haupia (sometimes called “coconut pudding”) is a traditional Hawaiian coconut dessert that has a consistency halfway between pudding and jelly. At Mcdonald’s Hawaii, they stuff haupia into the pie crust and deep fry the whole thing. It’s really good, the haupia is all hot and molten, and that fried pie crust is familiar in all the right ways.

They also make Fried Taro Pies! But you’ll never find both Fried Haupia Pies and Fried Taro Pies on the menu at the same time. It’s always one or the other, and they keep rotating them back and forth…….

June 9, 2019 Places to Eat in Hawaii

Valley Isle Kombucha / Alchemy Maui

Valley Isle Kombucha makes kombucha with local fruits (like passion fruit, pineapple, and guava). Find them at local Hawaii markets or visit their cafe/kombucha bar in Maui.

I grew up in Honolulu, on Oahu island. People not from Hawaii tend to think we travel often and easily from island to island via boat/ferry. That is not the case. Plane is the only logical option (and those interisland tickets always cost more than you’d think)……