Do you know about all the famous dishes from Hawaii? From poke to poi, manapua to chicken long rice, this is THE complete guide to all the most popular food from Hawaii.
We have a ton of good food in Hawaii! And so many types of food. This is a good starter guide for where to begin. Whether you're a local or first time visitor, make sure to try all these iconic Hawaii dishes. Let's begin ^_^
Saimin
Love noodle soups? Then you definitely need to try saimin. You know how Japan has ramen, and how Hong Kong has wonton mein? Hawaii has saimin!
Saimin has three main parts:
- Noodles made from wheat and egg
- Dashi-based broth
- Toppings! This includes everything from Spam, egg, kamaboko, and green onions.
Saimin is a pretty light noodle soup dish and we enjoy it for every meal of the day, even breakfast! You can order saimin at many restaurants and takeout spots around town. McDonald’s Hawaii even used to serve saimin but they just discontinued it the other year...unfortunate because it was good!
We also have awesome restaurants that are dedicated to saimin like Shige’s Saimin Stand (they make their own noodles), Shiro’s Saimin Haven (they have 64 saimin different saimin options!), Sam Sato’s on Maui, and Hamura Saimin on Kauai.
You can also make saimin at home. Making the dashi-based broth from scratch is awesome and nourishing. For purchasing fresh saimin noodles, Sun Noodle is the most popular option and available at many markets here.
Spam Musubi
We love Spam! I don't say that sarcastically. We do. I know Spam is often mocked on the mainland, but you know what? Spam is really tasty. And though it's a canned food item, Spam is not cheap. Have you seen the prices lately?
We enjoy Spam in many forms, from the classic Spam, eggs, and rice breakfast (McDonald's Hawaii does a great version) to Spam fried rice, and of course the famous Spam Musubi!
Spam Musubi can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's also a snack and anything in between! There is always a good reason for Spam musubi. You'll find it at potluck parties, beach gatherings, as a treat for after kid soccer practice. Spam musubi is a popular lunch-on-the-go item.
You can buy Spam musubi pretty much everywhere from 7-Eleven Hawaii to mom and pop convenience stores. I also get Spam musubi from Musubi Cafe Iyasume (big fan of the Ala Moana Center location) and Ali'i Fish Market. Many people also make Spam musubi at home because it's easy - here's our Spam Musubi recipe.
Poi
We love poi! It is a popular starch in Hawaii and it is very good for you! Poi is made from the root of the taro plant. The Hawaiian word for taro is kalo...you'll often hear people refer to it by both names in Hawaii. Poi is delicious - it is sticky, sweet, and a bit sour (depending on the age of the poi).
People don't usually make poi from scratch at home because it is very labor intensive. You can purchase fresh poi by the one pound bag from almost all supermarkets in Hawaii. Fresh poi is also available at Costco Hawaii, Sam's Club, Whole Foods Hawaii, and our local drugstore Longs Drugs (which is secretly CVS haha). There are several different main brands of poi and everyone seems to have a favorite. The only way to decide is to try them all!
You can also get fresh housemade poi from all the great Hawaiian food spots like Helena’s Hawaiian Food, Highway Inn, Yama’s Fish Market, and the super delicious Waiahole Poi Factory.
Plate Lunch
Plate lunch is a staple in Hawaii! It's literally a plate of food, that we eat for lunch. Plate. Lunch. ^_^ There are many types of plate lunch. The most common combination features a plate with:
- Two scoops of rice.
- One scoop of macaroni salad (we just call it "mac salad").
- A choice of meat. Options like chicken katsu, beef stew, hamburger steak, mochiko chicken, and shoyu chicken are very popular.
In addition to the classic local plate lunch, we also have Korean plate lunch and Hawaiian plate lunch. For the Korean and Hawaiian versions, we just call it "Korean plate" and "Hawaiian plate" (no need to say the "lunch" part).
You can order plate lunch at many places including popular spots like Zippy's and L&L, both of which have multiple locations throughout Hawaii. Here in Honolulu, I also enjoy plate lunches from Hamada General Store, Rainbow Drive-In, and Diamond Head Market & Grill.
Crack Seed
What is crack seed? "Crack seed" is what we call preserved and salted fruit snacks. They're made from fruits like plums and mangos. They're a little sweet, a little salty, and super tasty. Li hing mui is perhaps the most popular type of crack seed in Hawaii.
You can visit a crack seed store or you can purchase crack seeds from any supermarket in Hawaii. When you buy crack seed from a supermarket, they're sold in prepackaged bags. You can find many options in the snack aisle of places like Times Supermarket, Foodland, and Longs Drugs. There's also a nice selection of crack seed at 7-Eleven Hawaii. For big packages/containers of crack seed, head to Costco Hawaii.
When you go to a crack seed store, there are many (think dozens!) of big glass jars filled with all different types of crack seeds. You purchase them by the pound...it's like a candy store. My go-to crack seed store is call Crack Seed Store. It is in Kaimuki and it is wonderful! They've changed owners in recent years but is still great. I've been going to Crack Seed Store since I was in elementary school. Waiola Shave Ice also has a good crack seed section...you can get shave ice and crack seed at the same time ^_^
Shave Ice
Speaking of Shave Ice! Did you know that we call it shave ice, not shaved ice? The only exception is on the Big Island / Hawaii Island where they call it ice shave.
Shave ice is a popular Hawaii dessert made from shaving blocks of ice and topping it with fruit syrups. It's refreshing and very good for Hawaii's warm weather. I was (very briefly) in the cross country team in high school and have fond memories of running to Waiola Shave Ice for after school workout/snack.
One of my friends went to Waiola so often they would just automatically start make her shave ice order when they saw her coming in the distance! She always ordered a small cup with the Waiola rainbow (strawberry, vanilla, and banana syrup). I get different orders every time, I like to try everything haha. I love the Azuki bowl which comes topped with a generous pour of azuki beans, mochi, and sweetened condensed milk. For a simple, no topping option, the small cup with li hing mui and lilikoi is great.
There are many types of shave ice. Old school places offer classic syrups and toppings like mochi and condensed milk. There are new/modern shave ice shops with natural syrups made from fresh fruit. They are all different and good in their own way. Check out our Ultimate Hawaii Shave Ice Guide for all the best spots.
Poke
Poke is famous worldwide now but it is most tasty (no question about it) in Hawaii, where it originated from.
On the mainland, people often call it "Hawaiian poke" but in Hawaii we just call it "poke." If you say "Hawaiian poke" we'll definitely know you're not from Hawaii hahaha.
The default type of poke is ahi poke. But we enjoy all different types of poke! There's tako (octopus) poke and also tofu poke (pro tip: Safeway is very popular for tofu poke). It's also common to see salmon poke and marlin poke. You can poke any type of fresh fish or fish that you would eat sashimi-style.
You can make poke at home. We have recipes for shoyu poke (you can use any type of fish for that recipe), tako (octopus) poke, and tofu poke.
Poke bowls come with rice, but in Hawaii we often just buy poke by the pound and take it home. We eat it with rice that we cook at home. It's also a great pau hana snack with beer.
It's pretty easy to make poke at home but many people buy poke because it's sold everywhere and comes out to about the same price as making your own. Foodland is pretty famous for their poke offerings. Tamura's is a liquor store that also has a great poke bar. Ono Seafood is another great poke spot.
If you notice a big price difference between similar poke options at a store, check the label and see if it's made with fresh or frozen fish. Poke made with fresh fish and/or local fish may costs more, but is well worth it ^_^
Mochi
Hawaii is paradise for mochi! Hawaii mochi is a little different from Japan mochi. You know how cultures and foods tend to get "Hawaii-ized" in Hawaii? Yes, exactly that.
And thankfully so because Hawaii's local style mochi is fun and casual and loved by everyone! From the chichi dango to mochi stuffed with fresh strawberries and even peanut butter mochi, the mochi in Hawaii is delicious and unique.
We have several old school and new school mochi shops. Please make sure to visit them all! My favorites include Nisshodo (which has been around for multiple generations) Fujiya Hawaii (which has the most fun and creative flavors), and Two Ladies Kitchen (on the Big Island / Hawaii island). You can also purchase fresh locally made mochi at many supermarkets around town.
Mochi is popular for gifting (never show up empty handed when visiting friends or family). And it is very popular for just snacking...treat yourself ^_^
Alan
Hi Kathy: I posted my comments a few days ago but they disappeared. What I said was that this post of yours brings back fond memories of all the food stuff I used to love when I lived in Hawaii "small kid time". When I return with my wife for vacation again this October, we will again enjoy eating some of these things. For me, things like plate lunch, poke, poi, and fried fish (opelu or akule) are what I will be looking for. For my wife, she likes Waiola shave ice, mochi ice cream, spam musubi, and fresh mahi-mahi. I always enjoy your postings.
Kathy
Aloha Alan - Thank you and hope all is well! I always look forward to your comments 🙂 Sorry the most recent posts aren't showing...it seems to show on some computers and not others...I'm not quite sure why. I'll be launching my newsletter soon and will be sure to keep everyone updated on newest posts there. It sounds like this October will be a very tasty trip for you and your wife!
- Kathy
Alan
Nice post Kathy: Brings back many fond memories of eating all these things when I used to live in Hawaii. When my wife and I come back for vacation this coming October, I will be sure to eat some of these things again. Some things are only loved by me -- poke, plate lunch, poi. But some things are also loved by my haole wife -- spam musubi, Waiola Shave Ice, and mochi (ice cream).