Aloha! Welcome to Onolicious Hawaii.
My name is Kathy and I'm a Hawaii local (born and raised!)
This blog is a celebration of Hawaii...with heavy emphasis on food ^_^
Are you looking for Hawaii recipes? Visit the recipe page. The 8 most popular recipes on Onolicious are:
- Butter Mochi
- Furikake Chex Mix
- Furikake Salmon
- Lau Lau (bonus: learn about Ti Leaf versus Luau Leaf)
- Hawaiian Beef Stew
- Portuguese Bean Soup
- Chicken Long Rice
- Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Food is a huge part of life in Hawaii. Everyone here loves to eat! We spend a lot of time thinking about, shopping for, talking about, and eating food ^_^
Make sure you know the difference between Hawaiian Food and Local Food. Example: poke is Hawaiian Food but spam musubi is Local Food. (It always bothers us when visitors don't at least try to understand the difference).
Touristy spots are fine but spend a little effort on locating the good eats and you will be rewarded many times over. Here's the Ultimate Hawaii Shave Ice Guide. Eating Malasadas in Hawaii is a definite must! Honolulu offers excellent dim sum. And you should do at least one afternoon tea experience.
Looking to explore different neighborhoods? Here's an eating guide to Kaimuki (Oahu) and Manoa (Oahu). Visit the famous Ala Moana Shopping Center (which has lots of good food). Did you know Ala Moana is the largest open air shopping center in the world? Pretty neat! Locals also love going to Kahala Mall (don't skip the musubi place).
The Farmers Markets on Oahu are not to be missed. Check out KCC Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. For an equally delicious and more low key vibe, visit the Kaka'ako Farmers Market or Kailua Farmers Market. Stock up on rice at The Rice Factory.
Many national food companies make a lot of special "Hawaii Only" items. Check out special Hawaii items in these posts about Costco Hawaii (we love Costco) and Whole Foods Hawaii. Even 7-Eleven Hawaii is pretty special! Our local drug store is called Longs Drugs, it's also a good place to stock up on Hawaii snacks.
While you're at it, swing by McDonald's Hawaii for special Hawaii menu items like deep fried haupia pies, bowls of hot saimin, and the spam, eggs, and rice breakfast platter.
Which hotel are you staying at? Some of our favorite spots include Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki (try Halekulani's afternoon tea plus sunset cocktails with live music and hula at House Without a Key), The Kahala (Oahu), and Travaasa Hana (Maui).
Depending which month you visit, don't miss on local festivals and carnivals. The Punahou Carnival is a classic I look forward to each year.
Blog Archive
Onolicious Hawaii covers three main topics:
- Hawaii Food and Recipes
- Hawaii Hotels
- Eating and Dining in Hawaii
Below are links to every post on Onolicious Hawaii, organized by the above categories. I hope you'll find this useful ^_^
Hawaii Food and Recipes
About Hawaii Food
- Food Etiquette In Hawaii
- Hawaiian Food and Local Food: What's The Difference?
- Okazuya in Hawaii
- Hawaiian Sweet Potato (aka Okinawan Sweet Potato)
- What Is A Local Plate Lunch?
- What Is A Korean Plate Lunch?
- What Is A Hawaiian Plate Lunch?
- Donuts in Hawaii
- Manapua and The Manapua Man
- Andagi
- Manju, Hawaii-Style!
- Ti Leaf Versus Luau Leaf
- Tea in Hawaii
- Pumpkin Crunch! Lemon Crunch!
- What Is Poke?
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Opihi, The Hawaiian Limpet
- Poi, Hawaii’s Staple Starch
- Li Hing Mui, A Hawaii Obsession
- Kalua Pig aka Kalua Pork
- Māmaki, Native Hawaiian Tisane
- Saimin, Hawaii’s Noodle Soup
- Coconut Haupia Cake in Hawaii
- The Tale of the Honolulu Baking Co. / Starbucks / Costco Oatcakes
- Special Menu at McDonald’s Hawaii
- Hawaiian Desserts: Kulolo (Taro Pudding)
- Malasadas in Hawaii
Hawaii Recipes
- Sardine Pupu
- Green Beans with Sesame Dressing (Gomaae)
- Green Beans with Tofu Dressing (Shiraae)
- Black Sesame Soup
- Chive Vermicelli Egg Pancake
- Shrimp Toast
- Cha Trung (Vietnamese Egg Meatloaf)
- Octopus Hot Dogs
- Turmeric Rice In Rice Cooker
- Meat Jun
- Yi Mein (also called E-Fu Noodles or Longevity Noodles)
- Steamed Ginger Chicken
- Hawaii's Local-Style Chow Fun
- Thit Kho (Vietnamese Braised Pork and Egg)
- Steamed Pork With Salted Fish
- Somen Stuffed Aburage (also spelled Aburaage)
- Stuffed Aburage (also spelled Aburaage)
- Ikura (Cured Salmon Roe)
- Peach Gum With Lychee
- Simmered Kabocha
- How To Make Fish Balls
- Boiled Okra
- Breadfruit (Ulu) With Coconut Milk
- Taro (Kalo) With Coconut Milk
- Pocket Eggs
- Gon Lo Mein
- Loco Moco
- Spam Fried Rice
- Rice Cooker Recipes
- Garlic and Fish Sauce Ong Choy (aka Chinese water spinach)
- Korean Bean Sprouts
- Kalua Pork and Cabbage
- 3-Ingredient Kalua Pork
- Simple Japanese Pickled Cucumbers
- Gau Gee
- Rainbow Jello
- Kamaboko Dip
- Hawaii's Famous Oxtail Soup
- Vietnamese Mung Bean Dessert (Che Dau Xanh)
- Tuna Rice
- Rice Cooker Recipe: Edamame Rice
- Hijiki Salad
- Rice Cooker Recipe: Edamame and Hijiki Rice
- Pork Wontons With Sesame Sauce
- Pork Wontons
- How To Fold Wontons
- Dumpling Dipping Sauce
- Braised Daikon, Pork, and Mushroom
- Chinese Tea Eggs
- Salt Beef Watercress Soup
- Rice Cooker Recipe: Scallops And Rice
- Garlic and Ginger Green Beans
- Chinese Sausage (Lap Cheong) and Green Beans
- Local Recipes To Cook At Home
- Hawaiian Recipes To Cook At Home
- Kimchi Dumplings
- Chicken Hekka (like Japanese sukiyaki, but local-style)
- Stuffed Tofu
- Local-Style Chicken Tofu
- Simmered Daikon
- Local-Style Custard Pie
- Pancit Bihon
- Soy Sauce (Shoyu) Eggs
- Teriyaki Meatballs
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Pork Hash (Hawaii's version of Chinese shumai)
- Yang Chow Fried Rice
- Braised Duck Gizzards
- Rice Cooker Recipe: Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage) Over Rice
- Spam Musubi, A Hawaii Snack!
- The Many Noodles of Hawaii
- Misoyaki Butterfish
- Dry Mein
- Pipikaula
- Banana Tapioca (Che Chuoi)
- Spam, Eggs, and Rice (the classic local breakfast!)
- Coffee Jelly (part of Agar Agar Desserts collection)
- Kauai Goteborg Musubi (also called UFOs)
- Making Desserts with Agar Agar
- Purple Sweet Potato Tapioca
- Instant Pot Congee (with Century Egg and Pork)
- Popiah (Chaozhou Fresh Spring Rolls)
- Sparkling Strawberry Agar Agar (part of Agar Agar Desserts collection)
- Shoyu and Vinegar Roast Chicken
- Li Hing Pickled Mango
- Somen Salad
- Sushi Bake
- Tuna Tofu Patties
- Goya Champuru (Okinawan Bitter Melon Stir Fry)
- Fried Saimin
- Pan Sushi
- Avocado Tofu
- Avocado Smoothie
- Rafute (Okinawan Shoyu Pork)
- Homemade Soy Milk
- Shoyu Hot Dogs
- Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
- Mochiko Chicken
- One Pot Lamb Stew
- Chicken Adobo
- Miso Salmon
- Li Hing Gummy Bears
- Ants Climbing A Tree Noodles (aka Ma Yi Shang Shu)
- Hot Sesame Oil Tofu
- Seared Duck Breast
- Furikake Salmon
- Pan Fried Tofu (With Garlic Soy Sauce)
- Hawaiian Beef Stew
- Shoyu Chicken
- Hawaiian Pizza
- Portuguese Bean Soup
- Jujube Ginger Tea
- Luau Stew
- Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
- Furikake Chex Mix
- Hawaiian Lau Lau
- Osmanthus and Goji Agar Agar (part of Agar Agar Desserts collection)
- Strawberry-Haupia Agar Agar (part of Agar Agar Desserts collection)
- Inari Age (Braised Aburage / Aburaage)
- Almond Tofu (part of Agar Agar Desserts collection)
- Tofu Poke
- Chicken Long Rice
- Plantation Iced Tea
- Lomi Lomi Salmon
- Garlic and Fish Sauce Eggplant
- Hawaiian Boiled Peanuts
- POG aka Passion Fruit-Orange-Guava Juice
- Chili Pepper Water
- Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding)
- Butter Mochi
- Hurricane Popcorn
Hawaii Hotels
- Travaasa Hana (Maui)
- Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)
Eating and Dining In Hawaii
Markets and Food Shops
- 15 Local Snacks At Longs Drugs Hawaii
- 9 Unique Snacks From 7-Eleven Hawaii
- Sun Noodle (Oahu)
- Aloha Tofu Factory (Oahu)
- KCC Farmers Market (Oahu)
- Kaka‘ako Farmers Market (Oahu)
- 10 Things To Get At Costco Hawaii
- The Ultimate Hawaii Shave Ice Guide
- The Rice Factory (Oahu)
- Special Items at Whole Foods Hawaii
Neighborhood and Eating Guides
- Must Eat Desserts In Hawaii
- Kaimuki Restaurants (Oahu)
- Manoa Restaurants (Oahu)
- Best Dim Sum in Honolulu (Oahu)
- Where to Eat at Ala Moana Center (Oahu)
- The Good Stuff at Kahala Mall (Oahu)
- Afternoon Tea in Honolulu (Oahu)
- What to Eat at KCC Farmers’ Market (Oahu)
Restaurants, Sweets, and Snacks
- Kahuku Farms (Oahu)
- Wicked HI Cafe (Oahu)
- Fujiya Hawaii (Oahu)
- Higoto Japanese Eatery (Oahu)
- Kalo Bombs (Oahu)
- Fukuya Deli (Oahu)
- Xi’an Taste (Oahu)
- Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery (Oahu)
- ‘Ōlena by Chef Ron Simon (Oahu)
- Waioli Kitchen & Bake Shop (Oahu)
- Feast (Oahu)
- Diamond Head Market & Grill (Oahu)
- Pioneer Saloon (Oahu)
- Andy’s Sandwiches & Smoothies (Oahu)
- Eggs ‘n Things (Oahu)
- Shiro’s Saimin Haven (Oahu)
- Shige’s Saimin Stand (Oahu)
- Musubi Cafe Iyasume (Oahu)
- Afternoon Tea at Moana Surfrider (Oahu)
- Lam’s Kitchen (Oahu)
- Char Hung Sut (Oahu)
- Next Stop, Zippy’s! (Oahu, Maui, Big Island)
- Banán Hawaii (Oahu)
- Crack Seed Store (Oahu)
- da Cove Health Bar (Oahu)
- Over Easy (Oahu)
- Tin Roof Maui (Maui)
- Tasaka Guri Guri (Maui)
- Teruya’s Andagi (Oahu)
- Ono Seafood (Oahu)
- Ahi Assassins (Oahu)
- Leonard’s Bakery (Oahu)
- Maguro Brothers Hawaii (Oahu)
- Yama’s Fish Market (Oahu)
- Helena’s Hawaiian Food (Oahu)
- Waiola Shave Ice (Oahu)
- ‘Ai Love Nalo (Oahu)
- Sam Sato’s (Maui)
- Hamura Saimin (Kauai)
- Liliha Bakery (Oahu)
- House Without a Key (Oahu)
- Afternoon Tea at Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)
- Valley Isle Kombucha / Alchemy Maui (Maui)
- Thang’s Avocado Smoothies (Oahu)
- Two Ladies Kitchen | Mochi! (Big Island)
- Happy Hearts Mochi (Oahu)
- Nisshodo Candy Store / Mochiya (Oahu)
Events
- Punahou Carnival (Oahu)
Hawaii Life
- The Canoe Plants of Hawaii
- 8 Best Hawaii Chocolate Brands
- 8 Fun Facts About Hawaii
- Fish and Poi, Song by Sean Na’auao 🎶
- Where To Buy Hawaii Snacks Online
- 12 Reasons Why I Love To Fly Hawaiian Airlines
Non-Food
- Ali’i Kula Lavender Farm (Maui)