Start Here - Onolicious Hawaiʻi

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 versus local Hawaii food. Example: poke is Hawaiian food but spam musubi is local Hawaii 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.

Did you decide which hotel you're planning to stay 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.