Teresa and I made a trip to Oahu and Kauai this winter and of course had a wonderful time. Hawaii’s indescribable appeal goes beyond the perfect weather year round and breathtaking scenery. Hawaii presents its own unique cuisine as a culinary and cultural crossroads, which makes it always interesting and easily one of my favorite destinations in the world. The fact that the population (in Honolulu at least) is more than 50% Asian certainly doesn’t hurt the food situation either.

Rather than post everything all at once in a ridiculously long post, or neglect to post anything because I didn’t finish the complete report, I’ve decided to just post a snippet of our trip one part at a time. If you’re reading this because you’re heading to Hawaii, have fun, lucky!

CHEERS!




Part 1. Izakayas and Ramen


Izakaya Nonbei

Izakaya Nonbei was one of our favorite places during our previous visit in 2009, if not for the excellent food but for the fact that it had a well-established old world charm to it, with dim lighting, wooden menu panels on the walls, and hanging cast iron tea kettles over each table. The place has unfortunately been remodeled and looks a slight step above your average sushi bar. A lot of the dishes we had were as good as remembered from the previous visit. It has good quality sushi but more importantly, classic izakaya fare, and still boasts its “frozen” sake service, which is a bit of a novelty. Service is warm and friendly as well. Sadly, I didn’t get as many pics of the food here, but I’ll post what I did get.




Tuna, Natto and Quail egg.


Age Dashi Tofu.


Scallops.


Chawanmushi (Steamed egg custard)


Pork Skewers.


Izakaya Tako No Ki

Izakaya Tako No Ki is tucked away on the 2nd floor of a nondescript building right off the bustle of Waikiki’s main drag. It is exactly what I look for in an izakaya with its unpolished casual setting, cheap pitchers of cold beer, and expertly crafted izakaya fare that doesn’t break the bank. We were the only non-Japanese people in the place, which seems to cater primarily to a post-work quick bite crowd. That in itself is always a good sign, but in true spirit, my neighbor at the bar still attempted to communicate something about the food with me, neither of us knowing the other’s language.






Maui Onion Salad - This salad really highlighted the subtlety and mild sweetness of the maui onion, and there were a lot of them in the bowl. I would order this one every time for sure.


Natto with assorted sashimi - (sorry, I don't' remember actual names, and there is no menu online to reference).


Age Dashi Tofu.


Okonomiyaki







In all, I enjoyed everything I ate and for the price it was a steal. Most things were in the $5 to $8 range, and even the natto/sashimi dish was only $11, and it was good quality.


Agu Ramen Bistro

In Honolulu, it’s nearly impossible to walk down the street without bumping into a noodle shop of some sort. There are a number of homemade noodle options throughout Hawaii. I obviously didn’t have time to try them all, so I chose Agu based on the fact that it serves up two different types of “homemade” noodles.

Agu’s website is actually misleading by calling the noodles “homemade” as the restaurant doesn’t actually make the noodles on site. After some chatting with the staff, I found out they have them made offsite to their specifications, and that these noodles are only available at Agu. I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much, since they were fresh, and some of the best - if not the best - I’ve tasted. The two styles are Hakata, which compliments the Tonkotsu broth, and Chijire which compliments the Jidori broth. According to the menu, each noodle is supposedly designed to absorb just the right amount of salt and/or flavors from each broth. Sounds like bullshit to me.

There are numerous add-ons and options on the menu, http://aguramen.com/index-loc-sl-menu.php, some of which get a bit wild, and I’m not a fan of the wacky spicy ingredient heavy ramens, but with this menu, those weren’t hard to ignore.

From the Tonkotsu side of the menu we went for the highly recommended “Original Kotteri - Extra rich broth made with a black garlic oil, garlic, and se-abura.” It was definitely bone rich, but not overly salty, a truly exceptional bowl. The Hakata noodles were excellent as well. This was definitely the crowd favorite. The Jidori ramen was made with free range chicken, and the Tokyo style Chijire noodles were thicker and curlier. I liked these noodles a lot, and the broth was also great. I was interested in the Hiyashi style cold noodle version which comes with sliced cucumber and jellyfish, among other things. I’m not familiar enough to know if this is a traditional preparation, but it did sound like it’d be good on a hot day.

We ordered a few appetizers off the extensive “small plates” section, all of which were terriffic. Most notable were probably the fresh, handmade “Agu Gyoza.” It is exceptional and encouraging when a ramen-focused restaurant also devotes care and attention to the rest of the menu items.

Agu was one of the places I would highly recommend to anyone, and I look forward to returning!






Jidori ramen w/ Chijire noodles


Jidori ramen w/ Chijire noodles


"Original Kotteri - Extra rich broth made with a black garlic oil, garlic, and se-abura.”


Piri Kara Menma - Bamboo shoots in spicy oil


Agu Gyoza - made fresh daily.


Karaage - fried chicken served with ponzu.

Izakaya Nonbei
3108 Olu St
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 734-5573

Izakaya Takonoki
355 Royal Hawaiian Ave # 201
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 926-8256

Agu Ramen Bistro
925 Isenberg St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 492-1637

Lovely, can't wait for part 2.

My girlfriend and I just returned from a week in Hawaii because our friends decided to have a destination wedding at Turtle Bay on Oahu. Thankfully, I'm Hawaiian and we have family to stay with, so the trip was a no-brainer. A lot of people going to Hawaii focus on time in the sun or tourist traps, but we made a conscious effort to prioritize food. Don't get me wrong, I got plenty of beach time in, but the real draw of the trip was eating all of my favorite foods. I don't have any friends that are obsessive about food like I am, so I'm going to share my complete daily food list and comments with all of you guys.

Friday [we landed at 2:30 PM, so only had time for one meal]
Zippy's (Kaneohe): Korean chicken plate lunch, fruit punch - Zippy's Korean chicken is always my first meal in Hawaii. Normally my family would stop at the Zippy's in Aiea to meet my grandmother right after the airport, but my sister had to work in Kaneohe late on Friday, so we met her there. The place was slammed (Friday dinner, should have known), but I can't eat anything else to start my trip. The pull of nostalgia is too strong.


Saturday
Leonard's truck (Waikele): malasadas (regular, cinnamon sugar, haupia filled) - Malasadas were once my absolute favorite food and Leonard's serves the archetype. Crispy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, with just enough yeast flavor to keep things from being treacly.

Red and white striped trucks are what the angels drive

Hula Dog: Polish sausage with hot garlic lemon sauce, mango relish, and lilikoi mustard - I first had the former Puka Dog as a kid and loved it. Well, children don't have fully developed brains and should never be trusted. Waste of time, money, and stomach space.
Fresh Catch (Kaimuki): Firecracker and shoyu ahi poke w/ rice - Delicious as hell poke but we got there a bit late in the day so some of the other choices had been wiped out. The firecracker was loaded with red pepper and tobiko.
Liliha Bakery (Kalihi): Coco puff, chocolate cream puff - Dessert #1. Tasty little cream puffs. The coco puff had chocolate pudding and chantilly frosting (think German chocolate frosting without the coconut).
Mountain Magic Shave Ice: Lilikoi, lychee, and tiger's blood with ice cream - Mountain Magic is a cart in front of the Sports Authority in the Waikele Shopping Center and Auntie Jenny serves the absolute best shave ice. The ice is so fine and she makes sure to put enough syrup (you can even get a top off if you find a white spot).

Sunday
Zippy's (Pearlridge): Portuguese sausage omelette sandwich, andagi, malasada - On the way to hiking Diamond Head we popped in for some breakfast. The omelette sandwich was served on a King's Hawaiian roll and was just the right size. Andagi is an Okinawan cake donut. It was perfect as a pre-hike meal because it isn't very sweet. We saved our malasadas as a summit treat.

A beautiful view. Oh yeah, a city behind it too
Chinatown stand: Lychee smoothie
Yotteko Ya: Paitan chashu ramen, garlic fried rice, gyoza - There are a shit-ton of ramen options in Honolulu, so it was just a matter of picking which style we wanted. Ramen Nakamura was a strong contender, but we ultimately settled on Yotteko Ya to try paitan-style ramen. Goddamn did we make a good choice. The broth was so milky and rich with chicken flavor. My girlfriend actually killed the entire bowl and these were not small bowls. The real highlight though was the chashu. I would eat that chashu floating in a bowl of water with limp spaghetti noodles and still be happy.
Dave's Ice Cream (Pearl City) - one scoop kulolo, one scoop caramel macadamia nut

Monday
Hanauma Bay snacks: Peanut butter Clif bars, Maui onion potato chips - OK, we let this one be a utilitarian meal, but those chips were still some damn fine chips.
Pig & the Lady: Porchetta French dip with pickled cucumber, housemade sambal, and hue broth for dipping - Pig & the Lady is stellar. I cannot say enough good things about this place. Hip vibe, outstanding food, cool space (the bathroom is completely covered in pictures from Big Trouble in Little China!!).

Best sandwich I've had in ages
Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery: Pork hash, honey twist - Dessert can involve pork, right?
Rainbow Drive-In: Mixed plate (teri beef, chicken katsu, mahi mahi) with Portuguese sausage added, fruit punch - The wedding party finally arrived and I insisted that they all try plate lunch immediately. Rainbow Drive-In has been slinging grinds for five decades for a reason. Huge portions of delicious food and if you ask, they will cover your entire plate in gravy or chili.

Tuesday
Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery: Baked manapua - Manapua is the Hawaiian word for bao (char siu unless otherwise specified). I go through phases in my life where I prefer steamed manapua and where I prefer baked manapua. I'm currently posted up in the baked camp.
Leeward Drive-Inn: Coconut turnover, Green River - Total childhood favorite here thanks to it being a childhood favorite of my dad as well. Leeward Drive-In is a deep cut that a non-local is likely never going to visit. The coconut turnovers are flaky and loaded with coconut. Green River might be a familiar Chicago flavor, but this is a non-carbonated variety made with Maui cane sugar. It's becoming harder to find these days, but I have no doubt that Leeward Drive-Inn will serve it until they close or the world ends (hopefully the latter arrives first).

Weak redlight photo, but we were on the move
Ted's Bakery:Ted's bento (teri beef, chicken katsu, mahi mahi, spam), chocolate haupia pie, passion orange drink - Ted's is a legendary North Shore bakery but they started serving plate lunch a few years back. Their portions can only be described as monstrous. My bento came with FOUR scoops rice. The chicken katsu was a particular highlight. Maybe the best I've ever had. The chocolate haupia pie is a classic for a reason and everyone who visits Oahu should try it.
Foodland: candied popcorn - After such a mondo huge lunch, we just snacked for dinner.

Wednesday
Forty Niner Restaurant: Banana macadamia nut pancakes with haupia cream sauce, side Portuguese sausage, over easy eggs, fried rice - Down home diner feel with awesome breakfast fare. We sat at the counter and talked with the owner, only to find out that he grew up with my uncle and bought my step-grandfather's car. Fun times.

Please cover everything in haupia. Thanks in advance.
Tanioka's: Onion limu and shoyu poke w/ rice, lilikoi drink - A line out the door at noon on a Wednesday is generally a good sign. If Fresh Catch was delicious, then Tanioka's was transcendent. Absolutely the best raw fish I've ever had. Poke, sushi, grabbing a salmon out of a river with my mouth - it doesn't matter. Tanioka's is the best, period. I only wish I had gone more than once because they had at least 20 varieties in their case to try.

Perfection
Turtle Bay (wedding): Seaweed salad, kalua pig, roasted Molokai sweet potatoes, fried rice, sweet roll, pork hash, baked manapua, vegetable spring rolls, pineapple upside down cake, wedding cake, virgin cocktail (pineapple juice and grenadine)
Surfer Bar (wedding after party): Mini burger, turkey sandwich, fries, virgin lava flow (piña colada with strawberry)

Thursday
Crispy Grindz truck: Acai bowl with banana, granola, honey, strawberries, and coconut - Just a couple of Brazilians parked along Kamehameha Highway selling Brazilian food. Totally gnarly and refreshing after a night of partying.
Ted's Bakery: Cinnamon roll
Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery: lap cheong manapua
Alley Restaurant:Tasty chicken and fried noodles plate lunch, lemon crunch cake, fruit punch - The "tasty" chicken is the Alley's name for mochiko chicken and the name is beyond apt. If Tony's three chili chicken is chicken crack, tasty chicken is chicken black tar heroin. I'm hooked after one hit and can no longer live without it. Crunchy, sweet, salty, and a tiny bit spicy - all things craveable. The fried noodles were a classic rendition. My uncle kept slipping some kalbi short ribs onto my plate as well, so I can attest to their quality. The lemon crunch cake was a delicious lemon cake with an almond toffee coating - again, craveable. Oh yeah, and all this shit is in a bowling alley!


Friday
Leonard's truck (Waikele): Malasada (cinnamon sugar and regular)
Helena's Hawaiian Food: Pipikaula short ribs, fried butterfish collars, kalua pig, Maui onion, rice, haupia - The parking situation sucks ass, but don't let that faze you. We circled the block four times before a parking space opened and I am so glad that we did not give up. This was some deep Hawaiian food and unbelievably ono. The kalua pig was imu-cooked and the best I've had in years. The fried butterfish collars were satisfying in the way that only fish collar can be. The pipikaula was the star though. Pipikaula is an aged beef preparation with roots in the paniolo (Hawaiian cowboy) days. Laden with umami and a mild funk, the meat just melted in your mouth.

Eat the Street: Deep-fried musubi topped with spicy ahi, fried chicken, mac n cheese & spinach artichoke wontons, bacon-wrapped mochi, honey mango ice pop - Every city has food truck events these days and Honolulu is no exception. The theme was Oktoberfest but it would have felt so silly to get takes on German food before returning to the Midwest. Instead we just ate ridiculous fried stuff.

Aloha Crepes: Creamsicle and piña colada snow with mochi and lilikoi caviar

Saturday
Liliha Bakery (Kalihi) - Coconut danish, raisin snail, apple butter cake with chantilly frosting - Our flight may have been at 8 AM, but that wasn't going to prevent a morning meal. Props to Liliha Bakery for being open 24 hours.


So there you have it. Not quite a DaBeefian endeavor, but I think we did well for ourselves. This was by far the longest post I've ever made on LTH, but I hope that people might see it as helpful down the line or at least fodder for jealousy because I went to Hawaii, suckers.

Nice report. I like wanna eat like you when I grow up.

Fantastic post gnarchief--Hawaii has never been high on my list of destinations but that fried musubi pic, especially, may have changed my mind!!!

Don't kid yourself, that's an endeavor! I've never been to Hawaii but it's high on my list and reports like those in this thread here and the recent one by SteveZ over there will get me there. And when I leave the airport my first stop on Oahu will be Tanioka's. Can't wait. Thanks for the report.

If there is such a thing as a foodie soul-mate, i think gnarchief is mine. I am drooling over everything you had. Thanks so much for posting the great pics and providing all of the details.

Thanks for the post gnarchief! I'm also from Hawaii and haven't been back in years so it was nice to live vicariously.

boudreaulicious wrote:Fantastic post gnarchief--Hawaii has never been high on my list of destinations but that fried musubi pic, especially, may have changed my mind!!!

If it's not high then it should be. Spectacular beauty and great food. And I don't really know why but pineapple just tastes better there.

spinynorman99 wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Fantastic post gnarchief--Hawaii has never been high on my list of destinations but that fried musubi pic, especially, may have changed my mind!!!

If it's not high then it should be. Spectacular beauty and great food. And I don't really know why but pineapple just tastes better there.

Something about the volcanic soil just makes all the fruit taste better there. I have not really been able to enjoy a mango since 2009 thanks to one picked from my grandmother's backyard. Nothing will ever live up to it.

Celebrated the New Year in Honolulu. Most of the eating was done in Honolulu with a few places hit during a self-driving circle tour.

BREAKFAST

Hau Tree Lanai: Being that we stayed at the New Otani Kaimana hotel where the restaurant is located, we ended up for breakfast here a few times. Really wonderful views on Kaimana Beach, especially as the sun rose. We even caught a few rainbows here. And great service, with staff members who go out of their way to make you feel at home, and remember you on subsequent days. The prices are high, but you’re paying both for generous portions and a nice view.





I had some poi pancakes (which didn’t really taste like poi) with sausage (links and Portguese and a slice of spam) and scrambled eggs, plus a quarter pineapple. The choice of lilikoi, maple, or coconut syrup for pancakes is a nice touch.



On another day, we tried the French toast with macadamia nuts, shredded coconut, and berries (good but kind of standard) as well as the fried egg and scrambled eggs breakfast, opting for kimchee fried rice. The fried rice and egg plate was huge with a ton of kimchee, cauliflower, and other vegetables tossed into the fried rice. I liked Grandma G’s kimchee fried rice slightly more, as this felt a bit too healthy for what I was craving.

Koko Head Cafe: Wonderful menu and excellent food. Started with some hot coffee and a glass of lilikoi juice. Yum. I loved my breakfast bibimbap! A big pile of bacon, Portuguese sausage, heritage ham, kimchi, soy-mirin shiitake mushrooms, ong choy, sesame carrots & bean sprouts, sunny up egg, served over crispy garlic rice in a hot skillet. A wonderful mixture of textures and flavors, and I loved scraping the crispy bits of rice off the skillet. My husband also liked his Volcano eggs, baked eggs, spicy tomato based sauce, cheddar cheese, with Portuguese sausage. It was kind of like a Hawaiian version of eggs in purgatory / shakshuka. We would definitely be regulars if we lived nearby. Lots of other tasty things on the menu.







Morning Glass Coffee: Two Egg-a-muffins and two Hawaiian coffees of the day (orange caturra peaberry). Great vibe, nice service. The breakfast sandwiches are made of a housemade english muffin, applewood smoked bacon, tomato jam, an over easy egg, gruyere cheese, and baby arugula. The over easy egg gets everywhere when you bit into it! So be warned. It’s totally delicious, though. The tomato jam and arugula help offset the richness of the cheese and egg really well. We would definitely be regulars here as well if we lived in Honolulu.



We also hit up the KCC Farmers Market for breakfast one day - see below.

POKE

Ono Seafood: Tried to go, found they were closed until Weds 1/6. Ugh!

Da Hawaiian Poke Company: Tried to go, then found they were closed until Tues 1/5. I started to sense…a pattern.

Poke Stop: This is a counter inside of Hawaii’s Favorite Kitchens, next to Rainbow Drive In. We did two medium poke bowls. One sesame ahi over sushi rice, the other shoyu over sushi rice. The sesame ahi was good, and had a bit of heat to it, that built up over time, but unfortunately, the shoyu ahi poke was way too salty. We didn’t finish it, and the sushi rice didn’t help (white rice may have). They also go pretty heavy on the seaweed, which I know some people like, but isn’t my preference. Overall, OK, not great.



Hawaii Sushi: This unassuming sushi and poke shop is across the street from Pioneer Saloon. They usually have a special of the day that goes fast (such as salmon poke bowls for $6, but only 30 of them). We ordered one ahi poke bowl and one ahi avocado poke bowl and sat outside. The poke was fresh, tasty, and well balanced in terms of shoyu, onions, seaweed, etc. and served with ginger and wasabi on the side. I enjoyed my bowl a lot, and the daily special is really a steal.



Kahuku Superette: Famous, and for a reason! Their sauce has an interesting level of funk/depth. They only offer shoyu ahi, limu ahi, spicy ahi, and tako poke varieties. We ordered a medium with rice, to share, which netted out at 0.8 lb of food. They basically dump a bunch of rice into a container with poke on top. Tasty, but kind of a light lunch. We should have ordered the large. Also many of the ahi cubes were quite large and still stuck together, and required some maneuvering to eat. I think I prefer a more finely chopped poke. But the flavors were great.



Fresh Ahi Off the Boat: A tiny mom and pop shop with customizable poke bowls where you can choose white, brown, black, or sushi rice, and a number of creative toppings from tempura flakes, masago, natto, kimchee, and more. Fairly new. We ordered two bowls off the menu, and they both came with the choice of miso soup or salad. I had the Tsunami bowl with with shoyu poke, teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo glaze, radish sprouts, raw cucumber, red onions, jalapeño slice, and a generous heaping of shredded nori, over white rice. This was delicious. Loved the combo of shoyu, teriyaki, and spicy mayo glaze, mixed with crunchy elements like red onion and sprouts. My husband got a the local bowl with lomi salmon, kalua pork, and his choice of poke. He chose the spicy ahi poke, a nice helping of creamy and spicy tuna, minced very small, like a spicy tuna roll. I would definitely go back, and I like that they are open late-ish for dinner (until 9pm)!



MALASADAS & SHAVE ICE

Malasadas at Leonard’s Bakery: We ordered four malasada puffs to share: haupia, dobash (chocolate), macadamia, and pineapple (the flavor of the month). The line looks long but moves quickly. Our four malasada puffs were served warm. Two of the four were good and generously filled, but then we discovered that the other two were quickly skimpy on the filling. I barely got any chocolate custard in my half of the chocolate one! Ugh. I like that they are warm but this was disappointing.



Montserrat Ave Shave Ice: This all natural fruit shave ice place is a tiny stand in an alleyway. And tastes almost virtuous, since it’s not super sugary. Portions are very much on the smaller side. My husband tried yuzu-strawberry with condensed milk on top and loved it; my coconut-pineapple was good, but not amazing. I guess I was looking for a sugar bomb. Also, they also try to layer in the flavors as they make the shave ice into your cup. This place is good but perhaps a bit too “healthy” for me!

Matsumoto’s Shave Ice: The line looks crazy long but moves very quickly. This operation is incredibly efficient. Order from the register, get a paper bowl, step down, give someone your paper bowl, pay, step down, and there’s your shave ice. Ordered a large with vanilla ice cream (they only seem to offer one flavor of ice cream), with guava, lilikoi, and pina colada, and condensed milk. The ice is soft, the syrups are fruity, and the ice cream is good. I just wish the wooden spoons were easier to eat with. This was excellent shave ice!



Waiola Shave Ice: Went to the original location on Waiola St., which, as it turns out, is way better than the Kapahulu Ave one. Duly noted. Ordered an extra large bowl with snow cap and ice cream (vanilla only - I wish more places offered macadamia nut). One side lilikoi syrup, the other side pina colada. They also had lilikoi cream as a topping, which seemed intriguing. This was also excellent shave ice, and shaved so finely that it started to melt right away. This is probably our favorite during this trip on Oahu, though we never made it to Uncle Clay’s.



KCC FARMERS MARKET

Koko Crater Coffee Roasters: We ended up here twice due to its very convenience location and quick line - pay, get handed a cup, serve yourself. Good, strong coffee. I believe we had the Kona Market Blend.



Kale Tempura Sliders from Otsuji Farms: This popular dish consists of tempura pieces of kale, topped with guacamole, fresh raw ahi, and is drizzled with spicy mayo and a sweet eel like sauce, and topped with scallions. Ordered but it took a while to get mine; there were several people waiting for their orders and it took about ten minutes. The kale had been battered and fried already but they were behind on cutting the fresh ahi for the topping. The plate came with five medium sized sliders, a generous portion of sweet and spicy sauce on top. Tasty but a bit too filling as I had wanted to try other food like local shrimp.



Breakfast plate from Grandma G’s: Eggs, fried rice, Portguese sausage hit the spot.

Le Banh Mi Smoked Saigon from Pig and Lady: The line wasn’t too bad when we arrived. Their smoked banh mi was amazing: pork belly, head cheese, Vietnamese ham, chicken liver pate, fried poached egg, pickles, cucumbers, and cilantro.



Lilikoi pineapple juice in a mason jar from Hawaiian Crown: We got some of their fresh juice in a mason jar since it had started to get quite warm. Delicious. Returned the jar after we were done (not sure what you are supposed to do).







COCKTAILS

Lewers Lounge: It was chilly that night in Oahu and we were actually dressed for Lewers Lounge (long pants + closed toe shoes for the husband), but it was closed due to President Obama having dinner at Orchids. D’oh! Thanks, Obama.

House without a Key: Went here instead. It was a little misty and chilly outside, so we didn’t stay long. Drinks were good, service was great, live music and hula was excellent. Too bad the weather was “cold” for Oahu.

House Without a Key, Honolulu, Oahu by Kathryn Yu Photography, on Flickr

Pint & Jigger: A really interesting cocktail menu here, with a skew towards the complex, bitter, and boozy. We stopped in for a quick drink before dinner, had great service and a great time, and came back a few days later to try more drinks. I loved the Misbehavin, a shaken and refreshing cocktail made with their house infused Maraca cherry spirit, lilikoi, lemon bitters, and lime juice. Another great drink was the mesquite smoked Manhattan, make with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Carpano Antica vermouth, orange and Angostura bitters. Whenever the bartender was making one, you could smell the smoke throughout the bar area. We also tried some of their signature “Old Favorites.” The Drawn & Quartered was an unusual cocktail with equal parts Campari, a ton of Angostura bitters, lime juice, housemade apricot syrup, and then a splash of soda water. That’s two full ounces of bitters for those who are counting. A fantastic mix of flavors and it’s easy to see why it’s one of their classics. I also really liked the Smoking Gun, their take on a margarita, reposado tequila, blood orange, fresh lilikoi and smoked macadamia nut syrup, served with a rim of salt and more smoked macadamia nuts. Really wonderful and creative.



Pig and Lady: See below.

CASUAL MEALS

Ono Hawaiian Food: Tried to go, found they were closed until 1/4.

Haili’s Hawaiian Food: Was also dark when we drove by. Ugh!

Hau Tree Lanai: Our final lunch on the island before heading off to the airport was surprisingly good. Loved the furikake ahi burger served with seasoned steak fries. A pesto-marinated tuna filet, cooked medium rare, caused with furikake, served with lettuce and tomato on a white kaiser bun. Simple, tasty.



Helena’s Hawaiian Food: Arrived around 11:40am to a 30-45 minute wait, which really turned out to be 50 minutes, for our party of 3. We shared a D plate (kalua pork, squid luau, pipikaula ribs, and lomi salmon) with two scoops rice, and added on fried ahi, lau lau, chicken long rice, and macaroni salad. Kind of annoying that you have to add those items on, but, whatever. This was a good amount of food for 3 people--not too much. But if you're hungry, I'd order one of the letter plates on their own. The fried ahi was a little dry, but the other food was excellent. The pipikalua ribs were meaty and fatty and very flavorful. I also loved their chicken long rice. Very gingery and soothing, almost like comfort food. The laulau was great - also very flavorful. And I simply adored their squid luau. We scraped all of the bowls clean, and ended up paying only $45 with tip for the three of us. This was good, but next time I’d get takeout.



The Pig & Lady: Best meal we had on the island. Hip, Vietnamese inspired, and completely, totally, utterly packed the Saturday after New Year’s. Arrived starving, and it took a while to get seated due to the crowds. We loved the food. For drinks, I had a Cobra Commander, which was avocado infused mezcal, with Sriracha ice, rose, and lime. It was good but a bit much due to the Sriracha ice and strong flavors of the meal. The P&L sour with bourbon, lime, apricot, and tamarind was simpler and seemed to match better with the food. The All in the Reflexes was also very good: rum agricole, coconut, lime, chili pepper, and basil. Overall some of the drinks seem to be a bit complicated here, and hard to match with the food.



The brussels sprouts appeared swimming in a bed of brown butter and fish sauce, with tiny bits of local citrus and pineapple. A flavor profile I didn’t think would work, but paid off in spades. The French Dip banh mi and Manila clams doesn’t really make sense on paper, either. But really works. It consists of 12 hr roasted brisket, sauteed bean sprouts, thai basil chimmichurri, cilantro braised clams & taro stem in yuzu pho broth. The broth was fragrant and flavorful. The clams were fresh and juicy. And their sandwiches are always an awesome combination of flavors and textures, and the sandwich was even better dipped into the broth/juice from the clams. Overall, it just worked really well.



And finally… The Works. We were getting full by this point, with only 2 dishes. But this one really put me over the edge. A huge portion of tender, medium-rare grilled beef short rib steak, generous helpings of tender escargot scattered about the dish, with bone marrow poured on top, and then topped with puffed rice and drowned in thai chili jaew. Eaten with betel leaves on the side. And a side of chicken fat rice, served with tiny fried chicken skin bits on top. My friend who lives in Vietnam says this is the best thing he’s ever eaten in a long time (and he used to live in NY). So, so good.



UPSCALE MEALS

Nanzan GiroGiro: A really fun experience and remains an excellent value at $58 for 6 courses and an extra $8 for dessert. The execution of the dishes was perfect, and the flavors were delicious, but subtle. Perhaps slightly shorter menu than previous meals here. But still worth it. We started with a nice piece of sea eel in a water chestnut soup, with a hint of wasabi, topped with mushrooms and pine nuts. The next pairing of perfectly cooked red snapper and yuba in soup was very complimentary. I loved the somen noodle dish, topped with trout roe and shiso, and a very fresh scallop. The main dish was beef with a foie gras manju (fantastic) with a white miso soup and yuzu kosho. This was excellent. In contrast, the next dish, while good, seemed a but one note, a seared piece of duck breast with sesame sauce and sesame tofu (very sesame heavy). Lastly, the final savory dish was grilled black cod (again, coked perfectly) with a very interesting piece of tempura shirako (very rich), some white rice, floating bits of seaweed, and some housemade pickles for digestion. We opted to add on dessert, a plated trio of items which consisted of a very nice strawberry-red bean ice cream, a macaron of pumpkin and vanilla, a tiny piece of orange-cranberry cake (not very sweet). It was also one of the few non-Waikiki, non-hotel restaurants open on New Year’s Day.









Alan Wong’s: This was probably our second favorite after The Pig & Lady. We both opted for the menu tasting. Started off with hot focaccia bread made in house and really delicious butter (served at room temperature, I forget the origin of the butter, but it was very high quality). The “soup and sandwich” was a true highlight of the meal. Chilled tomato soup in a martini glass, with a hot and crispy kale pork grilled cheese sandwich balanced on top. Oh, and there’s foie gras in the sandwich as well. Perfect. Served on the side was a chopped stack of ahi tuna and avocados, on top of crispy won ton bits. Tasty, but not as good as the soup and sandwich. I also really enjoyed the Keahole lobster and shrimp lasanga, with the noodles cooked perfectly al dente, and presented more as a cylinder of noodles than the traditional flat rectangle. The ginger crusted onaga was also very good, moist and flaky, served with mushrooms and corn, in a miso and sesame sauce. By the time the twice cooked short rib with leafy greens rolled around, I was starting to get full and couldn’t quite finish my portion, even though I polished off the succulent ginger shrimp on the site. Lastly, one of the most photogenic dishes of all time: the coconut, consisting of coconut sorbet presented in a shell of chocolate and shredded coconut, surrounded by tropical fruits and lilikoi sauce. This dessert was awesome and incredibly filling! The sorbet was creamy and paired well with the lilikoi sauce. A very strong finish to an excellent meal.





MW: I enjoyed my meal here but not as much as some other places on Oahu. We started with sharing 3 wagyu beef and mushroom sliders. These were juicy and flavorful, but it’s always annoying to share a dish with 3 pieces between two people. It also seemed to take a long time to arrive. I ordered the mochi encrusted opakapaka served with some noodles, kimchee, and other pickles, and a small dish of dipping sauce for the noodles. I really enjoyed the fish, especially the mochi flour breading. My husband enjoyed his Jidori chicken, served on a bed of fideos with Kauai shrimp and local tomatoes, snap peas, and fennel. It was tasty but tasted more Italian than Hawaiian. The best part of the meal was our dessert: the “floating island.” A disk of frozen lilikoi souffle, topped with lilikoi sorbet, tropical fruits, a poached meringue, and a pineapple elderflower consomme. This is a dessert for lilikoi lovers. Each component was exquisite, down to the tiny pieces of local fruits: pineapple, banana, and more. And it was also gorgeous to look at. Would definitely eat this again, and again, and again….







If you made it this far, thanks! Unfortunately, didn’t get to quite as many places as we wanted to due to many places being closed for multiple days over the new year.

Kathryn,

I can't begin to thank you enough for,all of your Hawaiian posts!

You're welcome! I hope you have another trip to the islands coming up?

no love for marukame? japanese chain, cafeteria style udon.

but it's really good. 2 locations - 1 downtown, 1 near wakiki.

Scroll back a bit and you'll see a few mentions of Marukame Udon. My husband isn't a huge fan of ramen/udon/noodle soups so we skipped it.

The last 20 years, I've spent the holidays in Puerto Vallarta with extended family and friends, and enjoying the culinary delights of that city. Sadly, my wife and I had to cancel this year as we are trying to get pregnant and Zika is a concern there.

By the time we came to terms with PV being off the table, it was too late to book elsewhere over the holidays, so we're instead headed to Honolulu in early February. We spent 2 days there on our honeymoon back in '08 (eating at Sensai sushi and Alan Wong's), but are flying kind of blind in terms of dining in Honolulu. Adding another wrinkle, if the wife's pregnant when we go, that would mean many things we love (like sushi, poke) would be somewhat limited for her, so we'd need places that have things she can eat, too. Any recommendations for us? Also, we will have a car for at least part of the time, and plan to explore the rest of Oahu so we're open to suggestions beyond Honolulu, too.