I love ono (‘really tasty’ in Hawaiian and pronounced like “Oh No!” but without the emphasis on each word) food. Ono food with great company, in a great atmosphere lives in my memory for ages. So it is with Hawaii. My memory is seeped with the eclectic tastes of the foods that are available in Hawaii. Each place that I have described below is located on the island of Oahu and has a special place in my heart.
1) Hukilau Café- Located in Laie, this is my favorite place to enjoy breakfast. It is open for breakfast and lunch everyday except for Sunday and Monday and serves local food with a local feel. It is also a favorite among locals who gather here to exchange stories while enjoying the ono food. Many a times the top menu items sell out within a couple of hours of opening. This is also the restaurant that was featured on the movie “50 First Dates”. My favorite breakfast menu items have been the fried rice and the banana pancakes. The fresh fruit juices ranging from papaya to lilikoi (passion fruit) are also delicious. The service is also exceptional, with the family running the restaurant treating everyone like family. Furthermore, while the portion sizes are very generous, prices are also very reasonable with a breakfast entrée costing on average of $6. To get to this location travel to Laie on the Kamehameha hwy, and turn onto Naniloa loop, and then take a left on to Wahinepee after taking the roundabout.
2) Ted’s Bakery- This place serves the best pies in the world hands down!!! Operated by a local family who has refused to sell their famous recipes or franchise, the bakery and small restaurant is located in Sunset Beach on the North Shore. While the little café will serve you and the many surfers and locals who hang out here hamburgers, sandwiches, and hotdogs for a reasonable price, what you absolutely just cannot miss are their pies. While they offer several varieties my favorite is Chocolate Haupia (coconut milk pudding). The bakery now distributes their famous pies to most of the local supermarkets, so that you do not have to travel all the way to the North Shore to enjoy one.
3) Waiahole Poi Factory- Although not technically a restaurant, they serve lunch boxes on most days. The food served here is traditional Hawaiian, with dishes such as Kalua Pork, Lomi Lomi Salmon, and freshly made Poi (made with taro). While the food is delicious (and a must try for tourists who want a taste of authentic Hawaiian food), proceeds from the sale go to a local charity that serves various native Hawaiian programs. The Poi Factory is located on Kamehameha Hwy, past Kaneohe, at Waiahole Valley Road.
4) Kailua Farmer’s Market- The Farmer’s Market takes place every Thursday between 5:00 and 7:30PM at the parking garage right behind Long’s Drug store in downtown Kailua. While local farmers sell organic fruits, vegetables, honey, and fresh flowers, a few vendors set up stalls and serve ono food. Here the North Shore Cattle Co. serves their signature naturally grown hormone free beef in an assortment of ways such as steak dinner plates, hamburgers, and sausage. Starpoint Catering, and DaSpot are also regulars at the market serving Italian, and Egyptian dinner plates. For dessert my favorite is Beignets (a Pilipino fried pastry dish served with a sweet lilikoi sauce) served by Country Comfort Catering.
5) Leonard’s Malasada trucks- Leonard’s serves the Hawaiian version of the donut that puts the best known national donut chains to shame. This is a must try for all tourists, but beware, they are addicting and is filled with probably thousands of calories. My favorites are the Chocolate and Haupia filled malasadas, which are served piping hot fresh out of the fryer. While there is a sit down bakery in Honolulu where you can try these, they are also served in Leonard’s signature red and white striped trucks at various parking lots around the island. A few places I’ve seen these trucks include the Windward Mall in Kaneohe, and the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie.
