Forget Maui. Oahu is where da food is.
We used to inhabit Kauai every year cos we had a sweet deal. A great little rental across the street from a quiet beach, we could cook our own food and it was relaxing. We'd also gone to Maui, which is a step above Kauai in the crowded department, but not anything crazy. I'd heard of people vacationing on Oahu and thought they were nuts. It's a big city, crowded and congested, so why would anyone go there? I'll tell you why – because of the food!
This was our third trip to Honolulu and we don't stay in Waikiki. We stay in a hotel off the main strip, where it's tranquil and relaxed. It's a place where everybody knows your name and they remember it even if you haven't been there in a few years. It's still in Honolulu, so it's just a 10-15 minute drive to most restaurants in the area. We became friends with a valet who works at the hotel and he's guided our Hawaiian culinary adventures. I truly have to give him props, because he knows the real deal. When we eat, we're not looking for fancy, spendy, high-end places – we're looking for hole-in-the-wall, tiny, funky joints that make you think, "Ummm, is this the right place?", when you drive up. He knows this fact and always has great suggestions.
We've enjoyed foods new to us, such as shabu shabu and ramen, while going back to our old favorites like Hawaiian plate lunches (complete with a scoop of mac salad!), fried rice with Portuguese sausage and pan-fried pork chops. This vacation was definitely indulgent with food, but we'll work hard at the gym now that we're home. In fact, we're doing a two week vegetarian stint right now to cleanse ourselves from all that meat. We also said no booze for a week, but that ended exactly after one week had passed. I can go forever without meat, but not wine!
We drove almost an hour for this shave ice. Nutty? Yes. Good? Yes! Plus, we wanted to see a part of the island we'd never been to, so what the heck? This is from Matsumoto's Shave Ice in Haleiwa on the North Shore. Hubby got coconut and mango and I went for root beer with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was an icy root beer float! We snuggled on a bench with a family from Arizona who also made the drive from Honolulu and none of us were disappointed.
And then there are the cocktails. You probably think pina colada, mai tai or lava flow when you think Hawaii, but branch out next time you're in the tropics. Town in the Kaimuki neighborhood offers cool cocktails that use herbs and their own special blends of spirits. Their entire menu is full of local ingredients and the drinks are no exception. We sat at the bar on our second visit and the bartender Jordan told me he came up with the "mai thyme" idea when he was growing thyme and lemongrass in his backyard. Doesn't get more local than that! I love the traditional mai tai at Side Street Inn, but this is amazing in it's own way. Rum, ginger beer, pineapple, thyme and lemongrass. Wow.
No trip to Oahu would be complete with at least one trip to Leonard's Bakery for hot malasadas. We went twice in 2.5 weeks, which I thought showed serious restraint. Malasadas are similar to donuts but way better. WAY. Rolled in sugar while still hot and sometimes filled with custard, they are a Hawaiian staple. I'm sure Leonard's sells other delicious desserts, but I wouldn't know because I can never leave the malasada train. We brought some back for the night valet crew and as I handed over the box I thought, "Do the locals get sick of these?", but decided that was a crazy thought. Tire of those warm, yeasty, sugary buns of joy? Never.
I didn't take any food photos this trip, but will leave you with a list of our favorite Oahu haunts. Most are in Honolulu, since that's where we stay and we don't like driving far for grub.
Town
Salt
Side Street Inn
Kohnotorri
Diamond Head Grill
Asuka Nabe & Shabu Shabu
Imanas Tei
Big City Diner
Tenkaippin Ramen
Leonard's Bakery