My second trip to the state of Hawaii occurred almost exactly a decade after my first. Vivid memories still spring to mind when I think back to my middle-school self, attempting to grasp onto a giant sea turtle while snorkeling on the big island. This you can no longer do, as sea turtles are a protected species and snorkelers are warned not to touch them or risk being fined.
What & Where to Eat in Honolulu
First, let me just be upfront about my time in Honolulu: it was genuinely a 50/50 split between eating and sightseeing. Ok, it was more like a 70/30 split....
Aside from the cities of Europe, Hawaii's largest city probably offers more gastronomic delights per square mile than most other destinations. Asian migrants have long journeyed to these pacific isles, so Chinese and Japanese and other ethnic flavors are integrated into the cuisine here. Specifically, there is some excellent Japanese fare on these islands (and lots of Japanese signage!), both a reaction to and a result of the large amounts of tourists that originate from the country.
Yokocho Gourmet Alley
So let's begin with my gastronomic adventures the night of arrival - we stopped at Yokocho Gourmet Alley, a recent addition to the Waikiki area, featuring a variety of Japanese eateries in an underground, food stall setting.
for musubi, head to Shichimusubi
An adorable Musubi (rice ball) store in the center of the alley, Shichimusubi features organic rice and the traditional selection of musubis, including salmon, pickled plum, and the Hawaii special - spam.
craving ramen? look no further than BARIO
Bario serves up large, scrumptious bowls of steaming noodles, including tsukemen (dipping noodles) seen below.
If you're more of a traditionalist, there's always a standard bowl of the restaurant's succulent, slurp-worthy ramen.
time for dessert: nana’s green tea
Last but not least, stop by Nana's Green Tea for dessert. Their sweet, supple matcha soft serve swirl is mesmerizing on a waffle cone, or if you're in the mood for something slightly chewy, opt for anmitsu - a Japanese classic featuring mocha, red bean paste, and ice cream on a bed of agar jelly (right).
to aid digestion: retail therapy on waikiki beach walk
Yokocho Gourmet Alley is located in the bottom of Waikiki Shopping Plaza, which is in the heart of the Waikiki shopping area - also known as Waikiki beach walk. This avenue will very likely meet all of your shopping needs. Unless you're looking to purchase a pony in Hawaii. Maybe.
Waikiki Beach
If retail therapy isn't what your looking for, opt for a post-dinner stroll towards Waikiki beach instead. Speaking of which, the sunset seen from the Fort DeRussy Boardwalk along the sandy shores is a great place to see the sunset.
Turn around to see Diamond Head basked in the retreating light of dawn...(so poetic, aren't I?)
And as with most sunsets, before you know it, night has fallen - and thus ends my first day after a decade in Honolulu.
day 2 - animal time
Day 2 began with me looking out over the balcony, and seeing what appeared to be a small beached whale on the beach. Alas, it was not. But naturally I grab the brother anyways and we head off towards the gathered crowd.
It's a seal! Apparently uninjured, and casually sunbathing on the beach, it seems.
What to eat in Honolulu’s Historic Chinatown
After watching the monk seal laze around under the sun for a bit - we realized we were hungry. Luckily - we were signed up for a food tour of the city - which unbeknownst to us - was mostly focused in Chinatown. You can see the irony. Regardless - some highlights from the tour:
manapua at Royal Kitchen
For breakfast, stop by Royal Kitchen in Chinatown for a manapua - essentially the Hawaiian version of a char-siu bao. You can get them with various fillings, see below for char-siu (left) and portugese sausage (right).
rice rolls/noodles at Lam’s kitchen
A rice noodle factory run by no one under 65 tucked away in one of the buildings of Honolulu's historical Chinatown.
Although I enjoy my fair-share of rice noodles - I've never actually seen how it's made. Turns out, each layer of the fold is made on a separate metal pan, cooled, condensed, and then rolled together with other ingredients between the layers.
Got a sweet-tooth? Two not to be missed desserts in the city
coco-puffs at liliha bakery
First up, Liliha Bakery for their famed coco-puffs.
This pillowy dessert puff lives up to the hype. The creamy interior balances well with the airy shell, and the coconut / chocolate aroma of the cream is thick but light. Refreshing, decadent, but not heavy. Worth at stop at any one of Liliha's locations to pick up a few (or a dozen).
masaladas at Leonard's Bakery
Leonard's Bakery is another Oahu institution, most well known for their masaladas. Essentially, these are Portuguese donuts without the typical hold in the middle. Since 1952, Leonard's have been frying these delightful donuts made-to-order - so definitely expect a line,
Verdict? Quite good, though I preferred the coco puffs from Liliha myself. Solid, sugar dusted fried dough with an airy interior and a burst of umami goodness.
Not to be missed classic meal: loco-moco at Rainbow Drive-in
Now, for an all-time favorite. The classic loco-moco (left) at Rainbow Drive-In, an institution among locals. Invented to serve famished surfers along Hawaii's endless shorelines, loco-mocos typically feature two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad, a beef patty, gravy, all topped with 1-2 fried eggs.
Two things: one, I shouldn't have to tell you this is good. What about it's myriad ingredients could possibly be bad (except maybe the fat content)? Second, bring an appetite and still, split one to share. This monstrosity of a plate is not for the faint of heart. Literally.
Right, Rainbow's mix plate, featuring BBQ beef, fish of the day, and boneless chicken, accompanied by the usual two scoops of rice and one scoop macaroni salad, with tartar sauce on the side. Mix plates are the multifaceted variant of Hawaii's traditional plate lunch, an idiosyncratic of local fare that describes any meal featuring scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and an entree.
full? time to hit the sand again
And because all my decisions are so well-thought out and days so terribly well-planned, after this half day of eating - it was time for the beach.
Naturally, how can one enjoy the brilliant sun, soft sand, and rolling waves without a few drinks? Or...4? (Ok ok, these were shared - this was a family vacation, not Cancun.)
Walking off all the food: making the trek up to Diamond Head
Day 3 began with a climb up iconic Diamond Head. The hike itself is about 40 minutes each way, not overly difficult though the trail can get narrow at times. Lots of stairs (and people); definitely bring your water bottle.
On the summit one of many viewing decks await - and hikers are rewarded with a panoramic view of Waikiki.
Left, the famed 'stairway to heaven' that serves as a short-cut to the panoramic viewing platform at the very top of the mountain. Beware that after the steep climb, one has to exit out of a bunker, seen below right.
hungry after all that exercise? visit the not-to-be-missed marukame udon
After the morning hike - it was time for some sustenance. Luckily for us, we coincidentally passed by Marukame Udon when there was no line (an extreme rarity), and stopped for a bit to eat. What followed was one of the more fantastic noodle eating experiences in my life...
Customers walk into the store and are greeted with the sight of udon-making. Delicate, chewy strands are hand-made and hand-pulled daily, prepared upon ordering.
Marukame Udon is the franchise's first location outside of Japan - choosing the city of Honolulu for its relative proximity to the mainland and its sizeable population of Japanese. It is, however, one of the most popular places to eat amongst tourists - so expect long lines at lunch and dinner hours throughout the week.
The food here is served cafeteria style, with the bowls of noodle made-to-order, and a selection of tempura (below) to pair with the udon lined up right before the checkout counter. Some of my favorites: the delicately sweet Okinawan yam, the ubiquitous shrimp tempura, and the crunchy vegetable tempura - which consists of a mass of onion shreds fried to perfection. They also have hand-made inari here (rice wrapped in sweet tofu skin, left) - one of my favorites.
Seen below, the Niku (Sweet Beef) Udon served with a soft boiled egg, hands down a winning combination of noodle perfection. Served with a dollop of grated daikon (radish), a sprinkling of fresh spring onions and tempura flakes, the soup embodies umami in combination with the runny egg yolk and juicy, succulent slices of beef. Simply perfection.
as usual, save space for dessert at matcha maiko
Need a sweet treat after the udon goodness? Next door to Marukame is Matcha Maiko - a straight-outta-Japan joint that serves up endless combinations of green tea dessert.
If you're a matcha aficionado like me, this place is definitely worth a try. Or two. Or three. Hey - who's judging?
snack time suggestion: spam musubi at a musubi & bento outlet
As a post-lunch snack, or really an anytime snack, spam musubis are native to Hawaii and a near perfect blend of rice, spam, and seaweed. The chain store Musubi & Bento Iyasume has several locations in Honolulu and specially features a wide selection of spam musubi - from original (with only spam & seaweed, to toppings including avocado, tamago (egg), bacon, and jalapeno.
Clockwise from below center, the original spam musubi, spam musubi with egg and bacon, with spam and shiso leaf, with spam and avocado, and finally, with spam and takuan (sweet preserved daikon radish), center.
poke from foodland
This ubiquitous office lunch favorite traces its roots back to Hawaii. In its simplest form - fish sashimi, diced, seasoned with sauce (typically soy sauce based), on a bed of rice. And after asking a few locals where was the best place to get this widely disseminated dish, much to my surprise many simply said Foodland (a chain Hawaiian supermarket (!)
