Food will be a big part of your Oahu experience, and for good reason. Hawaiian cuisine is made up of five distinct cuisines reflecting the diversity of the islands inhabitants. To make the food hunt a lot easier, these are some top local picks.
Haupia: A traditional Hawaiian dessert of coconut pudding at Teds Bakery, the creamy coconut goodness with whipped cream and chocolate custard cream for one heavenly mouthful. (Teds is very under rated, but I prefer Bakery)
Moco Loco: Theres something extra special about The Highway dish of rice with hamburger patties and fried eggs doused in a rich brown gravy. Warning: Youll likely slip into a (Just about everything is good here, so be prepared to wait!) This might be my favorite Hawaiian dish.
Malasadas: There are donuts and then there are malasadas from at Leonards Bakery. A filled with all sorts of goodness from mango to macadamia and the lilikoi. (Malasadas are everywhere in the islands, but Leoanrds are still the best, I might rate malasadas above beignets after my
Kalua Pig: The secret to Helenas Hawaiian Food trademark dish is they cook it traditionally in an imu (underground oven), which explains its unique juicy flavor. Its one of the reasons they were awarded a James Beard Foundations Regional Classics award in 2000.
Spam Musubi: Youll see musubis (sushi rice with a protein held together by seaweed) available everywhere, but its the spam version thats a popular favorite of locals. At Mana Musubi, they offer four types of rice and 35 different variations–from salmon flake, spicy tuna, and konbu. This is also very popular in Vegas.
Roast Pork and Poke Bowl: Opened in 1949, Alicias Market is a Hawaii general store known for its roast meats and poke bar (they stock over 15 varieties) so is the best of both worlds. (I have been going to Alicias for at least 40 years now)
Better yet, try some of the local markets: A great way to experience local culture and support small business owners is at a farmers market–in Oahu there are four for exploring. Running from Thursday to Sunday in neighborhoods like Kailua, Haleiwa, Kakaako, and Pearlridge, theyre organized by FarmLovers Markets (check their website for details/timings)
and attract an eclectic mix of vendors selling everything from local delicacies to ingredients, chilled beach threads to skincare. If transportation isnt an issue, make a beeline for the Thursday market at Haleiwa in the beautiful Waimea Valley it with a visit to Waimea Falls Park. And definitely go hungry as theres a rotating list of vendors selling everything from fresh ceviche, Kona coffee, pizzas, and local grub from enterprising young chefs. Local booze too: From sake to whisky, IPAs and rum, theres a lot of superb booze being brewed on Oahu. You can choose to DIY your beer and sake brewery crawl around Kakaako (make a note of Islander Sake Brewery and Honolulu Beerworks), have a firsthand tour and taste of Koolau whiskey made using local corn and water, or explore the sugarcane garden of Kō Hana Hawaiian Agricole Rum before doing a taste test. The flavors and brews using local ingredients will blow you away (and dont forget to bring home a bottleor three).More ono food:In local slang, #onogrindz means good food, and on Oahu, youll find thatll have you salivating. Think super addictive Birria anything (from ramen to lumpia and pizza) with a special mention to @Aloha.Mamacitas generously sized cheesy beef Birria tacos thats always a winner. On a hot day (or any day) if you can track down @guudfellaz for their sandwiches, youre in luck. A failsafe order is their creamy and sweet UBEBEH!, using Ube (purple yam) from Daves Hawaiian Ice Cream in a taro bun thats pressed with butter and then topped with coconut flakes, almonds, Ube sauce, and caramel, its a meal all on its own.
