Where the forty-fourth president eats, stays, surfs, and plays—and how you can follow in his footsteps

EAT
Alan Wong's Arguably Hawaii's best high-end restaurant, Alan Wong's is a leader of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, which emphasizes locally sourced fish, meat, and produce—signature dishes include Da Bag (steamed clams with kalua pig in a foil bag) and ginger-crusted onaga. Although it's one of Honolulu's dressier joints, flip-flops—which Obama wore here in August—are always in style (1857 S. King St.; 808-949-2526; entrées, $26–$48).

Indigo Restaurant You don't have to be the leader of the Free World to love Indigo. The Asian-fusion food is unremarkable, but the outdoor dining room—dreamily lit with red paper lanterns and overlooking a small koi pond—is what makes this Chinatown restaurant a favorite of the city's young professionals (the excellent cocktails don't hurt either). Obama came here for dinner, but thrifty locals come for the epic $16 lunch buffet (1121 Nu'uanu Ave.; 808-521-2900; entrées, $18–$30).

Island Snow Hawaii Obama treated Malia and Sasha to a pre-dinner shave ice here (no word on Michelle's reaction to this move). According to the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the president's flavor combination is appropriately diverse: "guava orange, Lanikai lime, and choo-choo cherry" (130 Kailua Rd.; 808-263-6339; shave ice, $2–$3).

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop This perpetually packed North Shore burger joint is an Obama favorite; he visited in 2006, shortly before he announced his candidacy, and again last summer. It was on the 2006 trip that Condé Nast Traveler contributor Pico Iyer first encountered Obama, an experience he recalls fondly: "To meet the future president in a little shack over celestial avocado burgers is something you couldn't hope for at the Four Seasons or La Tour d'Argent" (66-160 Kamehameha Hwy.; 808-637-6067; burgers, $7–$9).

Makiki Obama grew up in this unprepossessing middle-class neighborhood north of Waikiki, close to a favorite pit stop of many Honoluluans: Waiola Shave Ice. Traditionalists go for strawberry syrup–drenched cups of the finely ground ice, but the adventurous prefer lychee and passion fruit (2135 Waiola Ave.; 808-949-2269; shave ice, $2–$5).

Rainbow Drive-In During an interview in August, Obama mentioned that he was thinking of swinging by this 48-year-old diner, famous for its coronary-inducing "plate lunch": barbecued beef, fried chicken, mahi­mahi, macaroni salad, and two scoops of white rice (3308 Kanaina Ave.; 808-737-0177; entrées, $5–$7).

University of Hawaii at Manoa This is where the future president's parents met, where his mother earned her Ph.D., and where his sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, and brother-in-law Konrad Ng currently teach. Follow students and teachers alike into the mist-shrouded Manoa Valley for the vegetarian "baby tostadas" and dense oatmeal cookies at Andy's Sandwiches & Smoothies (2904 E. Manoa Rd.; 808-988-6161; entrées, $4–$8).