Hawaii
Current Time
Currency
Weather
Tools & Resources
- World's Top Hotels›
- Hot New Hotels›
- Destination Finder›
- Photo Gallery›
- Video Library›
- Currency Converter›
- Weather Forecasts›
- Maps›
Advertisement
restaurants
- send to cell
- Font Size: A A A
Hawaii restaurants
The native Hawaiian diet once revolved around a few root vegetables, fruit, wild boar, and fish. But several factors moved Hawaiian cuisine far beyond those humble beginnings: Laborers who came from China, Japan, Portugal, Korea, and the Philippines to work the sugar cane plantations brought a panoply of new flavors; the influx of hippies and professional athletes brought a new health consciousness; and luxury hotels and resorts introduced Continental tastes. Today, many restaurants in Hawaii reflect these cultural currents combined with native traditions—a phenomenon that in the early '90s became known as Hawaii regional cuisine, spearheaded by a band of a dozen now-famous chefs, including Beverly Gannon, George Mavrothalassitis, Peter Merriman, and Alan Wong. Its hallmark is a use of fresh, local ingredients to concoct haute or healthy renditions of traditional dishes such as grilled short ribs, poke (marinated raw fish), shredded pork, and lau lau (meat and fish wrapped in leaves and steamed). The original (greasier) versions are typically sold as $7 mixed plates at roadside lunch shacks. Outside Hawaii's upscale restaurants, island food tends to focus on red meat and can be salty (vegetarians and heart patients, take heed). But there is also plenty of fresh fish and fruit: Check out the numerous roadside farmers' markets, and if you see a guy selling coconuts by the side of the road, buy one and have him stick a straw in it for you. The sweet liquid inside is the distilled essence of Hawaii—and more memorable than any mai tai.
This James Beard Award–winning chef (who you might have seen on the season finale of the 2006 Top Chef) doesn't rest on his laurels. His dining room may...more
see the Oahu guideThe food at Bali Hai, in the Hanalei Bay Resort, is often inconsistent and a bit expensive (an average dinner entrée is $28), but the spectacular view...more
see the Kauai guideA local favorite in the sleepy town of Hawi for more than ten years, this restaurant has finally been discovered by mainlanders. Still, locals swear by these...more
see the Big Island guideEverything is just right in this happy place—the production area is clean and pristine, the goods are beautifully packaged, and most importantly, the...more
see the Big Island guideIf you think "vegan world-fusion cuisine" sounds as tasty as a piece of cardboard drenched in soy, this outpost of the Portland, Oregon, restaurant of the same...more
see the Kauai guideHomemade pastries, fresh mahimahi sandwiches, grilled pork chops, and ensemada (a fresh twirled bread brushed with butter and dipped in sugar) keep this little...more
see the Lanai guideOne of the better restaurants on Kauai, this kitchen strives to use island produce, seafood, and local goat cheese whenever possible—and the effort pays...more
see the Kauai guideThis is the place that stole every local's heart years ago, and with good reason. It has fresh local fish and great poke—the sesame-and-soy marinated tuna...more
see the Big Island guideOne of Oahu's top restaurants is the domain of chef George Mavrothalassitis (who thankfully used his nickname). Set in a residential neighborhood of Honolulu,...more
see the Oahu guideCasual island dining where the locals and the tourists happily coexist. Be sure to get the Big Island Luau plate—traditional Hawaiian foods like pork lau...more
see the Big Island guide
RSS Feeds