Food in Oahu

Last post on food from our Hawaii vacation! There were SO MANY food options in Waikiki. Since we were only there a few days, we didn't plan ahead too much and ate whatever was convenient. Mommy tried to only go to places that we can't get back home, but we did end up having pizza and burgers a few times. Here are some of the more notable places we visited.

Marukame Udon:
An exciting new discovery! This was a cafeteria style restaurant serving nothing but udon and tempura. The udon was so slippery and fresh, and it was neat to pick out whatever tempura pieces we wanted, down to a tempura soft-boiled egg! There was a line out the door, but it moved fast. Mommy was a huge fan and it was one of her favorite things about Waikiki. She loves her udon. Seeing how Colin slurped up his noodles, he was a fan too.

We've never seen Colin so serious about eating his noodles.

Another plus: they open at 7am so Daddy even went to grab breakfast on our last day! 

Rainbow Drive In:

A popular spot for plate lunch. We stopped here for breakfast before our day trip around the island. Daddy had beef curry with rice and mac salad. Yes, this was breakfast.

Haleiwa Food Trucks:

After driving to the north shore, Mommy wanted to stop at the famous Giovanni's Shrimp Truck. Except the line was a mile long so she settled for the Korean shrimp truck next to it instead. The food took soooo long, she would have been better off waiting at Giovanni's! Anyway, the garlic shrimp was tasty, and me and Colin ended up eating more of it than she did.

For some reason Acai bowls are really popular in Hawaii.

Leonard's:

Leonard's was another popular food stop, famous for their malasadas. They were made fresh to order and came filled with various fruit or custard fillings. We got chocolate, mango, and coconut and enjoyed them back by the hotel pool. It was a perfect way to top off our last day in Hawaii!

Finally, the one thing that Mommy and Colin couldn't get enough of - spam musubi! Colin ate them everywhere - by the pool, in bed, on the plane ride home. Good thing they're not as easily available back at home!

And so ended another fun family vacation!

Oahu

Before heading home, we stopped in Oahu for a few days. Compared to Maui, Waikiki was busy and bustling! It was almost overwhelming with all the people and city life, but it was also fun to see so many tourists and go shopping.

As loyal SPG customers, we stayed at the Westin Moana Surfider. Compared to our sprawling two bedroom villa in Maui, we had to squeeze into a tiny hotel room with two double beds. Man was it rough. The pool was just a small regular pool, nothing fancy like the resort in Maui. However, it was steps from Waikiki Beach where we spent hours each day.

Waikiki Beach was a lot busier but we loved it. The sand was powdery soft, the water was so warm it was like taking a bath, and it was shallow enough that we could go way far out and still stand up in some places. 

Also the most random thing happened in the middle of Waikiki Beach. We bumped into my school friend Sienna and her family! With dozens of hotels lining the beach and hundreds of tourists, what are the chances that we would run into someone we knew? The timing couldn't have been more perfect, and we got to spend a few hours on the beach together - it was like a vacation play date!

We also took a shuttle bus to Ala Moana Center, this giant outdoor shopping mall. The bus ride itself was fun, since we sat on the upper deck of a double decker.

At the mall there was this kiosk where you can create your own flip flops. You pick the color of the base, the straps, and all the decorations. Total tourist trap, but this kinda thing was right up my alley so of course I had to make a pair.

They advertised flip flops starting at $18, so how did this end up costing $36??

The next day we rented a car and drove around the island, doing all the things that tourists do. Our first stop: the Dole Plantation. We took the tram tour through the pineapple fields, then enjoyed the famous Dole Whip and Dole Whip Float.

I fell for yet another tourist trap - the infamous pearl in the oyster. The clever salespeople inside the gift store handed us keys to try to open a treasure chest. Whoever held the lucky key that unlocked the chest would get some special prize. Everyone else got a coupon for a you-pick pearl. Way to rope us in! Lucky for me, the oyster I picked had two pearls inside!

We also drove to the North Shore of the island, stopping at Turtle Bay Resort to look for sea turtles laying out on the beach. We didn't see any this time and ended up exploring a little bit before moving on.

Finally, we made a stop in Haleiwa for a snack, then to Leonard's to pick up some famous malasadas before heading back to catch our last Hawaiian sunset.

We loved Oahu! Still more on Waikiki food to come!

More Maui Food

We always need to do a separate post about Maui food! Mommy just needs an outlet for all the food photos she took. Most of the places we visited were the same as last time, but we also discovered a few new favorites.

Joey's Kitchen: A new find at Whaler's Village. After playing in the fountain, we didn't feel like waiting an hour for sit-down dining, so headed to the food court for a quick bite. While Colin and I ended up at the pizza stall, Mommy opted for the Filipino-influenced local cuisine, which also had rave reviews on Yelp. It did not disappoint - the braised beef short rib plate was amazing!

Paia Fish Market: An extension of the original Paia Fish Market in Paia (north end of Maui), which Mommy and Daddy visited long time ago (on their babymoon before they had me!). They were happy to see that a second location opened up in downtown Lahaina, much closer to where we were staying. It was dee-licious! Fast, casual, and so fresh. The fish tacos were awesome, and Colin and I inhaled the seafood pasta.

Joey's Kitchen Napili: Mommy and Daddy liked Joey's Kitchen at Whaler's Village so much, that they found another restaurant by the same owner, appropriately also named Joey's Kitchen. This one was in Napili, about ten minutes north of where we were staying. The food was made fresh to order, and it really felt like we were getting a home-cooked Filipino meal. From prawns to crispy pata (pork leg) to chicken chow fun and Filipino fried rice, everything had a unique flavor and we left stuffed.

Aloha Mixed Plate: Food with a view. It's not a trip to Maui without a visit to Aloha Mixed Plate!

Slappycakes: Oh yeah, and can't forget Slappycakes, the place where we create and cook our own pancakes. 

Heart of Te'fiti and Maui hook pancakes

Ululani's Shave Ice: Yet another visit.

Zippy's: Always our last stop before the airport.

Breakfast of champions

All these places were good and all, but nothing beats eating Lunchables in the comfort of our own kitchen!

More food photos from the Oahu part of our trip to come!