Oahu - A Foodie Paradise

No trip is complete without sampling some local cuisine. In the case of Hawaii, the local cuisine is more like a wide mix of flavors, from Japanese to Brazilian to traditional Hawaiian food. It’s like a huge melting pot of good food with something to fit everyone’s palate. For my third and final post in the Hawaii series, here are my favorite foods from our recent trip to Oahu…

Poke Bowls @ Ono Seafood

Forget all those fancy toppings they give you at poke places on the mainland - this place is all about the fish, and they give you a LOT of it. Just pick a flavor of fish, rice, choice of free drink, and you’re good to go. Everything we tried here was good, but I especially recommend the spicy ahi.

Tiny store, big flavors

Generous portions of fish in every bowl

Empanadas @ Mami’s Empanadas

It’s a nondescript food truck in an empty alleyway away from the main streets that’s easy to miss if you’re not looking carefully. So I’d suggest looking very carefully because you don’t want to miss this. Mami’s has a selection of various Columbian snacks and sandwiches, but the main attraction is definitely the empanadas. They have both savory and sweet fillings, so take advantage of that 4 for $10 deal and try them all out!

Doesn't look like much on the outside, but the food is divine

Acai Bowls @ Crispy Grindz

Continuing on the food truck trend, Crispy Grillz is a relatively hidden gem we found while driving on the north shore. We came for the acai bowl, which did meet expectations, but we left with a bunch of extra Brazilian snacks that we couldn’t resist trying after seeing and smelling the samples. The coxinha, deep fried flour balls with your choice of meat and cheese filling, was especially good.

Crispy Grindz showing that Brazilian pride

So many yummy snacks

Sashimi @ Chiba Ken

A few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki Beach is modest looking Japanese restaurant by the name of Chiba Ken. We got the sashimi special here, and it was hands down the best sashimi I’ve ever had outside of Japan. 10/10 would eat again.

Not a single bad piece of fish on this place

Seafood Pasta @ Arancino at the Kahala

This was our one expensive meal of the trip - be prepared to spend at least $40/person here. But the dishes are very unique and well-made for those willing to pay the price. We got the Chitarra all Pescatora (squid ink pasta with seafood) and Spaghetti ai Ricci di Mare (spaghetti with uni). I highly recommend the uni pasta. They import the best uni straight from Japan, and it shows in the freshness and flavor. 

Poor lighting in this picture doesn't do the uni pasta justice

Everything @ KCC Farmer’s Market

This would probably be my #1 recommendation for food on Oahu. Held Saturday mornings near the entrance to Diamond Head, it makes an excellent stop for a post-hike breakfast/brunch. There’s a ton of stuff you would never find at farmer’s markets on the mainland, like fresh abalone and poke. The quality, variety, and low price of the food makes coming here a no-brainer for anyone wanting to sample some island flavors. 

Seafood, fresh fruit, and more!

Oahu Tourist Attractions Actually Worth Your Time and Money

Hawaii can be an expensive place to travel. It seems like no matter where you go, there will be someone there to sell you something, be it some overpriced snorkeling gear rentals or a boat ride with no guarantee of seeing the wildlife you wanted to see. You definitely have to be picky about where you budget your spending, and these are a few Oahu attractions we visited that I think are actually worth your money…

Pearl Harbor Attractions

If you are at all interested in World War II history, the Pearl Harbor attractions are a must-see. The actual Pearl Harbor exhibits and USS Arizona Memorial are free to visit (Memorial is free but requires tickets that can be booked in advance), with audio guides available for $7.50. In addition, there are three other museums in the same area that can be combined to make a full day trip. 

USS Arizona Memorial

We opted to make it a day trip, getting the $65 Passport to Pearl Harbor that got us into all four attractions with one pass. It’s a pretty good deal since the full price of each piece combined would amount to $71.50, but if you only have a few hours to spare, in addition to the free USS Arizona Memorial, I’d recommend spending them at the Bowfin Submarine Museum. For only $12 you can enter the museum and also take a tour of a real submarine, audio guide included. It’s a really neat experience if you’ve never been inside a submarine before.

Inside the submarine

Oahu Photography Tours

You may be thinking, why would I spend money on a photography tour when I can just explore and take photos on my own? Of course that is always an option, but we found Oahu Photography Tours to be a great experience and well worth the money for a couple reasons. First, our tour guide Alex knew all the best locations to take photos, from the more well-known beaches to the random side streets that you would never find on a tourist map. Second, as a long-time photographer himself, Alex was very knowledgable about different types of cameras and photo composition, and was able to provide some helpful tips to everyone in the group, personalizing based on each person’s camera and experience level. I would recommend giving it a try for anyone interested in getting nice photos (and willing to wake up at the crack of dawn for the sunrise tours), ideally towards the beginning of your vacation so the tour can also serve as an introduction to Oahu.

Start of the sunrise tour

Visiting the less populated scenic beaches

Polynesian Cultural Center

The PCC is a one-of-a-kind attraction that’s part theme park and part museum. The main part of the park consists of a large piece of land separated into six “villages”, each representing a different Polynesian culture - Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Aotearoa, and Hawaii. Each village is staffed by people native to those places who put on performances and run hands-on activities, giving an general introduction of their culture to visitors. We chose to get the ticket packages that also include a luau dinner and post-dinner “Broadway-style” show. I found the entire cultural center to be really worthwhile. If you have a day to spare in your itinerary and you are at all interested in learning about Polynesian culture, I would highly recommend it.

Hula dancers from Hawaii

Learning how to make fire like the Samoans

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about these attractions (or suggestions for others you recommend!) in the comments below, and look out for my next post on some of our favorite food on the island!

Beautiful Hawaii - From Mountains to the Sea

Sun, sand, and relaxation were all on the menu for our most recent trip to Hawaii. Michael and I spent about five days on Oahu, and this is the first of a series of three posts sharing some of the highlights of our trip. We spent a lot of time both at the beach and on hiking trails, experiencing the natural beauty of the island from mountains to the sea, and here were some of our favorites...

Diamond Head

Overlooking Waikiki is a massive crater known as Diamond Head. It’s close proximity to the city and relatively easy trail makes it one of the most accessible hikes on the island. The downside is that this also makes it one of the most crowded hikes. We got there about 30 minutes before sunrise which was plenty of time to make it up the 0.8 miles to get to the top. It was an interesting challenge finding a spot up there along with the other tourists arriving by the busloads, but at least the view up there was nice.

Diamond Head overlooking Waikiki

Literally busloads of tourists up there

View of sunrise from the top

Koko Crater

About a 30 minute drive east of Waikiki is another crater hike, the Koko Crater. Like Diamond Head, Koko Crater is a straightforward uphill climb to the top, and then downhill the way you came. But unlike Diamond Head, Koko Crater is actually a quite strenuous hike. It’s only about a mile to the summit, but it’s really more of a stair climb, with each step about a 1-1.5 feet in height. The view is definitely worth it though. Rest breaks doubled as photo breaks, and at the top we could see an amazing panoramic view of the windward shore. 

Who needs a StairMaster when you can climb this?

Reward for making it to the top

Hanauma Bay

We were a bit hesitant about going to Hanauma Bay after hearing about how crowded it could be. It actually wasn’t too crowded when we went though, probably due to a combination of us being there during the off-season and going there in the afternoon when most people had already left. We ended up arriving just an hour before closing, so as an added bonus, the guy at the admissions gate let us in free of charge! I would’ve liked to have more time there, but even with what little time we had we were still able to see some really interesting fish.

Hanauma Bay, one of the best snorkeling spots on the island

North Shore Beaches

Most visitors to Oahu never see anything much beyond Waikiki Beach, which is a shame because there are so many great beaches on the rest of the island. Although this might be a good thing - it means less crowds everywhere else! Kualoa Beach was one where despite its beautiful views and clear waters I could count the number of people there with one hand. Waimea Bay and Laniakea Beach on the north shore were a little more populated, but there was still plenty of room on the beach since most other people there were in the water riding the famous Hawaii waves.

Midday at Kualoa Beach

Surfer spotted on the north shore

Hawaii is one of the most scenic places I’ve been to, with it’s dramatic landscapes and natural wonders. There are so many great hikes and beaches to choose from, but I definitely recommend all of the above as a good starting point. Stay tuned for my next post about some of our favorite Oahu attractions and activities!