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| top row from left: tidepool in front of the keahou beach resort, red ti-leaf plant, vanda orchids, pahoehoe lava, center: hawaiian sea turtle bottom row from left: coconut grove at pu'uhonua o honaunau, flowers and ferns, gecko shadow |
honolulu, hawaii
we booked a 'waikiki beach resort' through priceline.com's name your price option and got the marriott. it's across the street from waikiki beach, so the location was very convenient to all things waikiki (e.g. zoo, kapiolani park, beach, shops, restaurants). the hotel is very large (it has two seattle's best coffee shops on-site and takes up the entire block) and seemed to be full of tour groups. the rooms and the service were fine, but the parking was pricey ($28/day) and the turns in the parking structure were really, really tight. on one of our days there, the parking structure was completely full, so i got to sit on our lovely 'city view' balcony and watch people try to do 5-point turnabouts at the dead end on the top level of the deck. stay here if: you don't plan to rent a car; you are using marriott points (and don't want to be all the way out at the j.w. marriott ihilani in ko'olina or don't have enough points to stay there); you got it on priceline, like we did.
grub
- assaggio (ala moana location): italian food, order the caesar salad which is made table-side. there's a minimum of two orders, so if you're with a group, do what my uncle did and order one for yourself and one for everyone else to split. they will thank you.
- yogurtland (waikiki location): self-serve frozen yogurt, add your own toppings (fruits, candy, cereal, nuts, sundae toppings, mochi, boba), pay by the ounce. i wish someone would bring this to nc.
- big city diner (kailua location): went for breakfast and ordered the mac nut pancakes with haupia sauce. perfect with a cup of coffee (too bad it wasn't kona coffee!)
- shokudo (near ala moana): asian food with a twist. we had creative dishes such as sukiyaki bi bim bap, french fries with shiso and salt, spicy tuna on crispy sushi rice, and mochi au gratin (which the geek declared the only mochi he's ever liked). food is served family style and plates are brought out in stages.
- mana bu's (king street): musubi shop that closes at 1:30 or when they sell out. one musubi is a snack, three musubis is a meal, at least for me. they sell a variety of perfectly created rice balls with things like ume, tuna, teriyaki spam, and smoked salmon made with white, brown, or multi-grain rice. an fyi...the spicy tuna is canned tuna, not raw tuna. it clearly says it on the sign, but people are still surprised :)
shop
- le sportsac (ala moana): if you're a fan (or if you're looking for a gift for a fan), the ala moana store carries hawaii exclusive designs that are not even available at the honolulu airport store. if you're not a huge fan (or if you're not familiar with the brand)- just enjoy looking at the designs but don't look at the price tag.
- lupicia (ala moana): i love tea. when ever i'm on oahu, i stop at lupicia for some of their hawaii blend teas. on this trip, i picked up the hoku (pineapple and guava flavored oolong) and anela (lychee flavored jasmine) blends.
- the cookie corner (waikiki): the hawaiian liliko'i bars are deliciously sweet, buttery, and thanks to the passionfruit, tangy (and a nice alternative to mac nuts and mac nut cookies).
- local surf shops like local motion, t&c surf designs, and hawaiian island creations: buy t-shirts, hats, beach towels, or other apparel with local designs. shops also carry clothing and accessories from international brands like quiksilver and billabong (and both brands have their own stores as well).
hilo, hawaii
gotta love a town where many of the local establishments don't need websites to stay busy!
- nori's saimin & snacks: popular local restaurant located in the back of an office building. they offer a variety of different noodles, not just saimin. if you're hungry, they also offer plate lunches (rice, potato-mac salad, meat), loco mocos (rice, hambuger, egg, gravy- sounds weird, tastes good!), and other more hearty meals. if it's hot outside and you're looking for something refreshing, order the saimin salad- a cold noodle salad with lettuce, cucumbers, kamaboko, and a sweet sesame dressing.
- kuhio grille: known for their 1-pound lau laus (salted chicken, pork, or fish, wrapped in taro leaves and steamed), they also have plate lunches, sandwiches, and other tasty options. also check out the daily specials on the board. if they have peanut butter mochi (on display near the register), buy a package. unless you're allergic to peanuts, then don't buy one.
- cafe pesto: island-twist on italian cuisine. they have wood-fired pizzas and calzones, pasta, other entrees and salads. i especially like the sandwiches they have on their lunch menu. if you go during lunch, order the hakalau, which is a kalua turkey sandwhich with poha berry chutney, or the seared poke with spinach salad. if you happen to be at the hilo farmer's market, stop here for a nice meal.
- restaurant miwa: authentic japanese food and one of the best places for sushi. they also have the tastiest nabeyaki udon.
- yogurtland (hilo location)
shop
- big island delights: a great place to get cookies and other snacks. their party mix is the 'hawaii-style' type, sweet and salty, and their energy bars are tasty. i have to hide them or the geek will eat them all.
- big island candies: *the* place to get chocolate-dipped shortbread cookies. everyone loves these cookies! for sweet-tooths, get the caramel and chocolate dipped cookies or one of the brownies or blondies. my favorites are the hawaiian crunchies (chocolate with mac nuts and potato chips- again, sounds weird but tastes good...sweet, creamy, salty!) and the original chocolate dipped assortment. they also have really lovely packaged assortments that make great gifts.
- sig zane designs: clothing (aloha shirts for men, dresses, blouses, t-shirts for women) and accessories (bags, hats) with unique island patterns and colors.
like most of the hotels in kailua-kona and keahou, the keahou beach resort is an older property. it's been well-maintained and offers a number of cultural events like lei-making and hula lessons daily. it's next door to a great snorkeling beach- not a lot of sand, but a ton of tropical fish and an occasional turtle to see. you can either rent snorkel gear or buy yourself a cheap but good-enough set at wal-mart. stay here if: you'd rather be in kona rather than out on the kohala coast; you're looking for a nice but not necessarily luxurious place to stay; you plan to rent a car.
grub
- kona village: i love the lunch buffet, the geek loves the fact that hawaiian sea turtles come on shore here to sun themselves. i would be happy with just the salad buffet (lomi lomi, sashimi, greens, ceviche, fruits, prepared salads), so the rest of the buffet- crab legs, hot entrees such as hamakua mushroom stuffed beef roulade, kung pao chicken, with a side of wasabi mashed potatoes, and grilled to order hot dogs, hamburgers, and fish burgers are a bonus. the desserts are also fantastic and there's even an ice cream sundae bar. one day, maybe we'll be able to afford to stay here, until then, we'll have to settle for lunch.
- ba-le: quick and pretty cheap (for hawaii!) vietnamese and local food.
- orange tree: another self-serve, pay by the ounce, frozen yogurt place. they had the best selection of boba- lychee, mango, and passion fruit. after assembling his creation, the geek learned that frozen yogurt + gummy candy = really hard gummy candy. i learned that this blueberry mochi (the pinkish/whitish lumps of stuff on top) is not very tasty, but the boba are delicious.
kamuela (waimea), hawaii
merriman's restaurant: eat here! i had the wok-charred ahi and the geek had the kalua barbeque sandwich, both were fantastic. the geek was seriously in love with the barbeque sauce. i also ordered the tahitian limeade- refreshing with a hint of vanilla. we split the almond cake with strawberries, also very good. (we had eaten at merriman's cafe at the king shop's in waikoloa and it was just okay. the restaurant in waimea was so much better!)
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