It feels wrong to blog about Hawaii without mentioning the beautiful beaches. The great thing about being on an island is that there is shoreline EVERYWHERE! Plus, giant mountains in the middle. No wonder Hawaii captured my heart.
I wish I could remember exactly which beach this one is. My phone identifies it as being near the Koko Crater Arch Trail. I remember it as a beach with big surf somewhere along the Kalaniana'ole Highway. Fun and beautiful, although I felt very grateful that Annika was content searching for sea glass. These waves are not for novice swimmers!
I don't know which sight I enjoy more--the late afternoon light illuminating the sand or my husband in his cute polka-dot swim trucks.
Last but not least, Laniakea Beach. We drove a ways to visit in hopes of seeing sea turtles, but unfortunately there weren't any turtles hanging out while we were there. Next time, perhaps!
The sea turtles may have been shy, but these horses certainly weren't! Annika was able to get her animal fix either way.
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Switching gears to another Hawaiian specialty--grub! We'd been warned that food prices in Hawaii would be notoriously high. This reputation is well-earned--our one trip to the grocery store was shocking. Since we couldn't feed ourselves cheaply, we decided to enjoy the experience and appreciate the food stipend Make-a-Wish provided. We hadn't used our luggage allowance, so we had a little extra for meals.
Make-a-Wish connected us with a wonderful local Ambassador who provided us with great recommendations for places to eat.
Side Street Inn:
This gem was probably our very favorite. Tucked away in an obscure office building, it has zero street appeal, but as soon as you walk in the door you can sense the great vibe. A favorite with the locals, it serves family-style with huge portions, bringing each dish out as soon as the kitchen has it ready. We opted for Chef Colin's Classic Menu: edamame, a giant green salad with grilled shrimp and avocado, garlic chicken, pan-fried pork chops, and boneless kalbi (Korean-style short-ribs served with kim chee.) It seriously might be worth a plane flight back to Oahu just for the ribs.
The Pig and the Lady
Our fanciest meal, the Pig and the Lady featured Vietnamese inspired fusion.
...until she passed out cold. She never even drank the soda we ordered for her!
Our server insisted that we try Le Fried Chicken Wings. You can see why they are a house specialty!
Our Banh Xeo, or savory Vietnamese crepe, designed to be wrapped in butter lettuce.
Not pictured is our delicious pho and this koji pork collar served with apple tamarind and braised cabbage. We devoured it before capturing a good picture. Along with the chicken wings, this dish was my favorite.
Since The Pig and The Lady might break your wallet, may I recommend the 7-11 for some cheap eats! We enjoyed the sushi hand rolls and dim sum so much that we went back for more! Literally. Like fifteen minutes later. If our family ever makes it back to Hawaii, I suspect we may subsist on these.
Not every meal was a smashing success. Our guide for horseback riding recommended that we try the Waiahole Poi Factory. While the portions were huge and the prices reasonable, we discovered that most people in the family really don't like poi. (It's grey, gelatinous, and basically flavorless. Kind of like eating glue. Turns out I like glue because I thought the poi was fine.) The ice cream, on the other hand, was beloved by all.
Food:
Okay, now for some great suggestions from Aunt Christy and Uncle Ben who were in Oahu just a week before we we arrived. Waiola shaved ice for the win! By the way, your sister's shaved ice always tastes better than your own.
Colorful mochi from Fujiya Hawai'i.
My personal favorite, piping hot Malasadas from Leonard's bakery.
Poi donuts, on the other hand are delectable. Five stars for Liliha bakery!
There you have it! Our top recommendations for Surf and Turf in Hawai'i.
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Copied below are the food recommendations given to us by our wish ambassador. We only made it to the places listed in bold. I summarized our impressions in italics. Looks like we need to come back!
$
Zippys (their famous chili and rice, and Korean chicken is good. They also have a chili rice and Korean chicken combo plate.) (takeout)
Rainbow Drive Inn (takeout)
Maguro Brothers (takeout poke)
7-11 (check out their sushi hand rolls, dim sum, and selection of quick bites) Tasty and affordable!
Side Street Inn (dine in family style, local food.) We loved this place! Huge portions and fun vibe with lots of locals. I would consider it more $$ pricing.
$$
Pig and the Lady Fancy but worth it! Make a reservation ahead of time.
Basalt
Off the Hook (Takeout poke spot)
Tonkatsu Tamafuji
$$$ After seeing the prices for the $$ Pig and the Lady, we didn't dare go for $$$...
Miro
MW
Hau Tree
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