1. Hotel Wailea, Kihei, Maui The Cabanas’ Ginger Mojito, served in an eco-friendly cup poolside, is incredible. Photo: Tracy Chan Clink cocktail glasses 300 feet above sea level at the renovated Hotel Wailea, a gorgeous, adults-only boutique getaway with a serene poolside where you’ll find The Cabanas, an orchard-to-glass apothecary bar so remote that visitors […]
The view is so extraordinary you can’t take your eyes off it. Walking into St. Regis Princeville’s restaurant Makana Terrace, I’m immediately stunned by the panoramic views of the gorgeous, green Hanalei Mountains, named Hihimanu, Namolokama and Mamalahoa, with thousand-foot-high waterfalls flowing down their sides. It’s a view that can only be described as absolutely
If you’ve driven through Windward Oahu, you’ve probably seen the rustic fixture that is the Waiahole Poi Factory, surrounded by greenery with the stunning Koolau mountains in the background and Mokolii (aka Chinaman’s Hat) just off the coast. But have you stopped there for lunch? The spot, which sells fresh poi in bulk and by the
Hawaii definitely has its own way of doing fast food. Being on-the-go doesn’t mean sacrificing local flavors as these establishments prove. Local breakfast platter from McDonald’s Breakfast platter from a McDonalds in Hawaii. Photo: _Weidz/Flickr Do you ever wake up in the morning craving rice, meat and eggs? Because Hawaii people sure do. Every McDonald’s
On your trip to Hawaii, shave ice is a must-try and Wishing Well Shave Ice has been serving the quintessential Hawaiian snack in the heart of Hanalei since 1983. Happy customers have returned again and again for custom-made mounds of fluffy ice scrapes drenched in sugary, fruit-flavored syrups. But now, under new ownership, Wishing Well
Take your tastebuds off the beaten path at one of these hidden gems on Oahu. Before you go, we recommend calling ahead to see if and when a restaurant is open for business. Most places on this list are small businesses with little kitchens, so be prepared to wait for your delicious dish. 1. Ethel’s Grill A hole-in-the-wall
Helena’s Hawaiian Food doesn’t open for another hour, but the kitchen, at 9 a.m., is already bustling with activity. Just beneath 250 pounds of its famous pipikaula (salted dried beef), hanging in long strips above the stoves, a pair of chefs stir massive aluminum stockpots filled with bubbling beef stew, squid lū‘au, chicken long rice
Don’t worry, the taste and quality of Matsumoto Shave Ice’s popular icy treat haven’t changed and it’s located in the same area—just bigger and better. The expansion resulted from the construction of the Haleiwa Store Lots, a cluster of recently-built storefronts in the surrounding area, which includes Matsumoto’s. And, we are happy to report that
I can’t remember a time when I’ve visited Kauai and someone—a coworker, a neighbor, my mom—didn’t ask me to bring back a brick of kulolo. You can find kulolo—a Hawaiian dessert staple made from mashed kalo (taro), coconut milk, sugar and little else—for sale on just about every Hawaiian Island. Most local grocery stores sell variants of
Stanley Matsumoto is a one-flavor kind of shave-ice guy. “Typical old style,” he says, with a light chuckle, proclaiming strawberry his favorite. Favorite, that is, unless it’s really hot outside in Haleiwa, or he just finished mowing his lawn. Then the flavor’s definitely orange. Matsumoto—everyone calls him Stan, and I will, too—is the owner of
“If you drive too fast, you’ll miss it.” That was the sage, if succinct, advice I received from a friend several years ago when I mentioned I was headed to the small farming town of Hanapepe on Kauai’s south shore. She was describing a worn-down, faded green cottage on the biggest bend of the town’s
“You didn’t pre-order?” As she says this, the woman behind the counter at Two Ladies Kitchen stares at me in disbelief. A line of customers winds behind me and out of the small downtown Hilo mochi shop and onto the sidewalk alongside bustling Kīlauea Avenue. “You have to pre-order. They sell out,” she scolds, gently.
