Restaurant recommendations Hilo + Kona (Waimea, Honokaa: appointed, condo, organic)

[Snikt]

Thanks for the tip, I was wondering if there was food near the park. I have an america the beautiful pass so I'm not worried about admission, I think it works on some of the other smaller national parks near Kona too.

I'll give it a shot, I'll be passing on the mahi mahi burger though, I don't eat anything from the sea

Is Volcano winery any good or is it a tourist thing?

[Snikt]

That makes me wonder too, a lot of these places seem very small and mom and popish

Do they all take credit card or should I bring cash with me for all these places?

[OpenD]

OK, OK, here's what I wanna say after telling you about the really top-shelf ono grindz* that I enjoy, I realize that I'd feel bad if you spent a week or so on the Big Island and didn't get at least a taste of some true Hawaiian soul-food. You know, the everyday stuff that people really eat allatime in Hawai'i that is different from everywhere else, because of the cultural melting pot of the... you know... all kines different places people in Hawai'i came from.

So here's my starter on a list of essential foods to eat while you're on the Island of Hawai'i... and I'm sure others will pitch in...

Plate Lunch - an island essential since the early 1900s, it was, and is, a an inexpensive high carb meal you could get from a lunch wagon to keep you going through the cane harvest, or whatevahs. You can find Plate Lunch almost everywhere on the Big Island... carts, walk up windows, convenience stores, gas stations. The standard formula is "Two scoops rice, one scoop potato salad (or cole slaw) and your choice." Your choice consisting of dishes like Teriyaki chicken, kilauea pork, etc. Just walking around Old Hilo (near the bay and the farmer's market) you'll pass a number of small places selling Plate Lunch.

Spam Musubi (pronounced moo soo bee') - possibly more popular among locals than hamburgers, a kind of overgrown sushi with a huge oval rice "ball" sized to accomodate a thick slice of spam, marinated in teriyaki sauce and fried, and tied onto the rice "ball" with a wide band of nigiri seaweed. Again. you'll see these all over the island, but if you somehow miss them elsewhere, on your way south from Hilo to the volcano, about 5 miles out you'll hit Kurtistown, and the 7-Eleven there is the place to buy gas if you need it, and by the register is a large case of maybe half a dozen different flavors of musubi.

Malasadas - a Portugese original that is very popular on Hawai'i. Raised yeast dough balls that are fried and sugared, and often filled. Think "raised doughnuts without the hole, and without worrying about nutritional guidelines." They have them at 7-Eleven too, along with Chinese steamed buns. It's worth a stop just to see what is different about 7-Elevens on the island.

Poke - pronounced po kay (traditional) or po kee (popular), it's a raw fish salad that is a popular snack, made in several varieties such as cubed ahi tuna, octopus, crab, mussel, or smoked salmon tossed with soy sauce, green onions, local seaweed, maui sweet onions, or other savory ingredients.

You can get poke at local supermarkets or at a poke shop. One that is very convenient in the Hilo area is "To Your Taste Poke" right on the corner of Highway 11 (southbound toward Volcano) and Leilani, just south of the Hilo Airport. It's a hole in the wall, but it's been there a long time and the poke is good.

To Your Taste Poke, 790 Leilani St. Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 989-9962

Loco Moco - Created by a Hilo hamburger joint in the late 1940s to fill up hungry teenagers who didn't have much money, the Loco Moco is true Big Island soul food. It consists of a bowl of rice with a hamburger patty on top, then a ladle of brown gravy over that, topped with a fried egg. Surprisingly tasty, and usually pretty big (think 17 year old cross country runner appetites) , the aforementioned O'hia Cafe serves a smaller portion of Loco Moco, especially designed not to overwhelm the Japanese tourists who make a pit stop there on their van tours. They get it served with a small dish of sliced cucumber salad, which is tasty, but not authentic. :rolleyes"

*ono grindz = delicious foods

[newUHprof]

If you're going to be in Volcano, eat at Thai Thai instead of trying to get back to Hilo before things close up. You want to be at the park after dark anyway, if there's any chance of lava flow. (Not sure if there's any going on right now, tho...)

I'm also a fan of Cafe Pesto. I remember liking Hilo Burger Joint when I went there, but it was more than a year ago (didn't make it on either of the two recent trips.)

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Snikt

Thanks for the tip, I was wondering if there was food near the park. I have an america the beautiful pass so I'm not worried about admission, I think it works on some of the other smaller national parks near Kona too.

There are a couple. Check the NPS site for details.

Originally Posted by Snikt

I'll give it a shot, I'll be passing on the mahi mahi burger though, I don't eat anything from the sea

OMG, how do you expect to ever get in through Hawai'i Customs and Immigration???

Ah, well. Not sure if it's vegetemerian you want, but if so, I think Cafe O'hia has some excellent veggie dishes to choose from. They have one of the best bean salads I've tasted anywhere, I'm gaga for their potato salad, and if you time it right, you might be able to enjoy an ulu salad, similar to potato salad but made with ulu, the Hawaiian name for breadfruit.

But if you are a meat eater, they have very good choices in that department too.

No diss to newUHprof, but I advise you to take a pass on Thai Thai. It's excellent, award winning, and also very pricey Thai cuisine. I love it, but it just isn't very typically Hawaiian. If you do decide to stay after dark to see the volcano glow in the dark... which I highly recommend... and want to have dinner before you head back to Hilo, it's hard to beat The Kiluaea Lodge... a long block north of cafe O'hia along Old Volcano Road. It's a fabulous B&B in an historic old lodge site, with a huge fireplace from the 1930s and high ceilings in the dining room, and a classically trained chef creating Hawaiian Fusion dishes with the best of locovore ingredients. If you happen to like adult beverages, their Lilikoi (Passion Fruit) Margarita, with a glass rimmed in tasty Li Hing powder is a special treat you won't find elsewhere.

Kilauea Lodge and Restaurant, 19-3948 Old Volcano Rd., Volcano Village, Hawaii 96785
Kilauea Lodge

If you want something more casual, Kiawe Kitchen, in the opposite corner of the Volcano Store building from O'hia Cafe has excellent wood fired pizzas and full meals, but it's usually jammed and buzzy and hard to relax in.

Kiawe Kitchen, 19-4005 Haunani Rd at Old Volcano Rd, Volcano, HI 96785 (808) 967-7711

But if you stay late, but don't eat in Volcano, and head back to Hilo for dinner, keep in mind that the streets roll up about 9. After that, your only good option for dinner will be Ken's House of Pancakes, near the Airport, which is open 24 hours. Typical diner grub, for the most part, but a Hilo Institution, and at least you won't have to starve.

Ken's, 1730 Kamehameha Avenue, Hilo, HI, (808) 935-8711
Ken's House of Pancakes

Originally Posted by Snikt

Is Volcano winery any good or is it a tourist thing?

The view from there is quite lovely.

[sadie123]

I an unable to rep you more, but I love the sentence, "The view from there is quite lovely." I find that very Hawaiian!

[newUHprof]

Originally Posted by OpenD

No diss to newUHprof, but I advise you to take a pass on Thai Thai. It's excellent, award winning, and also very pricey Thai cuisine. I love it, but it just isn't very typically Hawaiian.

Yeah, I was surprised at how expensive Thai Thai is, since I think of Thai food as being pretty cheap eats usually. BUT I was also surprised at how good it was. Really, really good.

And I think good food of various Asian varieties as being pretty typically Hawaiian (what, is the OP going to eat Loco Moco for 2 weeks straight?). I'm always taking folks out for Omakase, sushi, Thai food, Vietnamese, etc. when they visit. Not everyone has great Asian food at home!

[Joliefille]

Try the Pine Top cafe in Kailua-Kona, near the airport. It has great food, huge variety and reasonable prices. No alcohol though. Also Tashima's in south Kona is great Japanese "peasant" fare. Not a sushi place. I'd second the Kona Inn. Great food and great view. I'd pass on Kona Brewing Co for food, but their beer is great! Love Wailua Wheat.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Snikt

That makes me wonder too, a lot of these places seem very small and mom and popish

Do they all take credit card or should I bring cash with me for all these places?

It never hurts to have some cash tucked away, because ATM fees on the BI can be horrendous, but all the places I've mentioned all take credit and debit cards.

[hotzcatz]

Hilo Bay Cafe is a great place in a strange location. Between Wal-Mart and Office Depot in Hilo. Small, but the food is good, they have liquor and it's a bit upscale but not terribly pricey.

Along the Hamakua coast, the 50's Cafe in Laupahoehoe isn't to be missed. They make a killer chocolate malted and if there are any cobblers, have them heat one and add a scoop on top. Totally yum. Otherwise, they have basic diner food although a lot of it made fresh.

In Waimea there is the Village Burger for some great food from local ingredients. They have a nice lamb burger as well as wasabi fries.

In Honokaa, along the highway, there's Tex Drive Inn for malasadas. Downtown Honokaa has a small Italian place that's pretty good. It's about two doors over from Ikeuichi's hardware. At the Hilo end of Honokaa is the Country Store restaurant, I'm not sure what's changed, but all of a sudden there are always cars parked out front.