Last year, I spent ~2 months living and working in Oahu. I had plenty of time to explore and try out various food and dessert places on the island, some touristy/popular and some off the beaten path. Here is a list of my favorite places to eat.
Top Food Places
- Wat Thai (Pearl City) – Thai Buddhist Temple of Hawaii located in Pearl City, only open on select days. if you are fortunate enough to be in town during the temple’s food event, you must check it out. Authentic home-cooked Thai food and desserts sold during these events to raise money for the temple. Go hungry and bring cash. Plenty of free parking and tables outside. Check out their Facebook page (or some add this to their Yelp page) for updates on their scheduled events.
- Yakitori Ando: a hidden gem (maybe not so hidden now?) with a fun, festive vibe serving delicious and Instagram-worthy yakitori. BYOB so come prepared. It’s a small place so plan ahead and be sure to make reservations months (I am not kidding) in advance! This place is located in the Kaimuki neighborhood, east of Waikiki.
- Iyasume Musubi – popular musubi chain with locations around Waikiki area. Extensive musubi menu with souvenir worthy merchandise (their reusable bags are cute). Good for grabbing a quick eat, for on the go, or bring to the beach or a hike for a picnic in paradise. Small shop, long lines. Be prepared for a wait or try to order online if you can (they turn off online orders if it gets too busy).
- Tamafuji – popular tonkatsu eatery from Japan. Delicious, drool-worthy, breaded and perfectly cooked tonkatsu. It’s super popular so be sure to make reservations in advance!
- Kaka’ako Farmers Market (Kaka’ako) – one of the larger farmers markets I have seen. Open from 8-12PM with plenty of FREE parking at the Ward Village and by the pier (follow signs). Lots of local produce as well as local vendors serving a variety of foods, enough to satisfy your cravings. I prefer this farmers market over KCC although KCC is more conveniently located and more well known.
- Garlic Shrimp (North Shore) – when on the North Shore, eat shrimp. Nowadays there are so many shrimp trucks and restaurants around the area so there are lots you can try. The most famous shrimp place is Giovanni’s – it has 2 locations on the North Shore (one in Kahuku and another in Haleiwa) and they also opened up a location in SALT Kaka’ako (not as good as the shrimp truck experience of course). If you are going to the North Shore location, be prepared to wait a very long time in line (not just to order but also for the food). It may be 45min+ to get your food. My personal favorite is Jenny’s – it is lesser known, but the shrimp is pretty good and you don’t have to deal with the crazy lines there.
- Helena’s Hawaiian Food – very popular Hawaiian food restaurant. A good place to get your “fix”.
Food Runner-Ups
- KCC Farmers Market (Diamond Head) – a popular farmers market a short bus ride away from Waikiki with local foods and produce. Open Saturdays 7:30 – 11:00am. In my opinion, it is smaller and the food selection isn’t as good as the Kaka’ako Famers Market, but it is convenient if you don’t have a car and you are staying in Waikiki.
- Tim Ho Wan – if you are craving dim sum, this is a chain from Hong Kong famous for its char siu bao (pork buns). The taste isn’t up to par with the ones located in Hong Kong (the original was awarded a Michelin star), but it is ok-enough dimsum and is conveniently located in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Waikiki.
- Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant – if you crave dim sum and want a more local dim sum restaurant, this is a popular dim sum place with the locals. The food is not bad and prices are also good (keep in mind my perspective of prices is skewed from living in San Francisco for a number of years).
Dessert – Shave Ice
You can’t really visit Hawaii without trying out shave ice. Here are some of my favorites.
- Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha (ʻĀina Haina, between Waikiki and Koko Head) – my favorite shave ice place in Oahu. In my opinion, their flavors and syrup are better than Matsumoto. They use natural syrups so they don’t taste artificial at all. It’s a good place to stop by after hiking Koko Head
- Ice Monster (Waikiki) – this is actually a chain from Taiwan so not exactly Hawaiian-based, but it sure is delicious! Portions are big so go with a friend.
Dessert – Shave Ice Runner-Ups
- Matsumoto Shave Ice (North Shore) – popular shave ice place on the North Shore. A good stop when you are checking out the north shore or after eating garlic shrimp in the area. There is usually a line so be prepared to wait at least 30 min for this.
- Monsarrat Shave Ice (Diamond Head) – very small shave ice place attached to Pioneer Saloon. Could be a good stop after a visit to Diamond Head.
Other Desserts
- Ubae (downtown) – ube anything. Enough said.
- Paalaa Kai Bakery (North Shore) – popular for its snow puffies