Eating through Oahu 3/25 - 4/1

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I just had a weird thought pass through my mind.

While thinking about the week-long vacation that Julia and I shared in Hawaii and all the food we consumed, mental images went from the food we ate during our vacation to my grandmother's Hawaiian vacation stories and all the luaus her and my grandfather went to. During their stay, they went to a luau EVERY NIGHT...and I'm sure there were other luaus going on at the same time across the islands. Who knows how many pigs Hawaii consumes per year?

That made me think - Where did all these pigs come from? Could the islands hold that many?

Then, my thoughts developed even further. I remembered what happened to Pinocchio in the Land of Toys (Pleasure Island) when he spent too much time there. And what about Sen's parents in the Japanese film "Spirited Away" when they ate food not meant for them.

They became pigs!

Could we have risked a possible transformation to fuel future luaus? Or did our pilgrimage to the sacred Kukaniloko birthing stones protect us from being roasted and served with pineapple?

Hmm...in any case, I'm dieting after this trip. I need to prepare for the Festivals 2010.

Here's my top 5 places to eat at in Oahu...

5.) Rocky's Coffee Shop - Waipahu

We went here to get the fried rice omelet, a delicious concoction that does the trick. Not only is it friedJapanese sticky rice, but it's mixed with Spam, Portuguese sausage and bacon. It was heavenly, memorable and inexpensive.

4.) Jinroku - Honolulu

Located in the Waikiki Beach area and close to our hotel, we ended up here because they had Okonomiyaki, a Japanese pancake that I had a craving for. The pancake was good, but pretty small compared to pancakes I've had in Japan and Holland.

Honestly, what really brought the restaurant in the top five was the calamari. It was so tender and flavorful that we probably should have gotten a second order for dessert.

3.) Ted's Bakery - Sunset Beach

Along the North Shore, we passed Ted's Bakery on the way to the shrimp trucks. Fortunately, Julia read the name out loud, making my mouth start to water. I turned around because they had won an award for their garlic shrimp. It was absolutely wonderful.

Notice the salad instead of mac salad and rice.

I also knew that they were known for their Chocolate Haupia (coconut) Pie....

...and I wanted to try the Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cheesecake.

Both were great! Definitely worth the drive from Honolulu.

2.) Helena's Hawaiian Food - Honolulu

Just a little place on North School Street, we showed up towards the end of the lunch rush and still had to wait about 15-20 minutes or so. It was so worth it though that Julia bought herself a shirt.

We got various small dishes: rice, pig and cabbage, haupia (coconut gelatin stuff), tripe strew, poke (tuna sashimi with tomato, green onions), and poi (a thick fluid made from taro corm).

Poi was the only thing I didn't like and that had to do with acquired taste. If I was going to try poi anywhere, I trusted Helena's because everything else was wonderful.

The tripe was so tender and I overlooked the tomato-based broth.

The poke was refreshing and delicious.

After tasting Julia's pig and cabbage (as written in the menu), I ordered a small bowl of pork and found it exquisite. I even mixed in some haupia to enhance the sweetness.

1.) Doraku - Honolulu

We ate here our first night and really enjoyed it - so much that we ate here a SECOND night as well. Their carpaccio appetizers were incredible. The second night, we got both the red snapper and the yellowtail.

And we got some sushi...



A hawaiian (or waikiki) roll with macadamia nuts, pineapple and tuna. The middle roll is tuna, hot sauce, roe and avocado.

Definitely worth the revisit!

HERE ARE SOME OTHER FOODS WORTH MENTIONING



Foie Gras Nigiri - Sansei Seafood Restaurant (Honolulu)



The super big pancakes at Mac 24/7 Restaurant (Honolulu)



Julia's ever-favorite mochi - Beard Papa (Honolulu)




Spam and Egg Musubi - ABC Store



A dog with various relishes and sauces - Puka Dog (Honolulu)



Dim sum - Legend Seafood (Honolulu)



And a double of pineapple and coconut to wash it all down - Dave's Hawaiian Ice Cream - near the Sear's Optical Dept, kitty corner from electronics - Ala Moana (Honolulu)