Kilauea Fish Market - Kilauea

5/5 stars

I live in California. This is a problem because Kilauea Fish Market is in Kauai.

The fish tacos, the ahi fish wrap... amazing. It's because of the sauces. Ohhhh, the sauces. In the ahi wrap, it's the teriyaki. I got to make this at home, man. In the tacos, it's the garlic, cilantro cream thing. Crack sauces.

Only two cons: no alcohol (beer would be good with this grub) + only seating is outside w/ the flies. Next time, I'll take my wrap + tacos to the beach. I can bring my own beer to the beach (no bottles).

(2014)

MauiWine - Ulupalakua, HI

2/5 stars

Yays: Pineapple wine was fun to try, but I think I'm (really really) spoiled by California wines. The location is lovely and it's something different to do in Maui.

Nays: I *think* the drive made me a little carsick so that may have marred the experience a bit. I hope you don't, like us, arrive when a HUGE tour bus is unloading and the tasting room becomes packed and you don't get much service. Oh, and another con: the tasting portions are TINY!

(2012)

Mama’s Fish House Restaurant - Paia, HI

3/5 stars

I wanted to see what the fuss was about. So before my husband and I went to the airport to catch a flight that would take us from Maui to Kauai, we stopped here for a drink.

When we first got there ... we paused. Stared. Because the view? That beach? Worth a visit to Mama's alone. It was what you think of when you think of Maui.

Other than that, the inside of Mama's kinda felt dark, damp, and musty. Perhaps dining on the veranda would've been different.

I had a tall, frosty banana colada and it was delicious. If their food is as good - and as expensive - as their drinks, then well. Maybe it just all makes sense why Mama's does so well if you include that view.

(2012)

The Hanalei Gourmet - Hanalei, HI

4/5 stars

Special.

The kind of place my husband and I would probably have Sunday dinner every week if we lived in Kauai (pipe dream). We'd say hi to old faces, quietly complain about the tourists taking our favorite spots at the bar, silently be thankful for the tourists for bringing in money to the restaurant, and sing along with the band that plays crammed in between the tables.

You can't go wrong if you always order the fish of the day and if the skinny darling at the bar makes your drink. This was the only place on our honeymoon that we dined at more than once.

Sit at the bar and don't forget to tip the band. Oh, and don't order the artichoke.

(2012)

Defries Lunch Wagon - Kapaa, HI

3/5 stars

I'm pretty sure that this truck in the middle of a parking lot is as authentic Hawaiian as you can get. Bonus: food is made by a family all crammed into the truck. And they all make it with love.

Now, the hubby and I had already stopped on the side of road for some darn magical boar, but when I saw the bright yellow DeFries truck, we had to stop for second breakfast. If we were staying longer in Kauai, we would've returned for the cheap, filling food.

Everything here is served with macaroni salad and rice. Gravy if you want it, too. I LOVE that about Hawaii. Even though the fried chicken had a nice seasoning to it, I wouldn't order it again unless it was hot. It was served cold (which I suspect was on purpose), but I would suggest getting the Loco Moco instead. Folks, this is not gourmet, but you won't care when you're sharing a picnic table with the locals and slurping up shaved ice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream hidden in the center.

(2012)

Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill - Koloa, HI

4/5 stars

Three words: unique and sangria cart. Make that four words: tableside sangria cart. (order the lychee)

After a long drive and an exhausting hike through Waimea Canyon, we were ready for a feast and a feast Josselin gave us.

I *think* the word tapas means "small plates," but to me, they mean "two bites - make me want more." If you don't make me go, "I could eat a hundred of those," then I think you've failed as a tapas restaurant.

Not every dish at Josselin's was great, but some of them were definitely, "I would order more of that if I didn't already have 10 more plates coming." I wish I could tell you what to eat, but because the menu changes due to what's locally fresh, I can't. I did take a look at the menu and did find some constants that I would recommend:

* the avocado sampler - I didn't know until I was here that Hawaii had such a wide variety of avocados. To a Californian, it was very exciting. I think the avocado tempura was my favorite and the avocado foam confused me, but this sampler was definitely worth a try if you're trying to spread your foodie wings.

* the Kiawe Roasted Asparagus / Apple Smoked Bacon / "61 Degree" Poached Organic Egg was sooo delicious that I tried to replicate it last Christmas dinner. It was such a yummy combination. Seriously. Egg yolk has magical powers.

* If the Schezuan Style Short Ribs Steamed Buns is on the menu - order them. Cheat and order two plates of it. Trust me.

What I'd skip? The Local Corn" Brulee." Because even though I *know* it wasn't vanilla bean brulee, I still *wanted* it to be because it *looked* exactly like dessert creme brulee, but when I ate it and it tasted like corn, my brain was confused and sad.

(2012)

Kauai Wild Boar & Fruit Stand - Anahola, HI (closed)

5/5 stars

Our most memorable meal on our honeymoon and that's saying a lot. I mean, we dined at Wolfgang's Spago at the Four Seasons and had the best fish tacos at Monico's in Kauai. We had the freshest fish, lobster, and the softest shaved ice. But the meal we'll always remember is the one we had on our first morning in Kauai, from a shack on the side of the road.

BBQ'd boar on a paper plate. 10 bucks.

(2012)

The St Regis Bar - Princeville, HI

3/5 stars

We came for our last honeymoon sunset and because of the advertised "champagne ceremony." Warning: champagne ceremony does not come with complimentary champagne.

The outside seating area is plush, but the sun ... did you know the sun is REALLY REALLY bright? We actually hid inside until juuust before the sunset and chilled with the best darn dark and stormys we've ever had. Unfortunately, that was the only thing about the St Regis that was impressive. Four Seasons all the way.

(2012)

Puka Dog - Koloa, HI

4/5 stars

Worth the hype. So much so, we rushed to pack up our little condo to make it to Puka Dog before our flight.

Puka means hole! Hot dog stuffed in the puka of a soft, squishy Hawaiian roll. Served with garlic, lemon sauce, (really yummy) passion fruit mustard, & pineapple relish - that was a win win combination.

Not a tourist trap. Definitely recommend grabbing one before going to the airport. It'll make leaving Hawaii a little less of a huge bummer.

(2012)

Ululani’s Hawaiian Shave Ice - Lahaina, HI

5/5 stars

This place really is the best. I did not find better shave ice in Maui or Kauai. The ice here is soooooooooooo soft. Like fresh snow. And, my favorite part, the pineapple syrup actually had fresh pineapple chunks in it! Even so, the coconut syrup was probably the best of the three that I tried (pineapple, coconut, and mango). The boys behind the counter were super nice and I really wish I could've eaten here at least a half a dozen times.

(2011)

808 Bistro - Kihei, HI

3/5 stars

Right after stepping off the plane and getting lei'd at the airport, we began our honeymoon here at 808 Bistro with whale pie.

Whale pie is hash browns, ham, egg, and cheese smothered in brown gravy. This is where I discovered that (A) Hawaii puts gravy on lots of stuff and (B) gravy makes everything automatically delicious.

The restaurant is, unfortunately, not on the beach, but we got to eat outside. The menu was kind of limiting, but my *new word alert* husband had the short rib omelette and it was tasty. It was a nice time, but wasn't exciting enough for me to want to come back on my vacation.

(2011)

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar - San Francisco

2/5 stars

ATMOSPHERE: the tonga room is the definition of kitschy, but the tropical rain + lightening + thunder was kinda cool

DRINKS: hit or miss in regards to level of strength... the scorpian bowl was my favorite of the night (the looong straws are fun)... better tasting than the lava bowl. the mai tai was NOT the best i've ever had, not even close. and the banana daq was bland and water'd down and too icy. ALSO, way too expensive. i mean, cmon, $6.50 for a coors light?! that's awful!

FOOD: overcooked, greasy, fried, bland, limp, mushy, spent too much time under the heat lamps hawaiian fare that doesn't include sides or rice...

COVER CHARGE: really? really! you know who was on the dance floor? old, retired, rich people who could (A) afford staying at the fairmont and (B) were wearing hawaiian shirts and totally having the time of their life. we danced some too and it was fun because nobody took themselves too seriously. good place for a group off-site, but I wouldn't pay a cover charge to hang out here.

(2008)