Eat Worldly Foods in Hawaii

The best way to appreciate Hawai‘i's diversity is by way of your taste buds, as in – eating a variety of foods from all over the world. It's what I love most about Hawai‘i (and the fact that everyone loves to eat). In a single day, you could easily have eaten dishes from three or four different countries. An ultimate foodie challenge that I'm pretty sure you'd accomplish without even realizing it. Here's how!

Hawai‘i's crazy about the loco moco.

BREAKFAST (from Hawai‘i): Two words. Loco moco. It's a popular Hawai‘i "breakfast" food (which can actually be eaten at anytime of the day) that consists of rice, a hamburger on top, gravy all ovah and a fried egg. The ingredients may not be locally grown, but together, this breakfast-in-a-bowl has been adopted as a Hawai‘i favorite. Of course, if you're looking for something more homegrown, then how about some kalo (taro) pancakes with haupia sauce? 

SNACK (from China): By about 10 a.m., you're stomach mimics the ebbing tides with a hungry rumble. Luckily, you're exploring Chinatown and pass by a hole-in-the-wall bakery, with its decadent custards, sweet rice cakes and black bean jin dui. Order one or all. These flavors are sure to quell your hunger…for now. 

Manapua is another Chinese food you'll find here.

LUNCH (from Greece): Hawai‘i loves its Greek food. You'll find a Greek restaurant all over the islands. To start, get some spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese baked in a Filo dough). But my favorite is the chicken gyros, which you can also get it with lamb or beef. It's similar to a wrap but oh-so delicious…and very healthy!

A gyro just isn't complete without the yogurt dipping sauce.

DINNER (from Japan): What's nice about Hawai‘i's Japanese food is that there's a wide variety. There's "hot pot" type foods, which requires the customer to cook their own food in a pot of boiling water on the table in front of them, or sushi. Get them from to-go places like, Genki, or sit-down ones where the chef prepares fresh fish for customers. The most common Japanese eatery would be places like Gyotaku, which offers sushi, noodles, kamameshi (traditional Japanese rice dish) and donburi (rice bowl dish with meats and veggies).

See how easy it is to eat foods from all over the world, in ONE DAY? Happy eating!

Posted by Alyssa S. Navares Follow me on Twitter @Uamalie87

Published by Bruce Fisher

Since 2006 Bruce Fisher has been publishing the Hawaii Vacation Blog and the Hawaii Vacation Connection Podcast which, create daily content about Hawaii Travel and Tourism. This Blog is the only online resource providing Hawaii-based information aimed at travelers seven days per week. Postings reflect the Hawaiian Islands, their culture and their lifestyle as accurately and thoroughly as possible.

Entry Filed under: Local grindz

July 8th, 2012