Lunch. Ahh, lunch. We were starving. We had been in Hawaii for less than 24 hours and were finally about to actually eat some Hawaiian food.
We had spent the morning touring the historic Iolani Palace, but we were hungry. And when the hubby’s hungry, he gets cranky. The daughter just gets annoying. But this was my vacation too darnit and was not about to let those two cranky pants ruin it, so it was time for some grub. Now I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t go to France to eat cheeseburgers. I wouldn’t go to Italy to eat fish and chips and I wouldn’t go to Russia to eat…something non-Russian. When the hubby went to India, he spent two weeks eating Indian food. So we were in Hawaii, I wanted some Hawaiian food.
So there we were. Lost again. Ok not really lost. We were actually just looking for a place to park (no worries, they were just doing some construction right then). Circled the block once and then bam, dream parking spot. We got out and wandered in to…Heaven? Maybe. It certainly smelled amazing.
What to order? I will admit to not having a clue. We looked at dish after dish and had no clue what to get (don’t worry, that’s happened to me at McDonald’s too). But this wasn’t the diner from My Cousin Vinny, so we had to make a decision. Luckily our waitress was extremely helpful in this regard. We simply stated “OMG we are STARVING and want something YUMMY.” And out came 15 courses of amazing food. Ok, that’s stretching it a bit. Don’t get me wrong, the hubby actually said that, but that just prompted a warm smile and some great recommendations.
We start with the Three Cheese Lu`au Dip. So what is it? I guess if you wanted to be insulting you could say it was the Hawaiian equivalent of Spinach Dip and chips. Let’s start with the chips. They are called `uala chips. To you and me that means purplish sweet potato chips. By themselves they were super crunchy and tasty. Then you add the dip. Lu`au leaves (no I don’t know what those are, and I don’t care, it was yummy), three cheese blend, tomatoes and shredded pork. Just amazing.
For our meal the three of us shared a Smokin Moco and a Plantation Mixed Plate. So you are probably saying “Well that’s helpful, or not, since that tells me nothing about the food.” The Smokin Moco is a big pile of delicious fried rice, topped with smoked pork and a couple eggs. I had to fight the hubby to get a bite. The Plantation mixed plate is perfect for sharing. It comes with Pipi Pulehu (think super tasty little shortribs), grilled adobo chicken and panko crusted Mahi, along with more of the yummy fried rice and some Kim Chee (not a fan in general, but the hubby LOVES it).
How can I summarize the meal? Let’s put it this way. My five year old doesn’t eat. When she does eat she wants a bologna sandwich or hot dogs. Not only did she eat, she was practically shoveling the fried rice in her mouth. The hubby and I had to force ourselves to stop eating it was so good.
Perfectly seasoned. Perfectly yummy. A perfect intro to Hawaiian Cuisine.
Looking for some good eats while in O`ahu? Check out their menu and some of the fun events they are holding this money on their social media outlets below.
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Are you ready to book a family trip and build memories for a lifetime? Connect with the O`ahu Visitors Bureau through the social media outlets below.
There is still so much more to come. Remember to follow along as we uncover our adventures in O`ahu. Watch for #VisitOahu and #OhanaOahu to pop up!
Disclaimer: I was sent on an all-expense paid trip to O`ahu, Hawaii courtesy of the O`ahu Visitors Bureau and its island partners to experience the island and a series of other events. Regardless, all opinions expressed are still 100% my own.
This experience and post by our friend Heather over at Pink Ninja Blog.