Go Visit Hawaii

On a recent visit to the Big Island, we were repeat customers to the Island Fish & Chips Shop. What we look for in a restaurant is good food, fair prices, and a pleasant environment. I’m happy to say that this little fish and chips shop passed all three requirements. The food is tasty. The prices are quite a bit better than what you would find in the hotel restaurants. The outdoor tables under a pavilion by the lake was quite a nice setting.

This restaurant serves grilled, batter fried, and tempura style seafood along with pineapple coleslaw and either rice or fries. My husband loved the coconut shrimp. I liked the grilled and fried versions of the Mahi Mahi. I wish I had given the tempura dishes a try, too. Most menu items cost around $10 to $13.

Island Fish and Chips is is open from 9:30am to 9:30pm. It’s located in the Kings’ Shops at the Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Kohala Coast. It is kind of hidden away from the main through-way of the shops, so keep your eyes one for one of the small signs directing you to the lakeside.

Here’s a great budget friendly idea for you. Grab dinner from Island Fish & Chips for under $15 each including a drink and then taking in one of the free shows offered at the Kings’ shops. That’s dinner and a show for under $15 per person. You can’t beat that! (You can see a photo and video that we shot of the free hula show one evening at the Kings’ Shops.)

Today, we complete the series on how to find the best Hawaii restaurants with a visit to the Big Island. Since this is our final restaurant visit, I thought I’d post a dessert photo (right) from the Hualalai Grille at the Four Seasons. This chocolate dessert tastes even better than it looks.

I have to say that finding great restaurants on the Big Island seems to take a bit more effort from my experience. That being said, we’ve definitely found some winners. I think that the addition of the Queens MarketPlace in Waikoloa and the Shops at Mauna Lani have added some nice new alternatives for those staying around the Kohala Coast.

As with the other islands, we’ll start with TripAdvisor, move on to guidebooks, and finish up with my personal picks.

TripAdvisor

Thousands of TripAdvisor members rate Hawaii restaurants. I’ll organize the TripAdvisor restaurant listings by geography. Some of the geography they use is a bit odd, but we’ll make it work for us. We’ll start on the Kohala Coast/Waimea area and work our way around the island counter clockwise. So as not to create information overload, I’ll try to only list the areas that you’ll likely be nearby.

Kohala Coast (Including Hawi, Waimea/Kamuela, Waikoloa)

• Hawi and Kapa’au Restaurants (These small towns on the northern part of Hawaii have just a few restaurants.)
• Kawaihae Restaurants (There are only two restaurants listed here, but they very well liked and recommended by locals.)
• Kamuela Restaurants (This is where TripAdvisor uses some strange geography. They lump in restaurants in Waimea (Kamuela) with restaurants at the Mauna Lani resort area and Mauna Kea/Hapuna Beach areas.)
• Waikoloa Beach Resort Restaurants

Kona Coast

• Kailua-Kona Restaurants (TripAdvisor lists over 100 restaurants here.)
• Keauhou Restaurants
• Captain Cook Restaurants

Hilo Side

• Volcano Restaurants
• Hilo Restaurants (There are over 100 in total)
• Pepeekeo Restaurants (There is only one restaurant listed here, but it’s the popular What’s Shakin’ place that’s known for their smoothies.)
• Honokaa Restaurants

Guidebooks

• Fodor’s has an interactive list.
• Frommer’s also has an interactive list.
• Hawaii The Big Island Revealed is usually very reliable guidebook for restaurant recommendations.

Go Visit Hawaii Picks

The following restaurants are ones that I particularly like.

Most Romantic: Brown’s Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid is located right beside the beach, with lovely sunset views. I also like the Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong at the Four Seasons even though it doesn’t really have a beach view, the atmosphere, service and food are romantic. Another restaurant worth mentioning in this category is the Coast Grille at the Prince Hapuna Resort which has nice outdoor seating and a sunset view. We liked the lanai seating by the railing.

Best Sushi/Seafood: Sansei at the Queens Marketplace at Waikoloa

Best All Around: Roys at Waikoloa. The food is great here and the prix fixe menu is well priced considering it’s Hawaii. The atmosphere is pretty lively, e.g. it can get loud in this enclosed restaurant. We liked the tables by the window that looked out onto the lake.

Best Fish and Chip Shop: Island Fish & Chips at the Kings’ Shops at Waikoloa. They have very good coconut shrimp and pineapple coleslaw. There are some good outdoor chairs and tables here that look onto the lake and golf course.

One of Hawaii’s More Unique Restaurants: Kilauea Lodge in Volcano. The atmosphere reminds me of an Appalachian mountain lodge with the historic fireplace.

Best Popsicle You’ll Ever Have: Hamakua Fudge Shop in Honokaa

Best Cheap Eats: Cafe 100 in Hilo

Best Pub Hawaii-Style: Kona Pub and Brewery in Kailua-Kona

Most romantic place to have ice cream after watching a free show: The Shops at Mauna Lani. You can get ice cream from the Foodland Farms grocery store or from the Marble Slab Creamery ice cream shop.

Top of My List for Next Time: Waikoloa Beach Grill and the Vanilla Luncheon at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company.

—————————————————————————-

I know there are some nice very readers who live on the Big Island, so I’d love for them to share their recommendations in the comments.

There are some restaurants that I’d steer clear of and I’ll mention them in the comments.

If you are on your way to see the Waipio Valley on the Big Island, may I recommend a stop that’s along the way. Check out the quaint Hamakua Fudge shop in in the small town of Honokaa. If you have a sweet tooth, I guarantee, it will be satisfied here.

As the name would suggest the Hamakua Fudge Shop sells homemade fudge. Though their fudge is made with real butter and cream, we’d like to think we made the a healthy choice by selecting the dark chocolate macadamia nut fudge. (That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.) The owner told me that their most popular flavors are Kona mocha, lilikoi (a yellow passion fruit), and anything with macadamia nuts. She offered us samples to help us make our “healthy” selection.

One thing you must not miss at this shop is their homemade fruitsicles. Oh my goodness! They are simply divine. These fruitsicles are like frozen popsicles, but with lots of real fruit flavor. We had a coconut cream fruitsicle and it was absolutely fantastic. If you like the flavor of coconut, you must try it. They make other popular fruit flavors like lilikoi, mango, strawberry, etc. I can’t recall the cost of the fruitsicles, but I believe they cost us around $2.00 each.

The Hamakua Fudge Shop is located at 45-3611 Mamane Street (the main street) in Honokaa. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm. You can also find the fruitsicles made by Lisa at the Waimea Market on Saturdays.

Sansei Restaurant is the Big Islands hottest new restaurant. Though the restaurant only debuted in February, it already draws in crowds of both locals and visitors.

In addition to traditional grilled and sauteed entrees, Sansei also serves a wide variety fresh sushi. During our recent two week stay on the Big Island, we dined at Sansei twice and we thought both experiences were tremendous. The first time we chose the tasting menu for two which was a selection of signature appetizers and sushi to share. There were nine different delicious plates for us to try. This was a great introduction to Sansei and a good value at $80 for two.

During our next experience at Sansei, we shared our favorite appetizer, that we had sampled previously, the Japanese Calamari Salad, My husband had the Nissei sushi combination and I had the grilled Ahi with Sansei’s Asian shrimp cake, a signature dish. Once again, Sansei didn’t disappoint.

On the Big Island, Sansei is located in the Queens Marketplace at Waikoloa Beach Resort. The restaurant doesn’t really have a view, so to speak, but who cares, because the lively atmosphere and great food more than please. The restaurant opens at 5:30pm and sometimes offers attractive early bird specials between 5:30pm and 6:00pm. If you want to go, I recommend you make a reservation. If you are looking for a bit of nightlife in the quite and relaxed Kohala Coast resort area, then check out their late night dining and karaoke on Fridays and Saturdays from 10pm to 1am.

Though this is the first Big Island edition of Sansei Restaurant, there are other popular locations on Oahu and Maui. You can learn more about their menus and locations at their website.

Cafe 100 in Hilo is a great place to get good cheap eats. They have many, many menu choices, but we had to have one of their Loco Mocos. What’s a Loco Moco? It’s a local dish you’ll find throughout Hawaii. It usually includes generous scoops of rice, eggs, hamburger patty, and brown gravy. We had the Cafe 100 Super Loco with all the above mentioned items plus, potato and macaroni salad, spam, and Portuguese sausages. Our plates were mounded high and we couldn’t finish all our food.

Finding a place like Cafe 100 was a real treat for us. For the most part, it seemed that the clientele was local. We enjoyed soaking in the local scene and culture. The price of the food was another plus. Our Super Locos cost less than $5 each - $4.65 if I remember correctly.

The restaurant’s set up reminded me of the old drive-in style restaurants. The menu is posted on a large white board with individual letters. You order your food at a window and they issue you a number. When your order is ready, they will call your number. There were plenty of covered picnic tables available. The staff was friendly and the eating area was kept clean.

I hear the restaurant has been in business for over 50 years and may have been the restaurant that invented the Loco Moco. So, a restaurant in business that long can’t be half bad, right? You’ll find Cafe 100 in Hilo at 969 Kilauea Avenue near the intersection of Mohouli Avenue. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After a stroll around the shops at Mauna Lani, we decided to pop into the Tommy Bahama’s Cafe for some drinks and appetizers.  Though we were familiar with the Tommy Bahama brand, we had never heard of their restaurants.  Apparently there are several others.   

The Scene
The cafe is located on the second level above a Tommy Bahama retail shop.  The immediate view is of the parking lot, however, the distant views of the Mauna Lani resort grounds are pleasant.  There are tables on the lanai and tables indoors, though the restaurant was open air throughout.   

As you would expect, the restaurant is very tastefully decorated in an island motif. I did find it odd that the decor was Caribbean themed.  When in Hawaii, I prefer a Hawaiian theme. 

Live music was playing, which was pleasant, however it was also more of a Jimmy Buffet type music.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I like Jimmy Buffet music, but when I’m in Hawaii, I want to soak up all things Hawaiian.  So, I would have preferred music with a local vibe. 

The Service
We arrived at about 7:30pm and were surprised to be seated immediately.  Our server started out being attentive, then he was assigned two nearby tables of six people each.  Then we were kicked to the curb.  We had to wait long periods of time just to order our appetizers, wait for drinks, etc.  As an example of the wait, we probably had to wait 15 minutes or longer just to order our appetizers.  At this point, frustrations mounted and our plans of sharing a slice of Pina Colada cake went out the window.  We are very easy going people, but when we get bad service, we can’t wait to leave.

The Food
We ordered three appetizers to share and they were tremendous.  We ordered Big Island Goat Cheese, coconut shrimp, and Antiqua quesadilla.  (You can see the full dinner menu here.)  All their appetizers are large portions and extremely sharable.

Final Thoughts
Now, I ask myself, "Would I go back?"  Even though the quality of food was quite nice, the prices were high. Appetizers ranged in price from $13.50 to $19.50.  Dinner entree prices start at $31.50 (pasta dish) to $42.50 for the evening special.  For those kind of prices, I’d rather go to the Hualani Grill at the Four Seasons.  I’d rather dine a a place with more of a Hawaiian influence.

. 

At Go Visit Hawaii, we know that there are a number of different luau options for anyone planning a trip to Hawaii. We also know that researching the different luau options is fairly difficult as not all the relevant information is readily available. As promised in the article on tips for choosing a Hawaiian luau and as a service to our readers, we’ve researched and compiled the information to assist you in finding that special luau experience. Starting today, we begin our series of listing the luaus on each island. We begin the series on the Big Island. All the luaus on the Big Island are in the Kona and Kohala areas.

Kohala Coast Luaus

Royal Luau at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott
Opens: Check-in between 4:30 and 5:00
Nights: Sundays and Wednesdays
Location/Setting: Adjacent to the Anaehoomalu fishponds.
Prices: $74.95 for adults and $34.46 for children aged 6 - 12. Children under 5 are free.
Price Includes: Buffet, open-bar drinks, Polynesian show and taxes
Imu Ceremony: Yes at 6:00
For Reservations: 1-808-886-6789
Reviews: TripAdvisor, Yahoo
Additional Information: Official Hotel Flier

Legends of the Pacific at the Hilton Waikoloa Village
Opens: Doors open at 5:30
Nights: Tuesdays and Fridays
Location/Setting: At Hilton Waikoloa Resort grounds. (No water views from the seating area.  See photo 1 and 2 for views of the seating set up.)
Prices: $82 for adults, $65 for seniors 65 and older, $65 for teens 13- 18, $41 for children 5 - 12 and free for children under 5. Upgrade seating to front row with family-style food served and unlimited Mai Tais at your table for additional $25 per person. You can skip the food altogether and just see the show for $40 per person which begins at 7:15 p.m.
Price Includes: Buffet, one cocktail, Polynesian show.
Imu Ceremony: Yes at 6:00
For Reservations: 1-808-886-1234
Reviews: None found
Additional Information: Official Website

Kona Luaus

Kona Village Luau at Kona Village Resort
Opens: 5:15
Nights: Wednesdays (Hula Mana), Fridays (Savaii Polynesian Show, the longest running show)
Location/Setting: At Kona Village Resort grounds 10 miles north of Kona.
Prices: $98 for Adults and teens 13 years and older, $67 for children ages 6 - 12 and $0 for children ages 3 - 5.
Price Includes: Buffet, one drink and hula (Wednesday) or Polynesian show (Friday).
Imu Ceremony: Yes on Fridays
For Reservations: 1-808-325-5555
Reviews: Epinions, Frommers, Travel.Taquitos
Additional Information: Official Website

Island Breeze Hawaiian Luau at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel
Opens: 5:00
Nights: Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
Location/Setting: King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel grounds in Kona
Prices: $70.31 for adults, $34.90 for children ages 5 - 12, children under 5 are admitted free
Prices Includes: Buffet, open bar, Polynesian show, taxes
Imu Ceremony: Yes, also they have a royal Hawaiian court presentation.
For Reservations: 1-808-329-8111 x200 or book online
Reviews: TripAdvisor 1, TripAdvisor 2
Additional Information: Hotel Website, Island Breeze Production Website

Royal Kona Resort Luau
Opens: 5:00
Nights: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
Location/Setting: Royal Kona Resort grounds in Kona (ocean front with sunset views)
Prices: $60 for adults, $22.50 for children 5 - 12, children under 5 admitted free for each paid adult
Prices Includes: Buffet, open bar, Polynesian show, taxes
Imu Ceremony: Yes
For Reservations: 1-808-329-3111 or book online
Reviews: TripAdvisor, IgoUgo
Additional Information: Official Website

All prices and times were accurate at the time this article was written. As resorts often change dates and prices, please verify current times, days, and prices.

We will be continuing this series over the coming weeks. Subscribe to our free updates via e-mail or RSS, to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Have you been to any of these Big Island Luaus? What did you think?

Well, actually it is an interesting AGRIcultrual experience. In the beautiful Waimea farm and ranch area, you can tour the farms and then be treated to a four course dinner. This opportunity is offered by Merriman’s Restaurant. On the tour, you will learn about the island’s rich agricultural resources. Tours start at 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursdays and reservations are required. Aloha and Bon Appetite!

Whenever I go into a restaurant and I can tell that local folks are there, I know I’ve found a great place. Travelocity has just released their list of “Local Secrets, Big Finds: Hawaii“. Though it is not a big list, it is worth taking note of as you make your list of restaurants to try in Hawaii.

On Travelocity’s list of local eateries are:

• Oahu’s Cafe Haleiwa
• Oahu’s Wailoa Shave Ice
• Big Islands’ Waimea Music Exchange
• Big Island’s Makuu Farmers Market (open Thursday, Saturday, Sunday)
• Kauai’s Puka Dog Hawaiian-Style Hot Dogs

See Oahu’s top restaurants as selected by local residents Dave and Alice

I’d like to add a few of my own local gems:

• Oahu’s Hukilau Cafe in Laie - this place is excellent for breakfast and the people there are so very nice.
• Oahu’s Matsumoto Shave Ice
• Oahu’s list of best restaurants written by Honolulu residents, Dave and Alice.
• Maui’s Kula Lodge Restaurant - this place is especially great for breakfast after watching sunrise on top of Haleakala. The views here are breathtaking.
• Maui’s Da Kitchen - There are two locations - one in Kihei and one in Kahului.
• Maui’s Aloha Mixed Plate - Lahaina
• Big Island’s Cafe 100- very cheap local eats with generous portions. You won’t go hungry here.

After reading the Hawaii travel secrets from the Arizona Daily Star that I posted yesterday, I have been inspired to share a few of my own secrets. Let’s start with some secret tips for romantic sunset dining in Hawaii.

1. Make a reservation and get to the restaurant early. Restaurants in Hawaii seat their customers on a first come first serve basis. (I have not found any exception to this rule.) So even if you have made a reservation for 6:30pm and requested a table by a window, you are going to get what is available and most likely, it is not going to be that nice table by a window that you wanted. When making a reservation, most restaurants will tell you that you can make a request, though it cannot be guaranteed. So, how do you get that nice table by the window? You do need to make a reservation for as close to opening time as possible. Most restaurants open for dinner around 5:00 or 5:30. Be sure and find out the opening time when you arrange your reservation. Though this may seem a bit early for dinner, the unobstructed sunset view will be worth the early start.
2. Don’t just limit yourself to a restaurant. Plan a sunset picnic at a beach. By picking up a few picnic supplies, you can save some money as compared to restaurant dinners and have a million dolllar view at the same time.
3. Know when sunset is. Sunsets in Hawaii generally vary from around 5:45pm to 7:15 pm. So, plan your cocktails, appetizers, etc accordingly. As you can see, getting to the restaurant around 5:00 it is really not too early for viewing sunset. Use this US Naval Observatory link to find out when sunrise and sunset may be on your trip.
4. Bring a camera and be sure to snap photos before during and after sunset to see the beautiful color variations on the sky and water.
5. Bring sunglasses because you might need them depending on the angle of the sun.
6. If you are travelling with another couple, consider reserving two tables for two instead of one table for four so that everyone will have the sunset view.

I hope you will enjoy a gorgeous sunset dinner in Hawaii soon!