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My wife and I are going to the Big Island of Hawaii for our 10 year anniversaryin August. I would welcome any suggestions as far as restaurants, activities and places to stay. Thanks

I've been doing some research too because Mrs. Fujisan and I are going to the Big Island mid-July for our honeymoon and are staying at the Hilton Waikaloa Village. Here are some restaurants that I have found on that other food board. Disclaimer - this is all second-hand information.

Kenichi (Keahau Shopping Center, Kona) - Upscale, fusion Japanese.
Royal Thai (Keahau Shopping Center, Kona)
Miyo's (400 Hualani Street) - Japanese
Big Jake's BBQ (Mamalohoa Hwy 11)
Merriman's Restaurant (Waimea)
Pahuia at The Four Seasons in Waikoloa
Big Island Candies in Hilo.
Tex’s Drive In in Honoka’a for malasadas
Imari’s in the Hilton Waikoloa Village - Japanese
Hualalai Grill at the Four Seasons Hualalai Resort
Fujimama's in Kailua, Kona - Pan-Asian
Hilo Farmer's Market (Wednesday & Saturday)

Hope this list gets you started!

Fujisan

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When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University!

Hilo is well worth the drive. Not too touristy due to the rain. Excellent coffee shops with plate lunches, ramen etc.

On the Kona side, Roy's (one of the first) is good. The Kona Village luau is really very good and more fun than you might expect.

Last year my husband and I stayed at the Hale Hualalai in Holualoa, up on the side of the mountain over Kona. The owner, Lonn, is a former professional chef (he worked at Merriman's in Waimea, also highly recommended) and currently grows coffee and assorted tropical fruits in his backyard. When we checked in, Lonn asked us what we liked for breakfast. Having had sweet breakfasts for the preceding week and a half, my husband said that he would like eggs. Each of the next three mornings, Lonn prepared a fresh, delicious savory breakfast for us. The one that most sticks out in my memory is the eggs benedict that he made for us - Homemade hollandaise, perfectly poached eggs . . . And each breakfast is accompanied by some of Lonn's home grown coffee and fruit picked from one of the trees in his yard. We were there in June, and pineapple was in season. It was the best pineapple I had in our two weeks in Hawaii.

He only has two rooms available for rent. The rates are pretty low compared to elsewhere in Kona - about $150 per night. Lonn has lived on the Big Island for a long time and can give great advice about day activities. One caveat - the hotel is up on the mountain, so if you are looking for a beachy location, this is not it. Also, while our room was very nice and had beautiful views of the Kona area and the ocean, we did have a couple of plumbing problems while we were there. Lonn is a great host, though, and he fixed them promptly and cheerfully.

http://www.hale-hualalai.com

My wife and I stayed in Kona when I proposed to her a little over a year ago, and again for our honeymoon a month ago. We covered some ground, hitting Alan Wong's, Pahui'a, Merriman's, Roy's and Brown's Beach House. If you'd asked me in between the two visits, I would have told you that Pahui'a was not only the cream of the crop by a longshot, but that it was possibly the best fish restaurant I'd had the good fortune of encountering. We ate there three nights (and cancelled other reservations to do so), every dish without exception was at the very least excellent, and a couple were flat out incredible. So, for our second visit, we made reservations at Pahui'a five nights in a row. This is something I don't do. Unfortunately, after the first two nights, we jumped ship. Our meals certainly weren't bad... in fact they were quite good... but it wasn't nearly at the level we'd experienced the previous year. We inadvertently scheduled our honeymoon during the peak of spring break and the resort seemed to be having issues, so perhaps that had something to do with it, but I couldn't say.

In any case, we felt that Pahui'a on the first visit was one of the best restaurants we've tried, and on the second was merely very good. So I'm torn on whether to recommend it or not. On the first visit, it was so good that we told friends to island hop purely for Pahui'a, if necessary. Then we went back and were glad they didn't. The Hualalai Grill (Alan Wong's) was extremely good across the board. He's a flashy chef, so if you're looking for restraint it's probably best to look elsewhere, but for fun, explosive flavors it's an excellent place. Roy's was okay. Sort of in the same vein as Alan Wong's, but not nearly as tasty or refined, and much more touristy. Merriman's was very minimal and very good, but we felt that the reputation overreached the reality somewhat. Brown's Beach House wasn't bad, but we felt the glowing reviews were probably mostly from people who don't eat high-end very often. It seemed much more like an overpriced midrange restaurant in a nice setting.

So, to sum up:

Pahui'a Trip 1 (Absolutely amazing)
The Hualalai Grille by Alan Wong (Excellent across the board)
Merriman's (Perhaps overrated, but still extremely good)
Pahui'a Trip 2 (Still very good, but not the incredible experience as before)
Roy's (Corny and touristy, but undeniably tasty)
Brown's Beach House (Not bad, but overpriced and way overrated)

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-Dom
www.skilletdoux.com

Thanks for all the recommendations so far. Keep them coming! Just like Cabo, it looks like fish will be the best items on the menus. I do like steak and an occasional cold water tail or perhaps crab. Any suggestions on finding these?
Again thanks and keep the replies coming.
Tom

actually there are Kona lobsters which are lobster fry that have been flown to Hawaii from Maine and raised with seawater from the deep cold depths off of Kona, we've been fortunate to have Kona lobsters at a few places on the islands, quite tasty.

I earned a trip through my company and they are putting us up at the Four Seasons on the Big Island, I told Mrs Sweet Willie not to get used to this kind of luxury as the place appears EXPENSIVE! But seeing as the company is paying for it, I sure intend to take up the suggestion of dining at the Four Seasons restaurant Pahui'a.

--

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

I have a pretty extensive report on my blog from 2004 that I imagine is still pretty useful. Lots of pics and a more detailed daily food journal:

http://www.extramsg.com/modules.php?nam ... cle&sid=17

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Extramsg.com: Culinary Blog and Portland Food Guide
Portlandfood.org: Chow and Charity
Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen
Mi Mero Mole

Saw that you went to Sibu Cafe, we too really liked this Indonesian restaurant, plastic chairs and all.

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

I stayed at the Four Seasons Hualalai several years ago. Once a week they have a themed outdoor buffet. It was absolutely delicious. I'm not a fan of buffets and had been to an awful luah in Waikiki (I'll never return to Waikiki for many reasons including the awful food) but this was wonderful both in terms of food and setting.

Mrs. Fujisan and I just got back from our honeymoon on the Big Island. We had some great meals there (along with some not so great ones).

When we arrived on Wednesday, we were pretty tired from the 10 hour flight so we decided to relax at our hotel bar, the Malolo Lounge in the Hitlon Waikoloa Village, and have some drinks and a bite to eat.

Mrs. Fujisan sips a lava flow (one of many!)

I had a beer from the Kona Brewing Company which opened up in 1994. We went to the brewery later in the week. They must have an excellent brewmeister because we sampled a dozen of their beers and they were all very good.

Anyway, we enjoyed the drinks at the Malolo Lounge, but I would skip the food. The spinach and crab dip was ok. The blackened ahi sandwich was not. The ahi was good, but the bread was terrible. The ahi was completely also overwhelmed by a wasabi mayo sauce. The dressing on the Chinese chicken salad was passable, but the chicken was kind of mushy.

As we ate, we watched the sun set (also one of many)


One of the first things we did the next day was hit L&L Drive-In for a loco moco and a plate lunch. They did not disappoint.


Others have mentioned this, but Aloha Grill does plate lunches just as well as L&L does.

Our first good dinner was at Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. It used to be an old general store and was recently renovated into a restaurant and an art gallery. We started with their signature appetizer, chicken sate pot stickers. They were excellent, with tons of peanuty goodness.


I had the Crispy Polenta - lightly grilled fish on crispy goat cheese polenta and Kohala greens, finished with a spicy mango and sambal sauce.


Mrs. Fujisan had the Aloha Asia - grilled fish upon sesame Asian greens, vegetables, and a spicy somen noodle salad, drizzled with a citrus and soy Ponzu sauce.


We finished with their chocolate mocha cheesecake with a macnut crust.


It was also noted on their menu that they are the largest user of lillikoi (passion fruit) juice on the island. The lillikoi margaritas were great!

Our next meal at Fujimamas on Ali'i Drive in Kailua-Kona was pretty disappointing. We wanted it to be good, if only because of the name. When we have kids, my mom wants them to call her Fujimama. Anyway, we started with Curried-Chicken Spring Rolls and Ginger Coconut Dipping Sauce. The chicken inside was totally dried out, and the dipping sauce was bland.


We also had some sushi - a spicy tuna roll and a rainbow roll. They were ok, but we've had much better ones here in Chicago.

My entree, Kombu Cured Duck with a Honey-Mandarin Mojo and a Shredded Endive and Hijiki Salad, was decent, if a bit too sweet.


Mrs. Fujisan had the Grilled Swordfish and Orange, Red Onion, & Dill Salad With Ponzu Dressing. The swordfish was overcooked and bland.


We decided to skip dessert.

The next day we drove to Tex Drive-In on the way around the island. They are famous for their malasadas, and we enjoyed every bit of them.


I ordered a breakfast with two eggs over-medium, Portuguese sausage, and hash browns. I was impressed because the hash browns were perfectly browned.


They have a window so you can see the malasadas being made.



Our last big meal was at Roy's Waikoloa right by our hotel on Waikoloa Beach Drive. The atmosphere is casual, and it was very loud, making it hard to talk at times. The service and food was spot on.

We started with Roy's Canoe Appetizer, consisting of shrimp sticks, crab cakes, Szechuan ribs, seafood potstickers, and a shrimp spring roll.


Mrs. Fujisan had the sea scallops, and I had the macnut crusted Mahi Mahi with two sauces. One was a lobster butter sauce, but I forget what the other one was.



We ended with their Hawaiian pineapple upside-down cake, which was possibly the best pineapple upside-down cake I have ever had!


We also went to a luau at the Royal Kona resort which was cheesy, but something you have to do when in Hawaii for the first time. We also went to the Kona Joe coffee plantation, which is the world's first trellised coffee, and stopped at the South Kona Fruit Stand where we bought some strawberry papayas and red dragonfruit. The strawberry papaya was a little overripe. We had never had a dragonfruit before so were unsure of what it would taste like. It looked like a giant red kiwi inside, and had the same consistency. The taste was mildly sweet and reminded us of kiwi as well.

If we had more time (and money), we would have gone to a few more places such as Alan Wong's and Pahu I'a. I suppose there's always next time, since we can't wait to go back!

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When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University!

I'm resurrecting this thread as my sister and I are headed to the Big Island at the end of May and I wanted to see if anyone had recent updates? So far, we have a reservation at Pahui'a for our big "splash out" dinner. I've checked out this thread as well as extramsg's website. My sister and I are spending two nights in Volcano and three nights in Kona. Other than Pahui'a, places on my list to try are Tex Drive-In (for malasadas) and Bamboo. The folks who run the b&b we're staying at in Volcano recommended Shacka Restaurant in Na'alehu for a lunch stop (we're taking the southern route from the Kona airport to Volcano). Anyone have experience with this place?

Shakaa is supposedly the most southern bar in the US. I can't say that I ate there but I did put down a few local brews while watching the gecko's climb the walls. It's a locals hangout so, in my mind, the foods got to be decent. By the way, I didn't know this, but the hang loose everyone in hawaii does, you know the thumb and little finger making the "Y", is really called shakaa. Enjoy!

ate at Pahui'a number of times, tab all picked up by the company. The setting is stunning, the food was quite good but if I had been paying I would not have been pleased.

Mrs Sweet Willie and I LOVED LOVED Alan Wong's restaurant in the golf clubhouse, had most of our lunches there and were never disappointed. I believe it is open for dinner as well.

--

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I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.

If you're looking for a "splash out" dinner, Alan Wong's is much too casual. I would definitely keep the reservation at Pahui'a--it's spectacular.

I'm a little late on this thread, but I have lived on the Big Island for over 15 years and I believe I've tried nearly every restaurant here. One thing that can be said about our rock, we're not known for our food. I basically plan entire trips to the mainland around restaurants (and am going to Chicago in September and already have planned all my meals). But there are some good places here. I am going to focus on the Kona side of the island, since that's where I live and where most tourists go.

There is little doubt that Pahu'ia at the Four Seasons Hualalai is the best restaurant on the island. It's experienced some bumps over the past few years, but it's back to form recently. The property itself is consistently rated one of the best in the world, and that's no overstatement. There are very few decent hotels on the island, so finding such a spectacular property here is even more special. Even if you're not lucky enough to be staying here, it's worth it to spend some time walking around. But back to Pahu'ia. The restaurant is open air and any closer to the water, you'd be floating. While fish is of course a main feature on any menu on the Big Island, Pahu'ia does lovely things with steak, lamb, veal, and pork. Local produce is highlighted.

Alan Wong's Hualalai Grille is also on the FS property, but overlooks the golf course. It's a beautiful restaurant with excellent service. It doesn't know my socks off like Pahu'ia, and it definitely is more asian-influenced, but it's a solid "second-best restaurant" on the island.

A favorite of residents is O's Bistro, hidden away in s trip mall next to the Safeway in Kailua-Kona. Their regular menu is fine, but what really sets them apart is the nightly specials, which are often spectacular. Seafood is often highlighted, but they also have good short rib, osso buco, and other specials.

Another off-the-beaten path small residents favorite is La Bourgogne (in Kailua-Kona) with excellent French food, including a very good venison.

There are a number of very good spots in Waimea, up in the mountains and a popular pass-through if you're going day-tripping in Hilo, but they are best for lunch. They include a sweet little Mexican spot called Tako Taco, Daniel Thiebault's (upscale American in a renovated plantation house), Solimene's which offers decent Italian fare, Charley's for really good Thai, and Huli Sue's, for great local bbq and mixed plate. I personally don't think much about Merriman's.

Up the Kohala coast, the Hilton Waikoloa has some quite good restaurants, including Donatoni's, which is surprisingly good, authentic Italian and a decent wine list; Imari, for a wonderful atmosphere and solid Japanese fare; and Kamuela Provision Company for very good steaks overlooking the ocean and some creative desserts.

Shea

bump for poke.

i neeeed poke... flying out to Honolulu this weekend on a $243 (all-in) ticket...

I am searching for excellent food on the Big Island. I haven't found any magnificent meals yet, but we did find an inexpensive and quite good Filipino plate lunch/steam table place in Kamuela (essentially Waimea), east of Kohala on Highway 19. GJ's Filipino Fast Food and Video Store serves Filipino/Hawaiian food. I particularly enjoyed the Chicken with Papaya stew that I was served. I understand that on Sunday, they serve BBQ/Smoked Chicken. If one is tired of resort food, this is an option about 20 minutes from the beachfront hotels, but a whole different world. No Seating, just take out.

GJ's Filipino Fast Food
64-1067 Mamalahoa Highway
Kamuela (Waimea)
808-885-1210

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Toast, as every breakfaster knows, isn't really about the quality of the bread or how it's sliced or even the toaster. For man cannot live by toast alone. It's all about the butter. -- Adam Gopnik

I had a good experience with Big Jake's Island B-B-Q in Captain Cook.

3-5308 Mamalahoa Highway # B
Captain Cook, HI 96704-8302
(808) 328-1227

In Waimea, I've been to Tako Taco but that was mainly because they were serving Maui Brewing beers. I thought the food was decent for taqueria fare though nothing fancy. I'm planning to stop back after the brewery gets installed.

64-1066 Mamalahoa Hwy - Unit A
Kamuela, HI 96743
(808) 887-1717
http://www.bigislandbrewhaus.com

In Kailua-Kona, I have always had great experiences at two different Thai restaurants:

Original Thai Cuisine
3-5629 Kuakini Hwy
Ste 175
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 329-3459
http://www.otckona.net

- and -

Orchid Thai Cuisine
74-5563 Kaiwi St
Ste 279
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 327-9437

[Note: both are BYO alcohol]

In a recent trip to the Big Island, a kitchen was at hand; shopping and cooking were the order of the day.

I begin by considering what I would do about shopping on a return visit. Costco in Kona (near the airport) seems to be the grocery of choice for Big Islanders, and we actually found some very good fresh local fish there (ono, IIRC). We also found the very worst salsa and chips of my life, both of which we had to toss. Nevertheless, if you are a Costco person, informed about what is available there, and have a longer stay planned, a list, and perhaps a big group, it could be a smart stop. Just off the parking lot, a guy sold barbeque from a smoker towed behind his truck, and the locals seemed to be lining up for it.

For fish, also in Kailua-Kona, is the unfortunately named Bite Me Fish Market Bar and Grill, a relatively new place tucked into Honakohau Harbor, in Gentry's Kona Marina. (It's a bit hard to find, so check out the website for a map--they were not on google maps when we looked.) Bite Me has a case of good looking ahi, ono, mahi-mahi, monchong, shrimp and oysters for sale near the entrance. Apparently, they do a seafood boil every Sunday. Maine lobster and smoked prime rib are also available, though I find both to be beside the point. The indoor room is small, but there is a bar and deck over the docks where the Bite Me staff does fishing charters and cooks the catch for tourists. We had some very good mahi-mahi tacos and local oysters, which were terrific. Service was friendly (but hey, who has ever complained about surly service in Hawaii?) The waitress did say that this place is popular with locals, and that seems likely, given the prevalence of special occasion hotel dining options in the area. She confirmed that the shrimp and oysters are indeed local, and stated that the shrimp is her personal favorite. We went back for the ahi poke on the way to the airport, and couldn't resist a second round of tacos and oysters. We caught the show as one young fellow posed at the weigh-in with the yellowfin tuna he had caught that morning.

We looked around a bit for markets, and found a few, but the best available on the Kona side of the island was the Queen's Market near the Hilton. It's a pleasant, upscale full-service grocery and liquor store, with a few souvenir items and good produce- the Nordstrom's to KTA/Safeway's Sears and Costco's K-Mart. I did not find the prices outrageous. They had excellent ahi poke in several flavors. I also tried my first Spam musubi there. It was lightly charred and seasoned with wakame. Yum.

One local fellow we met favors the poke at KTA (a Safeway) market in Waimea, which he says is made in the store, rather than sent from Honolulu. We actually found the poke at International edged out the KTA poke. Neither KTA nor Queen's Market had broad range of fresh fish available, however, we did try the Hawaiian grass-fed beef at both stores, and it was excellent. The KTA has a wide selection of food gift items to warm the cockles of any LTH-er's heart. I bought a couple of cans of Spam-flavored Macadamias and envelopes of coconut syrup powder.

If you are staying at Puako Beach, there is a tiny general store run by a former engineer from London and his wife. Mr. Patel may be the single most gregarious shopkeeper in my experience. In addition, there is a rarely seen functioning telephone booth outside the store. I suspect that most people buy their coffee and newspaper there, and hang around to trade news and tips with the early birds, but the Puako General Store has a a pretty good selection for a tiny store. You could put together a dinner from what is there if you are creative. Had I known that they will put together a standard order with staples such as milk, coffee, eggs and juice (as listed on their website) and deliver it withing a 7 mile radius, I might have avoided the trip to Costco and gone out to see the sea turtles at Puako Bay on the first afternoon. I did buy a souvenir there, some Alaea pink sea salt from the Aloha Salt Company of Honolulu.

Apparently, the Kona farmer's market is quite good, though we missed it. My sister-in-law got a pile of mangosteens and papayas there. The thing we could not find anywhere was orgeat for mai tais. I got some at Binny's in Chicago recently, after rooting around a bit, but the clerk there didn't think they had any either.

I will post later on our trip to the Hilo side of the Island, and hopefully, add some pics here.

If this post has made you hungry for Hawaii, but you are stuck in Chicago, go to Sola. It's a fine dining spot, but the poke appetizer was darn good.

Queens Food Market
69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #2601,
Kailua-Kona, HI
(808) 886-8822

M's Puako General Store
07 Puako Beach Drive
Kamuela
Hawaii
96743
(808) 882-7500
HOURS: Monday - Sunday, 8am - 7pm.
puakogeneralstore.com/index.html

Bite Me Fish Market and Grill
Gentry's Kona Marina
74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy #17
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
bitemefishmarket.com

Queens Food Market
69-201 Waikoloa Beach Dr #2601,
Kailua-Kona, HI
(808) 886-8822

KTA Superstores
65-1158 Mamalahoa Highway
Waimea, HI
(808) 885-8866 ‎

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Man : I can't understand how a poet like you can eat that stuff.
T. S. Eliot: Ah, but you're not a poet.

Just got back from a visit to Hawaii, we spent 6 days on Hawaii and 3 on Oahu (see Honolulu thread)

We were staying in Volcano, right near the National Park, so all of our evening meals were there or in Hilo.

Miyo's
400 Hualani St
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-2273
Yelp says to make a reservation, and it's not a bad idea, but the weather was so icky while we were there, I don't think most people were venturing out. It's Japanese "country style" with bento box or plate specials. I had Sesame Chicken and Aji combo, which was quite tasty. Very good, fresh, plain salad comes with. This was recommended by one of the women we met working at the Volcano Winery (alas, their wine was not as good as their restaurant recommendations).

Nori's Saimin & Snacks
688 Kinoole St
Ste 124
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 935-9133
Two transplants to Hawaii from North Carolina said we had to go here. It's not Ramen, it's Saimin. There are other things, mojo, sizzling aji and burgers, but we both got noodle soups. My guess is that it's Hilo comfort food, and if you grew up with it, it would be your favorite. I've never had true ramen from anywhere really, so it was fine to me.

We of course stopped at the bakery where they make the sweet Hawaiian bread. Basic sandwiches, nothing special.

Kona Brewing Co.
75-5629 Kuakini Hwy
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
(808) 334-2739
www.konabrewingco.com
DH wanted to stop at all the local breweries, so we had lunch here. Good beer, good food. It's bar food, but well executed bar food. They make the breads with their spent grains (used up after brewing) which is nice.

Thai Thai
19-4084 Volcano Rd
Volcano, HI 96785
(808) 967-7969
www.lavalodge.com
Really good Thai, mostly, some dishes were up there with comparable Chicago places. I really didn't like the Red Curry, but the Lahb salad was so amazing, with separate tastes of all the ingredients tingling. Interestingly, they say they don't use fish sauce. Not sure if it's that they can't get it, or just choose not to. Volcano is pretty isolated and expensive, so the prices here were high compared even to places in Hilo.

Kiawe Kitchen
19-4005 Haunani Rd
Volcano, HI 96785
(808) 967-7711
Pizza joint, but they make each pie fresh, and it's much more of an artisanal sort of thing than your NY Slice joint. Decent wine, good beer, and also if you don't want pizza, they have very good fish and meat dishes. We did have Hawaiian pizza one night, in Hawaii, on Hawaii.

Pearl's Bakery and Cafe
18-1689 Hwy 11
Mountain View, HI 96771
(808) 756-1825
Between Hilo and Volcano, it's just off the highway. There's a guy making BBQ in the back (didn't see what he was using, but did see him go outside and come back in with a steaming hunk of BBQ beef). I thought the beef was a little dry, but the pork was very good. They also have deli meat sandwiches and home baked goods. Worth a stop!

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Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

Glad you got to the Big Island, leek! In case you get nostalgic for Hawaii one of these Chicago winter days, bopNgrill on Sheridan near Loyola serves Spam Musubi as a special.

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Man : I can't understand how a poet like you can eat that stuff.
T. S. Eliot: Ah, but you're not a poet.