18 Mouth-Watering Foods You Must Try in Hawaii

You may go to Hawaii for the beaches, but you will want to stay there for the food. Hawaii is one of the best places for foodies to try fusion-cuisine dishes and expand their palates. In fact, don’t blame me if you come back home to find your everyday food a bit boring. These islands’ flavor-packed and fresh delectable tidbits will leave your tastebuds hankering more.

Traveling to Oahu, Hawaii? Get travel inspiration from my one week travel guide!

Hawaii has a rich food history, reflecting the diverse population that settled in these islands over the centuries. It started with Polynesian voyagers who came to Hawaii around 300 AD. They were followed by European and American settlers in the 1700s. These settlers introduced sugarcane plantations and brought Western food to the Hawaiian cuisine. With plantations growing, around the 1800s, laborers arriving from China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and Portugal, brought with them their own food. This led to a melting pot of different cuisines from around the world and shaped the unique gastronomy here.

Read on to learn about the dishes you must try while visiting the Aloha State.

1. Poke

When I visited Oahu, I went straight from the airport to a poke place. In Hawaii, you can expect the poke to be fresh, delicious and surprisingly filling. It is a snack made of marinated seafood, traditionally combined with onions, sesame oil and soy sauce. You can expect tuna, ahi, and sometimes, octopus, crab and other seafood options. For a more filling option, go for a poke bowl that is served with a bed of rice. This is usually topped with an array of flavors and sauces!
For the best flavors, I would recommend Tamashiro Market in Honolulu (their poke was legit bomb!) or Coco Cove in Waikiki (super affordable and delicious).

Fun Fact: Poke is pronounced poh-kay and it gets its name from the Hawaiian language where it means “to cut or slice”.

2. Kalua Pork

You cannot leave Hawaii without trying kalua pork. Traditionally, a whole pig is smoked for long hours in an underground oven called “imu” with banana leaves and koa wood. And the result? Unbelievably tender and delicious pork. You will see it served at a Hawaiin luau feast. The current culinary scene in Hawaii has plenty of new spins on this traditional dish begging to be tried.

3. Garlic Shrimp

Next up is the popular garlic shrimp. Famous on the north shore of Oahu, locals, and tourists flock to shrimp shacks and trucks for a quick meal of garlic shrimp served with rice. In fact, these shrimp trucks are something of a local cultural hotspot now.

Popular food trucks such as Giovanni’s attract long lines of crowds during peak travel times, so you know you’re in good company! 😉

4. Acai Bowl

Although technically acai bowls started as a Brazilian snack, these bowls are ubiquitous in Hawaii packed with yumminess and health benefits. Thanks to the abundance of fresh local fruits, your acai bowl will usually be topped with bananas, berries and honey. Did I say delicious yet?

Fun fact – You can also opt for an acai bowl in a half pineapple for the perfect Instagram photo at Hawaiian Crown Cafe at Waikiki!

5. Loco Moco

Next up is another classic Hawaiian dish – Loco moco. This breakfast dish consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger (or burger patty), and fried egg and gravy. Sounds heavy? It sure is. You might find yourself wanting to take a nap after! 😉

6. Saimin

The uniqueness of the food scene is Hawaii is partly due to the waves of immigration it saw from Asia in the 1800s. Laborers arrived to work on the plantations and many well known Hawaiian dishes today owe their roots to them. Saimin is one such dish. Plantation workers used to bring this hot egg noodle soup topped with green onions and fishcake in tin boxes for lunch.

For a delectable twist, try the fried saimin (pictured below) at Adela’s Country Eatery, Kaneohe. This place seriously has the best food, and every dish we tried there was unbelievably yummy!

7. Spam musubi

Another super popular Hawaiian dish is spam musubi. As a matter of fact, you will most likely see it advertised in markets and pop up eateries. It consists of a fried slice of spam on rice, pressed to form a block and held together by seaweed. During World War II, spam became popular due to not requiring refrigeration. Hence, it was used by the military which introduced this dish in Hawaii.

8. Malasada

If you have a sweet tooth, you must try a malasada! Actually, you need to try it even if you don’t like sweet stuff! A malasada is a Portugese fluffy, fried ball of yummy goodness. If there is one fried sweet treat you need to treat yourself with in Hawaii, it is this!

Similar to a doughnut, it comes with a dusting of powdered sugar (reminded me of French beignets I tried in NOLA). Leonard’s Bakery offers a mouth-watering selection of original (no filling) and puffs with fillings, including haupia, guava and custard.

9. Fish (or Catch) of the Day

Being an island, Hawaii has plenty of fish dishes to offer. And one of the best I can recommend on the lunch or dinner menu is the fish or catch of the day. Here is the awesome thing – you can eat it everyday! Hawaiian fish such as ono, ahi, mahi mahi, hapu’upu’u, monchong, to name a few, offer a wide variety to satisfy your palate.

10. Sushi

Will I stop recommending fish dishes yet? Not a chance! Your island vacation will not be complete without overloading on fish dishes, and you need to try the sushi there. And you are in luck! The abundance of succulent fish combined with the freshness of locally produced ingredients leads to Hawaii having some of the best sushi.

Some of the most popular sushi joints include Sushi Izakaya Gaku, Morio’s Sushi Bistro and Doraku Sushi on Oahu.

11. Manapua

For the foodies who prefer savory food, this one is for you. Manapua is a fluffy bun filled with sweet or savory filling. Similar to the char siu bao, manapua is a bigger and sweeter version that was introduced to Hawaiins by Chinese immigrants. A myriad of fillings are available to pick from, such as pork (most popular), chicken, sweet potato, taro etc. Swing by Sing Cheong Yuan Bakery for some amazing baked and steamed manapuas as well as other Chinese sweets.

12. Shaved ice

Popular among kids and adults alike, this insanely popular sweet dish is made by shaving a block of ice and topped with flavorful syrups such as pineapple, mango, passion fruit, lychee etc. This sweet retreat is different from a snow cone because its texture – shaved ice is shaved, whereas snow cones are crushed ice. Shaved ice is sometimes served with condensed milk on top. The pleasure from eating shaved ice on a hot day on the beach is unparalleled – yum!

13. Mai Tai

Ok, technically a Mai Tai is not a “dish” but it belongs in this list! This tropical tiki drink may not have originated in Hawaii, but its name comes from “Maita’i roa ae”, which stands for “Amazing! Out of this world” in Tahitian. It is made from different types of rum, mixed with fruit juices such as pineapple juice. Prior to serving, it is topped with a piece of pineapple and a paper parasol (the fun just doesn’t stop!). As you sip on a mai tai by the beach, you don’t have to dream of tropical paradise, coz you are already there!

14. Hawaiian Plate

Hawaiian plate lunches have their roots in the Japanese bento style plates. It often consists of a couple of meat entrees with a scoop of white rice and macaroni salad each. When you are hungry, go for a traditional Hawaiian plate at the famous Rainbow Drive In. You can even opt for a fish plate with similar sides. And you already know that the fish in Hawaii is heavenly!

15. Hawaiian Coffee

Kona coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the Kona districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. The rich volcanic soils, high elevation and temperate weather makes Kona the ideal location to produce a bold coffee with strong aroma and vibrant flavors. In fact, it is one of the most expensive coffees in the world. So, while you are in Hawaii, treat yourself to a tasty cuppa joe and get a bag to bring home.

Fun fact – Hawaii is the only US state that produces coffee!

16. Udon

Udon is a popular Japanese dish made of thick-cut wheat noodles served with flavored broth. It is usually also topped with green onions, egg and fish cake. And thanks to Hawaii’s melting pot cuisine culture, you can try some amazing udon here.

In Oahu, I highly recommend Marugame Udon with their hand-crafted, made-to-order udon bowls, sizzling tempura, katsu and flavorful broths. Expect long lines, but they move fast! Plus, the food is well worth the wait 🙂

17. Fruit smoothie

A tropical paradise guarantees refreshing and delicious smoothies. And Hawaii is no exception. Feeling hot in an afternoon? Grab a smoothie. Need a drink to go with your brunch? A smoothie is your answer. Just craving a sugary drink? Opt for a fruit smoothie instead. It doesn’t matter where on the island you are. The chances are you can easily grab this invigorating drink. Opt for locally grown fruit such as pineapple, mango, banana, coconut, passion fruit, papaya etc. in your smoothie.

18. Hula Pie

I could not end this list without mentioning the Hula pie. Starting at Kimo’s on Maui (home of the Original Hula Pie), this famous dessert is made of macadamia nut ice cream stacked on a chocolate cookie crust. It is topped with cool chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and macadamia nuts (gosh that was tasty!).

Keep in mind that the portion size of the pie is usually huge and is best shared.