Halekulani Orchids Restaurant

Halekulani Orchids Restaurant

Paphiopedilum Alice Barrios (primulinum x Norito Hazegawa) $10.99

Phalaenopsis Livingstone´s Pixie (Cassandra x lindenii) 3 small plants $15.99

Dining in Waikiki…Definitely Not Your Typical Hotel Food!   by Randy Yanagawa

Twenty or thirty years ago, “fine dining in Hawaii” would have probably been considered an oxy-moron. The only images of Hawaii, when it came to food, was of poi served at a luau or the ever present Spam. However, today is a completely different story when it comes to fine dining.

You probably should make a point of going to a traditional luau, at least once while you’re visiting. They are put on mainly for tourists either at one of the large hotels or in a more secluded beach away from Waikiki and usually include a Polynesian dance show.

By being so multi-cultural as Hawaii is, you get a wide variety of culinary offerings. There are a number of restaurants offering specialties from all over the world – French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Filipino, Hawaiian and many more.

For meat lover’s, the original Chucks Steakhouse in the Edgewater Hotel is one of the best, as is the A1 Steakhouse & Oyster Bar in the Marc Suites.

And, when it comes to seafood, Sarentos Top of the “I” (Ilikai Hotel and Suites) offers fish preparations with a northern Italian touch. There is the Lobster & Crab House in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center where a large tank of live Maine lobsters greets you at the entrance so that you may hand-pick your dinner.

The Halekulani Hotel offers an elegant seafood menu at two on-site restaurants; Orchids Restaurant, in an open-air setting and La Mer, a Triple-A Diamond Award restaurant where the seafood dishes are prepared in a Provencial style.

For Japanese cuisine, Kobe at the end of Ala Moana Boulevard, and Tanaka of Tokyo with its three locations in Waikiki, are all great choices. It seems the list of good Chinese restaurants in Honolulu is endless. In the Waikiki area, Lotus Moon Restaurant in the Sheraton Princess Hotel is always a good bet. China Garden on Kuhio Avenue and Lau Yee Chai on Kalakaua Avenue are also excellent. For Thai cuisine, Bangkok Lanai located on Seaside Avenue and Keo’s In Waikiki on Kuhio Avenue come highly recommended.

Can’t agree on what to eat? Try the Colony restaurant in the Hyatt Regency Hotel. 2010 Diners’ Choice Award Winner, one of the few Waikiki restaurants offering a steak, seafood and sushi mix.

If you’re looking for something more tropical in nature, there’s Duke’s Restaurant and Barefoot Bar on the beach. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A great place to enjoy a refreshing dip in the blue Pacific while sipping on one of their famous Mai Tais and enjoying a sun-drenched, relaxing afternoon.

For the budget-minded diner, there is Kuhio Avenue which is lined with snack outlets and fast-food franchises, as well as the food court at the Ala Moana Shopping Center…a personal favorite.

Then again, there are a hundred mom and pop eateries that offer up great food throughout Honolulu for the budget minded. To fully enjoy your eating experiences in Hawaii, its a good idea to go with an open mind and a willingness to try something different. There is no better location to experience the wide variety of foods available, prepared at such high levels of quality, anywhere in the world, than Honolulu.

About the Author

For more information on things to do and places to go while visiting Hawaii, check out the author’s website at http://www.myhawaiionline.com or his blog at http://www.myhawaiifoodfun.com for the latest news and island favorite recipes.