Helena's Hawaiian Food

Over the past 64 years Helena's Hawaiian Food has been serving the local community quality Hawaiian cuisine. In 2000, the James Beard Foundation awarded Helena's Hawaiian Food the Regional Classic Award.  Immediately after picking up a rental car at the airport after arriving in from Maui, we drove straight to Helena's for lunch.  Reservations are not accepted, so you just have to wait in line - first come, first served. 

Coconut Club

Coconut Club located behind Union Market is the new trendy vacation-inspired small plates and cocktail spot from four time Chopped champion and Beat Bobby Flay winner, Chef Adam Greenberg.  The mix of soft and bright color tones invoke 90's beach vibes and has been trending all over Instagram with cute selfies from DC's millennials.  Closest Metro is Gallaudet University.

Hapa J's

Hapa J's serves traditional Hawaiian food as well as other Asian cuisines in a laid back sports bar atmosphere.  Located in San Clemente, CA we stopped here for lunch with Lucinda and James before heading to Dana Point for a music festival.

At Home: Fancy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is a staple of the Hawaiian plate lunch. Typically scooped onto lunch plates along with a couple mounds of white rice, the seemingly divergent starches combine forces as ideal pairings to just about any meat to complete the dish. The beauty of macaroni salad is that it is quite forgiving and welcomes a wide range of customization and experimentation. It's a casual dish that easily adapts to any type of food or occasion—it is, in other words, quintessentially local.  Below, I share a Fancy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe for What Micky Eats...At Home.

At Home: Hawaiian Spicy Garlic Shrimp

You can easily recreate the perfect Hawaiian shrimp truck experience with my Hawaiian Spicy Garlic Shrimp recipe for What Micky Eats...At Home.  The shrimp you get from the trucks are still in their shells and are typically eaten with your hands.  But this recipe has all the great flavor without the mess.  You can still suck the delicious garlic butter off before shoving rapidly into your waiting mouth.

At Home: Huli Huli Chicken

Hawaii's own version of barbecued chicken, known as Huli Huli Chicken, is cooked with a marinade made with brown sugar, soy sauce, fresh ginger and more.  The chicken is typically cooked between two grills which have to be flipped over or turned. And since "huli" is the Hawaiian word for "turn", thus was born the name Huli Huli Chicken.  Keith never had this chicken when we were in Hawaii, so we decided to make it At Home.

Cafe Hula Hawaii

We planned a little day trip this Friday and took an hour train ride southeast from Tokyo to the beach town of Kamakura.  In between sight-seeing we were hungry for lunch and spotted Cafe Hula Hawaii located on the corner of the main train station.  Having grown up in Hawaii, I was intrigued - "Hawaiian food? In Japan?... Let's check it out."

Hogo

Hogo (a new rum-focused bar from the Passenger's Tom and Derek Brown) is part of a project called Temporary Works that hopes to bring new late-night dining options to DC by giving talented chefs a platform to cook bar food with their own twists.  Hogo is an abbreviated form of the French term haut goût that describes the "high taste" or funk that comes from rotting meat, but is also used for the untamed funk of rums with lower distillation proofs.  Closest Metro is Mt. Vernon Square/7th Street/Convention Center.

Hula Girl Truck

***Special Post by Keith***

In search of some lunchtime variety and with a craving for something vaguely Asian, I was excited to see that the Hula Girl Truck was parked outside my building today. With all the good things I have heard about this truck I should have anticipated the long line that awaited me. There were about 20 people queued up when I got there but the Hula Girls did their best to keep things moving and the Hawaiian music pumping from inside the truck helped pass the time. I would say it took about 20-25 minutes to order and get my food, which is a pretty long time but not unreasonable. Comparable to other popular trucks at least.

L&L Drive-Inn®

The founders of the L&L Drive-Inn® decided to franchise and expand their operation in 1988. They were among the first to build a reputation of serving fresh plate lunches, in generous portions, and low prices across Hawaii with their very successful chain of L&L Drive-Inn® restaurants. L&L’s strong Hawaii roots provides the company the clout in being able to give customers an authentic Hawaiian taste and an authentic experience. Now available across the United States with over 175 locations in 10 states including California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Texas, Utah, New York, and Hawaii!

Beach House

Gracious Hawaiian service and innovative Pacific Rim cuisine are complimented by breathtaking oceanfront views at the Beach House Restaurant in Kauai. Owners Roy Dunn and Mike Hooks work closely with Executive Chef Marshall Blanchard and General Manager Tim Obert to insure that their vision for the Beach House is reflected in every aspect of the restaurant.

Plantation Gardens

Plantation Gardens is located in a beautifully restored plantation manor located at Poipu Beach on the sunny south side of Kauai. Dating back to the 1930's, the estate once served as the plantation manager's home for Hawaii's first sugar plantation, the Koloa plantation. Later, the estate was acquired by the Moir Family who built the world famous gardens that surround the restaurant. The menu reflects the heritage of old plantation Hawaii, which celebrates the abundance and beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and features Pacific Rim cuisine with regional Hawaiian influence. Outdoor lanai seating, handcrafted tropical drinks and specialty cocktails, and complimentary parking is available.

Hukilau Lanai

Hukilau Lanai loves the local farmers and fishermen and strive to use ingredients and products from Kauai and the neighbor islands. Their handcrafted cuisine is made from scratch in their kitchen daily and features contemporary Hawaiian cuisine.  Located in the Kauai Coast Resort, this restaurant prides themselves on the fresh local ingredients and the attention to detail shines through with their top notch service.

Feast at Lele Luau

The Feast at Lele Luau is known as the "Most Romantic Maui Luau" and for "Best Food at a Maui Luau". It is a little more expensive than other Maui luaus at $115 per person and it is worth a good deal more than the extra cost. The Feast at Lele is the only Maui luau where you will be treated to private seating and a truly amazing Polynesian feast. This is a perfect romantic evening in Maui!

Mama's Fish House

Nestled in a beautiful coconut grove on a secluded white sand beach, this converted beach house restaurant is a memory of old Polynesia. Located on Maui's North Shore, Mama's Fish House is decorated with Polynesian artifacts, unique local wood working, and tropical floral arrangements.  An award-winning menu teamed with unpretentious service and Aloha spirit make Mama's Fish House an unforgettable restaurant experience.

Island Chef

If you take the drive on the famous "Road to Hana" in Maui, don't overlook this modest food stand on the side of the road serving "ono grindz" from another great food truck known as Island Chef.

Aloha Eats

Last date I was here: 07/30/2011

Restaurant: Aloha Eats (http://www.alohaeats.com/)

Location: Lincoln Park - Chicago

Total Rating: 4.35
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 4

Summary: Aloha Eats is a “Hawaiian grill” that serves traditional plate lunches, noodle dishes, and other island treats. We stumbled upon this location while walking through the Lincoln Park area and we decided pretty early to squeeze this local spot into our food crawl itinerary for the day. I was so happy to see all the familiar dishes such as spam musubi and saimin on the menu. They also carried Aloha brand canned fruit juices like lilikoi-orange and the ever favorite POG (passion-orange-guava). We ordered a plate lunch to share and sat in the relatively small dining area. The chicken portion was so generous, we realized we should have probably ordered the mini version. Regardless, we tackled our early lunch meal and left with fat bellies and smiles on our faces. It was so great to be able to have a taste of “aloha” and reminders of home. If I lived in Chicago, this would be a regular lunch spot for me.

What I ate:

Chicken Katsu Plate Lunch
Boneless and skinless chicken filet breaded with premium Japanese bread crumbs, fried, and chopped into smaller pieces. Served with our home-made sweet and tangy Katsu Sauce, with two scoops of white rice, and one scoop macaroni salad

Leilani's Cafe

Last date I was here: 03/20/2010

Restaurant: Leilani's Cafe

Location: San Diego, CA - Pacific Beach

Total Rating: 3.75
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 3, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 3

Summary: This local-hole-in-the-wall-mom-and-pop joint serves Hawaiian style food along with casual breakfast and lunch specials. Located in the residential area of Pacific Beach, Leilani's is a local favorite and hidden gem.

We were really craving plate lunch and after a full morning at the Wild Animal Park, Keith found this place online. We found it and were surprised by how small it was in size as well as menu options. Nonetheless, I ordered the "Da Kine" plate lunch and Keith got the beef. We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed the fresh air. It was not the best plate lunch I have had, but it was good enough to satisfy my craving. In all honesty though, I would recommend the chain L&L Drive-In to someone looking for authentic Hawaiian style grub.

What I ate:

Da Kine Hawaiian Plate

terriyaki chicken with white rice and macaroni salad

Plus Keith ate:

Beef Hawaiian Plate

bbq beef with white rice and macaroni salad

Aloha Specialties

Last date I was here: 03/01/2009

Restaurant: Aloha Specialties

Location: Las Vegas – California Hotel

Total Rating: 4.1
Food: 4, Price: 5, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 4

Summary: Aloha Specialties, located on the California Hotel & Casino's mezzanine, will satisfy your taste buds with its Island fare. With the umbrellas and wicker chairs lining the mezzanine outside the restaurant, Aloha Specialties transports its diners, at least for a short moment, to the islands. Step inside and its walls are lined with native art and the tables and chairs are covered with the "aloha" prints that you'd see in Hawaii. Featuring teriyaki plates, stews and curry specialties, combination plates and noodle dishes such as Chicken Tofu Saimin and of course, the popular "rice bowls".

We had an unexpected extra night in Las Vegas and headed downtown to Freemont Street. We stopped by this spot for dinner and I was so excited! Small menu but great cheap prices. I am happy we got a little island bite before returning home.

What I ate:

Saimin
Noodle soup w/ fried egg and pork

Plus Keith ate:

Fried Saimin
w/ char siu pork

Local Plate
Teriyaki chicken, beef, spam musubi
Served with white rice and macaroni salad