Local Food and Goods?

[emma'smom]

Ok..what are some specialty items that we shouldn't miss tasting, buying, etc---unique food, brands, etc?

 

[happymommy]

At Target we buy cans of fruit juices, Hawaiian Sun. Anything with guava like POG or strawberry guava or the lime one. My kids love them, and we can't get them here (it's so full of sugar but a treat).

Punaluu sweet bread - not sure if they have it at Target or Safeway. If you can find the taro or guava flavor, yum.

Sushi at Sushi Bay in Kapolei - delicious, cheap conveyor belt sushi. Go early, you'll be waiting for a seat! The spicy tuna is my favorite.

At the flea market (Aloha Stadium - Wed, Sat, and Sun only) pick up macadamia nuts and dried fruits cheap. Also get any tee shirts there, they're super cheap. Not the highest quality but good enough. Got my son a couple Aloha shirts there last time too, one turned out nice the other fell apart but for $10 no big deal.

Pineapples are like $3 at Costco. And they are good. Very good. I won't eat pineapple here in Maryland, since it has no flavor, but in Hawaii I buy a couple at least.

Of course there's shave ice with beans and condensed milk in Haleiwa.

 

[emma'smom]

This is awesome! thanks

 

[buffettgirl]

Go to any 7/11 and get a musubi. You have to do it.

Try poke (we had very good poke at Ama Ama, so if you're eating there, try it). And try sushi if you've never tried it before. The fish here is so fresh, it literally melts in your mouth. (pronounced Poh-kay)

I ditto getting macadamia nuts here. They taste very different from ones I've had on the mainland.

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Lenoards for malasadas yet. Yummy!

 

[buffettgirl]

Leonards sets up a truck in the parking lot across from the Waikele Outlets (near Kmart/Petco). It's dangerous, as Lowes is right there and recently dh has needed a lot of crap at lowes. Coincidence????

 

[cmph]

We came home with li hing powder, after realizing how much we like it on the pineapple offered at Makahiki; bought it in the Dole plantation shop, although I would guess it's found elsewhere. I was a little nervous it wouldn't get through airport security, but it did. We also apparently love anything with lilikoi, a Hawaiian passionfruit. Got macadamia nuts flavored with it. It was so good as one of the 3 flavors on shave ice, too! (That plus pineapple plus haupia, so so good.)

That POG guava juice blend is AMAZING with coconut vodka, if you like fruity mixed drinks. We bought a Hawaiian brand of coconut flavored vodka at Safeway. Oh my gosh. It's just like drinking the island.

 

[ihearthawaii]

Ok..what are some specialty items that we shouldn't miss tasting, buying, etc---unique food, brands, etc?

- 100% Kona Coffee
- Li Hing Mui powder (can get at ABC store)
- Shrimp trucks (I prefer Romy's)
- Malasadas
- shaved ice (I prefer Matsumotos they have a lot of exotic flavors)
- Poke
- Portuguese sausage
- Spam, eggs and rice for breakfast
- Spam Masubi
- Loco Moco
- coconut syrup (for pancakes)
- Hawaiian sea salt (to make Kalua pig at home)

That's all I can think of for now, enjoy!

 

[crystal1313]

That POG guava juice blend is AMAZING with coconut vodka, if you like fruity mixed drinks. We bought a Hawaiian brand of coconut flavored vodka at Safeway. Oh my gosh. It's just like drinking the island.

Ok, that is my new drink while there! Sounds AMAZING!!

 

[cmph]

Ok, that is my new drink while there! Sounds AMAZING!!

We came home and bought coconut vodka to extend the vacation!! Can't find that POG juice blend, had to make do with guava juice, and had to be a regular nation-wide brand of vodka. We couldn't find the coconut vodka across the street at Islands, only found it at Safeway. It was some Hawaiian brand I've never heard of, but we were like "it's local, we have to try it!" It was, i think $28? add the cost of the juice, and that's, well, the cost of 2 drinks at any of the Aulani bars. Yeah. Drinks are not cheap there!

 

[disneydork]

Ok..what are some specialty items that we shouldn't miss tasting, buying, etc---unique food, brands, etc?

POG juice! (Passionfruit, orange, and guava) Goes nicely with rum, too!

 

[PetePanMan]

There are some great poke places (raw fish mixed with different sauces). Even Costco has an excellent fresh poke selection.

 

[cgattis]

We came home with li hing powder, after realizing how much we like it on the pineapple offered at Makahiki; bought it in the Dole plantation shop, although I would guess it's found elsewhere. I was a little nervous it wouldn't get through airport security, but it did. We also apparently love anything with lilikoi, a Hawaiian passionfruit. Got macadamia nuts flavored with it. It was so good as one of the 3 flavors on shave ice, too! (That plus pineapple plus haupia, so so good.)

That POG guava juice blend is AMAZING with coconut vodka, if you like fruity mixed drinks. We bought a Hawaiian brand of coconut flavored vodka at Safeway. Oh my gosh. It's just like drinking the island.

Whoa...I read the rest of the thread before it really sunk in that you said coconut vodka and not rum.......oh YEAH!! I'm soooo doing this!!

 

[cmph]

Whoa...I read the rest of the thread before it really sunk in that you said coconut vodka and not rum.......oh YEAH!! I'm soooo doing this!!

Yes, it is SO good! DH hates rum, and we stood in the aisle discussing what else seemed "island-y". Then we suddenly saw it, and that was IT.

Not sure if I'm allowed to link to a liquor company web-site here? So I won't link to it, but it's Island Distillery's Hawaiian coconut vodka if you want to google the image so you know what you're looking for. Made in Honolulu, can't get more local than that! "filtered through volcanic rock" too. It's in a clear glass bottle with a hula dancer on it. Definitely NOT at Islands, and I don't know where else will have it, but we got it at Safeway.

 

[ihearthawaii]

Yes, it is SO good! DH hates rum, and we stood in the aisle discussing what else seemed "island-y". Then we suddenly saw it, and that was IT.

Not sure if I'm allowed to link to a liquor company web-site here? So I won't link to it, but it's Island Distillery's Hawaiian coconut vodka if you want to google the image so you know what you're looking for. Made in Honolulu, can't get more local than that! "filtered through volcanic rock" too. It's in a clear glass bottle with a hula dancer on it. Definitely NOT at Islands, and I don't know where else will have it, but we got it at Safeway.

Skinny Girl makes a coconut vodka we mixed it into a large beverage dispenser with Hawaiian Punch, Sprite, some sliced oranges and strawberries for a recent home luau we hosted, it was a huge hit!

 

[cgattis]

Skinny Girl makes a coconut vodka we mixed it into a large beverage dispenser with Hawaiian Punch, Sprite, some sliced oranges and strawberries for a recent home luau we hosted, it was a huge hit!

There are no letters for the sound I am making.... Yum!!!!!!

 

[NancyDVC]

Thanks for all the suggestions. We will be there in October. I want to try everything. We don't really drink so the coconut vodka may not be on our list. And since nearly half the folks in my town are Portuguese I know that I can get Portuguese sausage at home so that may not be on my list either. I have seen reports that the number of flavors of Spam in local stores is insane. That maybe something that I have to try!

 

[crystal1313]

I really want to try loco moco. I am normally not a huge gravy fan, but it sounds interesting and I want to try it!