Give me a sunny, sandy Christmas over a frigid, white one any day. This year, Justin and I traveled to the land where Christmas is green and bright to celebrate the holidays with my family. For a week, we sunned on pristine beaches, ate our way across the island, and recharged, leaving behind all thoughts of work and stress. These trips never feel quite long enough, but we successfully crossed a host of things off our to-eat and to-do lists.
Flying into Honolulu
The Eats
Dinner on the Beach
As soon as I step off the plane at HNL, the urge strikes– a desperate need to hit the beach and feel the sand under my feet immediately. To satisfy this craving (as well as the one in my stomach), we got some Zip Pacs from Zippy’s and headed west to catch the sunset.
This sunset viewing marked the first time I ever saw the Green Flash, a mere seconds-long optical phenomena in which a bright green light is visible just as the sun is setting (Justin was more focused on his dinner and missed it). The evening was a beautiful way to kick off the trip.
JW Marriott Ihilani Resort
Nothing screams “tourist” like a slice of pineapple and an orchid in your drink, but even this island native likes to indulge in a little kitsch sometimes. Plus, who can deny the sheer bliss of sipping a Lava Flow in the sun with this view?
Liliha Bakery
Simply stated,
Liliha Bakery’s coco puffs are like crack. At first glance, the coco puff seems simple; it’s a buttery puff pastry filled with silky, creamy chocolate and topped with a swirl of ever-so-slightly salty chantilly. The result, however, is positively addicting. There’s a reason that Liliha Bakery, a local institution since 1950, sells between 4,800 and 7,200 of these bad boys every day, and I was happy to contribute to that tally during our visit.
Leonard’s Bakery
A trip to Hawaii would be incomplete without a stop at
Leonard’s Bakery for a malasada. Open since 1952, Leonard’s is the go-to spot for airy Portuguese malasadas, which are deep-fried balls of dough rolled in sugar and cinnamon. The O.G. location on Kapahulu Avenue as well as the “MalasadaMobile” also serve up filled versions of the confection piped with custards in flavors like chocolate,
haupia (coconut) and mango.
On this stop, we ordered up a half dozen of the cinnamon sugar variety.
Ted’s Bakery
We began our day on the North Shore by scoping out the surf at Pipeline, a spot famed for its huge waves breaking in dangerously shallow waters and its sharp reef. From behind the signs warning beach-goers of the strong waves and rip currents, we watched surfers brave the swells and cheered with fellow onlookers after successful rides and winced when someone ate it.
We then headed up the road to refuel at
Ted’s Bakery, a Sunset Beach institution since 1987.
Ted’s offers its decadent and silky cream pies by the slice, and we selected Pumpkin Haupia, Chocolate Macadamia Nut and Chocolate Haupia (L to R). I was hoping for a slice of Strawberry Guava or Liliko’i Cheese, but my Chocolate Macadamia Nut still hit the spot.
Lunchbox by Pili Group
Chef Mark Noguchi aka “Gooch” (formerly of the
He’eia Pier General Store and Deli, which he revamped and transformed into destination dining) is a leader in Hawaii’s movement for sustainable food and an advocate for empowering the community through food, a mission carried out by his organization the
Pili Group. Since Gooch splits his time between different kitchens, I reached out to him on Twitter to see where I could find him during my visit. He not only replied but also gave me his personal phone number to get in touch. Now that’s aloha. We paid him a visit at Lunchbox, a new endeavor operating out of the Hawaiian Airlines Headquarters that serves affordable, locally-sourced meals to staff.
This Kulana Beef Burger with “Muffler Sauce” to which I added American cheese and a fried egg was a squishy, messy delight.
Justin was a happy camper with his hefty, rich Opah Belly Sandwich.
Gooch also sent out the Saimin Carbonara I’d been eyeing, a local spin on carbonara featuring chewy saimin noodles with parmesan, bacon and locally sourced long beans and eggs. I felt downright gluttonous digging into this rich dish, and I loved every second of it.
We closed out the meal with Gooch’s take on French toast. Pillowy triangles of sweet bread were topped with bacon and freshly torn basil and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and a dollop of custard. A cup of maple bacon gelato took this decadent dish to another level.
MW Restaurant
Once of the hottest reservations in Honolulu right now is the new
MW Restaurant, a venture from a husband-wife team of Alan Wong alums (he the former chef de cuisine, and she the former pastry chef). That pedigree coupled with fairly reasonable prices catapulted MW to the top of our to-eat list.
Among the highlights of the meal was the Lilikoi Duo (stay tuned for the full post), a double dessert of a Lilikoi Mojito and a deconstructed “Lilikoi Mimosa” consisting of champagne sorbet topped with lilikoi gelee and finished with an icy lilikoi granita. Boozy, fruity goodness.
After dinner, we headed to Waikiki to tour the Christmas lights of the hotels. We were particularly taken by this colorful display at the
Royal Hawaiian Hotel.
Side Street Inn
Sitting in an less-than-glamorous area near Ala Moana Shopping center, surrounded by dive bars and strip clubs is
Side Street Inn, a hole-in-the-wall local favorite. Don’t let the rundown facade or tacky neon signs fool you; Hawaii’s premier chefs have long visited Side Street after closing up their own kitchens for the night, and even Anthony Bourdain was impressed by the food on his Hawaii episode of
No Reservations. Dinner here is a tradition of every visit home.
We mixed up our usual order by sampling the Lilikoi Baby Back Ribs, which were tender and charbroiled to perfection with a subtle, sweet passion fruit essence.
The signature Pan-Fried Island Pork Chops were on-point on this night, tender and fried to a golden brown.
A Hawaiian meal is incomplete without rice, and this flavorful mountain of “Sidestreet Works” Fried Rice dotted with kimchi, egg, peas, cabbage and lup cheong (sweet Chinese sausage) satisfied our hankering for starchy goodness.
Bevy
The once sleepy industrial area of Kaka’ako is now booming, with lots of hip shops, restaurants and bars popping up and starting to define it. One of these new spots is
Bevy, a bar dedicated to hand-crafted cocktails (a movement still pretty new to the island) in an exposed Edison bulb-lit and unfinished wood and concrete-filled space more reminiscent of downtown LA or New York than Honolulu. Intrigued, Justin and I popped in to try their mixology-inspired takes of the Mai Tai. My “Mai Thai” with falernum, lemongrass, lime, aged rum, house Curacao and candied ginger foam was sweet, herbaceous and so good that I ordered another. Justin’s “Dueling Mai Tai” combined two recipes that claim to be the original mai tai and served them in the same glass. The bottom layer combined aged Jamaican rum, fresh lime juice, house Curacao and house orgeat while the top featured Pernod, bitters and a froth of falernum. Result: potent and delicious.
The sights
“There’s no place like home for the holidays” when home means this is your Christmas– soaking up the sun on Makaha Beach.
More Christmas beach time
Clouds dot the mountains near Kualoa Ranch on the windward coast.
A view of Mokoli’i Island, which is better known as Chinaman’s Hat
A parting view of Honolulu and Waikiki
A hui ho, Hawaii! Until next time.
Zippy’s
Various locations
JW Marriott Ihilani Resort and Spa
92-1001 Olani St.
Kapolei, HI 96707
(808) 679-0079
Liliha Bakery
515 N. Kuakini St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
(808) 531-1651
Leonard’s Bakery
933 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-5591
Ted’s Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Hwy.
Haleiwa, HI 96712
(808) 638-8207
Lunchbox by Pili Group
MW Restaurant
1538 Kapiolani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 955-6505
Side Street Inn
614 Kapahulu Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815
(808) 739-3939
Bevy
661 Auahi St.
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 594-7445
Noms Not Bombs 