Everything I Ate and Drank in Hawai’i This Week (as a Local)

If you’ve been here for a while or know us in real life, then you know that I was born and raised on the island of O’ahu in Hawai‘i. It’s also where Woodrow and I met and started our life of travel and adventure. Although we’ve been living away from the islands for some years now, we still try to visit once a year.

Aside from being able to spend time with my family and friends, one of my favorite things to do when I’m back home is eat! This includes all my favorites I grew up enjoying, as well as new things I’ve been seeing on social media and craving!

I’ve compiled a list of all my favorite places I visited, including cute coffee spots, fun cafes, and local favorites. Let me know if you’ve ever been to any of them or which one of them you’d like to try! Continue reading to see what I ate in Hawai‘i this week!

Coffee Spots

This week, I spent many days trying new places to load up on caffeine. I only had a limited amount of time – I had to make sure I had enough energy to power through long days with little sleep. This list is 90 percent new places with a couple of long-time favorites thrown in.

Coffee Cruiser

Address: Laulani Community Park, Ko’ana Street, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

Coffee Cruiser is Oahu’s cutest mobile coffee truck, operating out of a brightly-colored vintage VW Bus. This coffee truck features a long list of specialty lattes, iced teas, and matcha. They support other local small businesses by selling their sweet treats, including pan dulce and banana bread.

I had the banana bread latte and it was so yummy! Coffee Cruiser has a seasonal menu that is changed monthly as well as coffee classics like cold brew, Americano, and mocha.

Island Vintage Coffee & Wine Bar

Address: Kapolei Commons, 4450 Kapolei Pkwy Building D, Kapolei, HI 96707

One coffee stop I absolutely have to make everytime I’m in Hawai‘i is Island Vintage. I was sooo sad when they closed their Ko Olina location, but so happy that they’re now located in Kapolei Commons with an even bigger and better menu! You can find locations throughout O‘ahu, but the locations in Waikiki and Haleiwa are usually super crowded, so be prepared to stand in line.

I love Island Vintage so much that I actually went twice in the span of three days. The first time I got my usual – a lilikoi (passionfruit) acai bowl and a banana Kona mocha. If you love a blended coffee, you absolutely have to try this one! It has been my go-to for over 10 years. The second time, I had a whole meal, which I’ve never done before. I got the island-style plate, which comes with Portugese sausage, eggs, rice, a salad, and papaya. It’s a huge portion and definitely worth the price!

DEVOS Hawaii

Address: Ewa Beach, HI 96706

I hadn’t heard of DEVOS Hawaii before getting to Hawaii but I’m so glad my best friend recommended it! This faith-based at-home matcha and hojicha spot pours into your cup physically and spiritually. To order, you must place your order three days in advance through Instagram (@devoshawaii).

My best friend and I both got the (off-menu) strawberry matcha latte topped with cinnamon toast crunch cold foam. It was awesome! Cherylene, the owner, makes the strawberry syrup from scratch and pours your drink fresh upon your arrival. All drinks are dairy-free and made with oat milk. I’m usually not a dairy-free fan, but I couldn’t even tell!

Aloha Brew Coffee Bar

Address: Geiger Park, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

If you’ve lived or been in Ewa Beach anytime in the past (almost) 10 years, you’ve likely seen this coffee truck parked at Geiger Park almost everyday. This is one of the first coffee trucks I recall seeing in Hawai‘i, and I still think it’s one of the best!

I had to go with the afakasi, which was my go-to last time I lived here. It’s a latte with brown sugar and white chocolate – so yummy! My friend got the cookie butter latte, which looked super amazing and creamy! 

Breakfast

I love that Hawai‘i has no shortage of new and unique breakfast eateries to try. Local breakfast flavors are unbeatable – from savory Portuguese sausage to sweet lilikoi and everything in between.

Kokohead Cafe

Address: 1120 12th Ave #100, Honolulu, HI 96816

Kokohead Cafe is located in the heart of Honolulu’s lively Kaimuki neighborhood. It’s a cozy spot that serves up a fusion of local and asian breakfast flavors. I went with the simple local breakfast: Portuguese sausage, scrambled eggs, and rice. But soooo many things on the menu sounded good! We’ll definitely have to visit again next time we’re on Oahu.

Royal Hawaiian Bakery

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Address: 2259 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

The Royal Hawaiian Bakery is located near the lobby of the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. During college, Woodrow actually worked here as an intern and later as a guest services assistant manager, so it’s always lovely and nostalgic to come back for a visit.

We got three different pastries: a banana macadamia nut muffin, a blueberry danish, and a guava sweet bread. The guava sweet bread was our favorite! Each pastry was absolutely delicious! The Royal Hawaiian is also known for its banana macadamia nut muffins, so I highly recommend that one as well.

Lunch & Dinner

Foodland (Poke)

There’s nothing I crave more when I’m away from home than the California roll poke from Foodland. Poke originated in Hawai‘i, and while there are tons of great poke spots around the islands, Foodland is just an absolute classic. If you’re not from the islands, it’s a local grocery store that features a poke counter with a variety of delicious flavors.

My favorite poke from Foodland has to be the California roll, but I also love the shoyu, oyster sauce, and chili crunch. If you want even more variety of local favorites beyond poke, I recommend checking out a Foodland Farms, which can be found throughout the islands.

Hali’a by Side Street Inn

Address: 91-1621 Keoneula Blvd, Ewa Beach, HI 96706

Side Street Inn has been a favorite of Hawaii locals for generations. I was so excited to hear that they opened a location on the west side of O‘ahu right in time for our visit! We had a reservation for dinner time with a couple of our friends. I love Wai Kai (the new location) because it feels like a resort without having to deal with the traffic of going to Waikiki or Ko Olina.

Like the original Side Street Inn location, everything at Hali‘a is served family style. We ordered the Farmer’s Salad, shoyu ahi poke, garlic fries (an absolute must IMO), and Side Street Inn’s famous pan-fried pork chops. Everything was AMAZING and the portions were huge!

Gina’s Kapolei

Address: 4850 Kapolei Pkwy suite #305, Kapolei, HI 96707

This place was a new one for me! I love Korean food and one thing I missed while we were living in France is having easy access to delicious and affordable Korean food. I also found out that one of my favorite “Korean” dishes (meat jun) only exists in Hawai‘i!

My parents actually discovered this place after watching one of their favorite YouTubers. The portions are HUGE (the minis were the size of regular plate lunches anywhere else), the owners are super nice, and everything was so yummy! I went with my favorites: meat jun, kim chee cucumbers, and shoyu potatoes.

Jackie’s Diner

Address: 98-020 Kamehameha Hwy #8A, Aiea, HI 96701

Jackie’s Diner is a little “hole in the wall” type place that I’ve been going to with my parents since I was a little kid. They serve up a ton of nostalgic local favorites, including Hawaiian food, pasteles, and now even poke. They recently revamped their menu, and I think it’s better than ever!

I usually like to get the pastele plate when I’m here, but the poke bowl was just too good to pass up. I got spicy ahi and white rice topped with edamame (soy beans), cucumber kimchi, and luau (taro leaf) coconut mix. Sooooo good! 

Honorable Mentions (places we didn’t get to on this visit)

Sunrise Shack

If you’re looking for the best smoothie bowls on Oahu, my #1 recommendation is Sunrise Shack! What started as a small shack (literally) on the North Shore quickly expanded to all over the island! Literally every location is fantastic.

My go-to has to be the monkey bowl. It’s a mix of peanut butter, chocolate, and banana and absolutely delicious. I have no idea how they get the texture of the bowl to come out so smooth, but it’s seriously the best. I also love their mac nut bullet coffee and the blue dream smoothie, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. I’m seriously so sad we couldn’t fit Sunrise Shack in on this trip.

Leonard’s Bakery

Address: 933 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu, HI 96816

Leonard’s is another stop that I’m absolutely devastated we didn’t make this time. While Leonard’s sells a variety of pastries and baked goods, they are most well-known for their famous malasadas. 

A malasada is a Portuguese fried donut that is rolled in sugar. Malasadas from Leonard’s can come plain or with fillings like chocolate, haupia (coconut), and custard. The chocolate-filled ones are my fave!

Moku Kitchen

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Address: 660 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813

Back when Woodrow and I were in college, one of our favorite places to eat was Moku Kitchen, specifically during happy hour. We continued that tradition well past graduation and it’s still one of our favorite places to eat on O‘ahu!

I would describe the flavors of this restaurant as an upscale fusion of local and American flavors. You would never catch me ordering a “Hawaiian” pizza with ham and pineapple – unless it’s Moku Kitchen’s kalua pork & pineapple pizza. Other food favorites include the stir-fry green beans, squash ravioli, and garlic truffle fries. And if you drink, you MUST try the monkeypod mai tai topped with a honey-lilikoi foam. SO good! 

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