Food has a funny way of becoming one of the strongest memories of a trip. Long after you have forgotten the day’s schedule, a certain flavor can bring back the beach you were sitting on, the little town you stopped in, or simply how good that afternoon felt. And, of course, a trip is always more enjoyable when you eat well.
Do not expect every dish here to be something you have never seen before. What makes the islands interesting is the way Native Hawaiian traditions have blended over generations with Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, American, and other influences. Somewhere along the way, those cultures created a food scene that feels distinctly Hawaiian.
There is much more to dining in Hawaii than the foods on this list. You will find cuisines from around the world, along with elegant restaurants and serious fine dining. But that is not what we are looking for today. This time, we are keeping things casual; small, familiar local favorites that are easy to come across while you are traveling and that locals have enjoyed for years.
So, what should you actually try while you are here?
1. Poke; This Is an Island, After All
Hawaii is a chain of islands, so it makes sense that fresh fish became one of the foods these kitchens do especially well.
Poke is the obvious place to start. Ahi tuna is cut into cubes and seasoned in countless ways, from simple shoyu poke to spicy ahi. You will also find salmon, tako, and plenty of other variations.
And do not assume you need a fancy restaurant. Some very good poke comes from neighborhood markets and supermarket counters. Choose one or two varieties, add rice, and you have a perfectly good island lunch.
2. Loco Moco; Hawaii Comfort Food
Rice, a hamburger patty, a fried egg, and plenty of brown gravy. Written down, the combination sounds a little odd. On the plate, somehow, it works.
Born in Hawaii, loco moco has become one of the islands’ best-known comfort foods. You will see it at old-school local diners, casual restaurants, and quite often on hotel breakfast and brunch menus as well.
Every kitchen seems to have its own version, especially when it comes to the patty and gravy. If loco moco appears on the menu during your trip, try it at least once.
3. Kalua Pig; The Signature Dish of Traditional Hawaiian Cooking
If you are going to try one traditional Hawaiian dish, kalua pig is hard to leave out. The pork is cooked slowly for hours until it pulls apart, and traditionally it was done in an imu, an underground oven. What comes out is a gentle smokiness with a flavor that is salty and yet clean, and a dish far simpler than you might expect.
One of the easiest ways for a visitor to experience kalua pig is a luau. At a luau with dinner you can taste it alongside other traditional Hawaiian foods such as laulau, lomi salmon, and poi, while also taking in the music, the dance, and the Polynesian performances.
Poi may feel unfamiliar on the first bite, and it may not become everyone’s favorite. Try a little anyway. Not every food you taste while traveling has to become your new favorite. Sometimes tasting something that has been part of a place for generations is reason enough.
4. Plate Lunch; The Everyday Local Meal
Two scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and a generous main dish. That is the basic language of a Hawaii plate lunch.
Chicken katsu, teriyaki beef, kalbi, garlic chicken; the choices go on. It is not elegant, and it is not meant to be. This is filling, practical local food with deep roots in Hawaii’s multicultural plantation history.
If you are driving around the island and notice a small takeout place with a steady stream of locals going in and out, give it a try. A plate lunch from a paper box at a picnic table can sometimes be more memorable than the restaurant you planned weeks in advance.
5. Garlic Shrimp; From Food Truck to Restaurant Table
Drive around Oahu and sooner or later you will notice the shrimp trucks. On the North Shore especially, garlic shrimp has become almost as much a part of the drive as the beaches themselves.
The idea is simple: shrimp, plenty of garlic and butter, and rice to catch the sauce. It is messy, rich, and very easy to keep eating.
But garlic shrimp is not limited to food trucks anymore. Like loco moco, it has become such a familiar Hawaii menu item that you will find versions of it in plenty of regular restaurants too. Still, eating it outdoors at a North Shore shrimp truck has a charm of its own.
6. Spam Musubi; Simple, Portable, and Very Hawaii
A slice of Spam over rice, wrapped with nori. That is basically it.
In Hawaii, though, Spam musubi is everywhere: convenience stores, supermarkets, snack counters, golf courses, and local kitchens. It is easy to grab before the beach or take along on a drive around the island.
Japanese rice-and-nori traditions meeting unmistakably American Spam may sound like an unusual combination, but that mix of cultures is exactly what makes it feel so Hawaii.
7. Saimin; It Looks Like Ramen, but It Is Not
Saimin may remind you of Japanese ramen at first glance, but it grew out of Hawaii’s plantation-era mix of cultures and developed into something distinctly local.
The broth is generally lighter and the bowl fairly simple, often with noodles, char siu, fish cake, and green onion. It is not trying to compete with today’s elaborate ramen bowls.
After a few days of steaks, burgers, and fried food, a warm bowl of saimin at an old local restaurant can be exactly what you want.
8. Malasada; Eat It While It Is Warm
Malasadas arrived with Portuguese immigrants and somehow became one of Hawaii’s most beloved treats.
Think of a light, fried Portuguese-style doughnut rolled in sugar. Today you will also find versions filled with custard, chocolate, haupia, and other flavors.
There is really only one rule: if it has just been fried, eat it now. A warm malasada straight from the paper bag with a cup of coffee is hard to improve upon.
9. Shave Ice; Made for a Hot Hawaii Afternoon
Finely shaved ice, colorful syrups, and, if you want to go all in, ice cream, azuki beans, mochi, or other extras.
Versions of shaved-ice desserts exist all over the world, but after a long day under the Hawaiian sun, shave ice feels particularly right.
If you are spending the day on the North Shore, garlic shrimp for lunch followed by shave ice is about as classic a Hawaii road-trip combination as you can get.
10. Coconut Haupia Cake; Finish on a Sweet, Hawaiian Note
If we are talking about Hawaii food, we should probably save room for one proper local dessert.
Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian coconut-milk dessert, originally closer in texture to a soft pudding or firm coconut jelly. Over time, that familiar coconut flavor has found its way into cakes, pies, creams, and all kinds of modern desserts.
Coconut haupia cake is one of the easiest versions for visitors to find and enjoy. Soft cake and coconut-flavored cream make it rich enough to feel like dessert without being overly heavy, especially with a cup of coffee.
If a malasada is the kind of Hawaii treat you eat warm from a paper bag while you are out exploring, coconut haupia cake is the one to enjoy a little more slowly at a bakery or café.
Hawaii Dining Is Not All Casual
After reading this list, you might get the impression that Hawaii is all poke bowls, food trucks, and casual local plates. It is not.
The islands also have excellent fine dining, elegant hotel restaurants, steakhouses, chef-driven tasting menus, and sophisticated seafood restaurants. In Waikiki especially, dressing up for dinner, watching the sunset over the ocean, and letting the meal become the evening can be one of the highlights of a trip.
But that is another side of Hawaii dining. For this list, we wanted to stay with the everyday flavors; the foods that are easy to encounter and worth experiencing at least once.
Buy poke from a market and take it to the beach. Stop for garlic shrimp while exploring the North Shore. Pick up a warm malasada when you see one. Order loco moco one morning simply because you are in Hawaii.
A memorable meal does not always have to be expensive or elaborate. Years later, the food you remember may be the poke you ate by the ocean, the garlic shrimp that left butter on your fingers, or the malasada you pulled from a warm paper bag.
Travel is not only about what you see. When you come to Hawaii, remember to taste it too.
