Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
or
Pahu i'a
(
&
808/325-8000
) at
the Hualalai Four Seasons Resort.
It helps that both restaurants can
hold your attention by their food
alone without that distracting
ocean view. See p. 178 and 177.
On Kauai,
The Beach House
(
&
808/742-1424
), which sits
right on a promontory with a
180-degree ocean view, also serves
excellent cuisine. See p. 362.
•
Best Decor:
The favorite decor
from a kid's point of view has to
be at
Sam Choy's Breakfast,
Lunch Crab & Big Aloha Brew-
ery
(
&
808/545-7979
), where an
all-wood sampan (the centerpiece
of the 11,000-sq.-ft. restaurant)
commands attention. The kids
can wash their hands in an over-
size wok at the center of the room.
Plus a 2,000-gallon live-crab tank
lines the open kitchen with an
assortment of crabs in season. See
p. 103.
•
Best if You Have a Sitter:
The
romantic, elegant dining room at
La Mer
(
&
808/923-2311
) in
Waikiki's Halekulani is the only
AAA Five-Diamond restaurant in
the state. See p. 93. Also on Oahu,
another great “date-night” ren-
dezvous is
Chef Mavro Restau-
rant
(
&
808/944-4714
), where
wine pairings perfectly match
the elegant cuisine of (James
Beard-award-winner) chef George
Mavrothalassitis. See p. 103. It's
worth a drive to the North Shore
for the romantic atmosphere and
first-rate food of
21 Degrees
North
(
&
800/203-3650
), in the
Turtle Bay Resort. See p. 109. On
Maui, I'd suggest
Vino
(
&
808/
661-VINO
), serving the best Ital-
ian food on Maui at an exquisite
location overlooking the rolling
hills of the Kapalua Golf Course.
It is run by the team of D. K.
Kodama, chef and owner of Sansei
Seafood Restaurants and Sushi
Bar (p. 264); and master somme-
lier Chuck Furuya. See p. 264. On
Kauai, book
Dondero's
(
&
808/
742-1234
) in the Kauai Hyatt
Regency before you leave home to
insure a starlight table overlooking
the ocean. See p. 363.
•
Best Burgers:
The winners of this
highly competitive category are
the juicy burgers at Oahu's
Kua
Aina
(
&
808/591-9133
); and
Lahaina's
Cheeseburger in Para-
dise
(
&
808/661-4855
) on Maui.
See p. 101 and 261. On Kauai,
it's a tie between
Bubba Burgers
(
&
808/823-0069
) and
Duane's
Ono-Char Burger
(
&
808/822-
9181
). See p. 367 and 368.
•
Best Outdoor Setting:
You can't
beat the beachside location under
the spreading tree at the
Hau Tree
Lanai
(
&
808/921-7066
), at the
New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel
on the outskirts of Waikiki. See
p. 94. On Kauai, the lush garden
setting in the Poipu Resort area
at
Plantation Gardens
(
&
808/
742-2216
) beckons even the most
jaded (seen-it-all) teenager. See
p. 363.
•
Best Breakfast:
In Waikiki, there's
no question that the winner is the
quirky, late-night and morning
eatery
Eggs 'n Things
(
&
808/
949-0820
), with huge, huge
breakfasts and never-ending coffee
refills. See p. 96. On the Big
Island, the
Coffee Shack
(
&
808/
328-9555
) overlooking Kealake-
kua Bay and coffee fields, is the
place for the most
ono
(delicious)
breakfast. See p. 8.
•
Best Brunch:
Not only a winner
in terms of best food, best display
of food, and best variety of food,
but also the winner of great views
at brunch (Waikiki Beach) and
best brunch decor is
Orchids
(
&
808/923-2311
) at the very
plush Halekulani. See p. 95.
