Island Eats: Oahu, HI

Aside from the giant waves and beautiful weather, Hawaii is also known for it's tremendous diversity and quality of food. Our first stop was the island of Oahu, probably most famous for sites like Honolulu, Waikiki Beach, and Pearl Harbor.

We landed midday after a 10 hr flight, and jet lag was definitely creeping up on me. Our first stop was Marukame Udon in Waikiki, a casual Japanese spot specializing in noodles. The doors and windows were wide open, which gave eaters a chance to soak in the island vibes. I was put off guard by the fast-pace counter ordering service, and after placing my order, I was met with a plethora of Japanese small dishes, like musubi and tempura.

I ordered the kamaage udon, which only cost me $3.75! Simply boiled udon noodles were served alongside a delicious dipping broth, which had a slightly smokey soy flavor. Tempura cracklings and green onion added a bit of texture as well.

The next day, we ventured out on the Diamond Head Crater Trail (highly recommended btw) located east of Honolulu and Waikiki. After our hike, we stopped at the Dole food truck and sipped on a pineapple smoothie. It comes straight from the Dole plantation in Wahiawa, where they grow all sorts of tropical produce -- from pineapples to bananas to cacao.

The touristy Tikis Grill and Bar located in the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel had a lovely festive and tropical feel. The truffled garlic edamame was standout! Steamed edamame was tossed with togarashi pepper, white truffle, beurre blanc, Hawaiian alae salt, and fried garlic, and topped with a soy glaze. It was packed full of flavors, from the sweet-savory combo of the soy glaze to the umami of the garlic and truffle.

The BBQ pulled park sandwich was made with a purple taro bun -- something that I had never seen before!

We checked out Mike's Huli Chicken on the North Shore, which was actually seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The huli chicken had a wonderful smokey flavor, and paired nicely with the sweet "chix sauce."

Last but not least was shaved ice! Underneath Waikiki lies the Yokocho Grommet Alley, a Japanese food court serving up lots of noodles, sushi, and small eats. I went with the matcha shaved ice from Nana's Green Tea, a modern-day Japanese tea house. They also had desserts like soft serve and parfaits.

If we're being honest, I was nervous about how the matcha flavor would come through. But to my surprise, the ice was not only soaked in flavor, but it was slightly creamy! I would highly recommend this as a refreshing end to a meal.