On Wednesdays, Washington Post Food Critic Tom Sietsema conducts live online discussions. I recently ran across a transcript of one that took place back in May this year in which a couple of participants made some reasonably sound restaurant recommendations for folks visiting Kauai -
Tom, Last week a reader wrote in to your discussion asking for some restaurant recommendeds on Kauai.... My husband and I head to Kauai as often as we can.... Here are the places we would recommend.Some of this information is a little bit dated. For instance, Kauai Pasta (which is my favorite restaurant in Lihue, by the way) now serves beer and wine. They have an extensive by-the-bottle wine list and a nice by-the-glass list of, I don't know, seven or eight offerings. My wife, the Chard drinker, isn't terribly fond of their current by-the-glass Chardonnay, but that's okay because she loooooves the Armani Pinot Grigio. They offer a Four Vines Zin that I think is yummy and a Red Diamond Merlot that unfortunately does nothing for me. From the Old Country they have Masi Valpolicella (that, interestingly, is not aged in oak but in small cherry wood barrels).
Top of the list is Postcards Cafe in Hanalei for dinner. They do excellent seafood and vegetarian entrees in a cozy garden cottage. A close second is the Beach House in Poipu. Usually restaurants with a view like the Beach House's are weak on the food, but here, the food is nearly as great as the oceanside setting.
On the more casual side, go for fresh fish tacos at Tropical Taco in Hanalei or the Ono-Char Burger stand on the ocean side of Kuhio Highway near Anahola. Just a block from Tropical Taco is Wishing Well Shave Ice -- the best shave ice on the island.
When we're tired of seafood for dinner, we head to Kauai Pasta (we go to the location in Kapaa but they just opened one in Lihue). Really great casual italian (yes, great pasta in Hawaii). Head's up: it's BYOB and very popular with the locals so it can get crowded.
(Delicious lobster ravioli with saffron at Kauai Pasta; Gino prepares to cellar the bottles on the exciting first night diners can order wine with dinner)
I have it on good authority that they plan to start wine parings - that is, paring some different wines with the different courses in a multi-course dinner. I think they'll do a nice job with that and I'm looking forward to trying it. (Elsewhere on the island, Hukilau Lanai currently offers wine paring dinners. I haven't done one yet, but one of these days we will get around to it).
Shamefully, I have not yet tried The Beach House. My wife has and she says it is very good. I have, however, witnessed many sunsets from the beach there and they are gorgeous. It is quite a spectacle for diners and folks in the bar.
(Sunset at the Beach House)For vegetarian (vegan, actually) fare, I recommend Blossoming Lotus in Kapaa. I'm not a vegetarian and I don't search out food based on whether it is vegetarian, but if food is both vegetarian and delicious then I'm all for it. Blossoming Lotus does really great things with spices and textures and there is a lot of variety in their menu. The food stands on its own merits and I recommend it (twice in one paragraph, in fact). Also, I understand they are opening a wine store next door to their restaurant. Interesting. We'll be following up on that.
Finally, back to the online discussion that got this ball rolling, a participant offered this handful of recommendations, none of which I'll quibble with.
Last week, a poster asked for dining suggestions in Kaua'i and Hawai'i. Here are a few ideas:This should not be taken as an exhaustive list of great dining opportunities on Kauai. If you have have favorites, please, let me know. I'm always on the prowl for good food and drink.
Duke's Kauai Restaurant, Lihue on Kalapaki Beach - Modern Hawaiian (fish and steaks)
Hamura Saimin Stand, Lihue - THE place to go for Saimin (Hawaiian version of ramen noodles)
Duane's Ono Charburgers, Anahola - burgers
Coconuts, Kapaa - American
Update: Be sure to check Andy's picks in the comments below. He is right on the money.
9 comments:
When I stop to think about it, there are tons of restaurants worth mentioning. At the intersection of Halelilio and Kuhio highway, near the Shell gas station in Wailua, you'll find:
Cafe Coco, basic asian fusion (not snobby) done well, with a few old world favorites (mushrooms on pasta), in a nice garden setting (or inside old plantation cottage). Live music many nights, BYOB, closed Monday. Bonus Hawaiiana shopping at Bambulei next door.
Across the street is Kintaro's, a local favorite for sushi and Japanese food (yakitori, sukiyaki, etc.) in a nice decor. I don't know if they have the best sushi on the island, but it sure is good--definitely try the Hanalei roll. This place is packed with locals, so expect a 30-60 min wait without reservations, but you can also use that time to try Japanese beers and sake.
Mema's has the best Thai on the island in a nice decor. Monico's inside the kinipopo shopping plaza has good Mexican, but I don't know if it's best because there are some new places that I haven't tried. I would recommend both of these more to locals who crave ethnic food than to visitors who have lots of Mexian and Thai choices back home.
On this topic, the one ethnic restaurant that's really lacking on Kauai is Indian food. Let everyone know if you ever find some.
There's also a Korean BBQ and a Chinese restaurant nearby that I haven't tried, and a Phillipino lunch bar in a convenience store if you want to try something really different. I tried it, and it's not fine dining, but it is some good, hearty home cooking from a culture that's exotic to me.
Right on, Andy. I completely agree. If my post wasn't already unwieldy-long I would just bump your comment up into the main post. But I did put an update telling readers to check it out.
And true on the Indian cuisine (or lack thereof). It is one of our favorites in my family and we miss it.
BTW, do you recall the humping rhinos wood carving they had in Memas? I bought it a few months ago. Haha. Too much wine that night.
One of the best on-line as well as printed magazines on the island of Kauai is the Kauai Menu Magazine, although not definitive it is the premier Dining, Art, Shopping, Activities, Entertainment, Accommodations and Travel guide.
www.kauaimenu.com , always a great resource!
Charley, I saw your article about the rhinos, but I don't recall seeing it in the restaurant. I must've been in there before you bought it, but somehow, all I remember are the tall buddhas, the large koi, and those huge wooden benches. You need to update that post with a picture :-)
And yeah, restaurant reviews/recommendations can go on forever, which is one reason I leave that to the tourist guidebooks. All the ones I mention are in a 100-yard radius near that intersection, which is a mile from my house. So these are the ones I go to the most. And I didn't even mention the Wailua Family Restaurant on the corner, since we never go in there I kinda don't see it anymore. People still call it the Sizzler, because that's what it used to be, and I don't think they've changed much.
Visiting for the Carnival of Aloha. I'll keep this post handy so I'll know where to eat when I finally make it to Kauai!
So, does lobster ravioli actually have lobster in the ravioli or just served on the side? I smiled when I read your recommendation about the Mexican and Thai food places being more geared for the local palate. We have Chinese restaurants here that are the same way, intentionally. One owner said to me that they have to listen and know what people want and they serve their food to match what their customers like. Good strategy. They're always busy. :)
Hi Evelyn, Hey thanks for the carnival. It's great. I'm looking forward to future ones.
Yes, the ravioli contains lobster. Mmmmmmmm. Rich sauces at Kauai Pasta too.
I think that there are two restaurants that belong on this list! (Sorry if they are mentioned somewhere and I overlooked them!)
Breakfast:
Gaylord's
At Gaylord's, customers are greeted and presented at the entrance with fresh flower leis. Breakfast is served buffet style. All you can eat on the cheap! It's enough to keep you going all day! The menu includes:
Fresh Sliced Fruits
Housemade Baked Goodies and Cinnamon Rolls
Hawaiian Sweet Bread French Toast
Gaylord’s Breakfast Potatoes
Bacon and Portuguese Sausage
Scrambled Eggs
Kauai Coffee & Tropical Fruit Juice
Lunch:
Puka Dogs
Hawaiian style hot dogs! Puka boasts a menu of delicious relishes... try the mango or papaya! Choose your dog, secret sauce, and you're good to go! Try to eat only one... I dare you!
Great post and comments. Wow, we need to branch out (and get out more). Didn't know Olympic Cafe did breakfast; we went to Oki Diner the other day and it was OK, but we'll try the Olympic Cafe next time (it's closer, for one thing).
Must try some of those other places you mention. Since we can't afford to eat out much, it'll be a while before we run out of places to try!
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