A vacation to beautiful Honolulu should include fantastic meals. Choose upscale dining or gather where locals dine, but there is an abundance of great food!
It has often been said that to find the best restaurants while vacationing, watch the locals. If local residents throng to a particular restaurant, chances are that you will be finding some great food. Honolulu, the vacation paradise of many travelers each year is no exception.
For a full dose of island ambiance, try the House Without a Key restaurant. There is entertainment of Hawaiian music and hula dancing nightly. A breakfast buffet is served daily and lunch is available, but for first time visitors, a dinner meal during sunset is a good choice. If this place seems familiar, it is because it was highlighted in a Charlie Chan novel from 1925.
Prices are reasonable to moderate at House Without a Key. The appetizer, salad, and soup choices include, among much more, of course, Peanut Crusted Barbecued Chicken Skewers, Shrimp and Crab Crostini, Hawaiian Chips and Dips, and Cold Pupu Combination. A sampling of the entree menu includes Seafood Stew, Halekulani Beef Burger, Roasted Island Chicken Breast, and New York Steak with Cilantro Pesto.
Choosing dessert at House Without a Key will not be an easy task. Some of the items that diners will be choosing from are Kula Strawberry Trifle, Toblerone Chocolate Mousse Cake, and Macadamia Nut Pie.
If you wish to plan a unique and unforgettable experience, try to make reservations for a Navatek Dinner Cruise. You will be cruising past Diamond Head and watching the sunset while having dinner. There is also entertainment provided with the cruise.
The sunset buffet menu (if you choose the buffet) includes fruits and salads, chicken, fish, vegetables, rice, potatoes, rolls, cake, and a cocktail. If your choice is the Royal Sunset Dinner Cruise, your meal will include a steak and lobster dinner with entertainment. Also served will be appetizer, salad, vegetables, rolls, cake, and three cocktails.
Depending on your budget, there is a third choice here called the Royal Alii Dinner Cruise. The lobster and steak dinner menu is the same, except that you will be allowed 5 cocktails and a glass of sparkling wine, but there are other advantages to the Alii choice. A limo will pick you up at your hotel and you will be given a lei greeting. Your seating will be at a private table.
For a combination of Island, Pacific Rim, and European cuisine, try 3660 on the Rise Restaurant. Prices are moderate to expensive and only dinner is served. The restaurant is not open on Mondays. A full bar and wine list is available.
Appetizer samplings include Pan Seared Wakame Crusted Hamachi, Ahi Katsu, and Potato Crusted Crab Cake. Entree selections will include many choices, a few of which are Roast Rack of Macadamia Nut Crusted Lamb, Seafood Linguine, and Hawaiian Ahi Napoleon. Finish your 3660 on the Rise meal with Warm Chocolate Souffle Cake, Mile High Waialae Pie (made with Haagen Dazs ice cream, caramel, chocolate sauce, and macadamia brittle), or grilled banana bread with vanilla ice cream and bananas foster as just three of the various dessert choices.
The Cheesecake Factory located in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center in Honolulu offers much food in addition to the more than thirty actual cheesecakes. Everything here can be taken out if you have a picnic or excursion planned.
Diners will be able to choose from seafood, pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads, eggs and omelets, chops, appetizers, and specialties (burgers, Mexican offerings, chicken dishes, etc). Comfort foods such as Shepherds Pie and Meatloaf are also available. The menu is very extensive and portions are large. There are other desserts available in addition to the vast list of cheesecakes.
Cheeseburger Restaurant is a good choice for breakfast if you wish to try something different and unique such as the Hawaiian 3-Egg Omelet. It will be served with wheat toast and your choice of potatoes or rice. The ingredients are Portuguese sausage, Jack cheese, and pineapple.
Traditional breakfast foods are also on the menu, such as Eggs Benedict, French toast, and pancakes. If you are very hungry, try one of their cheeseburger breakfast items, such as the cheeseburger topped with egg and bacon. Another special item that vacationers often enjoy at Cheeseburger is the Macadamia Nut Pancakes.
If you are stopping by Cheeseburger for a meal other than breakfast, there are great menu choices for lunch and dinner also. If you will be choosing a burger, it will be served with a fresh bun and 1000 Island Dressing, with your choice of toppings.
To keep with a "paradise" theme in your food choices, try the Cheeseburger Island Style that is topped with grilled pineapple and ginger dressing. This "5-napkin burger" is just one example of the gourmet cheeseburgers on the menu.
Additional menu items are available that are not cheeseburgers. These would include various types of chicken sandwiches, seafood sandwiches including calamari sandwich, and jumbo hot dogs called "Dawgs" on the menu. Platter choices include Coconut Shrimp and Fries, Aloha Fish and Fries, and Mahi Mahi Sandwich.
Salads and sides are available and for dessert, try the Maui Mud Puddle Pie. The base is a chocolate cookie crust with Kona Coffee Ice Cream. Add fudge sauce, whipped cream, and macadamia, and it's almost a meal all by itself.
Whether you research the restaurant possibilities on your own or follow the locals to their favorite dining spots, the islands of Hawaii and particularly the exciting city of Honolulu will not disappoint you when it comes time for a meal.
