Oahu

Kyle's Top Food Picks***

***This list was created prior to becoming vegetarian. This is a meat-lovers list. Vegetarian friendly list is coming soon!

  1. Foodland (Poke & Korean Friend Chicken)

  2. Mitsuken (Breakfast Combo or Garlic Chicken)

  3. Leonard's Bakery (Original Malasada)

  4. Zippys (Chili & Zip Pac)

  5. Shige's Saimin (Saimin)

  6. Elena's (Adobo Fried Rice Omelet)

  7. Dong Yang Inn (Meat Jun)

  8. Helena's (Laulau)

  9. Dave's Ice Cream (Haupia or Ube or Kulolo Ice Cream)

  10. Matsumoto Shave Ice (Guava + Lilikoi Shave Ice w/ condensed milk)

  11. En Fuego (Garlic Chicken or Seared Ahi)

  12. Yummy's AKA Pearl's Korean BBQ (Meat Jun & Fish Jun or BBQ Mixed Plate)

  13. BOB's Bar-B-QUE (Mixed Plate)

  14. Highway Inn (Hawaiian Food)

  15. Kim Chee Restaurant 7 or any Kim Chee Restaurant (Lunch Special or Mixed Plate)

  16. KauKau Grill (Surf & Turf)

  17. Koa Pancake House (Macadamia Nut Pancakes)

  18. Ruby Tuesday (Chicken Katsu Loco Moco) - BREAKFAST ONLY - Note that this is a chain restaurant with some unique menu items during breakfast hours

  19. Ramen Ya (Any Combo)

  20. Curry House (Katsu Curry) - Note that this is a chain restaurant with locations in Japan

  21. Genki Sushi (Sushi) - Note that this is a chain restaurant with locations in California

  22. Goma Tei (Saimin)

  23. Chun Wah Kam (Manapua & Dim Sum)

  24. McDonalds (Portuguese Sausage, Egg, & Rice Platter; Taro Pie or Haupia Pie; Saimin) - Note that McDonalds has unique menu items in Hawaii

  25. L&L (Chicken Katsu, BBQ Mixed Plate) - This is a chain, but you can visit the original location in Liliha

Note: A lot of locals and tourists like Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, but I personally don't think that they're anything special. I think the average person can cook shrimp better than they do. Also, they use frozen shrimp that isn't even grown in Hawaii. Everyone always assumes that their shrimp is fresh from Hawaii, because they park their truck up on the North Shore where the shrimp farms are. Its a marketing gimmick and its kinda lame to me. Send me a picture of you eating at the shrimp truck. I dare you. Also absent is Big City Diner. They're pretty good for Kim Chee Fried Rice, but its a hit/miss. I've found that the consistency has declined so it didn't make the list.

Kyle's Top Attractions

For History Lovers

  1. Bishop Museum

  2. Polynesian Cultural Center

  3. Pearl Harbor

  4. 'Iolani Palace

  5. Battleship Missouri

  6. Hawaii's Plantation Village

  7. Hawaiian Mission Houses

  8. Queen Emma Summer Palace

  9. Honolulu Museum of Art

  10. Byodo-In Temple

Short Hike or No Hike (< 30 min)

  1. Wa'ahila Ridge State Recreation Area

  2. Nu'uanu Pali Lookout

  3. Likeke Falls (plenty mosquitos)

  4. Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden

  5. Jackass Ginger Trail (plenty mosquitos)

  6. Kapena Falls

Medium Hikes (<3hr)

  1. Lulumahu Falls

  2. Diamond Head (Super sunny and touristy)

  3. Manoa Falls Trail

  4. Makapu'u Lighthouse (sunny, but u can go to tidepools!)

  5. Lanikai Pillboxes (steep)

  6. Ka'ena Point (from west side)

Snorkel Spots

  1. Hanauma Bay (limited admission)

  2. Sharks Cove

  3. Makua Beach

  4. Tracks/Electric Beach

  5. Kaka'ako Waterfront (if calm)

Surf Spots

  1. Kaka'ako Waterfront

  2. White Plains

  3. Tracks

  4. Diamond Head

  5. Waikiki

Vegetarian Places

  1. Foodland farms

  2. Ma'ona Musubi

** Let me know if you have any that should make this list! Go to the About Tab and hit contact me!

Beaches for the Beach

  1. Makua Beach

  2. Waimanalo/Sherwood/Bellows

  3. Lanikai/Kailua Beach

  4. Nanakuli Beach Park

  5. Waimea Bay (run with a rock and jump off rock)

  6. Yokohama

  7. Makaha

  8. Waikiki

  9. Koolina Lagoons

  10. Ala Moana


Sunset

  1. Waikiki (with Hilton Fireworks)

  2. China Walls

  3. Nanakuli

  4. Tracks

  5. Anywhere on west coast

Shopping

  1. Ala Moana Center

  2. Waikiki

  3. Aloha Stadium Swap Meet

  4. Hale'iwa Town Center

  5. Ward Village (Movie theatre!)

  6. Kailua Town

  7. Hukilau Market Place (Polynesian Cultural Center)

  8. Ka Makana Ali'i

  9. Chinatown

  10. Pearlridge/Windward Mall (locals)