Military Travel Mama

Being in Hawaii definitely has its perks. The great weather, beautiful beaches…..The downside, for me was the food.  Now, don’t get me wrong there were some tasty new things I loved, but for the most part I missed my southern cuisine.  The food obviously reflects the culture in Hawaii.  If you want a pretty good sample of the foods Hawaii has to offer then you must go to the Swap Meet. It rests at Aloha Stadium across the street from Pearl Harbor and will also offer you a pretty good workout with all the walking you have to do!  Just a heads up……It will be HOT! There is NO shade! Most people bring an umbrella to shade themselves from the sun. But I’m digressing. I’m supposed to be talking about food!  So here is my list of some Hawaiian foods you may or may not want to try.

First up is Spam.  Now most of us have had this at some point in our lives.  I don’t know how much of a “Hawaiian food this is honestly, but it is definitely POPULAR on the island of Oahu. So popular in fact that they have spam festivals.  Spam is even on the menu at McDonalds and Burger King!  I am not a spam fan, but when I was pregnant in Hawaii I could not get enough of this for breakfast from Burger King…spam, rice and eggs. Yes I know. Wow.

I tried fresh coconut milk for the first time at the Swap Meet.  The guy whipped out this huuuuge knife, chopped it open and handed me a straw.  Not a big fan of the stuff, but hey you may want to try it.

Shave Ice is wildly popular here.  To us mainland folk its simply a snow cone.  They do have lots of flavors to choose from and you can even add some adzuki beans at the bottom of your cup or cone or some ice cream.

My sis and myself along with my daughter at Northshore Marketplace enjoying some shave ice!

Plate Lunches usually have macaroni salad, two scoops of steamed white  rice, and probably some kim chee. The meat choices are endless as you may choose from kailua pork (yummy), lau lau (pork, fish, or chicken wrapped and steamed in taro leaves (delish), fried mahimahi or lomilomi salmon.  You can usually find a wagon selling plate lunches no matter where you go.

Saimin reminded me of  ramen noodles.  I was curious and tried it at McDonalds although I am sure there are other places to get it.  It’s basically a cup of noodle soup with chicken broth, green onions, chinese roast pork and other things may be added.

Fresh fruit here is AMAZING. You have not tasted fruit until you have had some from Hawaii. O-M-G is all I have to say!  I know you are saying okay it’s just fruit, but trust me it is devine!  The pineapples, strawberries, papaya, apples, bananas……the list goes on. Mango is popular too although I am not a mango fan.  You can always find someone with a stand alongside some road selling fresh fruit or try it at the Swap Meet.

Malasadas are simply delicious! I mostly got them from the Swap Meet or the little stand near the Waikele Shopping Center in Waipahu.  They are fried doughnuts that are rolled in cinnamon or sugar and served hot.  You can buy a little bag of  6 or a dozen and they are sometimes filled with creme.

Tako is the Japanese word for octopus.  I had never had octopus until I came to Hawaii. One of my local friends in Ewa Beach decided to make all the popular local foods for me to try, because according to her, I had not experienced Hawaii unless I tried the local cuisine.  I am still recovering from some of this stuff.  To me, octopus tasted like chewing on a piece of rubber.  It didn’t really have a taste so I didn’t see the big deal in it. On top of that it isn’t that pleasing to the eye.

Shrimp. Shrimp Shrimp. Can you tell that I love shrimp?  The shrimp here are HUGE!  Bigger than I have ever seen before at any place.  My fave place to get shrimp was from Ono’s Shrimp Truck in Haleiwa.  Baywatch Hawaii was filmed here!  Ono’s offers Butter shrimp, BBQ shrimp, Garlic Shrimp , Pineapple Shrimp and tariyaki ribs. Plates are 12 bucks and they offer a military discount of $2 off a plate.  You get two scoops of steamed white rice (as you get with almost anything here), salad with rice vinegar, and a hefty portion of shrimp. My faves were the butter shrimp and BBQ shrimp.  I would usually get my food then take the short ride down the street to Haleiwa Beach to watch the kayakers and the breathtaking views.  You can usually find a shrimp truck along the North Shore.  Lines are super long on the weekend, especially when the tourists hit so get there early!  If you visit Ono’s, don’t forget to leave your John Hancock on their truck!

My mom and daughter leaving their John Hancock on Ono's shrimp truck!

Military Travel Mama enjoying some butter shrimp at Ono's Shrimp Truck!