On our third day in Hawaii, my siblings and I planned to hike up Diamond Head! We weren't keen to wake up to catch the sunrise but we did want to go relatively early before temperatures peaked.
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For those who didn't know, Hawaiians consume more spam per capita than any other state. Spam musubis can be found at almost every corner shop, including 7-11. It's a quick, portable snack made from rice, grilled spam, and nori (seaweed). We figured they would be filling enough but not heavy as to weigh us down during the hike.
There was a small line when we arrived. It did take a little while before we got to the front with only one person working the cash register. Some of the musubis are pre-made but the stock is constantly being replenished from the small army working in the back.
They have almost 50 different types of spam musubi and onigiri on the menu, so we were able to try out an assortment. On top of the spam, some of the additional toppings we ordered were egg, cucumber, bacon, avocado, and eel. Most of the musubis were $3 and under which makes them really cheap and affordable!
My musubi of choice was the avocado, bacon, egg, and spam ($2.98). Literally the perfect breakfast in a cute, convenient package. I grew up eating spam my entire life so this really hit the spot. I also shared a tuna mayo onigiri ($1.98) but I probably wouldn't recommend it since it's a lot more rice than filling.
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In the end, the rain was a blessing in disguise since we were treated to a rainbow at the very top!
When we finally made it back to the starting point, we grabbed a pineapple juice and smoothie from the food truck parked at the base of the trail. It was probably overpriced but it was refreshing at least!
We planned on grabbing another Uber to get back to civilization but saw a sign for the Waikiki Trolley and decided to ride one! It was a bit pricey at $10 per person but we thought of it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We did have to wait a while at the bus stop since there are a lot of different trolleys picking up hotel guests or tour groups.
The trolley does a big loop before arriving in Waikiki so we requested to be dropped off sooner than that. We ended up in a residential area and walked 10 or so minutes to Kapahulu Avenue.
Before our trip, my brother was super keen on trying out some of the fast food unique to the states. His plans backfired when he was at the Denver airport and realized that Chick-fil-A was closed on Sundays! So his only form of consolation was to try the infamous Popeyes chicken sandwich. When it was introduced last year, it instantly went viral. The sandwich was so popular that *literal* fights would break out over it. Unfortunately, the sandwich hasn't graced the Canadian market just yet but I hope that when it does, we could be a little bit more civil about it.
My brother ordered the spicy chicken sandwich combo ($8.50) which comes with a side and a drink. The sandwich is relatively simple in its construction -- a toasted brioche bun, buttermilk-battered and fried chicken, pickles, and spicy Cajun sauce. I was only given a bite (after having to beg for one) but I was impressed! The chicken was an actual piece of chicken -- it was crispy and juicy with a good amount of heat. Thankfully we didn't have to fight off anyone for it.
But I, for one, did not travel all the way to Hawaii just to eat Popeyes. So after my brother finished his lunch, we walked a couple minutes north to Ono Seafood!
Ono Seafood is a tiny hole-in-the-wall spot known for its fresh poke bowls and poke by the pound. It's won numerous awards, including Yelp's top 100 places to eat in the U.S. There was a line out the door when we arrived but it moves fast!
The menu is really simple: ahi poke or tako (octopus) poke in a variety of different flavours (shoyu, Hawaiian style, miso, spicy, and wasabi). When we went, they also offered salmon in a couple of the marinades. For each poke bowl you order, you're given a choice of white or brown rice, and then your choice of up to two different types of poke. It also comes with a free drink!
We ordered two regular bowls to share ($11.75). Our first bowl was half shoyu ahi and half spicy ahi, while our second bowl was half Hawaiian style ahi and half miso salmon. I normally don't care for raw tuna but the texture of the ahi was unreal. Unlike the mushy stuff we get back home, the ahi was firm but buttery smooth. The sauces were super flavourful but they didn't overpower the freshness of the fish at all. Honestly speaking, the cold fish with the hot rice was heaven in a bite. A definite recommend!
We scarfed down our poke bowls in record time and then made our way over to Leonard's Bakery. Another Hawaiian institution, Leonard's has been open since 1952. They're known for having fresh, made-to-order malasadas, which are Portuguese doughnuts (without the hole!). Although they offer other pastries, cookies, and bread, everyone comes here just for the malasadas.
The malasadas are $1.35 each and come dusted in three different coating options: original (plain sugar), cinnamon sugar, and li hing (pickled plum). They also offer malasada puffs ($1.65), which are the original malasadas filled with pudding-like centres. The fillings include custard, dobash (chocolate), haupia (coconut), macadamia nut, guava, and a monthly feature (ours was strawberry).
We planned on buying half a dozen, but we found an extra malasada in our box that we didn't pay for. Score! The malasadas are best eaten fresh, while they're still hot out of the fryer. While our malasads were warm, they weren't as crispy as I had hoped. The insides were soft and fluffy, but I didn't really care for the fillings. I think having them plain is best!
We headed back to the hotel afterwards for a shower and some much-needed rest.
For dinner, we had made a reservation at Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin the day before. I heard of this restaurant back when I was planning our trip to Japan a few years back. When I found out they had a location in Hawaii, I knew I didn't want to miss out on my chance again! The restaurant is quite small, so making a reservation is key to not getting turned away.
My mom and I decided to share the mixed katsu set ($24.00) and the pork tenderloin katsu sandwich ($10.50). It was a lot more food than I was expecting! I thought the tonkatsu was good but I wasn't really blown away. The panko breading was a little bit on the denser side.
Service was also on point, but my only gripe was their restaurant policy on tipping. There's an automatic 15% service charge on the bill but none of that money goes towards the wait staff. You would have to pay an additional tip on top of that. It quickly becomes an expensive meal and I don't think it was truly worth it.
Regardless, our stomachs were full and we headed out to explore for the rest of the night.
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I found a slice of chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery in the fridge and grabbed that right away! Ted's Bakery is located on the North Shore but their pies are sold in various retailers so you don't necessarily have to make a trip up north. The pie is layered with chocolate pudding, haupia (coconut), and whipped cream. It's very light and airy. It's so easy to eat the whole thing without knowing it!
Another dessert we had was a shaka-boom cone ($6.50) from Kokoro Cafe in the food court of the Royal Hawaiian Center. It's a riff on traditional taiyaki (fish-shaped waffles), but in the shape of a hand doing the shaka. You have a choice of filling, soft serve, and two toppings. The soft serve we chose was a dole whip and cherry twist. It's a race to eat it before it melts but it's very cute and Instagram-worthy.
Before going back to the hotel to crash, we did a quick detour to Waikiki Beach. It's just as pretty during the night. Now more than ever, I wish I could go back!
- CT
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