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Aloha and welcome (e komo mai) to the Island of Oahu. Most people stay in Wakiki when they visit Oahu, known for its legendary beautiful beaches, high-rise buildings and endless shops. Waikiki is the playground of the Pacific. What I like about Wakiki is that you can explore it by foot or take THE BUS, a great public transportation system. If you are over 65, take your Medicare card and you can ride the bus for $1. Hawaiian people are friendly and will always help you find the right bus. Think of Waikiki as a giant shopping mall where you can go in every store and try on whatever you want. But if you don’t want to shop, there are gorgeous beaches where you can avoid the shopping frenzy and watch a classic sunset over the Pacific Ocean.  Sometimes, within just a few steps, you are transported back in time 100 years. Two of those places on the strip of Wakiki are the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and the Moana Surfrider. Both have modern towers attached, but in both hotels there is an older, original part. The Royal Hawaiian is hidden between high-rise towers, but I find it to be an oasis of old-time charm. Walking through the lobby and outside grounds is a must for me every time I am in Wakiki. I have stayed in the old rooms several times and enjoyed it tremendously. Their bar on the beach is a favorite spot to have a mai tai and to watch the sunset. When you stay at the hotel, you are greeted with their famous banana bread (get the recipe here). You can buy it now at their coffee shop.  The Royal Hawaiian Hotel  At the Moana Surfrider Hotel , you can sit in a rocking chair and watch the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. Go upstairs in the lobby and look at photos of the old Hawaii.  We have driven around the Island several times and stayed in different hotels on different sides of the island. During this last visit we decided to relax and stay put, go swimming every day, and eat good food.  I love to go for early morning walks, leaving Waikiki and going into residential areas. I admire the old houses with their interesting doors. I might take a yoga or tai chi class on the lawn of the park. Oahu is home to a diverse population which put their stamp on the architecture, food and way of living. Whenever I visit the islands, I enjoy watching the hula dance which is being performed by old and young everywhere. This classic Hawaiian dance is being taught to young children, who perform it often and very beautifully. It always brings me joy and I like to dance it myself when I am alone. The hula is a Polynesian form of story telling, brought to Hawaii by a woman named La'ila'i in the 6th century. It takes a lot of love and commitment to master it.   Let's go back to the beach where I swim in the warm, clear blue Pacific Ocean every day. I don't go in far, because I am not a good swimmer. No one teaches you how to swim when you grow up on a farm in northern Germany. But I do like floating and having the waves caress me. I feel safe, and it is such a pleasurable experience.
For our first dinner we choose The Eating House, a restaurant by Roy Yamaguchi, who pioneered bringing local Hawaiian food to the local restaurants. I often eat at his other restaurant called Roy's in Honolulu. At the Eating House I had a Royal Hawaiian cocktail which was the best one on this trip.
Iron Chef Morimoto has two new restaurants in Waikiki. We ate at the casual Momosan Waikiki on the patio. It has wonderful small plates like tetsunabe pork gyoza with a ginger scallion sauce that is flambeed with sake at your table. My duck confit small bites were out of this world. My husband had the noodle dish that they are known for. They also have pig ears on their menu, but I decided to pass on that one in spite of good reviews. You can also order take-out and have it at the beach.  I used to have lunch at Alan Wong's Pineapple Room in the Ala Moana Shopping center, but it is now closed. Instead, I had a wonderful and reasonably priced dim sum at the Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant on the 3rd level of the shopping center. I enjoyed every bite and didn't need to eat again the entire day. The waiting lines are long since locals eat here. Marukame Udon is a well-loved casual place where they make their own noodles. It is my friends, Susan and Jim's, favorite place. There are always very long lines and people absolutely rave about this place.  There is so much more to Honolulu, like downtown Chinatown, which is a treasure for foodies. For me, it is more interesting than San Francisco. I have taken some food tours on previous visits, but not this time. There is the Bishop Museum which is a museum of history and science. On previous visits we went to the Doris Duke Shangri La home and enjoyed the tour. The Queen's Iolani Palace is steeped in Hawaiian history and is worthy of a visit. I have not yet been to the Honolulu opera but have heard it is fantastic.  Shangri La, Doris Duke's old residence  This was my happy place this time—the infinity pool at the Sheraton Wakiki. Here is a photo of me five years ago and another one of me now. Still happy. Mahola and I hope to visit again. Aloha.
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 Waikiki You all know the special love I feel for the Hawaiian Islands, with their turquoise warm Pacific Ocean and beautiful beaches. From my home in California the islands are within a relatively easy reach. You still have to get on a plane, but for less than five hours, which is enough time for a good read and a little snooze. My goal is to post about all the islands I have visited over the last 30 years. Click here to continue reading about my trip to Wakiki and some new eating places I discovered.  The Beach by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel  Photo by Deb Ryan This farro salad is perfect for any picnic, barbecue or a healthy lunch for work. Enjoy ! Click here for the recipe  I am making my German-American green bean and potato salad for an upcoming party. It's a tasty salad made with a warm oil and vinegar dressing. I like to serve this salad with baked salmon and romesco sauce on the side. Click here for the recipe  This is one of my favorite salads that I have made for many years. If green asparagus is no longer available, you can use roasted eggplant. The recipe is from the original Greens cook book from the restaurant of the same name in San Francisco's historic Ford Mason. It has pioneered vegetarian cooking since the 1970s. I love it. It's a real treat and so is this salad. Click here for the recipe. |
WELCOME TO SUNNY COVE CHEFThank you for visiting my blog. My two passions are cooking and traveling. Traveling exposes me to a wide variety of food and experiences. I walk around cities looking for markets, restaurants, bakeries, shops, you name it, and if it is related to food you will find me there, tasting, smelling, talking to vendors, and having a great time. Categories
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