Oahu Foodie Update December '22

Hello and long time no see my fellow Aloha nation foodies and travel gurus! After my post Covid, cabin-fever induced, revenge travel binge to Hawaii in 2021, I elected to take a healthy, one-year hiatus from my quarterly Spam and poke gorging routine. Well, my Hawaii travel bug seems to be back in full force so here I find myself in Oahu- December, 2022. In no particular order, here are my good, bad, and ugly updates if you’re planning to stop by any time soon!

The Good

Da Bald Guy (AKA Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck 'killa')

I wanted to check this place out after watching it highlighted in a Netflix special. My conclusion is, where have you been all my life?? This place has perfectly cooked, juicy, garlic butter shrimp but it’s already peeled for you- no more getting your hands drenched in grease peeling shrimp at Giovanni’s! In addition to the garlic shrimp (there is also a Cajun flavor), this place has a boneless, braised Korean kalbi and a pan seared version of poke that I would highly recommend. The truck closes at 2pm or whenever they run out of food, so don’t be too late!

Royal Lobster

Where can you find lobster rolls that actually have lobster tails in it, as opposed to every other joint that only uses claws and legs? Apparently in central Waikiki! This place is a must if you are walking or shopping near the Royal Hawaiian and surrounding luxury stores (i.e. money pits), and you feel like grabbing a bite sized but very high quality snack. The garlic mayo sauce is on point and the Korean couple that run the place are super friendly. Don’t miss out on this place!

Butter rolls at Liliha Bakery

These warm, fluffy, buttery rolls are grilled to perfection and make the ultimate side dish to the array of the Hawaiian style comfort food options this bakery/restaurant offers. What an amazing concept – perfectly baked rolls come straight from the bakery oven and onto your hearty plate of Loco Moco drenched in gravy and eggs, and why not have a glass of red wine to take your lunch to the next level – heaven!

Hawaii’s best Bloody Mary

Have you noticed these mouthwatering signs when you first get into the Honolulu airport? You can find these beauties at Restaurant 604 which is located right next to and overlooking the Pacific, sandwiched between the Pearl Harbor Yacht Club and National Museum. The restaurant has a great view and has a casual, festive vibe you might remember last time you were partying with your buddies at Cabo Wabo (this is a hypothetical statement). The Bloody Mary drink itself is massive with a legit jumbo prawn to make this a mini-meal! At $13 + $3 option to make it a double shot, this cocktail is easily worth the 12 minute trip from the airport. The food is generally decent but the drinks, view, and vibe are the highlights.

The Bad

Reservations at Tonkatsu Tamafuji

Getting reservations here has officially gotten out of control. This restaurant is fully booked for at least three to four months! BUT… don’t lose hope just yet because I have a work around: 1) go on a weekday around 3:45pm, 15 minutes before they officially open for dinner; 2) go inside and put your name on the waitlist as they DO accept walk ins; 3) ask if you can put your order in when you are next in line while they clean your table. You’ll still need to wait about 30-60 minutes (I was able to sit my family of five in just over one hour), but that’s better than waiting three months right?? The food is spectacular as always, so I think it is well worth the wait. If you show up later during peak dinner hours, you’ll easily need to wait over two hours or worse yet you might not even be able to sit down.

No more Ocean Vodka at Cotsco

Out of all the curve balls that my once reliable, trustworthy retailer buddies could throw at me, what a low blow! For those that haven’t read my post on The Hawaii Drinker's Handbook, this vodka is made from organic sugar cane and is to die for, at a reasonable price. Not the end of the world, however, as you’ll find these bad boys at most grocery chains like Safeway.

Nico’s Pier 38

Beware stumbling here based on the good reviews, I have made that mistake for you! I thought to myself how bad could this place be given it’s located right next to the wholesaler’s fish market. Yikes, I recommend sticking to a solid venue like Paia’s Fish Market if you are craving a good blackened catch of the day. Worse yet, their “happy hour” is literally the appetizer menu with identical prices. It’s not a big deal either way, but why on earth would you have a separate happy hour menu for the same items at the same prices?

The Ugly

Hawaii Five-O making a comeback

Watch out, there are now cops everywhere in Oahu! I don’t know what exactly happened over the past 12-18 months, but there has been a definitive surge in police per capita. Uglier yet, some parking lots that were previously free have converted to pay lots, so be sure to check signs to avoid getting a ticket!

Hawaiian Airlines luggage service

If you’re thinking about checking in some luggage, watch out! They lost my main luggage and it was generally impossible following up to either find it or even get some sort of an update of status (we’re talking 4+ hour phone wait times). Also, it wasn’t just me, apparently they were having massive issues across multiple flights. If you must check something in, make sure you diversify your belongings across your bags, and keep your critical items in your carry on bags. Yes, the airline will compensate you for what you need to purchase, but you don’t want to spend your precious vacation repurchasing your basic necessities. Thumbs down Hawaiian!

Closing Thoughts

I decided to change things up a bit this past year by visiting Santorini, Amsterdam, and Seoul instead of my usual Hawaii routine. Although it has been a fun year of travel, it’s nice to come back to my OG home away from home. Yes, there have been some changes that I’ve noticed this time, but Hawaii remains on top for the best combination of relaxation, food, weather, and very importantly, plate lunches loaded with unhealthy amounts of gravy!