Honolulu, the cosmopolitan heart of Hawaii, is a unique city with a Pacific palate. Its culinary landscape is a vibrant tapestry woven from Native Hawaiian traditions, Asian influences, and island ingenuity.
From beachside poke bowls to steaming lau lau bundles, the flavours of Honolulu tell a story of heritage, migration, and creativity.
Poke: Hawaii in a bowl
Perhaps no dish represents modern Hawaiian cuisine better than poke (pronounced po-keh). Originally a simple snack consisting of seasoned raw fish and enjoyed by early Hawaiians, poke has evolved into a globally beloved dish. In Honolulu, it’s ubiquitous – found in high-end restaurants, corner delis, and supermarkets alike – and has made its way to the four corners of the globe.
Traditional poke features ahi tuna mixed with limu (seaweed), inamona (roasted kukui nut), soy sauce, and green onions. But local spots like Ono Seafood, Tamashiro Market, and Maguro Brothers offer creative takes, incorporating salmon, octopus, spicy mayo, avocado, or wasabi. For locals, poke is comfort food; for visitors, it’s a fresh, ocean-forward introduction to the island’s palette.
Lau Lau – a hearty Hawaiian classic
If poke is the face of contemporary Hawaiian dining, lau lau is its soulful, time-honoured cousin. This traditional dish is made by wrapping pork (or sometimes fish or chicken) in layers of taro and ti leaves, then steaming it until tender. The result: a savoury, smoky, melt-in-your-mouth bundle that feels both rustic and refined.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food and Highway Inn, two beloved Honolulu institutions, serve some of the city’s best lau lau alongside other plate lunch staples like kalua pig, poi, and lomi salmon. Each bite connects diners to the islands’ Polynesian roots and communal eating traditions.
Fusion and innovation
Honolulu’s food scene doesn’t stop at the traditional. Thanks to a mix of cultures – Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, and more – the city boasts a wide-ranging and dynamic menu.
- Plate lunches: A multicultural mashup featuring proteins like teriyaki beef, fried mahimahi, or loco moco (hamburger steak, egg, and gravy over rice), usually accompanied by macaroni salad and white rice.
- Manapua: A Hawaiian take on Chinese char siu bao – these steamed buns, filled with pork or sweet bean paste, are a favourite grab-and-go snack.
- Saimin: A uniquely Hawaiian noodle soup with roots in Japanese ramen, Chinese mein, and Filipino pancit. Try it at Shiro’s Saimin Haven or Palace Saimin.
- Malasadas: Portuguese-style doughnuts, crispy on the outside and pillowy inside, often filled with tropical creams or rolled in sugar. Don’t miss the ones at Leonard’s Bakery.
Tropical Bounty: fruits and fresh produce
Hawaii’s year-round growing season means fresh tropical fruits are never far from reach. Farmers’ markets like the KCC Farmers Market showcase the island’s produce – lilikoi (passionfruit), mangoes, papaya, dragon fruit, and apple bananas are all local stars. You’ll also find taro, sweet potatoes, and breadfruit, which have fed Hawaiians for centuries.
Eating with Aloha
Honolulu’s food culture is rooted in aloha – a spirit of hospitality, sharing, and connection. Whether you’re dining at a backyard lūʻau or sampling street food from a food truck in Kakaʻako, you’re invited into a community where food is love, and every meal is a celebration.
Honolulu’s culinary identity is as layered as a plate lunch and as deep as a bowl of lau lau. It’s a place where ancestral recipes coexist with bold innovation, and where the ocean, land, and melting-pot culture come together to create something uniquely delicious.
So next time you’re on Oʻahu, follow your appetite – from poke to poi, malasadas to mochi – and savour the many stories told through the flavours of Honolulu.
