18 Hawaiian Foods You Should Eat When You’re in the Aloha State

Klook ANZ

Last updated 12 Sep 2022

Image credits to @postcardstoparadise, @alohajanet57, and @real_bigmouths

Guess what: food in Hawaii is much more than poke!

While the Aloha State may be famous for its fresh chunks of tuna and salmon, Hawaii’s food scene is more diverse than you think. There are the traditional Hawaiian dishes, like the infamous poi and kalua pork, and the local food, a mishmash of flavours from various cultures that have landed on the different islands of Hawaii. But one thing’s for sure, your trip to Hawaii wouldn’t be complete without a taste of all these great eats!

Loosen your belts; here are 18 of the best Hawaii foods you should try:

Spam Musubi
Kalua Pork
Huli Huli Chicken
Garlic Shrimp
Plate Lunch
Luau Stew
Lau Lau
Pasteles
Poi
Mac and Cheese Pancakes
Saimin
Loco Moco
Acai Bowls
Manapua
Malasadas
Shave Ice
Haupia Pie
Kona Coffee

1. Spam Musubi

Looking for the perfect snack to eat whenever and wherever you want? Spam Musubi’s your best bet among all of the on-the-go snacks. As Hawaii’s take on the Japanese omusubi, this is like Spam sashimi—grilled SPAM placed on top of fluffy white rice and wrapped with seaweed.

2. Kalua Pork

Attending a luau while you're here? Odds are you'll get to eat Kalua Pork, one of the most traditional Hawaii foods. It's smoked and roasted pork cooked in an imu, an underground oven, for hours until the meat is tender and falls off the bone! This is usually cooked throughout the day and is served after all the festivities of a luau party.

3. Huli Huli Chicken

If you're a fan of teriyaki chicken, then we highly recommend getting the Huli Huli Chicken! Its name "Huli" means to turn, which is the key point in cooking this flavourful meat—you have to turn the meat just as its sugar and soy sauce marinade starts to glaze the chicken skin! It's easy to know where Huli Huli Chicken is sold; just follow the teriyaki scent in the air as they're usually grilled on giant fires on roadside stalls.

4. Garlic Shrimp

We know Garlic Shrimp seems like a typical food all over the world, but Hawaii's version is every garlic lover's dream! To taste these plump, buttery, and garlic-doused shrimps, head to the food trucks on Oahu's North Shore. Make sure to pair it with fluffy white rice!

5. Plate Lunch

Mix and match your carbs and protein! Credits to @alohajanet57 Get ready to fill up on carbs in Hawaii and order a Plate Lunch. This filling bento-like meal usually consists of two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad, and three kinds of meat like barbecued beef, boneless chicken, and fish like mahi-mahi. Some restaurants offer Japanese, Chinese, or Filipino twists to the typical Plate Lunch.

6. Luau Stew

Another traditional Hawaii food you can eat during luaus is the simple Luau Stew. It's usually made with three ingredients: taro leaves, beef brisket, and Hawaiian sea salt. It’s then cooked until it reaches melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Some recipes call for coconut milk, ginger, or seaweed to make it even more flavourful. It's considered one of the most quintessential Hawaii comfort foods by locals!

7. Lau Lau

Wanna sink your teeth into fatty pork and salted butterfish? Try Lau Lau! It's soft and smoky meat bundled up in taro leaves and is traditionally cooked in an underground rock oven for hours. Lau Lau is usually served with rice for lunch!

8. Pasteles

During the 20th century, Puerto Rican immigrants landed in Hawaii and introduced the savoury Pasteles to the island. If you've tried tamales before, you might find pasteles familiar, except that it uses grated green bananas instead of corn masa. Pasteles are typically filled with pork, chicken, seafood or currant and are served during food festivals.

9. Poi

Nothing screams Hawaiian food better than Poi. It's the classic Hawaiian side dish served in several places: luaus, restaurants, and food trucks. Poi is baked or steamed taro root pounded to form a paste. You can eat it on its own, as a side dish for your plate lunch, or pair it with kalua pork.

10. Mac and Cheese Pancakes

On the hunt for the ultimate brunch food in Hawaii? Visit Oahu's Morning Glass Coffee and Cafe for a plate of sumptuous Mac and Cheese Pancakes! Enjoy the sweet and salty pairing of the melted cheese and drizzles of maple syrup. It's an excellent brekky food to keep you energised throughout the day.

11. Saimin

Craving hot noodle soup? Check out the Chinese chow-mein-inspired Saimin, a popular modern Hawaiian dish. Saimin has clear soup with wheat egg noodles and is topped with Spam, green onions, and fishcakes. While this dish is already filling on its own, locals also enjoy it with meat skewers or hamburgers.

12. Loco Moco

Hamburger patty, eggs, white rice, and brown gravy—Loco Moco is Thanksgiving on a plate! Make sure you get a little bit of everything in each bite of this popular Hawaiian food. Fair warning: one serving of Loco Moco could make you sleepy from being too full.

13. Acai Bowls

Feel free to choose whichever fruit you want on your Acai Bowl. Credits to @_hyujay Hawaiian cuisine may be full of meat dishes, but it also has fantastic options for vegetarians and vegans! Get your glow food fix by ordering an Acai Bowl. If you haven't tried this superfood, it's a sorbet-like blend of fruits, granola, and honey. If you wanna try it with palai (hand-pounded taro) toppings, visit Waikiki!

14. Manapua

Manapua means pork mountain, and it isn't hard to see why! It's like a Chinese char siu bao, but bigger. This fluffy and doughy snack is filled with sweet pork or other meat such as hot dog, ginger or shoyu chicken, and sweet potato. Manapua is usually ordered by the dozen, but some shops sell it shaped like a small loaf of bread.

15. Malasadas

In the mood for something sweet? Let's visit the dessert section of Hawaiian food. Malasadas are a staple Hawaiian desert brought by Portuguese immigrants in the 19th century. They're deep-fried like beignets but are filled with local fruit jams or tasty cream.

16. Shave Ice

Beat the tropical heat with a serving of Shave Ice (that's not a typo!). Think it's just your regular snow cone? Nope, there's art in making this Hawaiian classic! Ice should be shaved so that it becomes light and fluffy flakes so that every scoop of this treat is equally flavoured with the syrup. Make sure to finish it before it melts!

17. Haupia Pie

Another Hawaii dessert for those with a sweet tooth is the Haupia Pie, a decadent coconut cream pie with a flaky crust and topped with macadamia nuts, pineapple, or cocoa powder. It's so popular it even has a Macca's version!

18. Kona Coffee

Capping off our list of must-try Hawaii food is the best palate cleanser after every meal: coffee! Hawaii's specialty is the Kona Coffee, which is only grown on the Big Island. The island even has local varieties of Arabica beans and Waialua coffee. You can buy whole coffee beans to brew your own or buy a cuppa at cafes around Hawaii.

Join a dinner cruise in Hawaii

Can't choose which Hawaii dish to indulge in first? Make your food trip even better by joining a sunset dinner cruise aboard the star of Honolulu! Feel the Aloha spirit as you feast on a delicious dinner and watch an incredible Polynesian dance show on board. Book it with Klook now!

Book Star of Honolulu Sunset Dinner and Show Cruise in Hawaii - Free cancellation within 72 hours notice

Written by: Elle David