Restaurants

Dining in Kauai is an activity unto itself. Dining is not just eating (although you will find scrumptious meals created from locally grown, raised, or caught products) but an entire feast for the senses.

Dining on Kauai begins with views and decor. Resort areas will feast your eyes with romantic settings and panoramic ocean views. In Poipu, the Beach House and the restaurants at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa offer spectacular settings right on the beach that will linger in your memory long after you return home. In Hanalei, the restaurants at Princeville Resort look out onto an awe-inspiring vista of Hanalei Bay with cloud-shrouded, majestic peaks in the background.

Next on Kauai's sensuous dining experiences are the enticing aromas, especially at ethnic restaurants. Even if the cuisine is unfamiliar to you, your taste buds will be standing up to applaud at just the wonderful scents wafting out from the kitchen. Kauai offers a rainbow of different ethnic cuisines, from Asian and Polynesian to Mexican/Central American, European, and eclectic mixes.

Dining also means soothing sounds, from the strumming of a ukulele to the gentle rhythm of tumbling waves in the sand. In our reviews we note which restaurants feature live music, which is so important not only to the digestion, but also to the relaxing atmosphere that seems to calm the soul and makes the entire dining experience a banquet for the senses.

Best of all, dining on Kauai is a divine experience in tasting. Taste the familiar, the new, the exotic, and even the adventurous. I urge you to try at least one restaurant featuring cuisine you are totally unfamiliar with. Who knows, you may become enamored with it.

Don't pass up the small mom-and-pop places, the takeouts, the hole-in-the-wall eateries; some very fine food at very budget-pleasing prices comes out of these tiny places.

On your jaunt across the island, you'll find affordable choices in every town, from hamburger joints to saimin (noodles in broth topped with scrambled eggs, onions, and sometimes pork) stands to busy neighborhood diners. As long as you don't expect filet mignon on a fish-and-chips budget, it shouldn't be difficult to please both your palate and your pocketbook. But if you're looking for lobster, rack of lamb, or risotto to write home about, you'll find those pleasures, too.

For condo dwellers preparing your own meals, you can pick up the island's best foodstuffs from a variety of markets and shops around Kauai -- including some wonderful green markets and fruit stands.

Restaurants do not require reservations unless otherwise noted.

Plate Lunch Palaces

If you haven't yet come face-to-face with the local phenomenon called plate lunch, Kauai is a good place to start. Like saimin, the plate lunch is more than a gastronomic experience -- it's part of the local culture. Lihue is peppered with affordable plate-lunch counters that serve this basic dish: two scoops of rice, potato or macaroni salad, and a beef, chicken, fish, or pork entree -- all on a single plate. Although heavy gravies are usually de rigueur, some of the less traditional purveyors have streamlined their offerings to include healthier touches, such as lean grilled fresh fish. Pork cutlets and chicken or beef soaked in teriyaki sauce, however, remain staples, as does the breaded and crisply fried method called katsu, as in chicken katsu. Most of the time, fried is the operative word; that's why it's best to be ravenously hungry when you approach a plate lunch, or it can overpower you. At its best, a plate lunch can be a marvel of flavors, a saving grace after a long hike; at its worst, it's a plate-size grease bomb.

The following are the best plate-lunch counters on Kauai. How fortunate that each is in a different part of the island!

The Koloa Fish Market, 5482 Koloa Rd. (tel. 808/742-6199), is in southern Kauai on Koloa's main street. A tiny corner stand with plate lunches, prepared foods, and two stools on a closet-size veranda, it sells excellent fresh fish poke, Hawaiian-food specials, and seared ahi to go. It's gourmet fare masquerading as takeout. Daily specials may include sautéed ahi or fresh opakapaka with capers, one of life's consummate pleasures. For a picnic or outing on the south shore, this is a good place to start.

On the Hanamaulu side of Lihue, across the street from Wal-Mart, look for the prim, gray building that reads Fish Express, 3343 Kuhio Hwy. (tel. 808/245-9918). It's astonishing what you'll find here for the price of a movie: Cajun-style grilled ahi with guava basil, fresh fish grilled in a passion-orange-tarragon sauce, fresh fish tacos in garlic and herbs, and many other delectables, all served with rice, salad, and vegetables. The Hawaiian plate lunch (laulau or kalua pork, lomi salmon, ahi poke, rice, or poi) is a top seller, as are the several varieties of smoked fish, everything from ahi to swordfish. The owners marinate the fish in soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic (no preservatives) and smoke it with kiawe wood. The fresh fish specials, at $7.95, come in six preparations and are flavored to perfection. At the chilled counter you can choose freshly sliced sashimi and many styles of poke, from scallop, ahi, and octopus to exotic marinated crab. This is a potluck bonanza that engages even newcomers, who point and order while regulars pick up sweeping assortments of seafood appetizers on large platters. They're all fresh and at good prices, especially for Friday-afternoon pau hana (after-work) parties.

In east Kauai's Kapaa town, the indispensable Pono Market, 4-1300 Kuhio Hwy. (tel. 808/822-4581), has similarly enticing counters of sashimi, poke, Hawaiian food, sushi, and a diverse assortment of takeout fare. It's known for its flaky manju (sweet potato and other fillings in baked crust), apple turnovers, sandwiches, excellent boiled peanuts, pork and chicken laulau, and plate lunches -- shoyu chicken, sweet-and-sour spareribs, pineapple-glazed chicken, teriyaki fish, and so on. The potato-macaroni salad (regulars buy it by the pound for barbecues and potlucks) and roast pork are top sellers. Pono Market is as good as they come. If they're available, pick up some Taro Ko taro chips; they're made in Hanapepe, hard to find, and definitely worth hand-carrying home.

At Mark's Place, 1610 Haleukana St. in Puhi Industrial Park (tel. 808/245-2722), just southwest of Lihue, island standards (Korean-style chicken, teriyaki beef, beef stew, chicken katsu) come with brown rice (or white) and salad for $6.25 or $7. The selection, which changes daily, always includes two salad and three entree choices as well as hot sandwiches (chicken, beef, and hamburgers) and the ever-popular bentos. Mark's is a takeout and catering operation, so don't expect table seating.

Lihue, the island's county and business seat, is full of ethnic eateries serving inexpensive plate lunches. Po's Kitchen, 4100 Rice St. (tel. 808/246-8617), offers Japanese specials: cone sushi, chicken katsu, teriyaki beef plates, and bentos. One block away, Garden Island BBQ, 4252-A Rice St. (tel. 808/245-8868), is the place for Chinese plate lunches and local staples such as barbecued or lemon chicken and teriyaki steak, as well as soups and tofu dishes.

In the Kukui Grove Center, at Kaumualii Highway (Hwy. 50) and Old Nawiliwili Road, Joni-Hana (tel. 808/245-5213) is famous for its specials -- nearly 20 a day! The tiny counter serves fried noodles, lemon-shoyu ono (wahoo), teriyaki everything, and many other local dishes. It's arguably the busiest place on the mall.

Family-Friendly Restaurants

In addition to the plate-lunch eateries, where children are welcome, the following restaurants not only tolerate kids but make them feel right at home:

Lihue -- Hanamaulu Restaurant (3-4291 Kuhio Hwy., Hanamaulu; tel. 808/245-2511). Generations of local families have grown up dining at this Japanese/Chinese eatery. Prices are so reasonable you can feed a family of four for less than $10 each and still leave food on the plate. Stop by for lunch; the kids will get a kick out of dining at low tables on tatami floors in a Japanese-garden setting.

Kalapaki Beach Hut (3474 Rice St., Nawiliwili; tel. 808/246-6330). This tiny "hut" is a great place for burgers (prepared 10 different ways). After a day at the beach, heck, you and the kids can show up in your bathing suits and slippers. Burgers for four, plus drinks, will only set you back $20.

Tip Top Café/Bakery (3173 Akahi St., Lihue; tel. 808/245-2333). This is a great place to take the entire family to breakfast. Most items are $5 or under, and the kids will love the macadamia-nut pancakes. On the way out, stop by the bakery and get the freshly baked malasadas.

Poipu Resort Area -- Brennecke's Beach Broiler (2100 Hoone Rd., across from Poipu Beach Park; tel. 808/742-7588). After a morning at Brennecke's Beach, just walk across the street to this casual eatery and chow down on their famous hamburgers. They also have "kid" items like nachos and peppers, fresh fish sandwiches, build-your-own gourmet burgers, and desserts. Look for the early dinner (4-6pm) to save even more money.

Poipu Beach Broiler (1941 Poipu Rd., Poipu; tel. 808/742-6433). The kids' menu at this steak-and-seafood restaurant features cheese ravioli ($6), grilled chicken and fries ($7), and the standard grilled cheese sandwich and fries ($6). Come early and take in the sunset.

Brick Oven Pizza (2-2555 Kaumualii Hwy. [Hwy. 50], Kalaheo, inland from Poipu; tel. 808/332-8561). Kids and pizza just go together, especially at this old-fashioned stone-oven pizzeria featuring more pizza toppings than you can count. There will be something here to please every member of the family, including Mom and Dad when they get the bill. A 15-inch pizza will feed four and cost less than $7 a person.

Camp House Grill (Kaumualii Hwy., across the street from the Menehune Foodmart, Kalaheo; tel. 808/332-9755). If your kids turn up their noses at gourmet food and just want plain ol' American, here's the answer. For just $5 you can get a burger, fries, and a small soft drink. For the same price you can substitute macaroni and cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich or popcorn chicken.

Coconut Coast -- Wailua Family Restaurant (4361 Kuhio Hwy., across from Kinipopo Shopping Village; tel. 808/822-3325). Seniors and kids get discounts on the huge menu, and Mom and Dad save on the all-you-can-eat buffet (soup, salad, pasta, taco, and desserts), a steal at $13. This family-friendly eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Bubba Burgers (4-1421 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa; tel. 808/823-0069; also Hanalei Center, Hanalei; tel. 808/826-7839). Here at the house of Bubba they dish out humor, great T-shirts, and old-fashioned hamburgers. They also serve up the Slopper (open-faced with chili), the half-pound Big Bubba (three patties), the Hubba Bubba (with rice, hot dog, and chili -- a Bubba's plate lunch), chicken burgers, Bubba's famous Budweiser chili, and a daily trio of fresh-fish specials, fish burgers, and fish and chips.

Ono Family Restaurant (4-1292 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa; tel. 808/822-1710). Most items on the breakfast/lunch menu are less than $9, and the portions are huge. (You may want to split an order with the kids, and you'll still walk away full.) Breakfast is a big deal here, with many egg dishes; banana, coconut, and macadamia-nut pancakes; and a few dozen other choices. The lunch menu lets you choose from fish, veggie, steak, tuna, and turkey sandwiches. Burgers with various toppings highlight the menu.

Duane's Ono-Char Burger (on Kuhio Hwy., Anahola; tel. 808/822-9181). If you're on your way to or from the beaches on the North Shore and the kids are starvin', stop at this hamburger stand for Duane's huge selection of burgers: teriyaki, mushroom, cheddar, barbecue, and the Special, with grilled onions, sprouts, and two cheeses. (Even Boca burgers are offered for vegetarians.) These one-of-a-kind burgers will set you back $4.15 to $6.45, with plenty of money left over for the marionberry ice-cream shake.

North Shore -- Tropical Taco (Hale Lea Building, 5-5088 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei; tel. 808/827-TACO; www.tropicaltaco.com). Kids will love the assortment of tacos and burritos in this counter service atmosphere, and you'll love the prices.

Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants

With all its local fresh produce and year-round producing fruits, Kauai can be a vegetarian's dream. Numerous restaurants cater to vegetarians with several entrees to choose from. Below are our favorites. Of course, numerous Asian restaurants also have several vegetarian dishes, so be sure to check them out.

Lihue -- Duke's Canoe Club (In the Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club, 3610 Rice St., Nawiliwili; tel. 808/246-9599). The best deal at this two-story, open-air "happening" eatery is the salad bar, which includes veggies, tofu, and other yummy selections; it's all you can eat for $13.

Gaylord's (At Kilohana, 3-2087 Kaumualii Hwy., Lihue; tel. 808/245-9593; www.gaylordskauai.com). Lunch at this elegantly casual restaurant features an array of salads and a divine fettuccini, and for dinner I'd pick the fire-grilled veggies over the fresh pasta.

Kalapaki Beach Hut (3474 Rice St., Nawiliwili; tel. 808/246-6330). If you are just looking for a quick breakfast or lunch, this tiny place has waffles for breakfast, garden burgers for lunch, and lots and lots of salads.

Poipu -- The Beach House (5022 Lawai Rd., Poipu; tel. 808/742-1424). One of the most romantic places on Kauai, with wraparound views of the Pacific Ocean. Take your sweetheart and dine on pasta or a layered risotto; either sets you back about $20.

Brennecke's Beach Broiler (2100 Hoone Rd., across from Poipu Beach Park; tel. 808/742-7588; www.brenneckes.com). Across the street from the Poipu Beach Park, this burger place also features a terrific salad bar, stir-fried veggies, yummy pastas, and veggie burgers, all in the $12 to $32 range.

Casa Blanca at Kiahuna (2290 Poipu Rd., in the Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club, Poipu; tel. 808/742-2929). There are many pastas to choose from at this open-air bistro overlooking the tennis courts, but I'd recommend the vegetarian lasagna (a bargain at $14).

Plantation Gardens Restaurant (In Kiahuna Plantation Resort, 2253 Poipu Rd.; tel. 808/742-2216). Dine in a garden on their yummy eggplant dish ($19), or you can request a vegetarian stir-fry ($21).

Roy's Poipu Bar & Grill (In Poipu Shopping Village, 2360 Kiahuna Plantation Dr.; tel. 808/742-5000; www.roysrestaurant.com). Well-known Hawaii chef, Roy Yamaguchi, has a portobello mushroom dish ($15) that is heavenly. They will generally feature a couple of vegetarian dishes nightly, or you can request a special vegetarian dish that they will be happy to whip up for you.

Tidepool Restaurant (Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, 1571 Poipu Rd., Poipu; tel. 808/742-1234). Although this restaurant's specialty is fresh fish, vegetarians can dine in this Polynesian-style thatched bungalow. They generally have vegetarian items on the ever-changing menu. My fave is the teriyaki tofu ($23), so yummy, even carnivores order it.

Kalaheo -- Kalaheo Coffee Co & Café (2-2560 Kaumualii Hwy. [Hwy. 50], Kalaheo, across the street from Brick Oven Pizza; tel. 808/332-5858). It's a vegetarian's dream with many veggie selections for breakfast (veggie tofu), lunch (tofu/eggplant wrap, grilled veggie sandwich, garden burger), and dinner (pasta primavera).

Hanapepe -- Hanapepe Café (3830 Hanapepe Rd., Hanapepe; tel. 808/335-5011). This gourmet vegetarian cafe is a feast for non-meat eaters; don't miss their dinners on Friday nights.

Coconut Coast -- Blossoming Lotus (Dragon Building, 4504 Kukui St., Kapaa; tel. 808/822-7678; www.blossominglotus.com). Perhaps the best organic gourmet vegan restaurant in the state, it even has carnivores raving about the incredible food. You don't have to be a born-again vegetarian to find something on the creative menu to tempt you. Appetizers include spring rolls filled with fresh garden veggies and served with a Thai dipping sauce or a cosmic corn bread packed with cilantro and chiles. Entrees range from a coconut curry to an enchilada casserole. Lots of salads and sinful-looking (but healthy) desserts round out the always-changing menu.

Coconuts Island Style Grill (4-919 Kuhio Hwy.; tel. 808/823-8777). This casual eatery has pastas with vegetables ($18) and organic garden salads ($6.95, with goat cheese $12) for those looking for vegetarian entrees.

Mermaids Café (1384 Kuhio Hwy., Kapaa; tel. 808/821-2026). This tiny hole in the wall is loaded with veggie dishes from the tofu sate plate to the tofu stir-fry to the bean burrito, and prices are very frugal.

Kilauea -- Kilauea Bakery & Pau Hana Pizza (In Kong Lung Center, Kilauea Rd., off Hwy. 56 on the way to the Kilauea Lighthouse, Kilauea; tel. 808/828-2020). The vegetarian pizzas here are the best! I'm also partial to their great vegan soups (like the yummy curried carrot soup or the pumpkin soup).

Hanalei -- Postcards Cafe (On Kuhio Hwy., at the entrance to Hanalei town; tel. 808/826-1191). Vegetarians will love this small, picturesque cafe, with a very veggie-friendly menu. My picks from the changing menu are the sombrero (puff pastry filled with organic cheeses, green chiles, onions, mushrooms, and garlic) or the Shanghai (tofu with veggies and roasted cashews in a tamarind ginger sauce). Save room for the chocolate silk (a chocolate pie in a crust of graham crackers, dried cherries, and crusted cashews) -- yum-yum.

A Hawaiian Feast: The Luau

Originally, an ancient Hawaiian feast was called a pa'ina or 'aha'aina, but in 1856, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (the newspaper of the day) started referring to the feast as a "luau," a name referring to the young taro tops always served at the feast. Try to take in a luau while you're on Kauai. A luau today can range from a backyard affair to a commercial production at a major resort. The best ones are put on by local churches, schools, or hula halau. However, most visitors won't have the opportunity to see these truly authentic feasts. Several commercial luau listed below will provide a taste and a feel for them.

Most luau are fixed in price, generally $68 to $99 for adults, less for children. A variety of traditional foods and entertainment is provided. The luau usually begins at sunset and features Polynesian and Hawaiian entertainment, which can range from lavish affairs with flaming knives or torches being juggled, to performances of ancient hula, missionary-era hula, and modern hula, as well as narration of the stories and legends portrayed by the dances. The food always includes imu-roasted kalua pig, lomi salmon, dried fish, poke (raw fish cut into small pieces), poi (made from taro), laulau (meat, fish, and vegetables wrapped in ti leaves), Hawaiian sweet potato, sautéed vegetables, salad, and the ultimate taste treat, a coconut dessert called haupia. Don't worry; if you've never heard of these items (and can't pronounce them either), most luau will also have more common preparations of fish, chicken, and roast beef, as well as easily recognizable salads and standard desserts like cake.

The mainstay of the feast is the imu, a hot earthen pit in which the pig and other items are cooked. The preparations for the feast actually begin in the morning, when the luau master layers hot stones and banana stalks in the pit to get the temperature up to 400°F (204°C). The pig, vegetables, and other items are lowered into the pit and cooked all day. The water in the leaves steams the pig and roasts the meat to a tender texture.

One of the larger commercial luau in the island is Smith's Tropical Paradise Garden Lu'au, in the Tropical Paradise Gardens on the Wailua River (tel. 808/821-6895 or 808/821-6896; www.smithskauai.com), every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5pm (during the popular summer months it is 5 days a week Mon-Fri). Luau prices are $70 for adults, $30 for children 7 to 13, and $19 for children 3 to 6; or you can come for just the entertainment at 7:30pm and pay $15 for adults, $7.50 for children under 12.

Recently the Sheraton Kauai, Poipu Beach (tel. 808/742-8200; www.sheratonkauai.com), launched the island's only oceanfront luau. The Surf to Sunset Luau is held on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, beginning at 6pm with a shell lei greeting and a mai tai. Photos with Poipu Beach serving as the background are offered, and guests can wander among the local artisans who teach lei making, lauhala weaving, and coconut frond weaving. After the feast, and before Pilah's Royal Polynesian Revue begins the entertainment, there is a pareu (sarong) fashion show that teaches visitors several techniques for tying this island cloth into a variety of different types of clothing. Cost for adults ranges from $75 for the buffet dinner and entertainment to $87 for premier seating, table service, and professional photos. Cost for children ages 6 to 12 years is $38 and $44.

The luau at the ResortQuest Kauai Beach, Kapaa (tel. 808/823-0311; Tues-Sun) begins at 5:30pm with an imu ceremony where the pig is removed from the pit, followed by entertainment featuring ancient and modern hula performances. The cost is $68 for adults, $62 for seniors, $45 for teenagers 13 to 18, $35 for children 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under.

The Princeville Resort puts on a beachside luau called Pa'ina O' Hanalei, 5520 Kahaku Rd., Princeville (tel. 800/826-4400 or 808/826-9644; www.princeville.com), Monday and Thursday at 6pm. Under a canopy of stars, a full feast is served and a Polynesian revue performed. The cost is $99 for adults, $90 for seniors, and $45 for children 6 to 12.

On the south coast, check out Grand Hyatt Kauai Luau in the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, 1571 Poipu Rd., Poipu (tel. 800/55-HYATT or 808/742-1234; www.kauai-hyatt.com), every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday during summer (Sun and Thurs only during the rest of the year). Not only do they have an elaborate buffet but a very professional Polynesian show. The cost is $75 for adults, $65 for teens 13 to 20, and $40 for children 6 to 12.

A Taste of the Islands

Hawaii's Meadow Gold Dairies has a creamy product line of premium ice cream, that's a richer dessert that's not for those counting calories but for those ice cream aficionados who are looking for a melt-in-your-mouth taste of Hawaii. We recommended the Kona coffee, macadamia nut, or honeydew melon. Traditionalists will go for the vanilla, chocolate, Neapolitan, rocky road, or cookies and cream. People who can't make up their minds will love the blended flavors like mint chocolate chip or the espresso fudge pie. Sherbet fans have two flavors to choose from: rainbow rapture or orange. You can find these ice creams in the frozen section of most supermarkets across the island. For more information: www.lanimoo.com.

Where's All the Bottom Fish on the Menu?

What happen to the signature Hawaii bottom fish on the menus in Kauai's restaurants? The state and federal government have instituted closures for fishing of Hawaii's popular bottom fish (opakapaka, hapuupuu, onaga, lehi, ehu, kalekale, and gindai) during several months (May-Sept, but the ban may be extended) to revive the depleting stocks of these very yummy fish, which are the star "signature" items of numerous restaurants around the state. If you see one of these fish on the menu during the months of May to September, it may not be fresh, or it may have been caught in waters elsewhere in the Pacific but not Hawaii.

Icy-Cold Dessert

Maybe it's because Hawaii can be hot. Maybe it's because the local population loves sweets. Maybe it's because it's just downright refreshing and delicious, but don't leave Kauai until you have tried "shave ice." The mainland has "snow cones," which are made from crushed ice with sweet flavorings poured over the top. Shave ice (not "shaved" ice) is made by shaving a block of ice with an ultrasharp blade, which results in ice as thin as frozen powder. The shave ice is then saturated with a sweet syrup. (Flavors can range from old-fashioned strawberry to such local treats as li hing mui.) You can also ask for shave ice on top of ice cream. (Try it with sweet Japanese azuki beans for a special treat.) Shave ice can be found all over the island, from small, hole-in-the-wall stores to vans alongside the road. A few to look for are: Shave Ice Paradise, in the Hanalei Center (tel. 808/826-6659); Hawaiian Blizzard, a small stand in front of Big Save, in the Kapaa Shopping Center, 4-1105 Kuhio Hwy., no phone; Halo Halo Shave Ice, 2956 Kress St., Lihue (tel. 808/245-5094); and Hawaiian Hut Delights (which features sugar-free shave ice), 3805 Hanapepe Rd., Hanapepe (tel. 808/335-3781).