This is the best dining option at Ko Olina Station, a strip mall of casual eateries servicing Ko Olina Resort. One of the latest ventures from Peter Merriman, who pioneered farm-to-table fine dining on the Big Island in the ’80s, Monkeypod is a larger, more casual restaurant (with another location on Maui). The vibe in this two-story space is welcoming and friendly, with live music on the lānai and a long bar with 36 (!) beers on tap. Expect fresh salads and entrees like fish and chips and burgers. I always go for the saimin, which is nothing like the traditional version you’ll find elsewhere; here it comes with kalua pork and fresh vegetables. To drink: the bracingly zingy housemade ginger beer. Tip: Want a more intimate bar experience? Head upstairs, where the bartenders spend a little more time making your cocktails, which include fresh takes on the mai tai (topped with a honey lilikoi foam) and the Makawao Ave., made with rye and that terrific ginger beer.