Tasting Hawaii

I have only been doing the vegetarian thing for a couple months now, but I have never had an issue finding plenty of things I want to eat on a menu. I have been asked a few times, "so, what do you eat?" As if they couldn't imagine a meal being complete without a serving of meat (my husband included). So, here are a few of my finds from around Hawaii:

-Spicy Tofu Stir Fry - the very first night here we ate at a cafe in the hotel called Koko Cafe. They had a couple vegetarian options so my momma went for the veggie burger with a garlic sauce, and I did the spicy tofu stir fry. It was amazing, especially if you like your food with a kick. There were all kinds of veggies mixed with soba noodles and tofu. Extremely filling, too.

 - Fish Quesadillas - I will admit that I do have more choices because I do eat seafood still, but I am not willing to give it up and things like fish quesadillas are my favorite. I got these from Schooners Restaurant, outside of the Pearl Harbor memorial. They were so tasty! The wraps were crispy, the fish was tender and the salsa was loaded with all kinds of tomatoes and peppers. They do have a bean and cheese version if you don't eat fish.

 -Ahi Tartare with Risotto Cake; Mango, Avocado, Pecan Salad; and Salted Chocolate Pretzel Tarte - This was from a restaurant called Town that was a recommendation from a friend of my husband's. The menu changes daily and most choices do have meat in them, but I love their slogan, "Local first, organic whenever possible, Aloha always." The food was absolutely amazing! However, the portions were pretty tiny, and the wait was long, but the tastes made up for it. The salad had a 'green goddess' dressing on it that was kinda tangy and delish, and the tartare was on point, but i wish I would have ordered what my momma got! I had dinner envy just staring at her plate and dug in shortly after finishing mine. She had this vegetarian assortment plate (not on the menu) that had all kinds of veggies I had never heard of, but they were all amazing. I don't even know the names of most of the things, but there was grilled squash, polenta, kale with pine nuts, and so much more. I wanted to order a plate of my own even after my tartare! Now the dessert, oh. my. It was so good. The chocolate was incredibly rich and the pretzels added just enough savory to balance it out. We spilt it between the three of us and it was perfect.

 - Mediterranean Tofu Pizza - We were so exhausted one night that we just ate at the restaurant at the hotel, Biba's. The pizza was good, crispy crust, tomatoes, mozzarella, lots of herbs and tofu, but was definitely not weight watchers friendly because it was also covered in oil.

 - Macadamia Nut Pancakes and Veggie Omelet - These were the best pancakes I've ever had and that is saying something because I just spent 3 months in Columbia, SC eating at The Original Pancake House. They came from Eggs N Things and they had macadamia nuts cooked inside them, as well as on top, along with powdered sugar. I don't typically use syrup (too many WW points) but their coconut syrup was delish. The omelet was just as good. It was packed with zucchini, spinach and mushrooms, and it usually comes with cheese, but we skipped it. Me and the momma split both and it was the perfect amount of food.

 - Peanut Butter Shaved Ice - This was not what I expected. I expected something like a snow cone, but it was actually very soft, creamy, melt in your mouth flakes and covered in these sweet syrups. Super tasty and something Hawaii is known for so I couldn't leave without trying it. 

-Pesto Salmon and Fries - I really wanted French fries and sometimes you just have to give in to that craving. This meal was back at Koko Cafe in the hotel and it was just as tasty as the first. The pesto was kind of salty, but it was laying on top of a sweet tomato sauce that balanced it out nicely. The fries definitely hit the spot.

 - Pumpkin Soup, Tempura Veggies, Mediterranean Vegan 'Chickun' pasta, Avocado Smoothie - It sounds like a lot, but it was all split with the momma. Now before I describe the food, I have to give a disclaimer that this restaurant, Simple Joy Vegetarian, is not in the best area. I recommend coming during the day, with a group and driving there. They have free parking. Now, the food. It was amazing! The pumpkin soup had chunks of roasted pumpkin in it, the pasta had olives, onions, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and herbs, and the tempura veggies held up even after a half hour walk before we ate. The only thing I wasnt impressed with was the avocado smoothie and that may just be an acquired taste. It tasted like it sounds, a blended avocado. We had a couple sips each and then tossed it. Overall though, the food was so good, but check out my post 'Hawaii - Day 4' for the whole experience of getting the food.

 - Fish Burrito - This was at a hole in the wall Mexican place called Serg's Mexican Kitchen. Like most holes in the wall, the food was excellent. I ate till I was stuffed (not weight watchers friendly). The burrito was filled with grilled mahi mahi and Mexican slaw (which looked like lettuce and guacamole) and came with beans and rice. Commence food coma. This was our favorite meal of the trip. We were talking about it for days after eating it.

 -Tuna and Avocado Salad - This was from a little ocean side place called Crouching Lion. This was my kind of salad, all kinds of goodies on it. There was tuna, avocado (obviously), pineapple, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, onions, croutons and papaya poppyseed dressing. Delish!

 - Parmesan Crusted Grilled Cheese - The last night here the rain wouldn't stop so we ate at Biba's again. This was like a grown up version of the grilled cheese. It had mozzarella, provolone, tomato, basil, covered in Parmesan and grilled. Cheese overload! Again, not weight watchers friendly, but boy, what a sandwich. The basil really gave it a kick. At the same time, the momma was having an ahi tuna sandwich with wasabi aoli. The Aoli was everything I hoped it would be - amazing.

 - Rare Ahi Tuna Salad - We ventured to the Hilton next-door to our hotel and ate at the Tropics Bar & Grill. The tuna was pepper-seared and had a wasabi dressing. I love wasabi, so that is what drew me in. It also had edamame, seaweed, pickled ginger and carrots. It was okay and the wasabi gave my sinuses a good clean out, but it was probably my least favorite meal for the whole trip. We had a tropical fruit crepe a couple hours later that totally made up for it, though.

 - Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts - I had to have some of these since we're in Hawaii and I was instantly hooked. I think they may have added crack to them. Luckily, we left them in a hot car and they turned into an unappealing, chocolate goo.

 -And i LOVE me some iced coffee with coconut creamer/syrup. It's like a special treat, without the insane calorie count that comes with a blended drink.

 Now, like I mentioned, a lot of this food was not weight watchers friendly, but we really wanted to enjoy ourselves while on vacation. Time to get strict again!

Hawaii - Day 7 - Goodbye Paradise

We are leaving today, heading back to...cold weather... ice storms.. And possible.. SNOW *shudder*

We have had a fantastic time though. Seven days seems to be the perfect amount of time, any longer and I would have needed a day of just sleeping to be able to continue at the pace we've been going. It may not have seemed like a lot, but we've been going nonstop from about 0530-0600 till we hit the bed around 2100-2130 (save the nights we were asleep by 1930). We fit in almost everything we wanted to do, except the Polynesian Cultural Center and snorkeling, but that just gives us an excuse to come back ;)

We didn't wander very far today because we will have to zip off to the airport this evening, but we still took advantage of our last day here. We checked out the 'Aloha Crafters' who sell their crafts in the hotel lobby. Me and the momma both bought hand crafted tiki men, made from salt water wood from the North Shore. Then we hung out on or balcony and ate our breaky and just enjoyed being outside for the last day before going back to the cold. We were able to hit up the hot tub one last time before checkout, then we just milled about along the strip until it was time to go to the airport. Wonderful day to just relax before getting on an airplane for hours.

***On a side note, thoughts and prayers to those in Boston today. Such a terrible thing that happened.

Hawaii - Day 6 - Who Could Ask For Anything More

Today we headed across the island to Kualoa Ranch, where some movies/TV shows have been filmed - Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, Godzilla (1997), Lost, Pearl Harbor, National Geographic; You, Me and Dupree; Mighty Joe Young, George of the Jungle, Journey 2, Biggest Loser. We got to see 'the most famous dead log in Hawaii' where they took cover from the stampede in JP, and Godzilla's footsteps. They also turned a former military battery from WWII into a movie museum with pictures and memorabilia from filming.

They have all kinds of other things to do at the ranch, but it can get kind of pricey. We just wandered around and checked things out on our own after the movie tour because they do have a lot going on. The ranch rescues animals from the zoo when they get too old, including an ostrich that lived 27 years after the zoo was done with it. They do hula lessons, jungle tours, ATV tours and horse back riding. They also raise cattle and they serve the beef in the restaurant.

Afterward we just drove along the shore and stopped as we saw shiny things. First, was a little shop that had hand carved wood sculptures, they were really pricey though. Next, we stopped and had some Fine Ass Chocolate and Coffee with our feet in the water. Can't get much better than that. We started heading back to the hotel because rain finally caught up to us, but we couldn't complain because we went all week with nothing but sunshine. By the time we got back to the hotel, the sun was shining again. Here's to a lazy afternoon, lounging by the pool! Aloha!

**Update - We lounged until the rain caught up to us at the hotel. No worries though, we hung out on our balcony and just relaxed. Even when it rains, it's still beautiful here.

Hawaii - Day 5 - Hiking Hawaii

Did Dr. Seuss get his inspiration from Hawaii? Because you wouldn't believe the beautiful, vibrant plants and flowers we've seen here. So many colors!

Today, we hiked up to Manoa Falls. Again, we saw people of all ability levels doing it, but come with proper footwear because the girl in wedges was having a hard go at it. The entire hike is about 2 miles, round trip, through a beautiful forest that was all in bloom and the falls itself was breath taking. A picture can't even do it justice, you'll have to experience it yourself. It costs $5 to park and you definitely need bug repellant.

I couldn't resist the photo op as Katniss Everdeen, with them just wrapping up filming Catching Fire in Oahu, and because I love Jennifer Lawrence (beautiful, funny and awkward. Awesome).

After that we headed to the Ho'omaluhia Botanical Gardens, where the drive along the rock walls made it worth it enough, but the gardens held their own. We walked to the lake and hung out with the ducks and a mongoose who was checking us out. The gardens are huge and you could easily spend a while day here, so I recommend you pack some food and just explore.

We weren't smart enough to bring food so we had to leave for lunch, then headed to the Ka'iwi Shoreline Trail. Talk about an incline! Trust me, do not eat beforehand, it will just weigh you down. it's about 2.7 miles, round trip with a lighthouse at the top. According to the momma, "the tiniest lighthouse ever." On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the Halona Blowhole. If you're like my husband and not sure what that means, it's where water is blown out of a hole. Blowhole.

We're planning on staying in for the evening, maybe hitting up the hot tub. We learned our lesson about venturing out at night from last night (check out my day 4 post). Aloha!

Hawaii - Day 4 - Hula Dancer

Today we dropped the hubby off at the airport because he has to get back to work, so the rest of the trip will be just me and the momma.

We kind of took it easy this morning and hung out on the balcony in the sun until our 10am hula lessons! I need to preface this with that me and my momma are two of the least graceful people alive. The guy taught us the moves for our feet, but then changed it up when we applied it and we got all confused. The momma reached her limit when we were expected to move our feet and arms at the same time, so she became a photographer. I stayed in the game, but there were four verses so I would get lost and it wasn't very feminine like you would expect it to look. I kind of took on an Army stance a couple times, so I looked a bit manly. The last time through I (mostly) remembered the moves. I'll teach the momma the routine later because the instructor didn't have the patience for remedial lessons.

Afterward, we headed to the beach! We laid out in the sun for awhile, but the sand was irritating our marathon wounds (blisters) so we went to play doctor (I am a journalist, not a doctor so you entrust life or limb in my hands at your own risk) then moved pool side.

Pretty much, would took a day to just enjoy the sun. Aloha!

*Update * I thought our evening was going to be quiet and uneventful so I went ahead and posted earlier. I was wrong.

We decided to walk to a restaurant that was only a mile and a half from the hotel, so we didn't even think it would be a sketchy area, but it was. We ended up in a shady part of Chinatown, we were running out of daylight and you could tell people knew we shouldn't be there. So, we got our food to go then took the most direct route back to Waikiki Beach so we could follow that back to the hotel. We felt much safer being back in a more touristy area, but we almost let our guard down too soon. As we were crossing the street, a homeless man was in front of us. We were both keeping our eye on him, just in case, but he wasn't being too suspicious. He stopped at a bus stop and we both thought, "oh, good, we don't have to worry about him." Nope. As I walked past, he did this backward ninja kick and tried to make contact with me. What. The. F@ck. Seriously? Did that just happen? After all we had been through to get that food, I would have been livid if he would have kicked it. Luckily, he missed and we just kept on walking and made it safely back to the hotel in time for Friday night fireworks. And the food was amazing! Don't know if I'd go as far too say it was worth the hassle, but it was delish.

Hawaii-Day 3 - whale watching!

I know I've mentioned this before, but I seriously love how active people are here. We headed to Diamond Head Crater today and as we drove to the trail there were runners, bikers and people just working out in general. It really gets you motivated!

And you definitely need that motivation to get to the top. It's only about a mile and a half, round trip, but the incline and stairs are pretty steep. Anyone can do it, we saw people of every size, shape, age, fitness level and attire (flip flops and swimsuits, really??), and there are places to stop along the way to rest, just make sure you bring water.

The view from the top of the crater is unbelievable. You have the ocean on one side and the inside of the crater on the other, as well as amazing views of Honolulu and it is beautiful. We even got the chance to see whales playing in the ocean. So cool!

Later, we walked to the Waikiki Aquarium, which justified our decadent breakfast and satisfied my people-watching craving. There were some interesting outfits and actions going on, again, every age, shape, and size in all forms of attire. The aquarium was nice, small, but we got to see the Hawaiian Monk Seals being fed.

Then it was time for the Hale Koa Luau! I figured i had to go to go to a luau while in Hawaii, even if just to say I've been. We got leied as we came in then they had a couple different things set up where you could make your own lei bracelet, palm strand headband, a band playing music with hula dancers, an incredible palm tree climbing demonstration (he was wearing a skirt, so it was quite a show), and a Polynesian cooking demonstration.

Then it was time to eat! The appetizers were seaweed salad, cucumber salad, raw salmon and tomatoes, and fresh pineapple that was so juicy. All of it was so good! The main dish got a little tricky because it all came on one plate and it was a lot of meat, I just picked around it and still got some really good mahi mahi, shrimp fried rice, potato and banana fritter. They put on a show with hula dancing and teaching how to open a coconut while we ate. Afterward, the traditional dancing began where they had a performance for each of the Polynesian Islands. The host really made the show by being interactive and very funny. I even got to go up on stage to dance and got a beautiful flower lei for it! It was a lot of fun. Definitely worth the experience. Aloha!