Sarah Dayman

On March 1, 2015 Rich and I hopped a cheap flight to Oahu, Hawaii for a nice week away.
Hawaii was not on the top of my list but that is for another Blog but we fell in love with it and can't wait to go back!



While Hawaii surprised us in many ways, there were a few things that were not suprising.
The first being the cost of food and the quality of food.

Food is expensive there in relation to what we pay here but I found that in Vegas as well.  It is probably for similar reasons in restaurants (Tourist Money) however even in the grocery stores the food does cost quite a bit more then we are accustomed to.

While we are people who will endulge ourselves, we generally are healthy eaters eating fresh fruits and vegetables and quality meats.  We found it really difficult to find options even in the grocery store.  Our hotel room did not have a kitchen, just a mini fridge.  Cooking food was not an option at all.  This made it difficult for us as eating out every meal of every day was going to be hard on our bodies.  Tip #1 - If you have any dietary needs at all it really is best to pay a little more for your hotel room and get a kitchen!  This will help with food cost but also will be easier to control the food you eat.

We find this to be a regular struggle for us no matter where we go (Except the higher end cruises and resorts) so we are becoming accustomed to finding solutions!  Tip #2 The first solution we found that was invaluable.... Subway had a 6" breakfast sub (egg and bacon) with coffee for under $3 each! This gave me control on what went in my stomach (food quality was not the greatest but it made do for the week we were there!).

Tip #3 - There is a concept in Hawaii that we have never come across before.  BYOB.  You actually bring your own alcohol that you purchase from the local ABC Store (they are everywhere so don't panic!)  It's amazing how much lower your bill is when you supply your own wine!

We ate at some really great places, some of these gave us great healthy choices and some were purely indulging!  Check out where we ate and maybe they are some places you would like to try to!!

The Lovin Oven

As a Travel Consultant there is not possible way that we can have visited everywhere in the world.  We rely heavily on our networking contacts. As part of a team we have resources available to us that the general public does not have.  The Aqua Bamboo is a 3* hotel option in Waikiki that I have been sending people who are on a budget.  It has proven to be a hit everytime. I had to go and visit!  It has a charming Courtyard with a lush pool area with its own Pizzaria.  The Lovin Oven.  It is BYOB so we brought our own drinks and ordered a pizza... Half Hawaiin and half meat lovers by the light of a Tiki Torch!  Tip #4 - Always pack reusable containers or ZipLock Bags when travelling for left overs. We couldn't eat it all and we had lunch the next day too!

      

Opal Thai - North Shore

This one we just came across by chance.  We had rented a car for one of the days to go and explore the island.  We were on the North Shore exploring some local artists galleries after watching the pro surfers.  One of the galleries recommended we visit Opal's for supper.  It really didn't look like very much, but in the end it was one of the best food experiences that we ever had.

It was BYOB and there was a line up!  When it was our turn we were ushered into a small resturant on the side of a strip mall.  Nothing fancy at all.

We were given menus and were served our drinks.  The owner/chef was the person who came out to take our order.  When he sat down, he took our menus away and started asking us a ton of questions!  Not questions you would think that was related to food.  More about who we were, where we come from and our lifestyle.   He then shook our hands and said that our meals would be out.  We didn't even order!  He decided what we were going to have.

It was amazing!  It was even better Thai food then what we had in Thailand! He picked the perfect dishes!
I will always remember this restaurant!




Tiki's Grill and Bar - This was kind of our Go To place because we arrived late in Waikiki on our first night and were starved.  There weren't too many places with their kitchen's open but this one did.  The views are excellent and it has a great vibe.  We came here a couple of times during the week.  The Menu was a grill so burgers were generally our choice.

       


Polynesian Cultural Centre - One of the greatest Interactive Museum presentations that I have ever been too.  The whole cultural centre is really well done.  You could actually spend more then one day here if you wanted to cover it all.  As part of our package, we decided to included the Luau.
It was different then I had thought in my head.  It is not on a beach and they have tables set up all around.  I was thinking that it would be a little more intimate when in fact they were serving hundreds of people.  We got to try traditional Polynesian dishes and a pig roast.  We also met some very charming people who were seated at the same table as us.  I always love meeting people on our adventures away!




Egg's N Things - Before we found the Subway, we tried a breakfast place that was right next to our hotel.  It is not a well reviewed place.  It is VERY expensive but.... OMG the pancakes!!!! This is where we discovered coconut syrup.  I will never forget...... Tip #5 - Great gift to bring back from Hawaii.. Coconut syrup!




Bubbies Home made icecream and desserts. - One thing that Rich loves to do everywhere we go is vist a Crossfit Gym to make sure that he is getting at least one or two workouts a week while we are away.  It's kind of neat to see the different communities and meet some like minded people.  At one of our visits the members strongly recommended that we visit this Icecream place.  I am so glad they did!  It got us out away from the main Tourist area and it was fantastic!  Have fun with the menu!
                       

Five Star Shrimp Truck - One of the things on my list going to Hawaii was to eat from a Shrimp Truck.  There is plenty of opportunity to do so and there are quite a few on the North Shore that are reknowned.  Tip #6 YouTube is a great tool and I use it for every trip I take.
As we did not have a car for the whole trip, we decided to find a truck that was close and within walking distance.  Yummy shrimp coated with Garlic with a side of rice!  Perfect!

     

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Please email me  sarah.dayman@fcatravel.ca