Aloha! Have you ever travelled to Hawaii? Most people go to Waikiki to start, and then venture out to the other islands, like Maui. I rediscovered Oahu staying on the west coast of the island in Ko Olina. With my new perspective on Oahu, here are my 5 top reasons to like, and to visit Oahu, and Hawaii in general.
- Kine 105.1 FM
- Hawaiian plate lunch
- Drinking a Mai Tai beach side
- Perfect sunny weather
- Kona Big Wave Golden Ale
- Shrimp trucks in Haleiwa
Kine 105.1 FM
Most people coming to Hawaii are probably pretty stressed from their work life. A wonderful way to help destress your life while you are in Hawaii is to listen to some laid back, melodic Hawaiian grown music, both traditional and modern. You may have heard of some of the songs by Israel “IZ” Ka?ano?i Kamakawiwo?ole. He did “Somewhere over the rainbow” in a Hawaiian style. Kine 105.1 FM was my radio station on this trip. I see that they have a streaming web option, so I’m going to listen to KINE when I am back in Vancouver.
Hawaiian Plate Lunch
What is a Hawaiian Plate lunch? The typical plate lunch consists of two scoops of white rice, a scoop of macaroni salad, and a main entrée. The main entree tends to be either a Japanese dish (e.g. Teriyaki beef) or a Hawaiian dish, such as Kalua pork with cabbage. Plate lunches tend to be taken out and eaten by workers, but they have been very popular with locals and visitors alike. How many lunch plates can I eat? Apparently one a day. I am addicted to the Kalua pork with cabbage. The pork traditionally is roasted in a pit (but commercially it is roasted in an oven with liquid smoke added). The smoke flavoured pork is shredded and mixed with steamed cabbage. Enjoy this with a local microbrewery beer and you will have a happy mouth and stomach! Here is an oven-roasted recipe for Kalua pork.
Drinking a Mai Tai beach side
Mai Tai is the signature drink of the Hawaiian islands in my mind. The Mai Tai cocktail came into being in 1944 in Oakland’s Trader Vic’s, but has been adopted by Hawaii. Here is the original recipe for a Mai Tai. Listening to the ocean waves as you sit beachside, watching the beautiful yellow, orange, and red-hued sunset, and drinking a Mai Tai is a great stress reliever. Highly recommended.
Perfect sunny weather
Whether you are at the beach, splashing in the ocean, or you are at the pool, having sunny, warm weather makes your day even more special. Bring a book, sunglasses, and suntan lotion. Read at your leisure, jump in the water, then back to reading. Another great way to spend a day in Hawaii.
Kona Big Wave Golden Ale
I do like drinking beer, as well as wine. On this trip to Hawaii, I decided to give the Kona Big Wave Golden Ale a try, as I do enjoy ales. I had no information about this beer ahead of time but lucked out buying a very tasty beer. It is fairly light-bodied, with medium amount of hops and some coriander flavour. Serve it cold on a hot day. Especially with a Kalua pork Hawaiian plate lunch.
Shrimp trucks in Haleiwa
If you have not heard about the Shrimp trucks in Oahu, join the club. I did not either, but accidentally came across an article in a local magazine about them. The granddaddy of the shrimp trucks is called Giovanni’s.
To get to these trucks you have to drive to Haleiwa. It is about 45 minutes from Waikiki, or from Ko Olina. It is a really laid back town. I think many of the people there surf in the mornings or evenings, then mid-day they work in the various shops and restaurants.
Giovanni’s have several different flavours. The most popular I think is the “Shrimp Scampi” which are pan-fried with lots of garlic. You get 12 on a plate. If you are still hungry you can order their garlic hot dog. If you need something to wash down these, try a Hawaiian shaved ice.
I hope I’ve enticed you to travel to Hawaii and enjoy some of the things I did. Aloha!
