My Hawaiian Vacation, part 2

So I’m back from Hawaii, and I just want to let everyone know that yes, you can visit Oahu twice in one year and have a great time. (I also want to note here that Jason and I survived traveling together for a week in paradise.)

But seriously, everything I loved about Hawaii in March, I also loved this time around:

• The water
• The scenery
• The people
• The food

However, it is still interesting to compare and contrast the two trips:

• Weather: we had less rain in November than March, but there was ample sun to do outdoor activities on both trips. I’m just glad that the weather this time didn’t ruin my idea of what a Hawaiian sunrise should look like.
• Crowds: tourist season was just starting to heat up in March, and it also happened to be spring break when we visited. It was nice that November was more of an off-peak time with less tourists.
• Activities: we actually did a lot of the same activities this time around as in March — the Twin Islands kayaking tour, sunrise Diamond Head hike (there was sun this time, yay!), Pillbox hike (it’s still beautiful post-sunrise), and surfing lessons (with a different company). I enjoyed all of those activities a second time because I haven’t yet tired of Hawaii’s natural beauty (and who gets tired of surfing, really?). We also did some things differently — thanks to Jason we biked around the city a lot more (yay for bike sharing programs!), and I also did a new hike close to Waikiki.
• Friends: of course, the people you travel with are often the biggest variables in how you experience your vacation. I should mention here that the reason why I visited Oahu twice this year was my good friends Charlene and Cameron; they put out a bat signal when they were planning extended stays in Hawaii, and I answered the call both times. There were a few other friends who joined in March, and Jason joined in November.

There’s a lot I can write on the food front, but perhaps the best one-line summary of the trip is that we were never hungry. Well, except for the first day, when I told Jason I’d wait for him to arrive to have a late dinner. Two hours later, I was starving so I grabbed a poke bowl from across the street. Two hours after that, I went out to get spam musubi. And then we had udon when he finally got to the hotel. Subsequent to all that nonsense, I was never hungry since we were trying (in vain) to hit all the places that were recommended to me.

It’s funny because people often ask how I know so many good places, and the simple answer is: my friends. Either people just tell me about good places they’ve been to, or I make sure to ask for recommendations whenever I hear of somebody visiting a place I would want to go to. Sure, Yelp is a great tool too, but nothing beats a human curator who knows what you might like (thanks, friends!).

In closing, I would like to share my food highlights that everybody should try if they find themselves in Waikiki:

• Kona Coffee Purveyors | b patisserie: great coffee, and the black sesame kouign amanns are amazing.
• Anything Island Vintage: the coffee is awesome and has a unique Hawaiian twist (Island latte is my personal favorite), the haupia açaí bowl is the best açaí bowl I’ve ever had (Cafe Brasil in Santa Cruz was my previous fave), and the shaved ice is a thousand times better than Matsumoto’s. (Pro tip: dine-in at the Wine Bar – it opens at 7:30 am – to avoid the long lines at the coffee place next door.)
• Tonkatsu Tamafuji: best tonkatsu I’ve ever had. Okay, maybe Ginza Bairin is slightly better, but it’s also twice the price (the special tonkatsu is $43).
• Foodland (multiple locations): it’s a grocery store chain, but they have the best poke bowls. They also have mochi and pies from Ted’s Bakery, so try not to go here hungry.
• Iyasume (multiple locations): guys, did you know that spam musubi can have different things in it? I loved the bacon, avocado, egg spam musubi, and even the unagi spam musubi was good. It’s a must have in Hawaii, and I also picked up some for the plane ride home.
• Tim Ho Wan – yes, it’s a chain from Hong Kong, but it has a Michelin star, and the BBQ pork buns are delicious.
• Aloha Kitchen – this was my favorite breakfast place before I discovered açaí bowls at Island Vintage. Regardless, I still think about the kalua pork eggs Benedict with the ridiculous tater tots. (Soufflé pancakes are good too, but I’m kind of over dessert for breakfast.)
• Side Street Inn (multiple locations): Hawaiian comfort food with great cocktails. I really enjoyed coming here with a big group and ordering Chef Colin’s classics to try a bit of everything (fried chicken was my favorite).

There’s a few others I’ve left out to avoid making this post longer than it already is, but I will be updating it on my Google map list so you can peruse at your leisure.

If anybody has any other Hawaii recs, feel free to share with me. 😀