There’s so much to enjoy in Kauai…the beach, the ocean, the canyons, the mountains, the people. Not to be forgotten, though, is the food! Like any travel junkies we experience our destinations via food. Kauai did not disappoint. Here were our favorites:
Acai bowls
Acai berries are a reddish, purple fruit from the acai palm tree. It’s touted as a superfood rich in antioxidants. Frozen and blended acai makes the perfect base for a smoothie bowl. The Kauai touch is toppings of macadamia nuts, fresh coconut, bananas, berries, papaya. Drizzle on peanut butter, freshly made granola and you cannot have a better experience.
Our absolute favorite spot was Kalalea Juice Hale in Anahola. Not only did they have bomb acai bowls but also amazing smoothies, pressed juice and more. GO! You will not be disappointed.
Poke
Poke is diced raw fish and is the one thing you must eat in Kauai. The good news is that it’s not going to be hard to find. From fine restaurant to grocery stores and everywhere in between you will see poke. Try the very simple preparations and then venture out to something spicy or flavored. It tastes even better on the beach!
Shave Ice
No, this is not a snow cone. Shave ice is a wonderful, refreshing treat in all sorts of lovely flavors. The ice is shaved using blade (instead of chopped like in a snow cone) until it is as fine as snow. Then it is topped with your choice(s) of flavors. I especially liked mine over a scoop of macadamia nut ice cream.
Our top spot for shave ice was Ono One Shave ice in Kapaa.
Fruit
Please do not leave Kauai without eating lots and lots of fruit. Especially if (like us) you are traveling from somewhere cold and dark and unable to grow these tropical wonders! One of our favorite fruit experiences was purchasing a fresh coconut, having it open, drinking the water and then cut up again to eat the coconut meat!
Other unique favorites were rambutan and longan! We would also highly recommend snagging some (giant!) avocados and trying the pineapple, mango & papaya because they’re JUST BETTER in Kauai.
Food Trucks
Kauai has a growing food truck scene and we were all about it. The island is so beautiful it just makes sense to grab food and eat it outside (especially at the beach) and food trucks make that super simple. Plus, they all have little niches of food that are really fun.
My favorite experience was Holey Grail Donuts in Hanalei. Holy Holey! These taro donuts are available Sundays only. The line was long but worth that wait. YUM.
We also loved tasty tacos as Al Pastor (Kapaa) and Full Filling Crepes (Kapaa).
I can’t wait to research the food of our next trip!
