The Big Island has restaurants that cater to all tastes and budgets, so whether you’ve spent the day relaxing at the beach or daytripping in the mountains, you’ll definitely want to enjoy the dinner meal. Here are some of our favorite options on the Kohala Coast.
But wait, there’s more. We’re here to help demystify some of the unusual words you might see on menus like furikake, laulau and lilikoi — and explain which meat is being served and why. And possibly most importantly of all, provide the fun facts on the origins of local dishes.
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Feature Photo: Merriman’s Facebook
Pizzeria: 55-3406 Akoni Pule Hwy, Hawi
Food truck: 61-3628 Akoni Pule Hwy, Kamuela
Hidden on the rear lanai behind two quaint storefronts in Hawi, this New York-style pizzeria with counter service and occasional karaoke has added a food truck in a Kawaihae boat yard that’s more convenient for Kohala resort visitors as well as the local paddlers and fishermen. The daily trio of pizzas, available by the enormous slice or whole, always include cheese and pepperoni, with a tantalizing special such as bacon, jalapeño and honey drizzle.
45-3625 Mamane St, Honokaa
The historic Main Street of Honokaa town is worth perusing all on its own, but this compact restaurant makes the perfect start or end to your stroll. Its specialties of gyoza dumplings chicken karaage and ramen with locally sourced noodles and bone broths (and a veggie version with red miso) have branched out to include similarly tasty rice and cold noodle bowls and steamed Hirata buns with a variety of fillings.
1 North Kaniku Dr., Kohala Coast
808.885.5778
Located inside the Fairmont Orchid Hotel north of Kailua-Kona, Brown’s Beach House boasts spectacular views and live Hawaiian music. The restaurant can accommodate small groups as well as larger parties. The menu features fresh seafood and also specialties like Big Island venison. We recommend bringing a large group so you can sample as much of the menu as possible.
Chef Peter Merriman is one of the godfathers of Hawaii’s farm to table movement, and Merriman’s is leading the way for culinary excellence on the islands. Their lunch menu has all the fixings of a great midday meal — we recommend the Caesar salad to start, followed by the fresh-catch fish sandwich and accompanied by a couple glasses of chardonnay.
The latest version of HāLani at Mauna Lani, an Auberge Resort, returns to its inaugural island-sourced Mediterranean theme with new flair. Dinner includes tasty mezze like seared halloumi cheese and wood-fired balloon bread with a trio of dipping sauces, plus kebabs, pasta, pizza and fresh fish, while breakfast impresses with housemade pastries and entrees like shakshuka and loco moco.
Islander Sake Brewery’s sake master Chiaki Takahashi is also a virtuoso chef, creating monthly prix fixe menus at the brewery’s intimate restaurant showcasing local produce and fresh seafood in seven beautifully plated courses. The $95 tab for dinner at Engawa, inside the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort’s golf clubhouse, includes a glass of Islander Sake Daiginjo, with Takahashi’s partner and maitre d’ Tani Hirose ready to recommend additional pairings.
Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection, 68-1400 Mauna Lani Dr, Kamuela
CanoeHouse isn’t the only restaurant at the Mauna Lani with a killer ocean sunset view, but it’s the most casual, with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and a predominantly sandwich-and-salad lunch and dinner menu. But as part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, anything culinary gets special attention, so the bacon in the Smoked BLT benefits from a guava barbecue glaze, vegetarians can enjoy tofu poke or falafel tacos, and the poke and seared ahi wrap boast impeccably fresh fish.
