Big island food recs?

Later this month recs for restaurants on Big Island? Tx Sam lada

Where on the big island? It’s pretty big.

Da poke shack was good if you enjoy fresh poke. Hole in the wall but I ate there 3 times in 3 days.

first, get the book “Big Island Revealed” for anything not food related.

For Poke the absolute best is at the Waimea KTA, second best is the Puanako KTA, third best is Poke to Your Taste. Umeke’s and Da Poke Shack in Kona.

I love Suisan’s Fish Market. Go early in the morning and get a bowl of Oxtail Soup and watch the fish come in. It’s no Tsukiji for sure but I like it.

The best sushi in Hawaii is easily Takenoko Sushi. This would be triple the price in LA. We’re talking Mantis Shrimp, Ankimo, Hokkaido scallops plus excellent cooked dishes like Nitsuke. You must make reservations. The homestyle Japanese place across the parking lot is decent good value.

the Maku’u Farmer’s market on Sunday morning is a can’t miss. There’s a Thai Papaya salad vendor that will have a worth it 20 minute wait. Also a good place to try some Kalua pig, Tongan or Samoan. There will be roadside Huli Huli Chicken on the way. Get one.

The significantly smaller but open most days market at Keea’u is a good place to snag some bananas and avocadoes as well as a Filipino plate.

For a nicer meal, I recommend Kaleo’s in Pahoa Town (just past aforementioned Maku’u Farmer’s Market)

Moving South, I highly recommend a stop in the Ka’u Coffee Mill. Blows the pants off any other Island Coffee I’ve had. Great rusticity. They sell green beans too.

Kona is a wasteland. Three Pigs is decent but laughable compared to most US cities. Beers and pizza are just that at Kona brewing. Da Poke shack, Umeke’s Poke, Rapanui, all passable but I just avoid eating out in Kona. If you have a kitchen go to Costco and the Abalone Farm. h/t Ron Felthoven

Get all your groceries at the KTA in Puanako.

Two Ladies Kitchen in Hilo makes great Mochi.

The Big Island Candies are absurdly expensive but you get to taste many of them at the factory (I’d stop in after lunch at Takenoko, which is a must).

The Farmer’s market in Hilo is every day but swells on Wednesday and Saturday. I’d say it’s about half hippies and half Pacific Rim mix, I much prefer the food vendors at Maku’u. Google “Big Island Farmer’s Markets” for more.

The Sake selection at Kadota’s liquor in Hilo is excellent. They carry World Sake Imports which we don’t get in Oregon or Washington. I like the Tedorigawa Nama.

I’d skip the Mauna Loa Mac Nut farm. The Hamakua Mac Nut farm is slightly better but you can taste all of their stuff at the Ka’u Coffee Mill. Spam flavored Mac nuts anyone?

There’s a very Hippie town on the north end of the Island called Hawi (past Hamakua Mac Nut farm) it’s a popular turn around point for the triathletes. Their Kohala Coffee Mill is good but I prefer Ka’u. Their fusion sushi restaurant Sushi Rock is good and has an adjacent restaurant I haven’t been to but looked promising. The beaches on the road to Hawi are secluded and beautiful.

Other random thoughts on Kona side: Our go to beach is 69 Beach. Worth renting a kayak to do the Captain Cook monument. Definitely see the turtles at Punalu’u Beach (same day as Ka’u coffee mill).

Hope that gets you started!

Holy shit that’s awesome advice tx. We will use it to the fullest- sam

here are some pictures.
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and a few more
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Last 2 pictures look delicious.

the 2nd to last one is the oxtail soup at suisan fish market.

Two Ladies strawberry mochi. OMG. My husband swears it’s how he hooked me for good when we were first dating.

He may be right.

It’s been a while since I went but Merrimans was the best on the island at the time.

I went 2 years ago and I was pretty disappointed. Compared to Portland, Seattle, SF, LA, etc, the cost was 30% higher and the quality was 30% lower. I stick with ethnic eats mostly while in Hawaii.

We just returned from a 2 week stay at Kolea in Waikoloa, and dined at Merrimans while there. It was pretty good, but a cut below the Kauai location. Big Island Brewhaus, also in Waimea, is definitely worth a visit though!

One of primary reasons we changed our annual Hawaii vacation after 20+ years from Kona to Wailea, Maui is because the dining choices are so limited in Kona/Kohala/Waimea.

going in 2 months… any updated recs? thanks!

Have been reading good things about Moon and Turtle in Hilo–has anyone been?

Tropics Ale House is pretty good pub fare and really cheap. The $2 cheeseburger sliders for happy hour were very tasty.

I just got back and here are a few thoughts.
Brown’s Beach House was excellent. We are there twice.
Roy’s was good. If you have kids with you, the Roy’s kids’ menu is done very well.
Tommy Bahama was great, casual food. Their macadamia crusted snapper is wonderful.
The Blue Dragon had excellent food. My kids liked the live music, but I though it was a bit loud.

On the Kohala Coast, the pickings are slim. in fact, there is nothing I would recommend glowingly. In fact, and I never say this, I would just eat what’s convenient.

The restaurants at the resorts (Mauna Kea, Mauna Lani, Four Seasons) are exactly what you expect from resort restos. Expensive and passable, but nothing mind blowing.

In Waimea, I recommend the fried rice at the vendor at the school house farmers market, the burger at village burger and Big Island Brewhause for casual bar food. merrimans is, well, merrimans and is very good, but don’t expect Michelin star quality experience. Didn’t love the pig and the lady but their BBQ is made with lilicoi and I don’t love that taste so who knows. Have never tried Red Water, but probably will due to lack of options.

I agree that Blue Dragon is loud, but it’s kinda fun. I would skip Cafe Pesto. Kohala burger is very respectable for burgers and tacos (the shave iced place in that center is eh).

Monstera Sushi, Tommy Bahamma and Ruth Chris, you know what you are getting.

Where are you staying? I don’t think that there is much on the Kohala Coast worth getting excited for. I am embarrassed to say it, but in all the time I have spent on the Big Isalnd I have never been to the Hilo side. There is always next time…

Did you mean Fish and the Hog rather than Pig and the Lady (which is in Honolulu)? Too many “and the” names involving swine…

And I’ll answer my question about Moon and Turtle in Hilo. We thought it was solid, especially at happy hour pricing ($4 cocktails and 15% off the food menu), but didn’t live up to the hype it’s been getting. Having said that we didn’t try any fish dishes as my husband is not a fish eater and we were sharing, so it’s quite possible we missed out on their specialty. I thought the wine by the glass list was pretty dire and stuck to a cocktail and a beer. No idea about corkage.

Memorable sweets from this trip: Tex’s malasadas (both my husband and I remember them as far inferior to Leonard’s, but we both really liked them this time, particularly the guava filled), strawberry mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen, and shave ice from One Aloha in Kona (all organic natural syrups, very friendly service without the creepiness of Uncle Clay’s in Honolulu).

Ha! Good catch. I actually liked the pig and the lady. Fish and the hog not that much!

Thanks!