{"id":2465351,"date":"2018-05-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/uncategorized\/carissa-moores-guide-honolulus-best-food\/"},"modified":"2022-05-12T12:49:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-12T18:49:53","slug":"carissa-moores-guide-honolulus-best-food","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/food\/carissa-moores-guide-honolulus-best-food\/","title":{"rendered":"Carissa Moore’s Guide to Honolulu’s Best Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hawaii has amazing food, though you won\u2019t find it in the tourist traps most visitors stick to. It\u2019s not that Honolulu\u2019s best eats are hidden. It\u2019s more that you have to venture out of major tourist areas to find them. Having a local guide helps, so we tapped pro surfer and Red Bull athlete Carissa Moore<\/a> to show us around.<\/p>\n

First things first: There is no pineapple-topped pizza on this list. In fact, in Hawaii, that monstrosity is called \u201chaole<\/em> pizza,\u201d or \u201cwhite person pizza.\u201d No one eats it. Don\u2019t order it.<\/p>\n

Instead, embrace the diverse array of options, from traditional Hawaiian restaurants to corner markets selling Korean bento boxes to farm-to-table bistros. \u201cThe dining scene is a great representation of all the different kinds of people and cultures that make up our island,\u201d Moore says. \u201cI love that there is a little bit of everything.\u201d Here\u2019s how her perfect day goes, from the morning lineup to closing the day with Red Bull mocktails.<\/p>\n

First Stop: Dawn Patrol<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"\"
(Jake Marote\/Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moore rises early and heads to one of her favorite spots on Honolulu\u2019s South Shore. She isn\u2019t going to tell us which break because, well, surfers are like that. If you want to know where to surf, tune in to the morning reports, which run on all the local radio stations. Then ask your hotel concierge to point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n

After surfing, Moore heads to Ban\u00e1n<\/a>, a juice, smoothie, and frozen yogurt joint\u2014though \u201cfrozen yogurt\u201d is a bit of a misnomer. Ban\u00e1n makes luscious, yogurt-like soft serve from pure fruit that\u2019s frozen and then whirred to creamy consistency. Full disclosure: Ban\u00e1n is part-owned by Moore\u2019s husband, but it gets rave reviews even from people who aren\u2019t married to the owner. \u201cMy favorite is the RissMoore Bowl,\u201d she says. Yes, it\u2019s named for her. The dairy, sugar, and gluten-free concoction consists of a banana and a\u00e7a\u00ed base swirl, topped with papaya, pineapple, strawberries, puffed quinoa, and honey.<\/p>\n

Next Stop: Nap<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moore usually heads down for a nap after her morning workout. If she\u2019s feeling particularly energetic, she\u2019ll head into one of Honolulu\u2019s lush green canyons for a day hike.<\/p>\n

While Diamond Head is probably the most popular hike with tourists, it\u2019s, well, the most popular hike with tourists. That means you\u2019re crammed body-to-body on the walk up. Instead, opt for one of the lesser-known hikes, like Lulumahu Falls<\/a> or the Makiki Valley Trail<\/a>. Bring bug spray. This is the tropics.<\/p>\n

Lunch: Leahi Health <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t be put off by the health part of this place\u2019s name. Yes, all the food here is healthy. No, it doesn\u2019t taste like cardboard.<\/p>\n

Located in Honolulu\u2019s hip Kaimuki neighborhood, Leahi Health<\/a> is a tiny walk-up window where you can order smoothies, salads, and grain bowls. Opt for the surf tacos: kale tossed in ginger dressing and served folded in naan with garlic bean spread, avocado, and grape tomatoes. Or get the Baja Bowl, a giant kale salad topped with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and all kinds of other goodies.<\/p>\n

Pit Stop: Hit Up Honolulu\u2019s Best Farmer\u2019s Market<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re in town on a Saturday or Tuesday, Moore suggests making your next stop the Kapiolani Community College Farmer\u2019s Market<\/a>. Local growers sell cartons of fresh greens, plus carrots plucked straight from the volcanic soil and a bunch of tropical fruits you\u2019ve never even seen. One quick note: We\u2019re suggesting this stop a little out of order. If it\u2019s a Saturday, get there before 11 a.m., which is when things shut down. On Tuesdays, the market is open from from 4 to 7 p.m. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Caffeinate: Sip a Matcha Green Tea Latte<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moore isn\u2019t a coffee drinker, but, she says, <\/strong>\u201cI enjoy a matcha or chai latte every once in a while as a treat.\u201d Hawaii has all the big coffee chains, but skip those and head to the Curb<\/a>, in Kaimuki, for a perfect matcha latte.<\/p>\n

Snack: Don\u2019t Order Poke Like a Tourist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you need a snack between lunch and dinner, poke is the way to go. Just banish any ideas of what poke means to you from your experiences on the mainland. Moore\u2019s advice is this: Go where the locals go, and don\u2019t be afraid to ask for help when ordering. \u201cI love Da Hawaiian Poke Company<\/a> or Fresh Catch<\/a>,\u201d she says. And yes, it is basically raw fish salad, so make sure to get it when it\u2019s fresh. “If it smells or looks old,” she says,\u00a0“pass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally: Dinner<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Moore craves her grandfather\u2019s baked salmon when she\u2019s on the road. But since you can\u2019t invite yourself over to her grandparents\u2019 home, Moore gave us two restaurant recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we order out, we like to pick up from Shaloha Pita<\/a>,\u201d she says. It\u2019s a Mediterranean spot that serves falafels piled high with fresh veggies and has hummus so good you can\u2019t stop eating it. For dining in, Moore heads to Hale Vietnam. \u201cThey have the best pho, and the service is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drink: A Harmless Nightcap<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not much of a drinker,\u201d Moore says. But if you are, she recommends her favorite local bartender, who works at HI Brau<\/a>, the bar above Aloha Beer Company. \u201cHis name is Ben, and he makes some incredible Red Bull mocktails,\u201d Moore says. \u201cWe loved his work so much that we hired him for our wedding!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s how her perfect day goes, from the morning lineup to closing the day with Red Bull mocktails.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79361,"featured_media":2311376,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"uuid":"4b62ae37702e445e84d95eb1d100c909","footnotes":""},"categories":[2574],"tags":[2606,2958,2876],"byline":[1300],"ad_cat":[],"legacy-category":[],"class_list":["post-2465351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-food-and-drink","tag-hawaii","tag-surfing","byline-ac-shilton"],"acf":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Carissa Moore’s Guide to Honolulu’s Best Food","url":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/food\/carissa-moores-guide-honolulus-best-food\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/food\/carissa-moores-guide-honolulus-best-food\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/21\/carissa-moore-surfer-hawaii-portrait_h.jpg","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/21\/carissa-moore-surfer-hawaii-portrait_h.jpg"},"articleSection":"Food","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"uchrobak"}],"creator":["uchrobak"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Online","logo":"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/favicon-194x194-1.png"},"keywords":["food and drink","hawaii","surfing"],"dateCreated":"2018-05-23T00:00:00Z","datePublished":"2018-05-23T00:00:00Z","dateModified":"2022-05-12T18:49:53Z"},"rendered":"