Big Island Restaurants: Taste Traditional Hawaiian Fare


by Julie Winters - Date: 2007-02-28 - Word Count: 846 Share This!

Dining on Hawaii's Big Island offers visitors a flavorful mixture of fresh local ingredients, imaginative dishes, and exciting luaus. With plenty of activities and enough fine dining restaurants, friendly cafes and lively luaus the Big Island will entertain and satisfy your appetite from one adventure to the next. With seafood from local fisherman, meats from the Big Island famous ranches and excellent fruits and vegetables coming from the island's rich volcanic soil, Big Island Restaurants serve up some of the freshest cuisine in Hawaii.

With so much to see and do on Big Island it's important to start the day with a healthy sized breakfast. The island's elegant resorts provide guests with a variety of buffets and a la carte breakfast options that are an excellent start to a fun-filled day. The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort, located on the Kona Coast is one of the island's many resorts that provide an overflowing breakfast buffet paired with beautiful natural surroundings and a peaceful setting to revive your senses.

Home to most of Big Island's luxury resorts, the Kona Coast is filled with must see attractions that make working up an appetite just as fun as satisfying your appetite. Explore the Kona Coast to discover Hulihe'e Palace, the summer home of ancient Hawaiian royalty and the Moku'aikaua Church which was the first Christian church erected in 1820 by American missionaries. Before venturing beyond the Kona Coast, stop into Huggo's Restaurant to enjoy a casual lunch. This oceanfront restaurant specializes in fresh seafood but provides a diverse menu filled with chicken, steak, pasta and more.

To the north of Kona Coast is the Kohala Coast which offers a wide variety of eateries to suit all budgets. The Beach Tree Bar & Grill is a casual dining restaurant located inside the Four Seasons Hualalai that serves reasonably priced traditional American dishes. This Oceanside restaurant serves both lunch and dinner. Staying for dinner will allow guests the opportunity to enjoy some of Hawaii's festive nightlife with live entertainment scheduled almost every night. For the ultimate dining experience make your way to the historic town of Hawi, located in North Kohala. There you will find the Bamboo Restaurant and Gallery which offers a taste of "real Hawaii" with its fine island cuisine. To get to the Bamboo Restaurant it is suggested to take what is known as "the most beautiful drive in the world" by first going into Waimea and then taking Highway 250 into Hawi. The Bamboo Restaurant offers a unique blending of East and West flavors, a cozy atmosphere and a gallery located inside the restaurant that features local art and unique Hawaiian gifts.

On Big Island's East side is the charming town of Hilo. Located on the lower slopes of the Mauna Kea Mountain Hilo is surrounded by waterfalls and lush vegetation. This tropical paradise is also home to numerous trendy restaurants serving both local and ethnic flavors. Café Pesto is a popular eatery that features a fusion of culinary styles and flavors. Enjoy exotic pizzas, fresh local seafood, Pan-Asian pasta and a kid's menu with tasty treats such as the Sorcerer's Caesar, Tigger's Turkey and a Snow White Smoothie.

One thing that can be found across the entire island is a delicious and inexpensive plate lunch. Plate lunches or mixed plates have become part of Hawaii's culture and usually include white rice, macaroni or potato salad and your choice of meat such as teriyaki chicken and Kalbi barbeque beef. Whether you've spent the day shopping in the boutiques along the Kona Coast or have enjoyed an adventurous day at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park a Hawaii plate lunch is a great way to re-energize and continue with the fun. Another local favorite is a Loco Moco which is a scoop of potato salad accompanied with two scoops of rice, topped with a hamburger patty that has two fried eggs on top and is smothered in gravy.

Most of Big Island's local specialties can be found at a luau. These festive celebrations are all about good food, good company and lots of dancing. The Royal Kona Resort offers one of the most exciting luaus on Big Island. The resort's luau dinner buffet is presented in the luau garden which provides guests with an oceanfront view, coconut trees and the bright colors and sweet fragrances of tropical flowers. On the menu at the Royal Kona Resort luau is a variety of dishes that include poi, which is similar to rice pudding, island papaya and pineapple, charbroiled pulehu beef with teriyaki sauce, chicken luau, kalua pig, coconut rolls and pineapple upside down cake.

Offering culinary styles as diverse as the island itself, dining on Hawaii's Big Island is an unforgettable experience. Sample Hawaiian dishes that won't be found in any recipe book or enjoy newly created fare prepared by some of the Hawaii's most innovative chefs. From a relaxing lunch with the Kohala Coast stretched out in front of you to the island's upbeat luaus, Hawaii's Big Island offers exciting and one-of-a-kind dining experiences you're sure to enjoy!

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Julie Winters is a Hawaii expert and the Content Associate for BookIt.com(r) - the Internet Travel Company Offering Discounted Hawaii Hotels and Vacations with "No Booking Fees, Ever!" Visit BookIt.com(r) Travel Guides for Additional Hawaii Travel information including Articles, Reviews and Helpful Travel Tips.

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