Riz Sushi Bar & Catering: Aburi Salmon Bowl

Riz has been on my list for a long time… I mean, a really long time. Known specifically for their poke bowls, I had actually wanted to try some of their other menu items such as udon or katsu curry but, for some reason, they only had poke bowls available when I visited.

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Coconut Kenny’s (Bellingham): Cheese Balls, Pan Pizza, and Cheesesteaks

So, how have we never stopped by Coconut Kenny’s during one of our previous sorties down to the States? This chain of Hawaiian-inspired pizza joints just came up on our radar recently so we decided to stop by after visiting Trader Joe’s in Bellingham.

Pokérrito (Marine Way): Poké in Burnaby

Recently, Pokérrito opened up a new location in the Marine Way area of Burnaby. While it’s true that most poke places in the Vancouver area have very little resemblances with the poke places in Hawaii, it’s probably unfair to compare the two. In Hawaii, the best poke spots focus mainly on the freshness of the seafood and the various marinades that they use to accompany them. At most, you’d enjoy the poke in Hawaii with some plain rice to really savour the flavours. In Hawaii, you’d rarely find all of various toppings that accompany “poke bowls” in Vancouver.

Roy’s Waikiki: Classic Pacific Rim Restaurant

We’ve always thought about trying Roy’s Waikiki in the past but timings just never worked out before. Roy’s is one of the many restaurants founded by Japanese-born Roy Yamaguchi (who has a long and storied history with cuisine in Hawaii).

Blue Water Shrimp and Seafood Market – Ala Moana (Hawaii 2019): Amazing Garlic Shrimp and Seafood

On our visit last year, we came across this great food truck in the heart of Waikiki called Blue Water Shrimp. That food truck location isn’t around anymore but Blue Water Shrimp has opened up a stall at the Ala Moana Center food court.

Steve’s Poke Bar (Lougheed): Simple and Tasty Poke

Our first experience with Steve’s Poke Bar was with their location up at SFU. While we were quite impressed with their poke, we’re hardly ever up in the SFU area. So I was quite pleased that they opened up a brand new spot in the new food court area of Lougheed Town Centre.

Sansei Seafood Restaurant (Hawaii 2018): Sensational Seafood with a Sunset

Sansei Seafood Restaurant has been one of our favourite restaurants in Waikiki for a few years. Located on the 3rd floor of the Waikiki Beach Marriot, it a great place to enjoy the sunset – mind you, the palm trees have grown a bit over the years so the view is more obstructed now. Still, the food here is great and they offer 25% off certain items before 6pm.

Eggs ‘n Things Waikiki Beach Eggspress (Hawaii 2018): Breakfast with a View

I think I’ve forgotten how many times we’ve dined at Eggs ‘n Things over the years. From the moment we first tried their pancakes topped with a mountain of whipped cream, we’ve been hooked. That being said, we like trying new restaurants so we haven’t been making a point to revisit on each trip to Hawaii (although we did visit an Eggs ‘n Things when we went to Japan last year).

Lychee (Hawaii 2018): Breakfast Buffet

We were a bit hesitant to try the breakfast buffet at Lychee, a restaurant located on the 2nd floor of the Alohilani Resort, due to the price tag ($35) but quickly realized that most touristy restaurants inside hotels run around the same price range so we bit the bullet.

Fresh Ahi Off The Boat (Hawaii 2018): Bentos and Poke Bowls

After our trip to Lyon Arboretum, we were looking for some tasty treats so we hit up Fresh Ahi Off the Boat which is a few blocks away from Ala Moana Center. They serve up various Japanese bento boxes here as well as offering a make-your-own poke bowl station.

Kamehameha Bakery (Hawaii 2018): Poi Haupia Donut

We first came across the legendary Poi Glazed Donut from Kamehameha Bakery in 2017. Located in the same industrial-looking mini mall as Young’s Fish Market, it wasn’t rocket science that we would come back here again. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived (just after noon), they were already sold out of their poi glazed donuts! 😦

Young’s Fish Market (Hawaii 2018): Traditional Hawaiian Food

There’s nothing like good old fashioned Hawaiian food to comfort a hungry tummy. Although we had some amazing Hawaiian food from Da Ono Hawaiian Foods a few days earlier, we were in the mood to try some more during our vacation and wound up coming to Young’s Fish Market in Kalani. This counter-service establishment is located in the same industrial-looking mini mall as Kamehameha Bakery and gets quite busy.