August 2009

District 14 Vice Regent Nora Harmsen's Insider Guide to Honolulu, Hawaii.

Join us in Hawaii & Let your eyes smile

Dear Fellow:

Honolulu Hawaii has beautiful weather year round, with temperatures in the 80's by day and the 70's in the evenings. With many restaurants having air conditioning, you may need a light sweater / jacket for dinner. Attire in the islands is casual and even most fine dining rooms do not require a sport jacket. Men, however, should wear long pants for fine dining, rather than shorts.

Restaurants - These are a few of my favorites, including some small local style places, some favorite chains with good food and some special places that are just plain fun! Hope you enjoy some of the Ono (good) food of the islands! I've given you the addresses and phone numbers, but ask the Concierge if unsure. Most are within walking distance of our ICD hotel - Hilton Hawaiian Village - though the bus and trolley system is very efficient.

Breakfast
• Longhi's	Ala Moana Center Ocean view dining! Make reservations if weekend. Try the eggs benedict or the steak and eggs. 947-9899
• Mac 24/7	Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel, Lobby Level, 2500 Kuhio Ave Breakfast served 24 hours daily. Try the Big Daddy Pancakes. 922-0811
• Eggs and Things	343 Saratoga Road Try the Strawberry Whipped Pancakes and the Fresh Ahi (tuna) and eggs 949-0820.
• IHOP	Multiple downtown locations (try 2211 Kuhio Avenue) great pancakes and omelettes. 921-2400
• Big City Diner	Ward Center Great for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner- fast service, generous portions, lots of great comfort food. Local Favorite 591-8891
• Zippy's	Multiple locations, basic breakfast, lunch and dinner. Local favorite Ala Moana Center 973-0870 122 S. King Street 594-3720 1725 S. King Street 973-0877
Lunch
• Cheeseburger in Paradise	2500 Kalakaua Ave. Name says it all, but other sandwiches are good as well. 923-1070
• Kincaid's	Ward Warehouse Nice view of the Harbor and yummy food 591-2005
• Ryan's	Ward Center Great salads and breadsticks. Lots of choices with view of the Ala Moana Beach Park. 591-9132
• PF Chang's	Waikiki- Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center 596-4710 and Ward Center 628-6760 Chain Chinese food and good prices
• Kakaako Kitchen	Ward Center - Good "local style" food. Try the Plate Lunch special 546-7488
• Kua Aina Burger	Ward Center Big Juicy Hamburgers - Well known on Oahu 591-9133
• Mariposa Restaurant at Nieman Marcus	Ala Moana Center The best popovers, great service and a view! 951-8887
Afternoon Tea
• Waioli Tea House	2950 Manoa Road Take a time out and enjoy an authentic tea ceremony. Will need a car, but the venue is worth the drive. 988-5800
• Moana Surf Rider	Hotel is on the beach at Waikiki Great view, lots of tea choices with scones and sandwiches. You can even add some Champagne! You'll enjoy comparing the old section of the hotel with the new. 921-4600
Pub/Bar
• Murphy's	2 Merchant Street - across from Aloha Tower Fun Sports Bar, wonderful assortment of beers- of course, Guinness on Draft 531-0422
• Gordon Biersch	Aloha Tower Marketplace On the Harbor, with assorted beers and lots of choices of pupus (appetizers), fresh fish and salad 599-4877
Dinner
• Alan Wong's	1857 S. King Street, 3rd Floor- Best Food, Named #1 restaurant for years. Doesn't have an ocean view - my only negative! Make reservations as early as possible. 949-2526
• Michel's	2895 Kalakaua Ave At the Colony Surf Hotel - Fine Dining, great sunset, on the Beach! 924-1855
• Hoku's	5000 Kahala Ave Kahala Hotel- Fine dining, ocean front on a private beach 739-8888
• Hy's Steak House	2440 Kuhio Ave Landmark steakhouse! 922-5555
• Duke's	2335 Kalakaua Ave Outrigger Hotel on the Beach - Fun place with salad bar, casual dining and usually packed! 922-2268
• Shorebird	2169 Kalia Road Outrigger on the Reef Hotel - Buffet with "cook your own" meat and beach-front dining 922-2887
• Keo's	2028 Kuhio Ave. Great Thai food, try the Evil Jungle Prince. 951-9355
• Phuket Thai	1960 Kapiolani Blvd. Affordable Thai food, try the Satay with peanut sauce 942-8194
• Nobu's	2233 Lewers Street High-end Japanese Restaurant. 237-6999
• Ruth's Chris Steak House	Ala Moana Blvd Restaurant Row Chain restaurant, great aged steaks! 599-3860
• Morton's Steak House	Ala Moana Center Chain, great steaks (no view) 949-1300
• Hau Tree Lanai	At the New Otani Hotel on Kalakaua Ave Fine dining under a Large Hau tree, ocean view-sunsets! 921-7066
• Hano Hano Room	Sheraton Waikiki Vista views of Diamond Head/ Waikiki, and the elevator ride has a view as well. 922-4422
• Assagio's	Ala Moana Center Good Italian food, convenient location 942-3446
• Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant	1279 S. King St. My Italian cuisine consultants strongly commend this one. 593-1466
• Buzz's Steak House	Kailua - if you are ready for a drive over the Pali, this is a fun restaurant with a nice salad bar and fresh fish dishes. Oh yes, the steaks are great too!! 261-4661
• Happy Day	3553 Waialae Ave Chinese Restaurant and Dim Sum is their specialty. 738-8666
Sushi Restaurants Sushi and sashimi abound here, and you find these offerings at many/most restaurants. Here are a couple with high marks from those who know:
• Sushi Izakaya	Gaku, 1329 S. King St, 589-1329
• Sushi Sasabune	1419 S. King St, 947-3800
• Mitch's Sushi Bar (aka Mitch's Fish Market)	524 Ohohia St (BYOB) 837-7774

NOTE: If you are staying over and plan to drive around the island, the North Shore has numerous eateries and sights/activities. You can rent a car for a day at a downtown rental car agency. Some of my favorites in Haleiwa town (the "center" of the North Shore) are:

• Haleiwa Joe's - Marvelous ambience, ocean view, excellent food. Lunch and dinner only. Very popular and no reservations accepted.
  
  
• Jameson's by the See - More great ambience, ocean view, and excellent food. These two are the top end and within walking distance of each other. Lunch and dinner only, except on Sundays. Will take reservations.
  
  
• Cholo's. Mexican food - It's not San Antonio, but most feel the best on Oahu.
  
  
• Cafe Haleiwa (Haleiwa Cafe?) - North Shore's favorite breakfast spot. Surfers, visitors, locals...and a great, rustic cafe of the old school. They also serve lunch, but breakfast rules.
  
  
• Haliewa Eats - Great Thai food with enormous portions. Late arriving, but already a local favorite. Don't let the appearance scare you away. (BYOB)

For those who want to visit more of the island of Oahu, I would like to recommend a few side trips to make your visit to the ADA/ICD events even more fun.

Pick up a "101 Things to do on Oahu" when you get to the airport. It is a fun manual and often has some coupons for tours.

My personal favorites:

• USS Arizona Memorial - Start off early in the morning and beat the tour buses (if you have a rental car). You stand in line and get a number, which is how they determine who enters the movie and then the small boat trip to the memorial. This is a historic "must see" that will bring tears to your eyes. There is no charge, as the US Navy conducts the tours.
  
  
• Aloha Stadium Flea Market - You can start off at the Arizona Memorial, then walk across the street to the Stadium Market. This is a great place to find your souvenirs and get a bargain! Buy your tee shirts, macadamia nuts, shell necklaces, etc. and enjoy the search. Bring your sunscreen, it is all outdoors. This is open only on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, so schedule your time to shop!
  
  
• Hike Diamond Head - This is a fun way to combine some exercise with a great view from the top where you can take panoramic pictures of Waikiki, Honolulu and even see Maui! Wear tennis or walking shoes, as the trail is a little uneven.
  
  
• Visit the North Shore - Rent a car and drive to the North Shore. Take some time to walk around Haliewa Town. (see North Shore Eateries above). This is a fun place to find interesting shops, buy a surfboard (you guys from Minnesota could always use one!) and of course, eat Shave Ice at one of the local stands. Try Matsumotos, which has ice cream inside!! The drive along the North Shore lets you stop at various famous beaches, like Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline, well know for the big waves and surfing competitions.
  
  
• Kailua Beach - Drive over the Pali Highway and right into Kailua Town. This is a fun town to check out some local shopping, but the beach is the best. This is a pristine beach, a great place to walk or sit and watch the waves. You can wind surf, kayak out to the Mokoluas or body surf all day long. Often rated the number one beach in the world and you will see why. Way less tourists and more space to enjoy some serenity.
  
  
• Golfing -There are so many wonderful courses in the islands and if time allows, maybe golf more than one course. My favorites-
  
  1. Koolau - Considered/rated the hardest course in the country and it looks like you are playing on the set of Jurassic Park. (bring extra balls!)
  
  2 .Kapolei Country Club - Beautiful, well-tended course
  
  3. Ko'olina - West Oahu favorite, gets you out of the city. This is the site of LPGA events
  
  
• Hanauma Bay Snorkeling - a virtual fish bowl to swim in. This is a nature preserve and you will be given information at the entrance on protecting the ocean environment. Closed some days of the week to reduce stress on the eco-system. Ask your concierge if the park is open on your selected day to visit.
  
  
• Luau/ Polynesian Experience - Polynesian Cultural Center,  293-3333 (You will need a car or take a tour bus)  For a whole day adventure, visit the Center and learn about all cultures of the Polynesian Islands through a series of 30-45 minute shows (authentic and very clever). For the Luau only, attend the evening festivities, which consists of a Luau (buffet style with names of what you will eat (Poi is "mandatory" if only for a bite), and then a spectacular show with Fire Dancers and expert Hula dancers to entertain you.  A tad pricey, but worth it.  Enjoy the show! 

Hope you enjoy your time on Oahu and in the Hawaiian Islands. If you have any questions, you can always e-mail me at nkharmsen@gmail.com

See you soon, Aloha !!!
Nora

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