eal Hawaii food, the way it tastes here.
Recipes, drinks, and kitchen notes CurtisJ keeps coming back to. No tourist shortcuts, no mainland filler — just the food that actually tastes like Honolulu.
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What Is Poke? Hawaii’s Famous Raw Fish Dish Explained
What poke actually is, where it comes from in Hawaii, and why the best versions stay simple once the fish hits the bowl.
How to Make a Hawaiian Breakfast at Home (Even on the Mainland)
A practical Hawaiian breakfast game plan, from rice, Spam, and eggs to the timing and pantry staples that make the plate feel right at home.
Cook by craving
Poke and Seafood
Spicy ahi sushi bake turns poke-shop flavor into a warm pan you can scoop at potlucks, game nights, and family dinners without a lot of fuss.
Spicy Ahi Sushi Bake — Hawaii’s Viral Potluck CasseroleIsland Comfort
Lau lau is the traditional Hawaiian steamed bundle: pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves, then ti leaves, steamed for 4 hours. The luau classic.
Lau Lau: Hawaii's Steamed Pork-and-Butterfish BundleTropical Treats
Hawaii coconut cream pie: rich coconut-milk custard, toasted coconut, whipped cream, graham crust. The Ted's Bakery and Liliha Bakery diner standard.
Coconut Cream Pie: The Hawaii Diner StandardHawaiian Breakfast
Kim chi fried rice is the Hawaii-Korean breakfast: aged kim chi, cold rice, Spam or bacon, scrambled egg, sesame oil. Tangy, spicy, fast.
Kim Chi Fried Rice: Hawaii's Korean-Hawaiian Hangover BreakfastThe classics
Kalua Pig in the Instant Pot: 90 Minutes Instead of an Imu
Kalua pig in 90 minutes via Instant Pot: pork shoulder, Hawaiian salt, liquid smoke, banana leaves if you have them. The mainland-friendly version of the imu.
Coconut Cream Pie: The Hawaii Diner Standard
Hawaii coconut cream pie: rich coconut-milk custard, toasted coconut, whipped cream, graham crust. The Ted's Bakery and Liliha Bakery diner standard.
Kim Chi Fried Rice: Hawaii's Korean-Hawaiian Hangover Breakfast
Kim chi fried rice is the Hawaii-Korean breakfast: aged kim chi, cold rice, Spam or bacon, scrambled egg, sesame oil. Tangy, spicy, fast.
Lau Lau: Hawaii's Steamed Pork-and-Butterfish Bundle
Lau lau is the traditional Hawaiian steamed bundle: pork and butterfish wrapped in taro leaves, then ti leaves, steamed for 4 hours. The luau classic.
What Is Manapua? Hawaii’s Steamed Pork Bun Tradition Explained
Read the note →New this month
Spam Fried Rice: Hawaii's Most Honest Breakfast
Spam fried rice is a 12-minute Hawaii breakfast: cold rice, diced Spam, scrambled egg, green onion, shoyu around the edge of a hot pan. The drive-in classic.
Lilikoi Chiffon Pie: Hawaii's Passion-Fruit Diner Classic
Lilikoi chiffon pie is the bright, tart-sweet Hawaii diner classic — passion-fruit curd folded into whipped chiffon, set in a graham crust. The Liliha Bakery move.
Kalua Fried Rice: The Morning-After Move
Kalua fried rice turns leftover kalua pig into a 12-minute Hawaii breakfast. Cold rice, smoky pork, cabbage, scrambled egg, shoyu. The brunch-table classic.
Poke and Seafood
Spicy Ahi Sushi Bake — Hawaii’s Viral Potluck Casserole
Spicy ahi sushi bake turns poke-shop flavor into a warm pan you can scoop at potlucks, game nights, and family dinners without a lot of fuss.
Lomilomi Salmon — Hawaii’s Essential Luau Side Dish
Lomilomi salmon is the cold, salty tomato side that cuts through heavy luau food and keeps the whole plate from feeling weighed down.
Island Comfort
Tropical Treats
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