Ahi Bowl and Pot 2443 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu,
HI 96815 - 4.5 Forks
Even though this was a total hole in the wall place that was boarding on a bodega, I was completely and totally obsessed with my food here. The space is broken out into Ruffage Natural Foods on one side and Ahi Bowl and Pot on the other. Obviously Deanna went to the Ruffage section and I went to the Ahi Bowl section. Since I became obsessed with poke on this trip, I was disappointed that we didn't have time on the Big Island to go to Da Poke Shack since Krush mentioned it was amazing, so I was looking forward to trying something similar on Oahu. I had asked the people at the front desk of our hotel where to go and eat that wasn't a huge chain (i.e. Cheesecake Factory or California Pizza Kitchen - both of which were not that far from our hotel) and he looked at me like I was a crazy person. After racking his brain for a bit, he finally mentioned this place and I was so glad he did because I would have never found it otherwise. I was torn between all the different poke options. I mean if I could have, I would have literally just sat there for a few hours trying all different kinds of bowls. They had your typical tuna version, but also a salmon version, spicy tuna salads, and eel and avocado bowls. Heaven. I opted for the tuna poke with avocado on brown rice ($11), which was also served with miso soup. The tuna was super fresh, cut into perfect cubes and there was tons of it. It was very lightly marinated and wasn't covered in sauce. Combined with the brown rice, I just felt incredibly healthy and happy. The only minor thing I didn't love about it were the pieces of crunchy seaweed. It was fine but it didn't add much to the meal. Given that I was only on Oahu for 4 days and there were so many other places to try, I didn't have time to go back, but if I lived near here, I would definitely make this a frequent pit stop.
Duke's Waikki 2335 Kalakaua Ave., Ste 116, Honolulu,
HI 96815 - 4 Forks
If there's any touristy place to check out while you're in Waikiki, most people will tell you to go to Duke's and they're right. In the past, I usually abhorred uber touristy places but after a lot of traveling, sometimes you just want to be where all the other tourists are (rarely but sometimes, right?). Luckily, this place is right on the beach with beautiful views of Diamond Head and the main strip of beach on Waikiki. The place gets packed during sunset, so definitely plan to get there early. You can either opt for the sit down dining room which often has a 45 minute wait or if you go to the bar it's first come first serve with more of a bar menu. Deanna and I decided to be more casual, so we grabbed some drinks at the bar and waited for a seat to open up at the bar area.
We basically stalked these 2 poor Japanese tourists and swooped in before they could even finish paying their bill. The bar menu has your typical bar food from wings, calamari, fries, burgers, pizzas, chicken sandwich and ribs. We started with the caramelized beet salad ($8.95) which was pan roasted beets, arugula and goat cheese with candied mac nuts. You'd think that a bar salad would be kind of gross, but honestly it was pretty good. The beets were huge and delicious and the arugula was dressed with this really delicious mango vinaigrette. Even though I was loving all the fish I had been eating on the island, I was having a serious hankering for a burger, and what better place to get a burger than at a bar?
I opted for the Duke's cheddar burger which was Certified Angus Beef chuck on a sesame seed bun with melted aged cheddar and topped with shredded lettuce and tomato ($12.95). There was also this really nice tangy Maui island dressing - it kind of tasted like a 1,000 island like dressing. But my favorite part of the dish were the waffle fries!! Who doesn't love a good crispy waffle fry? The burger was really great and totally satisfied my craving for the night. Deanna got the spinach and goat cheese pizza ($11.95) which also had a ton of sauteed red onions on it. I didn't get to try it since I had my hands and mouth full with my burger but Deanna mentioned that it was great and really good.
While I still stand by not being a huge of large chain restaurants in general, a place like Duke's does make me realize that there is totally a place and time for a these types of places. Plus, there really aren't a lot of directly on the beach casual beach options, so don't be like me and judgy of a chain like Duke's because otherwise you'd totally miss out on a super fun time. Total bill: $24/pp with tax and tip.
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