Ka‘ūpūlehu Beach in Kailua-Kona
I'm back with a continuation of my last review on some of Kona's best restaurants. My previous post focused on three must-try spots in Kailua-Kona, which is located on the west coast of the Big Island, in the state of Hawaii. In this post, I'll continue with three more great restaurants, plus a bonus spot that qualifies more as a shop.
Umeke's
Umeke's
First up is Umeke's, located in Kona's Brewery Block. You may have seen Umeke's featured on the Food Network's show, Diner's, Drive-Ins and Dives, as did many others. So many others, that Umeke's had to expand to handle the increased crowds.
Kanaka Poke Plate
The restaurant's full name is Umeke's Fish Market and Grill, making what they focus on quite obvious. It's all about the fish. And of the assortment of fish they sell, everyone will agree that poke is king. Chef and founder of Umeke's, Nakoa Pabre, has won various awards and distinctions for his poke, that keeps people coming back.
Poke is a Hawaiian dish made of marinated, raw, fish cubes mixed with various ingredients and served next to white rice. That's correct, it's served next to rice, not on top of it with myriad toppings like you see on the mainland. In other words, while in Hawaii, the poke bowl you may be familiar with, may look unfamiliar.
In the Aloha State, poke actually has deep and traditional roots in Hawaiian culture. The word "poke" means "to slice" or "cut" in Hawaiian, referring to the way that fisherman would cube the fish by cutting against the grain of the meat. They would use whatever reef fish was found and once it was cubed, they would season it with salt, seaweed and/or an algae called limu.
Once large, more advanced fishing fleets began replacing independent fisherman, reef fish were also replaced by deep water fish in poke production. From then until now, the most common poke is made with ahi (tuna), even though restaurants and poke bars (mostly on the mainland) have begun to introduce poke made with salmon and other fish.
Not at Umeke's though. Here, all their poke is make with freshly caught, Hawaiian ahi. Their specialty variety is the kanaka poke, which is what I ordered. It is made with fresh ahi marinated in ogo (Hawaiian seaweed), Hawaiian chili pepper, onions, shoyu and oyster sauce. It is spectacular. Come by to try some and see for yourself.
Izakaya Shiono
The second restaurant on my list is Izakaya Shiono, also located in the Brewery Block in Kona. The restaurant regularly shows up on lists of best places to eat on the Big Island, due to their fresh seafood and expert sushi preparation.
Oysters with Ponzu and Scallions
To start, a new friend and I shared some fresh oysters, made even more delicious by the citrusy flavors imparted by the ponzu.
Next, we moved on to some nigiri, which is sashimi served over individual, bite-sized portions of rice.
We ordered tako (octopus), hamachi (yellowtail) and kanpachi (amberjack).
Every piece of fish was expertly cut, served with perfect proportioned rice, and simply delicious.
Gyoza
Though not originally intending to, we also ordered the gyoza because we were told that it was one of the restaurant's specialities.
The gyoza dumplings were stuffed with chicken and pork, steamed and then pan fried for a crispy and soft contrast that I love. One bite and I understood why they were on almost everyone's table.
Island Lava Java
Island Lava Java
Island Lava Java, the third restaurant in this post, is part coffeehouse, part bakery and part restaurant. They have a laid-back dining room that opens up into an outdoor patio area where diners can both wave and people watch.
Big Island Basics Plate
Island Lava Java is best known for their brunch, which is why I visited during the morning.
My Big Island Breakfast Plate came with two eggs, which I requested over-medium, honey wheat toast, Portuguese sausage (or bacon), and french fries (which they kindly swapped for their breakfast potatoes made with bell peppers, one of the very few foods I don't enjoy).
The food at Island Lava Java is consistent. The staff is lovely and welcoming and the vibe is very much relaxed, which pretty much sums up the Aloha Spirit that Hawaii is famous for.
The restaurant also has a view that the island of Hawai'i is famous for. Island Lava Java is located in a prime spot in Kona, in the center of Ali'i Drive, an area known for its shopping, bars, restaurants and beaches.
Once you are done with your meal, carve out time to stroll along the beach.
You can also just stand at the breakwater and watch the waves ebb and flow, which I find very meditative and relaxing.
Ululani's Shave Ice
Now, for the bonus that I promised at the beginning of this post. As I mentioned, this establishment is not so much a restaurant, as it is a shop that serves shave ice. Hawaiian shave ice is an island speciality and source of state pride. Other cultures have similar versions such as Filipino halo-halo, Chinese bao bing, and Korean patbingsu.
Hawaiian shave ice is unique in that it was introduced to the islands by Japanese immigrants who came to work on sugar and pineapple plantations. They introduced a concept that began in the seventh century called kakigori or "shaved ice." In order to cool off under the hot Hawaiian sun, they would shave flakes from large blocks of ice, coat them in sugar and then eat them.
In Pidgin, the icy treat became known as "shave" (as opposed to "shaved") ice, and it is still referred to this way today. Today however, there is a machine that shaves the ice until it has a powdery consistency.
The ice is then molded into shape ...
... and liberally doused with flavored syrup that is as brightly colored as it is sweet.
Debate rages about who has the best shave ice on the islands. Ululani's is a top contender on the Big Island, as well as in Maui. The shop uses a very fine shave of ice and sweetens their syrups with pure cane sugar and the result is a great cup of shave ice. (That said, I think there are some shave ice shops on Oahu that are even better, but that is a story for an entirely different series about Hawaii.)
With that, I will conclude this post. From Kona, I am heading to Hilo next, but I am going to make several stops along the way. I hope you will join me for my road trip along Hawai'i's northern coast, as I work my way toward the capital city of Hilo.
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