Island Eats-Part II
Hubby and I are now home in Seattle. Today is a quiet day at the office, so I’m sitting at my desk, looking out at the sunny Seattle sky (yes, surprising!) and wishing we were back in the Aloha State. We flew home Sunday and I have been sleeping poorly ever since we got back. I don’t know what it is about Hawaii-but I sleep like a rock over there, I don’t know if it’s the feeling of total relaxation, the sound of waves at night, or if laying in the sun all day is draining, but it’s magical. I wish I could bottle up that kind of sleep and bring it home with me.
After we left Oahu and arrived on the Big Island, the eating did not stop! In fact, without the conference for Hubby and friends to attend, we had more time for eating and beach time.
For our first night out in the Kona area we went to the Keei Cafe up in Hokukano (up the hillside from Kona), it’s a small place that overlooks the ocean and the food is consistently good.
Ono with Thai green curry sauce
They always have a few fresh fish selections and it is nice because they offer them prepared three ways. I chose the Thai green curry sauce, but it was also offered with a lemon caper sauce or on a bed of greens with green papaya and a peanut miso vinaigrette (what Hubby ordered).
Our first and last day on the Big Island we went to my favorite beach-Kua bay. It’s great because you can drive up to it (many beaches on Hawaii are a little more difficult to access due to the abundance of lava rock on the Big Island) and it has white sand and bathroom accommodations.
Kua Bay
There were even a few “Honu” or sea turtles swimming in Kua bay both days that we went.
For our more fancy dinner out we went to the Beach Tree at Hualalai Four Seasons. The Four Seasons is north from Kona and is located along the Kohala Coast. Beach Tree has offerings with an Italian Twist compared to the fine dining restaurant Pahui’a which has more of an Asian flair. Beach Tree is pricey, but not nearly as overpriced expensive as Pahui’a. And the view is breathtaking….
View from Beach Tree
Seriously…..doesn’t this look like a postcard.
Arugula salad w/ Ali’i mushrooms and crispy goat cheese
Hubby and I shared this salad, it was perfect for mushroom lovers like me and who doesn’t love fried cheese balls?!
For dinner Hubby ordered a pizza and I went with a pasta dish, it was good, but a little heavy for the warmer weather.
Capellini Brushchetta with WOW tomatoes
The tomatoes in my pasta were “WOW” tomatoes, I think it indicated the area they were from and not that they were going to knock my socks off!!
Another day we made our way up the Kohala Coast again and went to Hapuna Beach. Hapuna Beach is often rated as a “Top Beach” on travel shows, etc. The Prince Hotel sits above it and the water is often calm and warm. Our only complaint for our beach time at Hapuna was the wind…..we had to keep our mouths closed so we didn’t have sand between our teeth.
Hapuna Beach
Hubby’s favorite beach on the Big Island is Makalewena beach. You must drive on a horrible road (I don’t even know if you can call it a road) to access the trailhead. We always make sure we get an SUV rental car just so we can go to this beach, although, I don’t think we are supposed to drive rental cars on this road. Sssh…don’t tell anyone! After driving on this lava rock “road”, you walk another 1-2 miles over a beach and a lava field. The trek is bumpy but is definitely worth it. Makalewena beach has white sands and usually has limited people on the beach because of the difficult access.
Makalewena Beach
We came across one gentleman who was nude amongst ten clothed friends…..weird! Yes, it is a desolate beach, but no one wanted to see his twig and berries, probably not even his nearest and dearest!
Emi and Jeremy flew out on Saturday AM……so Hubby and I had one last night together on the Big Island. Without debate we had to go to Don the Beachcomber at the Royal Kona Resort for Hubby’s favorite Hawaiian dinner-Ahi Fukikake!
Ahi Fukikake
This is a large Ahi tuna steak that has been coated in fukikake (a dry Japanese condiment) and then quickly seared to keep a raw center. It’s served over a bed of coconut mochi rice. This dish never disappoints and is Hawaii on a dinner plate.
Our trip to Hawaii was amazing…..a fun time with friends Emi and Jeremy, lots of sun and beach time, great food and relaxation. I didn’t even post all of our meals, otherwise you would think all we do is eat!!
As much as I had wanted to move right into our IVF process earlier this year, I’m so glad that we kept this vacation on our calendar, it was the perfect way to unwind before all of the craziness takes place.
hopefulandhungry 
yum! everything looks fantastic! I can’t believe you saw someone nude at the beach! I”m glad you guys took this trip! you deserve it!
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Love your photos!
Thank you, love yours as well!