Hawaii

 

Just back from a fabulous trip to Hawaii on a magazine assignment. Such a great time, wanted to share some iPhone shots. Top: Opah, at the Honolulu fish auction. Terribly shabby view from my hotel in Maui, the Andaz resort. Breakfast at Lee Anne Wong's Koko Head Cafe (garlic rice, beef patty, mushroom gravy, egg). Below: Adam Watten of the soon-to-be-opened Hanai, a market and eating venue, standing at his makeshift smoker. Lee Anne Wong with chef Mark Noguchi. A farmers' market on Kauai. Watten's menu for the night he cooked for a group of us. Chickens on the beach in Kauai, where the birds run wild all over the island.

The Papahana Kuaola, a restoration site on Oahu. Soursop fruit at farmers' market. The biggest Spam display I've ever seen. Smoke-roasted baby pig from Steelgrass Farm, Kauai.

 

My final mai tai, alas. The view of the northern coast of Kauai, where I saw humpback whales splashing in the distance. Had to take a selfie with my first actual lei (did you know you can buy them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store?).

 

Farmer Cody, skinning a wild boar (he's the guy who shot the dinner Watten prepared for us). Maui chef Jeff Scheer's artichoke tatoo. Tuna being offloaded from a fishing boat on their way to the auction.

What I loved most? The ethos of the chefs who take locavore to a more spiritual level than I've seen. But more on that when the article comes out.

Aloha.

 

Other links you may like:

• My past posts on Steak Florentine, Greyhound, and Near Perfect Pizza.
• Planning a trip to Hawaii? Check out the state's tourism board first.
• Learn about authentic Hawaiian dishes served at a luau.
• The NYT puts out some great travel videos—here is what to do in Honolulu for 36 hours.

© 2016 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2016 Donna Turner Ruhlman. All rights reserved.