Kilauea Fish Market – Kauai’s Best

We eat at Kilauea Fish Market on a regular basis. We usually get the tofu or ahi wraps and love them.

Yesterday, for a variety of reasons, we got some new dishes to try. Sharon had the Flank Steak plate. It’s made with Kauai beef and was ridiculously good. I’ve had flank steaks in Indiana, where beef is mandatory with every meal, and it was never this good. Cooked perfectly with a subtle sauce that enhanced the flavor of the steak, instead of masking or overpowering it.

David had the Ahi Salad. Seared ahi cooked perfectly over super-fresh greens. The ahi was cooked to perfection, and was in a light sauce that actually made the ahi taste better. This coming from sushi freaks who would gladly catch an ahi tuna, cut it apart, and start eating.

I had the Ono Fish Plate – a perfect piece of grilled ono with a side of rice. I loved the ono – so fresh it must have been swimming less than 24 hours before. But then I dipped a bite into the lemon-butter sauce that accompanied the dish and was in sheer bliss. So much food – I found a piece of fish under the rice that was as big as some more expensive places serve as the full meal.

Even though the meals were each less than 15 bucks, and were served on paper plates with plastic forks, we all agreed we have never had a better meal anywhere. And that’s saying a lot. When you come to Kauai, do not miss the opportunity to have lunch or dinner at Kilauea Fish Market.

General Advice for Kauai

I was asked for some suggestions by a person about to visit Kauai. I typed up the following response, and thought I’d share it with y’all.

I always recommend The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook to everyone who is going to Kauai. They review all the tours, etc., as if they were tourists, and they have been spot on in my experience. You will find it in almost every store in Kauai.

Essential To Dos for Kauai:

Take a helicopter tour. If you don’t do anything else, this is the best activity, even though it’s expensive. Every person who takes a helicopter tour calls it “life changing.”

Snorkel at Poip’u Beach (south side) in the winter, Tunnels (north side) in the summer. It’s cheaper, by the way, to buy a snorkel set at Costco in Lihue than it is to rent them.

Visit Kiluaea Lighthouse: . It’s not so much the lighthouse as it is the view – one of the best – with endangered birds, sea turtles and often dolphins (whales in winter).

Visit Hanalei Bay – especially if you can see a sunset there. While you’re up there, drive to the “end of the road” at Ke’e Beach. The drive from Princeville to the “end of the road” is one of the most beautiful drives on the planet. Take your time, pull over into some of the knooks when a local driver tails you to let him pass, and be sure to go both ways in daylight (at night it’s boring and even scary). So go there, then come back to Hanalei, eat at Hanalei Gourmet (my favorite restaurant in Kauai), then go to the beach to watch the sunset.

Visit Waimea Canyon (known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific on the west side of the island). If you do this, go early because you’ll want to stay the day. Be sure to find the spots where you can look out over the Napali Coast and (maybe, depending on if there is fog) see the “Forbidden Island” of Ni’ihau. If you don’t have time on this trip, make it a priority next time. And there WILL be a next time!

If you like to Kayak, take a river kayak/hiking tour. During the hike, you’ll swim under a beautiful waterfall you can only get to on foot.

I could go on and on, but you don’t want to be running all over the place. Kauai is about relaxing, so if you go and only sit on the different beaches each day, it’s worth the trip. Just figure you’ll do some of the things you want in your next trip. And enjoy the food. The fish is fresh – usually caught that day or the night before.

Restaurants I like:

Hanalei:

Hanalei Gourmet – looks like a little sandwich shop, but their food is some of the best in Kauai. If I could pick one place to always eat, it would be here.

Hanalei Wake-up Cafe – only open mornings. I like “Over The Falls” and “Papaya Bowl.”

Kalypso Island Bar & Grill – great food and really good drinks. We usually split meals here due to large portions. This is a great place to “watch the game,” whatever sport you are into. They even open early to show east coast games when the 6 hour time difference has them showing here at 7 am.

When you just have to have a burger, go with a Bubba Burger.

Neide’s Mexican & Brazilian Foods – good Mexican-ish food.

Further out towards “the end of the road,” go to The Mediterranean Gourmet – expensive, but a great place for a nice dinner out. Heck, Pierce Brosnan likes it, so it’s probably good.

Other north side:

Lappert’s Ice Cream – YUM! They are in several locations throughout the island. They close at 9 pm though, so don’t miss it.

Kilauea Fish Market – on the road to the lighthouse. A great place for fresh fish for lunch. They do take-out, too, known as a Plate Lunch, for picnics or on the beach.

Lighthouse Bistro Kilauea – also on the road to the lighthouse. Nice meal, although a bit overpriced. The pasta bar is kind of lame, but a good option for keiki (kids).

Kapa’a on the east side:

Kountry Kitchen – breakfast and early lunch only. No frills, great local food. Pancakes are awesome with coconut syrup. I get the Moco Loco, usually.

Olympic Cafe – great Kahlua Pig quesadilla!

Scotty’s BBQ – the best view in Kauai for eating lunch. Their BBQ is great and service is better.

Lihue on the south east side:

Genki Sushi in Lihue – if you like real sushi. This is a conveyor belt service place. Fun! Their salmon and tuna sashimi is great and inexpensive. Pack your face!

Best Luau – Smith’s Tropical Paradise in Lihue. Yep, the best Hawaiian Luau is named “Smith’s.”

Poip’u (on the south side):

Plantation Gardens – expensive but one of the best meal experiences anywhere. Get there in daylight to see their orchid garden.

Brennecke’s Beach Broiler – right near Poip’u Beach – a great place to walk over for lunch after a morning of snorkeling. Their Mai Tai’s are amazing.

Places I definitely do NOT recommend:

Hanalei Dolphin – used to be our favorite place, but the owner has gotten greedy and cut back on portions and raised prices.

Bar Acuda – overpriced and snooty. Some places just like to eat tourists.

CJ’s Steak and Seafood – they are in Princeville, and assume the rich folks there will pay anything for a crappy steak.

Saffron – they spend a ton on advertising, then charge high prices and give crappy food to “pay” for it.

I hope that helps!

Chuck