Eating Around Waikiki

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​Eating Around Waikiki

...Continued from 4/28/2024:
       Our days always started at the Hale Koa restaurant Koko at Kalia,​

...were we would dive daily with our fellow breakfasters into the glorious breakfast bar.

     Now, everyday after breakfast Tom and I swore we'd be able to sail through the day until dinner. And yet by the time lunch time rolled around we'd find ourselves thinking about eating again. And so we inevitably did. 
      Our principle - though not exclusive -  lunch and dinner go-to spots were either the on-post eatery Happy's,  ​

...where one can find some quite good carry-out:

...or at the food court at the Ala Moana mall, a mile walk for us from Waikiki.
​       Along with being the largest outdoor mall in the world, 

...the Ala Moana is also known - among local folks and those of us tourists lucky enough to know about it - for its vast, fabulous, reasonably priced food court.
       The first time on this visit that we went to the Ala Moana food court was for lunch on Tuesday afternoon of this Spring Break week (see post from 4/15/2024, https://www.ailantha.com/blog/if-you-wanna-be-where-the-people-are-come-to-honolulu-during-spring-break). To say the place was crowded was an understatement.        

      However, confident that we'd find a couple of seats somewhere in this sea of people, we sleuthed around until we "aha'd!" a lone empty table with two seats.
      We hurried towards the table and arrived at the same moment as a young woman who appeared to be in her late 20's.
        "You go ahead," said chivalrous Tom.
        "Yes, take it," said chivalrous me. "We'll find another spot."
        "No, you," said the girl with a smile, nodding towards the table.
        "No you take it," Tom said, then he joked, "we're from Ohio."
        "I am from Amsterdam," said the girl with the most lovely lilting accent.
       We then absolutely insisted she take the table for herself and her friend, who was heading towards her with their food. We welcomed the two Dutch youngsters to the U.S. and the girl graciously thanked us. 
          Soon afterwards we found ourselves two seats at one of the long community plank tables,  

...where we enjoyed our pizza.

     This exchange with the Dutch girl was my favorite moment at the Ala Moana food court. My second favorite was the moment that I discovered that the Lahaina Chicken Company didn't only serve chicken,

...but a $14.95 prime rib plate with great gravy and three sides big enough to share.

      Our other favorite eating  spot was the aforementioned Kulu Kulu Honolulu Bakery in the Royal Hawaiian Center food court where we often stopped for an afternoon double cream puff  (see post from 4/28/2024, https://www.ailantha.com/blog/kalakaua-avenue).

      Honorable mention goes to the Mahaloha Burger, also located in the Royal Hawaiian food court,

...where one can procure the juiciest, most delicious burger and the hottest, crispiest fries.

    The only problem is that the delectable burger and fries are served in a minimal cardboard dish that is 'way too small to hold its contents. 

      Also, one tends to need half a dozen napkins to neatly negotiate the whole  burger and fries affair. But then, that's not a terrible problem.