Photo: Anake’s Juice Bar.
You can’t visit Kaua‘i without trying out some of the fresh, local food the island has to offer. Sure, there are the usual restaurant staples that continue to please visitors’ palates, but every year new establishments pop up around the island that are worth trying out.
Scorpacciata
Photo: Scorpacciata.
This mobile restaurant makes regular appearances at different locations on Kaua‘i but is typically parked at a hip, new spot in Lawai called Warehouse 3540. In August they plan to move to old Kapaʻa town next to Wailua Shave Ice. This will be their new home base, and they will return to Lawai occasionally for special events. The food truck’s specialty is melt-in-your-mouth pizzas such as “Fig-n-Pig” and “Lawai Mushroom” made in an 800-degree oven that crisps each pie to perfection in seconds flat. They’ve also got breakfast specials that include plenty of local ingredients like banana buckwheat pancakes. Visit their Facebook page for hours and locations.
Nom Kauai
Photo: NOM Kauai.
Another food truck worth finding is Nom Kaua‘i featuring breakfast and burgers made with grass fed, local beef. It’s best to leave your diet behind for this one because the menu doesn’t hold back on proportions or indulgences like pineapple-bourbon compound butter that goes with an ample serving of chicken and waffles. Their burger sizes are unparalleled as well, piled sky high with ‘ono (delicious) ingredients. They are typically parked in Kapa‘a across from the Kaua‘i Products Fair. Visit their Facebook page for hours and locations.
Palate Wine Bar
Photo: Palate Wine Bar.
Experience a touch of sophistication on the North Shore while satisfying your taste buds at this Kilauea eatery. The menu consists of light appetizers (or pupus as they say in Hawai‘i) including flatbreads, salads and meat and cheese samplers. What people really come here for, however, is the exquisite wine list. Enjoy a glass of carefully selected white or red wine at a reasonable price or try a wine flight paired with food. Visit palatewinebar.net for more information.
Anake’s Juice Bar
Photo: Anake’s Juice Bar.
This is a diamond in the ruff located all the way in the back of the Kukui‘ula Store in Po‘ipu. They sell freshly squeezed juices and acai bowls that are to die for, loaded with fruit and other good-for-you ingredients. Prices are incredibly reasonable and the servings generous in size, just order “The Hulk” and you’ll find out exactly what this means. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
