It began with local fishermen in the islands saving the cut-off parts of their catch and adding seasonings to them to eat as a snack. In the 1970s, poke became increasingly popular and eventually evolved into an entire subsection of contemporary Hawaiian cuisine. It is most commonly prepared with cubes of yellowfin tuna also known as “ahi”, and skipjack tuna called “aku”, along with embellishments like green onions, sesame oil, Maui onions, sea salt and the pungent seaweed known as “limu”. Some poke batches are seasoned with soy sauce, wasabi paste, chili peppers and fish eggs, while a more traditional form includes roasted, salted ground candlenut.

Most of these varieties and several more are served up daily at Suisan Fish Market, which has been selling fish and poke out of the same location at the mouth of the Wailoa River along Hilo’s bayfront for several generations. The business has seen its fair share of setbacks, including the crashing of two massively destructive tsunamis into the city’s usually-sheltered bay of rocky black sand beaches in both 1946 and 1960. But the owners stuck it out, and over the years have seen Suisan grow to become the largest food distribution company on Big Island. 

Suisan runs warehouses all over the island, but maintains its original windswept riverfront fish market as a place for retail sales, and informally as a historic landmark. The store smells strongly of fish immediately upon entering, undoubtedly a testament to the freshness of the catch, but for people who are bothered by the smell it could be a bit too much. Visitors first come upon refrigerated display cases full of vacuum sealed large fresh fish cuts of various species, informed by the plastic notecards attached to the racks. This is the place to pick up a mouth-watering ahi steak for a backyard barbecue, or to find a juicy slab of mahi-mahi for an unforgettable batch of fish tacos.

Beyond the full cuts of fish is another, larger display case crammed with all of Suisan’s prepared food. Several different types of classic poke are available, made with raw ahi, aku, hamachi, and salmon. Then there are the many side dishes, like crab and lobster salad, kim chee, octopus, sweet potato and seaweed salad. All the to-go bowls and plates they serve include a side of either brown rice or “hapa” – meaning mixed white and brown rice. Their pricing is based on number of scoops: 1-Choice Bowl, 2-Choice Bowl, “Small Kine” Bowl and Plate, all with their corresponding number of side dishes. 

All these delicacies are available for purchase by the pound in bulk containers, too, and sometimes Suisan will only sell certain varieties by the pound. Refrigerated cases at the far end of the store contain packages of dried fish and containers of freshly made poi, as well as smaller pre-packaged portions of fish steaks and cubes. Much of its inventory is based on availability, as the company has built its business around the freshest fish possible, so it’s not uncommon to see half of the display cases empty, especially after the mid-day lunch rush.

How To Get There:

Suisan Fish Market can be found on Lihiwai Street along Hilo’s iconic waterfront, just off of Kamehameha Avenue. Look for the blue building with glowing neon red sign right next to the river’s mouth. The shop is situated half a block from the eastern entrance to Banyan Drive, the historic winding thoroughfare of towering banyan trees, picturesque beach parks and the city’s most luxurious hotels. It’s open from 9:00am to 3:00pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and closed on Sunday and Wednesday. Other sights within walking distance of Suisan include the serene and always green Liliuokalani Gardens, Reed’s Bay Beach Park, and the palm-lined rocky outcrop jutting out into the bay called Coconut Island, or “Moku Ola” (Island of Life) in Hawaiian. 

The restaurant is named after its owner and one-woman-show, Sombat Saenguthai, who cooks, serves and grows the herbs for the vast majority of the delicious entrees being served up in its small dining room, and in the stream of brown paper bag takeout orders constantly being run out the door. 

Her menu is varied but not overwhelming: appetizers of spring rolls and basil rolls, fried tofu and chicken satay, with add-ons like the legendary green papaya salad, bean thread noodle salad, and even shrimp and squid salads. Noodle dishes range from the staples pad Thai and pad see ew, to lesser known variations like pad lard nah with its mound of flat noodles cooked with broccoli and a thick, savory sauce, to pad kee mow with chili peppers, mint and basil. She even makes a Thai version of the classic Chinese noodle dish chow mein. 

For those wanting something a bit lighter, Sombat’s served bowls of Tom Yum and coconut soup, made with mushrooms, onions and an assortment of Thai spices. Or choose from the list of vegetarian specialities: coconut vegetable soup, veggie fried rice, bean-thread noodles with vegetable stir fry, and sweet and sour vegetables.

The curries at Sombat’s are legendary: pineapple curry made with chunks of fresh, locally grown pineapples, veggies and coconut milk; Penang Curry with it’s salty, sweet lime-zest of string beans cooked in coconut milk; green curry with eggplant and sweet basil, yellow curry with carrots and potatoes, red curry with bamboo shoots and red chili peppers, and Massaman Curry with peanuts and potatoes. These come with either Jasmine or brown rice, and in variations like chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, fish, seafood combo or vegetarian.

Last but not least is the assortment of fried rice, like spicy fried rice, Thai fried rice and pineapple fried rice, as well as the menu of stir-fries: sweet and sour, eggplant, garlic and pepper, ginger and bean sauce and sauteed cashew. For drinks, Sombat’s makes a terrific Thai Iced Tea – a thick, sweet concoction made from strongly-brewed black tea with flavors of star anise, tamarind, cardamom and others, similar in flavor to masala chai tea. And for dessert: homemade ice cream, Thai tapioca with coconut milk, and fried banana spring rolls.

How To Get There:

Sombat’s Fresh Thai Cuisine is located near the downtown strip of Hilo – Big Island’s largest city – very near to Hilo International Airport. It can be found less than a block away from the intersection of Kamehameha Avenue running along the city’s bayfront, and Highway 11, otherwise known as Hawaii Belt Road, which from there heads south towards Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. 

Sombat’s can sometimes be closed on random days with little advance notice, so calling in an order ahead of time is smart. The restaurant is currently open for take-out only from 4:00pm to 8:00pm, Monday through Saturday. It is just one of the stores comprising Waiakea Kai Shopping Plaza, which has great spots to grab a coffee or beer such as The Sippen Siren coffee shop and Joann’s Lounge Bar.

But those visiting Kona town preferring a traditional Hawaiian plate to a contemporary one can be hard-pressed to find a truly authentic experience. This is because the simple, humble dishes of Hawaii’s old days are overshadowed by more popular ethnic and continental cuisine, and in some cases can be an acquired taste. 

There is one eatery in Kona, though, that specializes in the islands’ traditional foods: Kanaka Kava. It’s a small open-air, no-frills eatery set back from Ali’i Drive along the town’s commercial waterfront strip open for late-lunch and dinner serving local plates and coconut-shell cups full of “kava”. Otherwise known as “awa”, this is a traditional Polynesian drink made with the roots of an indigenous pepper plant grown throughout the Pacific Ocean for its mild sedative and relaxing effects.

A typical dinner course from the open-air diner includes a sectioned wooden bowl with rounds of baked Hawaiian sweet potato (uala), a generous helping of kalua pork, a serving of squid luau (squid meat cooked with coconut milk and taro leaves), a mound of seasoned diced raw fish (poke) and a bowl of fermented taro (poi). It’s a meal traditionally eaten with fingers, although western utensils are available. 

Kanaka Kava also makes poi bowls, which are helpings of fresh Big Island-made poi topped with bananas, blueberries, coconut flakes, goji and acai berries, granola and almonds, all covered with a healthy drizzle of honey. Hemp seeds, cacao nibs, papaya fruit and chia seeds are all available as add-ons.

Besides bowls of kava, the restaurant serves fresh coconut water, kombucha, gingerade, yerba mate, hot cacao and its own homemade version of POG (blended passionfruit, orange and guava juices).

Seating in the outdoor patio is limited; there’s only enough tables for a few groups of diners at at time. Even so, the place never seems to get too busy and its wait staff are always laid back and friendly, and the food comes out surprisingly fast. There’s open mic nights and musical events throughout the week, catering to a local bohemian hippie crowd.

How To Get There

Kanaka Kava is located between Kuakini Highway and Ali’i Drive along the waterfront of downtown Kona, near the well-known and easy-to-spot volleyball court. It’s part of a complex of other bars, restaurants and shopping centers comprising the northern end of the seaside commercial thoroughfare.

The restaurant and kava bar opens every day of the week at 3:00pm and closes at 10:00pm on Monday through Thursday and on Sundays, and at 11:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays. A menu of food and drink items with prices included can be found at https://www.kanakakava.bar/bar-1

Contemporary Hawaiian cuisine is a curious mixture of dishes from many different cultures; from Portuguese sausages to Japanese noodles to American Spam to traditional Hawaiian raw fish and taro-based staples. Popular local dishes in the islands are usually variations of some traditional or imported food slapped together with ingredients from a oftentimes vastly different cuisine, creating a culinary identity that is distinctly modern Hawaiian.

Few other common dishes illustrate this mash-up better than the ubiquitous Hawaiian Plate Lunch. Everyday in the islands, tens of thousands of these meals are enjoyed, often packed up in cardboard takeout containers by local eateries like Big Island Grill. In its most common form, the plate includes one entree, two scoops of white rice and one scoop of macaroni salad. The pairing of noodles and rice side by side might seem to be a peculiar East-West collision by some food critics, but the locals don’t seem to mind.

Big Island Grill serves up another great example of how contemporary Hawaiian cuisine can throw seemingly incongruent ingredients together into a dish that surprisingly works: the “loco moco”. This is a mound of rice topped with a hamburger patty and fried egg, all drenched in a generous helping of brown gravy and topped with green onions. It’s a combination reportedly thought up by the owner of a handful of restaurants in the city of Hilo who lived half-a-century ago.

For a plate lunch that resembles traditional Hawaiian food a bit more, Big Island Grill’s “kalua” pork with cabbage is a taste of the old days. Preparing this dish in old-time Hawaii involved cooking a whole pig in an underground earth oven called an “imu”, imparting a strong smoky flavor to the meat. Kalua pork is succulent and tender, similar to the barbeque pulled pork in Southern U.S. cuisine, and is one of the most common plate lunch entrees in the islands, together with chicken katsu (Japanese fried chicken), loco moco, poke (Hawaiian diced raw fish), and teriyaki beef. 

All of these plate lunch options are served up daily at Big Island Grill, in a casual no-frills atmosphere of friendly, easygoing wait staff and modern amenities. Its indoor dining area is roomy and well air-conditioned – a welcome relief for diners seeking refuge from the beating Kona sun. A colorfully painted mural of Hawaiian sea life adorns one corner of the restaurant, while a handful of glittering art installations are slung across the opposite wall. All of this makes for a comfortable, laid-back environment perfect for enjoying a tall glass of iced tea – one of the restaurant’s specialties – or a mimosa or glass of beer from Kona Brewing Company located just down the road.

How To Get There

Big Island Grill is located in downtown Kona along Kuakini Highway roughly two blocks uphill from the seaside commercial strip known as Ali’i Drive, at the corner of Hanama Place. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00am to 2:00pm with options for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Their menu can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/bigislandgrill/menu

But somehow, out of the dearth of exceptional ethnic cuisine on the island (besides East Asian food, of course), there is one restaurant found along Ali’i Drive in the town of Kona that offers up a truly authentic Indian culinary experience that could go toe-to-toe with the best of Rome, Singapore, Seattle and even traditional eateries on the subcontinent itself. Kamana Kitchen

That is perhaps the word that lends itself to Kamana Kitchen most: authentic. For those who’ve ever adventured through that part of the world, all it takes is one taste to bring on the nostalgia. The enticing smell of slow-cooking curries, roasting tandoori meats and fresh-baked buttery garlic naan meets diners seated at tables in the small open-air patio found on the first floor of Ali’i Drive’s Waterfront Row Shopping Center. 

Servers stream in and out of the adjacent building’s double doors with large silver trays of steaming plates; everything from piles of aromatic rice to stacks of seasoned flatbreads to bowls of stewed vegetables and meats cooked in thick, creamy, colorful sauces. There are biryanis (rice cooked with spices, herbs and nuts) with veggies, shrimp and lamb, as well as fish curries made with coconut milk, and slabs of fried pakora with its seasoned batter and mixtures of cheese, potatoes, meats, herbs and vegetables. For appetizers, both vegetarian and meat samosas are served up with their triangles of crispy pastry and heavily seasoned fillings (think Indian Hot Pocket). 

One of Kamana Kitchen’s most popular dishes is the tandoori mixed grill; basically a meat-lovers ideal with an assortment of chicken, lamb, shrimp and kebab marinated in yogurt, herbs and spices and cooked inside a special Indian clay oven known as a tandoor. The portion size of the mixed grill is in essence two meals, especially when combined with side dishes of rice, naan and the green onion, cucumber and yogurt-based side known as “raitha” – traditionally eaten to cool the palate from the hot, spicy tandoori dishes.

The restaurant caters well to vegetarian and vegan diets, too, with dishes likes mixed vegetable curry, the chickpea-based chana masala, and the cumin-heavy cauliflower and potato dish called aloo gobi. Then there’s the host of paneer dishes, made with large juicy chunks of homemade cheese cooked with veggies like peas, spinach and tomato, as well as plates of daal (lentils slow-cooked with herbs and spices). 

How To Get There:

Kamana Kitchen can be found right off of north Ali’i Drive on the first floor of Waterfront Row Shopping Center, across the street from the daily Kona Farmers’ Market. Follow the red and orange signs for the restaurant past an open-air jewelry seller until the dining patio with its enclosing white fence comes into view. The dining area is right at the edge of the wharf, offering a great view of the adjacent bay, open ocean and the occasional arriving and departing cruise ship.

Kamana Kitchen is open for lunch from 11:00am to 3:00pm, and then for dinner from 5:00pm to 9:30pm Wednesday through Monday, and is closed on Tuesday. Dine-in, takeout and delivery options are available with typically fast service. A full menu with prices included can be found at https://www.kamanakitchen.com/our-menu/

Hawaii is a land of diverse ecosystems and culinary influences. The food found here is an amazing blend of Pacific Rim plates tweaked and adapted over generations to become authentically Hawaiian. Fresh seafood is a must, but there are also some intriguing options for adventurous and eager eaters. 

Here’s a guide to some of the Big Island’s best restaurants. It’s hard to pick a top choice, and each of the following is worth visiting, so all of the below come in no particular ranking order. Be sure to try them all if you can!

Big Island’s Best restaurants – a top 8 Guide

Da Poke Shack

Poke is Hawaiian food at its best. If you’re not familiar, poke is a sushi bowl with fixings. Ahi tuna is a standard option, but there is plenty of other fish and seafood to choose from. Da Poke Shack offers some of the best Poke on the Big Island and is a popular stop for locals and visitors.

They always use fresh fish to deliver a delectable quick lunch. The Shack is open daily, but they sell out early most days. Be sure to arrive well before closing time if you want to sample one of the island’s best staples. 

Manta

Manta is another one of the Big Island’s best restaurants and offers upscale dining in a casual atmosphere. Part of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, but open to the public and guests alike, Manta serves up a unique and delicious variety of Pacific Rim specialties.

The restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. Waking up early to enjoy a tropical start to your day is more than recommended. The menus will change with the seasons and what is available locally, but you can count on it always being amazing.

The dinner scene is more upscale without being stuffy, so you can get away with wearing slippers (flip-flops) and a Hawaiian shirt while diving into fresh-caught seafood and live music. 

Cafe 100

This spot is a local favorite for sure. It claims credit for the original version of the must-try fully Hawaiian dish called Loco Moco. Cafe 100 serves 30 different styles of this favorite dish, but the traditional is a bed of rice covered with a beef patty, gravy, a fried egg, and an assortment of sides.

It might sound strange, but I promise you, it’s incredible. It’s also a good place for a burger or bento box, showcasing the many influences that have come together to create Hawaiin cuisine.

Cafe 100 opened its doors as the first drive-through in Hilo, and it’s been around for over 50 years. If you want huge Hawaiian portions and the opportunity to try something new, this the place to go. 

Kona Brewing Company

For the craft brew lovers out there, Kona Brewing Company offers an assortment of local beers and top-notch pub fair to help wash it down. The brewpub first opened up in 1998 and has been serving the public and community regularly ever since. The burgers and pizzas here are solid and pair perfectly with your choice of brew.

You’ll want to try the Hawaii Kai Pie to see how the dish tastes in its homeland. The Pawai Pepperoni Rolls are another highly recommended favorite. 

Honu’s on the Beach

Honu’s is a great spot to enjoy fresh culinary creations in a beachfront setting. Set on Kailua Bay’s shores, this is an award-winning restaurant that focuses on fresh and local farm-to-table ingredients this is why it made our cut for Big Island’s Best Restaurants list.

It can be found in Kona as part of the Courtyard King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Breakfast and dinner buffets keep the resort crown funneling in at a steady pace but don’t let that keep you from visiting. The food is excellent, and the vibe authentic.

Who doesn’t enjoy beachside dining with fresh, local food and an enlivening atmosphere?.

Umekes Fish Market Bar & Grill

Umekes is another great Poke spot that also has a vibrant bar. You’ll feel the aloha spirit emanate from the doors, and this is a friendly location, great for the family or a late night with friends.

You can expect a variety of local dishes using only fresh ingredients. Boat to bowl is the norm here and makes for some of the freshest seafood on the island. There is room to spread out, and the restaurant is as comfortable as it is inviting. 

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue

L&L can be found on all of the Hawaiian Islands and is basically a fast-food joint. But it still makes the list of best spots on the Big Island because Hawaiian Barbecue is downright awesome.

This franchise chain serves up some of the most famous Hawaiian dishes, and with locations all over the island, you can get a quick bite and sample something new.

Be sure to try the Kalua Pork, Spam Musubi, and Chicken Katsu – all local favorites. Fast and affordable, L&L is a good pre or post-adventure stop.

Island Fish & Chips

This is yet another local favorite that is lesser-known with the tourist crowd and not as easy to find, but well worth a stop for breakfast or lunch. The Hawaiian Style Belgian Waffle comes smothered in bananas, coconut flakes, macadamia nuts, while the Fish and Chips platter is a signature dish and oh so fresh. The fish tacos are also excellent.

They have a kids menu, so it’s a good spot to take the little ones for a quick bite. It’s a bit hard to find, being tucked away inside King’s Shops at Waikoloa – a mall of sorts. But ask around or follow your nose, and you’ll be rewarded. 

Final Thoughts on the Big Island’s Best restaurants

This list just scratches the surface of the many amazing places to eat on the Big Island. There are plenty of other great restaurants in Kona and across Hawaii to explore, and we have an entire post dedicated to Merriman’s, which is another best option not mentioned here worth a more in-depth look.

Every option you’ll find above is affordable, delicious, and packed full of the aloha spirit. Make yourself and your taste buds happy by visiting the best restaurants in Hawaii on your visit to Hawaii.

Merriman’s is a must-visit restaurant for all visitors to the Big Island, whether you are a seasoned foodie or just looking for a quality meal. Supporting the local economy is vital here, and although every tourist dollar helps, spending away from the big resorts more directly helps the many people who build their lives and support their families working the rich, abundant volcanic island soil. On top of these moral and ethical considerations, Merriman’s is downright delicious. Every dish is special and represents Hawaii at its finest – a rich tradition of community base on a deep connection to the land. 

History

Peter Merriman first began his career as a chef in Hawaii in 1983. He got a job as a cook at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel and moved from Pittsburgh, PA to the islands shortly after. His kitchen skills were quickly recognized, and he earned an Executive Chef position within two years, in part because of his commitment and desire to focus on cooking regional cuisine that sourced local ingredients. The only problem with this desire was that there simply weren’t that many local products available at the time. 

So he took it upon himself to change that, reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and fishermen – anyone who was a part of the local food sourcing community. Merriman told these potential suppliers that if they could deliver consistent local products, he would purchase consistently and help turn things into a valid and growing economy of small-scale producers. These early relationships established the foundation for a prosperous future that would help many people on a local scale while creating destination restaurants known the world over. 

A few years after establishing these initial connections, the first Merriman’s restaurant was opened in Waimea in 1988. It was nearly an instant success, but the excitement and popularity would not distract from the commitment to the community. From here, the restaurant and its network of local growers and producers continued to thrive, and they still do today. This innovative approach to island cuisine has established a longstanding tradition that is now a generational affair with families of farmers, fishermen, and cooks supporting one another every step of the way.    

Cuisine 

Today there are five different Merriman’s locations scattered across the four major Hawaiian islands. On the Big Island, you can still find it in Waimea. Lunch is served from 11:30-2:00 and dinner from 5:00-8:30 – you’ll need a reservation for the latter. The restaurant also has a Sunday brunch from 10:30-2:00. Regardless of when you sit down, you’ll be in for a memorable treat. 

The farm-to-table nature of the restaurant means that the menus are always evolving and changing. What doesn’t change is quality and freshness. You will find some of the freshest ingredients anywhere on the island here, which translates into flavor. Whether you want to sample fish caught the same day, locally ranched meat, or a variety of almost endless produce, there’s something for every palate. 

Classic dishes include the Ahi, which is a signature dish all over the islands. Merriman’s presents a wok charred version, best served rare. It’s served on a bed of fresh won bok cabbage slaw that is subtle but flavorful. A wasabi soy sauce tops it off and brings things close to seafood perfection. A butcher’s cut of lamb is another staple dish that comes from nearby Kahua Ranch. This is served with a housemade pappardelle pasta accompanied by flavorful hamakua mushrooms and a smoked pecorino that gives just enough salt to the savory. 

The rest of the menu will vary depending on when you visit and what is in season. There is typically a fresh fish of the day that is caught the same day. This will be a Chef’s presentation and always a good bet. Other seafood concoctions will be available, including everything from lobster to any and all of the flavorful fish that reside in the reefs and waters just offshore. Produce is plentiful and makes for unique, outstanding vegetarian options as well. 

To start things off, the ceviche and vine-ripened tomatoes come highly recommended. The ceviche comes with island-grown sweet potato chips and a splattering of citrus and lettuce. It’s light and delicious. 

If you’re part of the lunch crowd, Merriman’s makes a damn fine burger. You also can’t go wrong with the fish tacos or fish sandwich. These plates include the fresh catch of the day, which is also available as a full lunch plate if your mind is already made up. 

Merriman’s also has an extensive and thoughtful wine list to pair with your dish. This is where you won’t find a local option as island wine is not available. You will find an assortment of Italian and Californian varietals, with an informed staff to direct you toward the best choice for your preferences and plate. 

If you are searching for a memorable and magical culinary experience on the Big Island, Merriman’s is not to be missed. The food here is phenomenal, and the spirit of the islands rings true in each ingredient and every bite. It’s a more than recommended experience while you’re here and a top restaurant to visit for conscious connoisseurs and casual diners alike. It’s food fit for a king, with the support of the entire community.