Kauai Island Guide

plus my katsu sauce and açai bowl recipes inside

and by guide I really mean a list of great spots to eat on the (mostly) north shore.

While we were in Kauai and I was posting all my eats on stories I repeatedly was asked for a guide. Since we have friends that are family on the island we’ve been there quite a bit and have a substantial list of our favorite spots. Our friends live on the north shore so that is where we stay. Please note this really mostly pertains to the north shore with a handful of beloved spots closer to the airport.

Below you’ll find a list of spots with some notes alongside them. Every single spot is worth a visit. Before that, I wanted to leave you with the katsu sauce recipe I posted this week. You can find delicious katsu all over Hawaii but you can also find it on repeat for our weeknight dinners. While store bought katsu sauce is just fine, home made is insanely easy and exponentially better. You can watch my recipe here

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& now for the guide

Wishing Well

THE spot to get fabulous shave ice on the north shore. Alden loves the rainbow while I have a current love affair with the mac nut ice cream inside & lychee and guava on top.

Fish Market at The Hanalei Dolphin

This is our favorite spot to grab poke to go on the north shore. You can find this cute little tiny shop around the back side of the Hanalei Dolphin restaurant. There’s parking in back (while the front is always full) so follow the signs to take you back there.

Kunana Dairy Farm

You’ve likely seen me post about their soursop juice (which is not to be missed if there’s one thing you must get) but they also have beautiful dairy - hello lilikoi chevre! - and gorgeous produce. You can find their juice and cheeses at Hanalei Market, the Hanalei Farmer’s Market or you can preorder with them for pickup through their website. This is a must get for me every visit.

Bar Acuda

This may happen to be our friend’s spot, but it also is the best sit down dinner on the north shore. It’s also extremely difficult to get a reservation. My advice - set an alert for when reservations open up 30 days before you need one and you should be fine! If you forget, never fear - if you’re in the first 10 or so in line when they open you very likely will be seated. Trust me, this meal is worth the planning. Do not miss the papas or the cucumber salad. If there is a daily special DO get it. And also maybe just order the whole menu.

The Flying Saucer

Speaking of order the whole menu, we did that at The Flying Saucer and there wasn’t a single miss. The new upstairs sister to Fish Bar Deli, with a decidedly funky tikki bar feel. The drinks are phenomenal (including the mocktails) and the bites are maybe even better. You can absolutely get a full very fun meal here and enjoy every minute of the ambience.

Fish Bar Deli

The older sister to The Flying Saucer (located downstairs) with a drastically different vibe but equally delicious bites and drinks. If you can’t get a seat, make sure to at least get their poke and other snacks from their grab and go counter.

Mark’s Place

Phenomenal plate lunch spot to grab some delicious eats before or after your flight. We ordered way too much and ate almost all of it. Anything from the grill was my favorite.

Fresh Bite

This food truck in Hanalei is one of our favorite spots to make sure to swing by. Anything on their menu is great and their salads offer a nice reprieve from the somewhat heavy food you tend to eat when traveling. That being said their chipotle fries add steak are fantastic. It’s only open M-F so make sure to prioritize it on your weekdays.

Hanalei Market

Without a doubt my favorite coffee on the island. I think it’s better than anything you can find in Seattle, even. It also happens to be my favorite grocery store to shop there. It features awesome local products and unique things you can’t find elsewhere.

This is by no means a comprehensive list as there are plenty other delicious eats on the Island, but it is definitely some of our top favorites and I would insist do not misses.

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In honor of the many açai bowls I had in Hawaii, I’ve included my açai bowl recipe below the paywall. It’s delicious and perfect and the ingredients are readily accessible in the freezer aisle of major grocery stores.

If you choose to be a paid subscriber to access, I thank you! Developing recipes (well) takes time and can be quite costly in ingredients. If you upgrade to a paid subscription, you will receive 2 recipes per month (minimally).