Edited by Jose Morales
As your flight descends into Honolulu on the island of O’ahu, you will be in awe with the views of this beautiful island. Once on the ground, and after a drive through the suburban areas, you will finally find yourself in the district of Waikiki. This iconic area – known across the world for its history of surfing, pristine beaches, and its dormant volcano the Diamond Head – is home to the newly renovated International Market Place, highlighting the winner of the 2019 ‘Aina Gold Award for Best New Restaurant, the Herringbone Waikiki.
With Gary Tamashiro as its Executive Chef, Herringbone Waikiki is one of five locations, expanding to O’ahu from its roots in La Jolla, California. This O’ahu location is 350 yards from the beautiful Pacific Ocean and features a 2,000 square-foot patio lānai which is both whimsical and rustic. The restaurant also accentuates a living wall, and whale bones hanging over the bar. Herringbone Waikiki highlights three dining experiences not to be missed, including daily oyster happy hour from 4 PM-6 PM and 9 PM to closing; weekend mimosa brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 AM-2:30 PM, and dinner on Sunday to Thursday from 5 PM-10 PM and Friday to Saturday from 5 PM-11PM.
Locally-sourced signature dishes include the Herringbone Eggs Benedict with a sweet bread bottom, topped with poached local farm egg, bacon, king crab, Mari’s garden spinach, uni, caviar, and hollandaise sauce. For a sweeter and unique Aloha taste, chew your way through the three-layered mochi pancakes, served with lilikoi butter and seasonal fruits. The oranges and coconut oils found in the batter give this dish its characteristic color. When enjoying these delectable dishes, only one word comes to mind: ‘ono!
If brunch is the reason for your visit to Herringbone Waikiki, you must consider the Everlasting Tropical Mimosas, permitting you to experience many of the fresh tropical juices of Hawai’i, but with a tipsy twist. Depending on the season, you may choose up to three fruit juices for your mimosas from a selection that includes guava, lilikoi, orange, grapefruit, mango, passion fruit, and peach.
After a day of swimming and surfing in Waikiki Beach, end your afternoon or night with an oyster happy hour. You will definitely want to dive into their Two Buck Shuck with Maui sweet onion mignonette, chili pepper water, and wasabi cocktail. Their signature dish for happy hour is the Buffalo Octopus, which can also be found on the dinner menu. As your happy hour winds down, and if you still have room for dishes, consider their other seafood options: Muscles Tikka Spice, Whole Fish Ceviche, and Sake & Ginger Beurre Blanc King Salmon.
Hawai’i, long regarded as one of the top beach vacation getaways in the world, is fast becoming a haven destination for unique food concepts and experimental cuisine you cannot find anywhere else. With unparalleled blends of foods from cultures around the globe, the food of Aloha will take your breath away. When you plan your visit to Hawai’i, do consider the full experience at Herringbone Waikiki: brunch, oyster happy hour, and dinner. It is not to be missed! Furthermore, if you finish your meal early during the summertime, do not miss the mesmerizing sunset at the beautiful Waikiki beach. – GM
