Visit Big Island: Hualalai Trading Company

For grab-and-go eats, drinks, souvenirs, gifts, and more while staying at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, the Hualalai Trading Company is a great option.  

We went there to pick up some breakfast, and we literally beat the crowd.  The lines were so long after we put in our order!

It's such a busy spot for coffee and quick and casual eats.  

Breakfast Croissant

Breakfast Burrito

As you can expect, the prices for the food are on the higher side, but quality-wise, the food was good and better than some other resort grab-and-go breakfast options I've tried.

I made an impulse purchase and bought a $6 cookie at the register, which turned out to be the best thing I ate during my stay at the Four Seasons. 

The cookie was chewy, moist, chocolaty - just delicious!  It was one of the best cookies I've ever had, and at $6, it was a steal IMO.  

If you want to skip the resort restaurants and just get something lighter and faster, check out Hualalai Trading Company!

Hualalai Trading Company
72-100 Ka'upulehu Dr. Kailua-Kona

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Feast

 We recently (finally!) tried Feast. 

Spicy Lobster Roll

The lobster roll, topped with Sho'Nuff Sambal, was really good, according to my husband. 

Chicken Shawarma

I had the Chicken Shawarma, which was really good as well.  The chicken was seasoned nicely and the pieces were tender and juicy.

Hamburger Steak

Big MacBara Burger

The Big MacBara Burger had two beef patties, along with bacon, cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and house sauce.

Feast
2970 East Manoa Road

2845 Lowrey Ave

Honolulu, HI 96822

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$10.99 Regular Chicken Katsu Plate at Oh My Grill

6 years ago, a friend told me about Oh My Grill in Pearl City, which had an amazing deal for a regular plate of Chicken Katsu + a drink.   

Although now it's $10.99 and a drink is no longer included, it's still a great deal in today's times.  

It was a generous serving with rice and mac salad - definitely worth at least 2 meals!

BBQ Chicken

The BBQ Chicken plate is $10.99 as well! 

Mix Plate (Mochiko Chicken & Garlic Fish)

The other offerings are also reasonably-priced, and servings generous.

 Oh My Grill
98-199 Kamehameha Highway
Pearl Kai Shopping Center C, 7
Aiea, HI 96701

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New BeachHouse Publishing Books: Edith Kanaka‘ole: The Heart of Hula and Lizards, Giants, and Gods: Stories Behind Hawaiian Place Names

Disclosure: Complimentary books were received for review purposes.

Over the past several years, there has been a concerted effort to focus on Hawai‘i and its people, roots, tradition, culture, and foods.  

Whether through workshops, dining experiences, training, books, or social media, it has been amazing to see people dive in and learn so much about their own culture or this place we are lucky to call home.

Two children's books were recently released by BeachHouse Publishing that even adults will learn from.  

Edith Kanaka‘ole: The Heart of Hula
written by David Del Rocco and illustrated by Storm Kano

The Wayfinders biography series focuses on people integral to our culture and who have left a lasting legacy on Hawai‘i. The newest installment features Aunty Edith Kanaka‘ole - a renowned kumu, artist, and cultural practitioner.

It's an easy read for young ones to learn more about Aunty Edith's life and her community contributions, and the brief stories about her childhood and upbringing were so interesting.  This book has some personal significance to me, as my work in Hilo has allowed me the good fortune to have met and worked with some of Aunty Edith's family members.  

Lizards, Giants, and Gods: Stories Behind Hawaiian Place Names
written by Hugh Dunn and illustrated by Kelsie Dayna

In Lizards, Giants, and Gods, kids can learn more about the stories behind various places throughout the islands. I personally did not know the stories behind many of the place names, so I was very intrigued.

I feel it's so important for kids to learn the Hawaiian names and why the those names were chosen, as many people, myself included, only are familiar with the Western names of many of these places (eg Ke Awa Lau o Pu‘uloa vs Pearl Harbor and Mokuola vs Coconut Island). The vivid illustrations help to develop the stories, making them even more fascinating.

Definitely recommend these books to add to your keiki's library!

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Okome at Salt

Okome opened their second location at Salt Kakaako late last year featuring their authentic tempura rice bowls known as tendon. On the menu, they offer a variety of tendon and fresh poke bowls as well as udon. 

You can either order at the self-service ipads or put in your order with the staff. The service was great and the staff was very helpful and friendly. I opted for the volcano bowl which was great, but I did think the sushi rice could have been tastier.

There is plenty of booth and table seating making this casual eatery a great choice at Salt! They are open Monday through Saturday from 10:30am to 8pm and on Sundays from 10:30am to 6pm. 

Volcano Bowl

Okome Tendon 

Dining area

Okome Kakaako

685 Auahi Street

Honolulu, HI 96813

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Visit Las Vegas: Meow Wolf's Omega Mart

Our first Meow Wolf experience was in Grapevine, Texas, and my kids wanted to go Omega Mart in Las Vegas, so we experienced Meow Wolf for the second time.  Meow Wolf is located in Area15, and we bought our tickets directly through Meow Wolf (you can buy a ticket package through Area15 as well).

I'm sure many of you have seen the numerous social media and blog posts about this supermarket with quirky merchandise (that you can really buy) and hidden passages into the world of Dramcorp and the mysteries behind Dramcorp's owner.

We didn't really do much in trying to figure out the mysteries.  We were mostly interested in all the cool and fun portals.

There were tunnels to crawl through, ropes to climb up, secret entryways, and more throughout Omega Mart.  

It's easy to Google search the portals so you don't miss any, and if you can't find any, the employees will direct you. 

The spaces are trippy, kaleidoscopic, and psychedelic.  

The store part of the experience is fun to peruse through too.  All the objects are just so interesting!  

If you had the time or you have a Portal Pass (unlimited admissions to all five Meow Wolf locations), you could spend more time poring over the infinite details surrounding Dramcorp.  There were books, computer files, videos, telephone connections, and so much more that gave insight into Dramcorp.  

IMO, it was way too much to absorb in one visit, which is probably the point of Meow Wolf - to get you to go back to discover things you overlooked on previous visits.

There is a hidden speakeasy (it wasn't open at the time we visited) and ways you can elevate your experience (for a fee).

It's definitely a fun (yet overstimulating), imaginative experience.

Meow Wolf's Omega Mart
3215 Rancho Dr #100

Las Vegas, NV 89102

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Visit Waikoloa: Kings Land Bistro & Lounge

While staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club King's Land Waikoloa, we ate at the on property s Kings Land Bistro & Lounge. 

Volcano Wings

Aliʻi Burger

Bistro Nachos

They were out of a lot of food the day we went.  I wanted to add chicken to the nachos as noted on the menu, but they were out of chicken and pork.  They were also out of pizza.

The Bistro Nachos were very basic, and the toppings sparse.  

The rest of the fam enjoyed the wings and burgers.

Service was really friendly.

Kings Land Bistro & Lounge
69-699 Waikōloa Beach Dr

Waimea, HI 96743

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