Visit Hilo: Kokoz

I was pleasantly surprised when I tried out Kokoz a few months ago, so I was eager to try out more menu items. 

Bacon Fries

Kalua Nachos

The Bacon Fries were loaded with bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, Kokoz sauce, and Sriracha.  I loved the abundance of toppings.  The fries were yummy, but I liked the Koa Fries that I ordered the last time better.

The Kalua Nachos consisted of kalua pork, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and Kokoz sauce - which is pretty much what they add on the Koa Fries, so I really liked the nachos.  They really packed on the toppings, which I appreciated, as some places only give enough toppings for just a little bit of chips.

Prices are super reasonable!

Visit Kokoz on Instagram to find out where they'll be!

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Visit Hilo: LitChon

After finding out a dish was sold out from a food stall at Kai Store, we ended up at LitChon.  

They offer a small menu of Filipino and local fare.  

The Lechon plate was tasty, with succulent, smoky pork, tomatoes, and onions.

Plates come with rice and cucumber salad.  

Follow LitChon on IG to find out where they'll be popping up next!

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Visit Hilo: Aloe Kine Smoothies

I saw the Aloe Kine Smoothies truck parked nearby, so of course I had to give it a try.

I've been seeing a lot about aloe and its health benefits on social media lately, and each smoothie at Aloe Kine Smoothie includes aloe (of course!).

Mango Tango

The Mango Tango had mango, peach, mango juice, and aloe.  There's no dairy in this smoothie, so it's great for those who can't consume dairy.

Mango Sunrise

The Mango Sunrise included mango, strawberry, peach, mango juice, pineapple sherbet, and aloe.  The smoothie had a nice tartness to it, which balanced out the sweetness.  It was so refreshing!

Follow them on IG to find out where they'll be popping up!

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Rux Food Truck

I was recently at a craft fair which had numerous food trucks.  As soon as I spotted @RuxFoodTruck's food display of sidewinders and bao (what a combo!), I knew I had to get in line!

Pastrami Melt

Crispy Pork Sisig

As I stood in line, I heard the employee say Crispy Pork Sisig was a popular menu item, so of course I had to try.  

The filling in the bao was so flavorful - it had a nice balance of acid and salt, as well as savory and sour flavors.  The combination of the crispy pork and the pillowy bao was perfect, and to add Sidewinders just made the entire plate so filling.  I love both bao and Sidewinders, so this was a great combo of comfort foods in my opinion.

I'll definitely try more variations if I see the truck again!

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Visit Maui: Dino's Gourmet Food Truck

Dino's Gourmet Food Truck is one of several food trucks at the Plate Lunch Marketplace in Kahului.

Fish Gyro

The Best Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich

I had The Best Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich, which was enormous!  The chicken was enormous, and very juicy on the inside, with a nice crispy coating on the outside.

My friend thought the gyro was okay, and we both thought the fries could've been crisper, but they make their own pitas, fries, buns, and tzatziki sauce, which we appreciated.

Service was very friendly and enthusiastic!

Dino's Gourmet Food Truck
591 Haleakala Hwy

Kahului, HI 96732

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Visit Maui: Keyakiya

We were looking for a place to pick up lunch to eat at the airport as we headed back to HNL, and Keyakiya popped up in my search results.

Keyakiya is a food truck on the side of the road, and we called our order ahead to minimize the wait in the heat.

Wagyu Beef Curry

Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura

Chicken Katsu Burger with Furikake Fries

Typhoon Fries

Keyakiya Chicken

Keyakiya Chicken is the signature chicken dish - deep fried in rice bran oil, tossed in their house aged tare sauce.  It was really juicy, and so tasty.  The best way I could describe it as a cross between mochiko and karaage chicken in terms of texture and flavor.

The plate is served with a small salad and housemade dressing.   

Everyone in the fam ate up their dishes.  It was a great stop for airport eats!

Keyakiya

Kahului Beach Rd

Kahului, HI 96732
 

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Visit Maui: Kihei Food Oasis

 

Located in the South Maui Gardens is the Kihei Food Oasis where you will find food trucks galore that will make your head spin, but your tummy happy. There is a great variety of food from acai bowls to gyros to thai that will satisfy everyone in your group. On a recent trip to Maui we were staying in Kihei so we found Kihei Food Oasis to be very convenient. So convenient, my family went to the North Side three times in two days!

See all the food truck vendors here.

Sweet Hula 

Acai bowls and super food bowls

Lamb gyro from Gyros and Gelato

Bling Bing Maui is home to the only Chinese shave ice in Maui

Baobing with regular condensed milk and strawberry condensed milk

Play area and lots of seating available.

Kihei Food Oasis

North Side

30 Alahele Pl
Kihei, HI 96753

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Visit Maui: Smash Burgers and Fresh Poke at Havens

Located @Plate Lunch Market Place

We kicked off our stay in Maui by making Havens our first stop from the airport. It was super easy to order online and we made sure to do that when we first landed since it takes about 20 minutes to prepare the order. Havens offers a menu of smash burgers, poke bowls, poke, sides, and temaki specials. When we arrived at Havens, our order was ready and we quickly found a table to sit down to eat.

My son had the original smash burger and my daughter and I had the spicy ahi poke bowls. I had a bite of the smash burger and it was saucy and delicious. Messy, but worth it. The poke bowls were fresh and so tasty! They had the perfect amount of kick. Next time, I want to try the paniolo burger. The applewood bacon, onion rings, and BBQ sauce that go with it sounds right up my alley. Whatever you decide on, do not miss the crinkle fries! 

Original Smash Burger - onion, dill pickle, American cheese, OG sauce

Spicy Ahi Poke Bowl - avocado, cucumber, tobiko, furikake, spicy mayo, unagi sauce

Havens owner Chef Zach Sato is a former chef from Hotel Wailea and is opening a much anticipated steak and chophouse in the Maalea Harbor Shops. Look for Havens Harborside restaurant coming soon! 

Havens

591 Haleakala Hwy

Maui, HI 96732

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Crispy Grindz

We've passed the Crispy Grindz food truck numerous times, but it wasn't until recently that we tried it.

They offer both sweet and savory foods. 

Acai Bowl

Acai Smoothie

Pastel

Pastels are essentially deep fried won ton wraps with all sorts of fillings.  They are huge, and may be difficult to finish in one sitting (I could barely finish a 1/3 at one time, and one of my kids could only finish half - we of course saved the rest for later).

I had the Brazilian Pastel, which was filled with corn, bacon, and ground beef - very delicious!

Coxinha

I loved the Coxinha, which are deep fried balls filled with chicken. The chicken was seasoned perfectly and the surrounding dough was perfectly crisp on the outside.  They were so tasty!

Pao de Queijo

I loved the Pao de Quejio as well.  This Brazilian cheese bread was just addicting - I could've eaten the entire bowl!

Crispy Grindz is definitely now a new-to-me fave in Haleiwa!

Crispy Grindz
66-236 Kamehameha Hwy

Haleiwa, Hawaii

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Daddy Delicious BBQ

Daddy Delicious BBQ operates a food truck in Mililani Tech Park.

Smoked Mac & Cheese

I had the Smoked Mac & Cheese, which was loaded with chopped brisket and pickled onions. The Mac & Cheese itself was so cheesy and so good, but the addition of the tender, flavorful, smoky brisket made it amazing.  The pickled onions added a nice vinegary, crunchy touch.

The container was just full of comfort food goodness - it easily lasted me two meals.  

Daddy Delicious BBQ was a nice find in Mililani!
 

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Khao and Papas

It was Friday early evening and I had to stop by Target Windward Mall to pick up a few things. As I got to the mall I noticed there was a food truck event going on in the parking lot of the mall, near the corner of Kamehameha Highway and Haiku Road. After picking up my Target order, I walked over to the food trucks to check it out. The aroma from the food trucks was irrisitable .. I knew I would need to buy something for dinner from here.

Every second Friday of the month from 5 pm - 9 pm, you can find food trucks and other local purveyors at the Koolau Night Market, hosted by Island Craft Fairs. There were a lot of enticing food vendors here, it was hard to decide which one to order food from. Since I was short on time, I stopped at one of the first trucks I saw, and it happened to be Khao and Papas, which specializes in Peruvian & Laotian cuisine.

I was debating on ordering either the Lomo Steak Fries or the Sticky Rice/Beef Skewers Plate. Since I would be taking this home to eat, I decided to get the Sticky Rice/Beef Skewers plate, since the rice would hold up better than fries. 

This did not disappoint! The meats were sliced fairly thin and were very well seasoned. It tasted even better with the spicy salsa. I could not stop eating the purple sticky rice. 

 I was planning to eat just one skewer and half the rice and saving the rest for the next day's lunch, but I ended up mopping the entire plate. 

I will definitely re-visit Khao and Papas to try more of their menu, including the fries!

Follow them on Instagram @khaoandpapas to see where they'll be next

The next Koolau Night Market at Windward Mall will be on March 12, 2024 and every second Friday of the month.

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Visit Hilo: Duck Fat Food Truck

The first time I visited Duck Fat Food Truck in Hilo, I was quite impressed, so I didn't hesitate to get lunch from there again when I found myself near the food truck while running errands.

Chicken Melt

The Chicken Melt was more like a chicken salad sandwich with lots of mayo and melty cheese, but it was tasty.

Pastrami Sandwich

The Pastrami Sandwich is a top seller.  My friend thought it tasted good, but he thought the cut of meat used was too chewy.

Loaded Philly Fries

The Loaded Philly Fries were very tasty.  All the fixings you'd find in a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich are instead topped on fries.  It's a meal in itself!

Pumpkin Crunch

The Pumpkin Crunch filling was very light, and I loved the buttery, slightly salty crust.

Lunch from Duck Fat Food Truck was great!

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No. 7 Japanese Food Truck

No. 7 Japanese Food Truck has been in Hale`iwa for a few years, dishing up tasty Japanese dishes, poke bowls, and more to both visitors and locals alike.  

Karaage Chicken

I had the Karaage Chicken - tender, juicy pieces of crispy, fried chicken with a tangy sauce.  It was really delicious, and a nice serving of chicken (I had leftovers for lunch the next day!).

Crispy Spicy Ahi

Crispy Spicy Ahi is a popular seller.  It comes with spicy tuna and spicy mayo, and topped with fried onion and tempura bites.  

Yuzu Wasabi Poke

Sukiyaki Beef

Beef Curry Rice

Fried Pork Gyoza

All the entrees came with a side salad.  I thought the quality of the food was good and the portion sizes were good too.

They do have seating, but we took out food to the beach to eat.  

Take advantage of online ordering so you can minimize your wait!

No. 7 Japanese Food Truck

66-235 Kamehameha Hwy

Haleiwa, HI 96712

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Visit Hilo: Duck Fat Food Truck

I noticed a food truck while in Hilo - Duck Fat Food Truck, and I looked up the menu online, even though I wasn't hungry.  When I saw "Duck Fat Fries" on the menu, I decided to get some.

But then when we arrived, there was a specials board, and I saw Duck Fat Fries - Pastrami Style, and I just had to get some of that instead.

They were amazing!  Delicious fries topped with loads of pastrami and cheese.  Absolutely delish - it was a meal in itself!

The Garlic Cheesy Bread did not look like anything special, but trust me - the taste was outstanding.  Garlicky, cheesy goodness topped the bread.  Great on its own, or eat it with soup or pasta!

I'm glad I decided to stop by Duck Fat Food Truck!

Check out Duck Fat Food Truck on Instagram to find out where they'll be!
 

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