During a recent stay on the Garden Island, I got to experience a few things I wasn’t expecting, from people’s kindness (the aloha spirit is alive and well there), to even meeting fellow Hawaii visitors from home.
The first surprise happens right off the plane, when the salesperson at the car rental company refuses to rent me a GPS device, politely pointing out the island has only one highway that circles around its periphery so why waste my money?
I had just come from Oahu which is roughly the same size geographically as Kauai but the two islands couldn’t be more different. Besides the less complicated road system, Kauai has a population of about 70,000 people and a more rural, relaxed vibe compared with Oahu, which has a population of approximately 953,000 and a large, sophisticated urban centre in Honolulu. In comparison, Kauai’s towns are small, laid-back, and quirky. But don’t let size fool you — they all have much to discover.
The next Kauai surprise happens on my first visit to the beach, when I find myself sharing space with a couple of feral roosters, who confidently strut their stuff in front of my lounge chair. I later learn chickens were the only bird the first ocean voyagers to these Hawaiian islands brought with them. And it seems feral chickens are common on Kauai, since the island doesn’t have any predatory mongoose, which are widespread on Oahu and Maui.
This wouldn’t be my first run-in with the wild chickens, which I see throughout my travels around the island. They’re at every beach park I visit, a shopping mall parking lot, and even wandering high above the sea level at Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and one of the island’s top tourist attractions.
My first evening on Kauai, I attend the annual Kauai Poke Fest featuring James Beard Award-winning chef, author of nearly 16 cookbooks and television personality Sam Choy, also known as the “Godfather of Poke.” Poke is a Hawaiian dish made of ahi tuna, and traditionally marinated with soy sauce or sesame oil, salt and spices.
But surprisingly, despite Choy’s celebrity the chefs that grab my attention are two British Columbians from Duncan, competing in Choy’s annual Poke Fest, which was recently named the 4th best food festival in America by USA Today.
Robert Stutzman and Ajay Oppelaar, who own Aloha Bowls in Duncan, have been visiting Hawaii at least once a year for the past 10 years and were thrilled to be invited to compete at Poke Fest 2023, held on the grounds of Koloa Landing Resort at Poipu, on the southern tip of the island.
“There was lots of goodwill. It didn’t seem like a competition at all, everyone was hanging out and making poke,” says Stutzman, of the 20 competitors.
Oppelaar was so enthusiastic about the event he even had the Poke Fest 2023 symbol tattooed on his forearm. The fact they didn’t win didn’t bother the pair who hope to attend Poke Fest 2024.
“There’s space to put another tattoo,” adds Stutzman. “This was Ajay’s way of saying he was committed.”
The Duncan duo may have placed 12th for their Mango Ginger Ahi with Garden Island Gazpacho poke, but they were touted by organizers for being the festival’s first international competitors.
While Poke Fest happens once a year there’s still lots of opportunities for visitors to experience authentic Hawaiian foods. A great way to do that is taking a food tour, which you can find in most of Kauai’s communities.
The food tour I took was in Kilauea, a quaint town many visitors may miss on their way to the popular Hanalei Bay on the island’s north shore. While Hanalei Bay is a must-visit place on Kauai there’s lots to see and do in Kilauea, including visiting the picturesque Kilauea Point Lighthouse. (Note, if you want to visit the lighthouse you must book a prior reservation online) and, of course, enjoying the local foods while doing the Kilauea Walking Food Tour.
The food tour company here is owned by local chiropractor and foodie Adam Bulosan, with the goal of highlighting locally owned food vendors and locally sourced food.
Our guide for the three-hour tour brings a small group of visitors to five local eateries. One of my favourite stops, surprisingly, was a grocery store. Kilauea Market + Cafe had one of the best vegetarian dishes I ate while visiting Hawaii — the Hanalei Taro burger on a brioche bun.
The quintessential Hawaiian food — the taro root was mashed and black beans and pesto were added to create a tasty, veggie burger even a diehard meat lover would enjoy.
Another favourite stop was the Kilauea Fish Market, where we enjoyed seared ahi tuna poke wraps, with homemade teriyaki sauce, before moving on to the Bistro Restaurant for their popular chili pepper chicken, with cucumber kimchi and sriracha soy sauce.
Our tour ended at the local bakery, where we got to select our own dessert.
If you go
Where to stay:
The Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort is an oceanfront hotel, located near Wailua Falls in Kappa — just a 15 minute drive from Kauai’s airport. This family friendly resort is ideal for relaxation, with many amenities like its infinity pool and adjacent games room. There’s even an arcade Pac Man game. Visitors don’t have to travel far to enjoy island activities, like the Wailua Golf Course and nearby water adventure centres, offering kayaking and scuba diving. They also provide bikes for guests who want to get out on the hiking/biking trails. The full service resort also provides on- site casual and fine dining and holds an authentic luau every Tuesday and Thursday evening.
Where to eat:
For fine dining there’s no where better than Moamoa Hawaiian Fish House at the Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort. The open-air restaurant always has fresh seafood and its popular tropical panzanella salad, with Kauai-grown heirloom tomatoes and sweet bread with a pineapple vinaigrette. For casual dining at the hotel The Crooked Surf is a Tiki Bar experience and focuses on island favourites like poke bowls, burgers and sandwiches. I enjoyed fresh fish tacos from The Crooked Surf from my lounge chair at the nearby ocean beach, while watching the waves crash and the feral roosters strut.
Kim Pemberton was hosted by Hawaii Tourism, which didn’t review or approve this story. Follow her on Instagram at kimstravelogue.
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