Imitation crab and sushi rice wrapped in nori. $2.50
KOA Newsstand, Kona International Airport (KOA)
I liked how the rice and fillings were packaged seaprately from the nori so it wouldn’t get wet. For newsstand sushi, this was pretty good. I also grabbed a Royal Mills iced cappuccino for a yummy snack before my flight.
The Lei Makers, bronze statue, Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, 1997, KOA Airport.
Sobieski orange vodka, triple sec, lime juice, cranberry juice. $10
Roy’s, Waikoloa HI
We ended up at Roy’s because another restaurant that we wanted to go to was closed. I wasn’t too excited for Roy’s because I’d already been to the San Francisco and Seattle branches, but we were with a group so I didn’t want to make a fuss. Everything was just ok. Our group was pretty vocal and readily drunk so we still had a blast, lol.
Orchid table decoration.
Pololu Valley sign.
Thai garlic seasoned vegetable stir fry with shrimp, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onions, zucchini with a touch of garlic. $15.95
Original Thai Cuisine, Kailua-Kona HI
This tasted pretty good. The shrimp were tender and the garlic sauce was flavorful. They included plenty of vegetables so that made me happy.
Hulihee Palace, Ali’i Drive.
A sampler of their most popular pupus: two chicken sate pot stickers, two grilled shrimp with Thai coconut sauce, and two pieces of kalua pork quesadilla. Served with rice and green salad.. $15.95
Bamboo Restaurant, Hawi HI
Wow, this was a lot of food! But the item that I was most excited about, the chicken sate pot stickers, were the least memorable – lame. Everything else was pretty good and had good flavor. I sadly likened this to an Applebee’s sampler platter though. All the food was just piled onto a small plate and it didn’t look very appetizing.
Bamboo napkin ring.
Stacked rocks, Lololu Valley.
Tropical Dreams Ice Cream. $3.50
Waimea Coffee Company, Waimea HI
This ice cream was gross! It was uber soft and had a nasty texture. If I wanted a milkshake, I would have ordered one. It’s a flat-out abomination to serve ice cream this soft! Lame.
White beach naupaka flower (Scaevola sericea, Goodeniaceae), Lololu Valley.
Sauteed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and crispy tempura fried maki roll in a sweet soy demi-glace. $26.95
Sansei Seafood Restaurant, Waikoloa HI
This tasted ok. Perhaps it was a little on the salty side. And the duck had a spongy texutre and I didn’t enjoy. The plate looked great, but I wish it had blown me away.
Sunset at Anaeho’omalu Bay, Waikoloa.
Two island large eggs scrambled, served with corned beef hash patties and fresh fruit. $8.95
Big Island Grill, Kailua-Kona HI
I love corned beef and these patties were soft and tasty! David ordered this because it was healthier than the loco moco, but I was able to convince hime to get the corned beef patties even though they were an unhealthy choice, hehe.
Kona coffee. $2.25
Old lava flows, Kekaha Kai State Park.
Thai coconut lemon grass soup with chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, Chinese parsley and Thai herbs. Cup $6
Original Thai Cuisine, Kailua-Kona HI
Mmm, very flavorful and filling. I enjoyed this very much.
Decorative gate at the Hulihee Palace, Ali’i Drive.
Lilikoi Margarita: Invented in 1993, tangy passion fruit with tequila served on the rocks.
Bamboo Restaurant, Hawi HI
This was ok – a little too tart for my liking. It was cute that they’re served in coconut shell glasses though.
Bamboozle Iced Tea: Our version of the Long Island Tea, gin, vodka, dark rum, tequila and triple sec with pineapple and yes, lilikoi, finished with a splash of Coke.
Either this was super weak, or super well-made. It tasted great and went down easily – uh oh, that could be trouble!
Indian wooden statues, Akoni Pule Highway.
Tropical Dreams Ice Cream. $3.50
Waimea Coffee Company, Waimea HI
Mmm, this ice cream had a wonderful dense and milky texture with great vanilla bean flavor. SO good!
Driving the Mamalahoa Highway.
Catch of the day served over linguine with asparagus and a light cream sauce.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant, Waikoloa HI
Absolut Ruby Red vodka with a splash of soda.
Makalawena Beach, Kekaha Kai State Park.
The three items I chose were homemade hamburger patties, roast pork, and spam. Served on a bed of rice tropped with two eggs over medium and homemade brown gravy. $11.25
Big Island Grill, Kailua-Kona HI
Dear lord! This plate was a monster. I honestly didn’t expect it to be this large when I ordered it, partly because it was only $11.25. But I was amazed and a little queasy when I saw it, lol. It tasted amesome though and I loved the brown gravy! Thank goodness we went on a hike that day.
This is how it arrived to the table, just covered in delicious gravy. Lol!
And this is how it left the table. I tried my best but I couldn’t succeed in eating it all. 🙂
Big Island Grill sign.
Vittle Monster 