7 irresistible Island dishes to ring in the holidays

For kama‘āina, no party is complete without good food—and plenty of it! My grandmother’s guideline was simple: If you’re hosting 20 people, make sure there’s enough to feed 40. And while my family’s holiday tables might be laden with the usual turkey, ham, salads, and sweets, there’s always room for dishes that represent the Islands’ wonderful melting pot. Here’s a tantalizing sampling and where to find them on O‘ahu.

In 1948, Peter and Rachel Haili opened Haili’s Hawaiian Foods in a stall at O‘ahu Market in Chinatown. Seventy-four years later, the Haili ‘ohana is still serving ‘ono local food, albeit now in their own Kapahulu restaurant.

Most eateries serving house-made kālua pig use pork butts and liquid smoke and cook the meat in an oven. Holding fast to tradition, Haili’s cooks the pig whole in an imu, following strict Department of Health regulations. To avoid contaminants from dirt, among other rules, commercial imu must be lined with fireproof “durable, nonabsorbent, cleanable material.”

Haili’s imu is a concrete-lined, U.S. Department of Agriculture–certified pit where pigs bake for 10 to 12 hours with kiawe wood, banana stumps, burlap bags, and carefully selected river rocks. Yes, the process is involved, but the flavor of naturally smoked pork is more robust than “imitation kālua”—it’s like comparing fine wine to Trader Joe’s Two-Buck Chuck. Haili’s kālua pig costs $13.50 per pound.

Like many family businesses, Pomai Kulolo had humble beginnings. In 2007, Keanue Kekaula set up roadside stands throughout O‘ahu to sell taro-and-coconut-milk pudding that his brother, Pomai, made from a family recipe. Since then, demand for the company’s kūlolo has been so high that it makes more than 1,200 pounds of it from fresh taro every week.

You’ll find Pomai Kulolo at Times, Foodland, Shima’s Supermarket, Sack N Save, Don Quijote, 7-Eleven, and 7 weekly farmers markets, where an 8-ounce block costs $7. Its haupia, priced at $6 per 6-ounce piece at the markets, is also popular.

If you can’t decide which one to get, buy both or try “haulolo,” an ‘ono combination that also sells for $6 for 6 ounces. A slice of haupia rests atop a layer of kūlolo, so you can enjoy 2 treats in a single luscious bite. Ask about party-size portions of kūlolo, haupia, and haulolo.

Young’s Fish Market opened in 1951 as a mom-and-pop store on Liliha Street specializing in fresh island fish. Its offerings expanded over the years, and today, the third generation of Young entrepreneurs run busy restaurants in Kalihi and Kapolei.

They serve everything local foodies crave, including Hawaiian plate lunches; ‘opihi, tripe stew, poke, and pipikaula by the pound; and 5 kinds of laulau—pork, beef, chicken, butterfish, and vegetable (prices start at $7.50 each). More than 800 laulau are made in-house by hand daily and are wrapped in fresh lū‘au leaves from O‘ahu farms. Follow @youngsfishmarket on Instagram for announcements on limited-release laulau such as oxtail, corned beef, or adobo turkey tail.

For loved ones who aren’t on O‘ahu, the Laulau Care Package delivers orders of any size anywhere on the neighbor islands or the mainland. Shipping time via FedEx is overnight within Hawai‘i and 2 days for mainland destinations.

Well worth the drive to Waipahu, Honolulu Kitchen’s mini manapuas are perfect as pūpū. You can have the usual char siu, but why not go for something unexpected? At least 20 varieties, most dreamed up by owner Steve Wong, are on the handwritten menu every day.

Savory selections might include pizza, pork adobo, spinach mozzarella, crab cream cheese, and honey-garlic chicken. Those with a sweet tooth will have a tough time deciding between the likes of Oreo, custard, mango, and liliko‘i.

The flavor-packed delights are steamed or fried to order (your choice), and if you can avoid the midday crowd, the wait time is just 3 to 4 minutes for fried and 10 to 12 minutes for steamed. Even if you’re a health nut, don’t be wary of the fried version; this preparation is not greasy (think malasada with filling). Mini manapuas are $1.59 each. Pop by often to see if there’s anything new.

For many people of Japanese ancestry, mochi is a must for New Year’s. The plump, round rice cake symbolizes longevity, good luck, and family unity. Fujiya Hawai‘i, a beloved Mō‘ili‘ili confectionery that will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2023, is taking bold steps beyond that, thanks to visionary co-owners Devin Wong and Chris Kanemura.

Mochi filled with anko (sweet red bean paste) may be a traditional favorite, but also gaining in popularity are mochi with fillings such as white bean, peanut butter, strawberry, lychee, mixed berry, or banana and peanut butter.

Wong is constantly experimenting, and on Wednesdays through Saturdays, he provides flavors for adventurous palates: Recent examples include s’mores, matcha, pumpkin crunch, banana cream pie, and peanut butter brownie.

Inspiration comes whenever he goes food shopping and sees the bounty that’s in season. Coming up are more chocolate flavors and possibly an almond-butter blend. Prices start at $3 for a 2-piece pack.

For both mentors and young people, the experience nourishes body, mind, and soul—and the community benefits by being able to purchase poi directly from the farm while supporting a good cause. A 2-pound bag of poi costs $12. Orders can be placed on the group’s website and picked up between 2 and 5 p.m. on production day (every other Thursday year-round).

Volunteers can sign up online to lend a hand in the taro patch from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Fresh Catch, Ono Seafood, Maguro Brothers, Off the Hook, Poke by the Pound, and the “3 Ts” (Tamashiro Market, Tamura’s Market, and Tanioka’s Seafoods & Catering) are among O‘ahu’s go-to places for poke. But—surprise!—poke fans also rank locally owned grocer Foodland high on their list of favorites.

All Foodland stores sell poke, but Foodland Farms at Ka Makana Ali‘i in Kapolei offers a whopping 45 kinds daily. The ‘ahi and salmon varieties are always fresh, and, when available, there are fresh a‘u, hamachi, and kampachi options.

Creative recipes include Ka Makana Ali‘i’s Keto Salmon Avocado Poke—salmon and diced avocado mixed with a house-made avocado, lime, cilantro, and Greek yogurt sauce instead of mayonnaise.

Rainbow Poke at the Ala Moana store features ‘ahi; salmon; imitation crab; house-made wasabi mayo; and garnishes of furikake, bubu arare, kabayaki sauce, and green onions. At Ala Moana and Pearl City, Torched Dynamite ups the heat factor of the spicy ‘ahi poke: Charring the wasabi mayo topping caramelizes it and gives it a nice smokiness. Prices start at $5.99 per pound.

Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi loves noshing on mochi and manapua, no matter the time of year.