72 Hours in Waikiki

Just before Thanksgiving, I went to Hawaii with my sister. It was my first time on an airplane in almost two years (the last time was when I went to Europe in 2019) and it was much needed. I had just gotten my COVID booster and honestly, this trip was a mood booster. The timing couldn't have been better; the pandemic chaos was still in a pre-holiday / post-summer lull and the airline and the state of Hawaii handled general protocols in a way that made me feel safe.

I had some credits left over from canceling a flight in 2020 and I didn't really spend much on travel over the past two years (other than the brief Albany trip last summer) so I wasn't as intensive about budget as I usually am. Hawaii is usually a bit pricier than the mainland but with the pandemic and supply chain and inflation, prices were steeper than I was used to. All in all, the two of us ended up spending a total of $10,000 on flights, hotels, meals, leisure activities, Uber rides, rental car and souvenirs.

It's kind of nuts that I haven't posted on this blog in over a year.

But I'm glad I'm able to post a couple of things before 2021 is over. Since we'd both been to Oahu before, we didn't rent a car and just stuck around Waikiki for the duration of our stay. We went to a few of our favorite places multiple times and did our best to fall into stress-free leisurely island life and it was awesome.

Here's what I packed:

hawaii 2021

by Racheerachh

Laylow Hotel

We stayed at the Laylow in downtown Waikiki. I found this place because it's a Marriott hotel and I was just trying to take advantage of the perks of brand loyalty. (And actually, during this trip, I earned permanent silver elite status.)

We really liked it here. The hotel is aesthetically pleasing, room size is decent, staff are so super friendly and helpful, amenities are lovely, and it's in an awesome location, directly across the street from Marukame Udon.

Leonard's Bakery

Leonard's is absolutely compulsory whilst in Oahu. It's so frickin' delicious, it's annoying that I can't get it at home. The custard-filled malasadas are delicious but the plain sugar ones are my standard go to.

M by Jeremy Shigekane

I made dinner reservations for every night we were on holiday, just so we wouldn't have to think about it and also to ensure we'd only ever be consuming delicious calories.

Our first sit down meal was at this spot that used to be owned by a French ex-pat. We opted for the prix-fixe meal, which was super yummy. There was a salad course, fish, wagyu beef, lamb, and dessert.

Hanauma Bay Preserve

Since we didn't rent a car and had no plans to go to the North Shore, I still wanted to make sure we did at least one new thing that we hadn't done in Oahu before so the day before we flew out, I hopped on my laptop at noon when the 48-hour ticketing process for Hanauma opened up and I snagged us some entries. It's $25 each for non-residents and the person whose name is on the reservation must be present to be allowed into the park.

It's a little bit of a trek from Waikiki, completely doable in an Uber. Luckily, my sister's friend lives in Oahu now and her boyfriend has a car so he was able to bring us out to the east coast.

Marukame Udon

Along with Leonard's, Marukame is one of the places I dream about and wish I had access to at home. It's just so simple but it's supremely delicious.

Waikiki Beach

Lahaina Shave Ice

I love Hawaiian shave ice. It's the fluffiest snow flavored with delicious syrups and it totally hits the spot sitting on the beach with toes in the sand.

MW Restaurant

This spot was one of our favorites of the whole trip. My sister said it reminded me of my cooking and she found comfort in that. I just think it was good, wholesome, delicious, unfussy cooking and that's why it's so good.

We got some cocktails to start, which were quite strong, and then the server brought over an amuse bouche, which was a curry squash puree with a crispy basil leaf.

For starters, we had the caesar salad and the lumpia. We fell in love with the caesar, to a point where I've created my own inspired by this one. The main thing I've been copying is the crispy baby anchovies on top; it's just so smart and reinforces the anchovy flavor in the dressing while adding crispy texture.

For our mains, we had the bay scallops and their most popular dish, the mochi crusted kona kampachi. The scallops were super tender and delicious with some kind of miso-based umami-rich sauce. The kampachi had the crispiest, delicious crust.

For dessert, we had the brulee, which was a lilikoi sorbet and puree and tapioca and lilikoi gummies in a neat little package. It was incredibly moreish. We also had the strawberries and cream, which was a refreshingly light dessert. And, because my birthday was about a week out, that's what my sister mentioned when the server asked if we were celebrating anything special so the restaurant gave us a complimentary chocolate cake (which was awesome). We basically licked every plate clean.

So after a day and a half in Oahu, we actually flew out to Kauai for a few days and then flew back for another day and a half. We revisited our favorites (Leonard's and Marukame) again along with a handful of new spots.

We stayed at the Laylow again. It was mainly out of convenience (but had we booked a different hotel, I would've tried to change it).

The Pig & the Lady

My cousin lived in Hawaii for a bit and he and his daughter recommended this place to us while we were in Oahu previously. Unfortunately, he'd recommended it to us on a Saturday and they're closed on Sundays, which was our last day there so we didn't get to go. So, when this trip rolled around, I made sure to coordinate the meal schedule to be able to include this spot.

We each had the Paradise Ciders lilikoi cider, which was juicy and refreshing. We ordered the crispy chicken wings, which were awesome.

For our mains, we had squid bolognese and pho. We also ordered a side of pickles. The bolognese was delicious; the pasta itself was squid ink, which has an inherent oceanic flavor and it was reinforced by the finely diced squid in the sauce. The pho was rich and unctuous and the noodles were hand pulled and it was just a bowl of comfort.

Heavenly Island Lifestyle

I had been to this spot the last time I was in Waikiki but my sister was working so she didn't get to go.

I got a green juice and then we shared an acai bowl and french toast. Everything here is so fresh and made with care and feels light and nourishing.

Royal Hawaiian Hotel

Waikiki Beach

Hawaiian Cane Juice

Sugar cane juice is my favorite and if I ever encounter any opportunity to get some freshly pressed, I go for it.

Surf N Turf Tacos

The pool at our hotel was actually really lovely and we got a lot of sunning done while we were there.

Biki Bike Share

I love biking around cities as you get to cover a lot more ground but with the similar freedom of walking. We took advantage of this bike share system the last time we were here and it worked out well so we did it again to go to Leonard's one more time.

Leonard's Bakery

Foodland

Calvin & Susie

We came to this spot last time and saw the adorable Hawaiian shirts for doggies but my sister called me insane for wanting to buy one (because they're $35+ each). However, seeing as the proceeds go to help animals in need, we ended up buying two this time around.

Sushi Izakaya Gaku

For our last dinner, we went to a sushi spot. What better way to celebrate delicious fresh fish?

We loved the spicy scallop rolls here.

On our last morning, we started off by getting in some exercise.

Ala Moana Beach & Magic Island

Sunrise Shack

We got one last acai bowl, though technically, I opted for matcha.

Marukame Udon

We also got one last udon.

Avanti's

I wanted a Hawaiian shirt as a souvenir and the internet pointed me here. I was not disappointed. Most of the shirts are silk, some are cotton, and there are loads of fun patterns to choose from.

Kokoro Cafe

I also knew we couldn't leave Hawaii without having some Dole whip.

Mitsuwa

Our last stop before heading to the airport was to stop at Mitsuwa to pick up some airplane snacks.

We got lucky on the flight back and had a row to ourselves (in economy plus) so we could comfortably spread out.

Though I was sad to be home (mainly because I was going to have to go back to reality and working), I was happy to see my baby boy, GM, and see him in his Hawaiian shirts!

xoxo.