🌺 Hawaii Food Guide: The Real Deal

Picking up where we left off — let’s talk budget first. Last post’s favorites weren’t exactly cheap: Crab Scramble: ~$40 Braised Beef: $29 Fruit Bowls: Around $15 each Drinks: ~$6 for a regular (and often too sweet 🫠) 💡 Pro Tip: Always ask for tap water! Some restaurants don’t list it or bring it automatically — but it’s free and can save you both sugar and cash. 🦐 North Shore Shrimp Truck After an epic shark snorkeling trip 🦈, we hit up a famous garlic shrimp truck. Super garlicky, a bit oily — but so flavorful! Shrimp were fresh and firm (though shells were tough to peel). A satisfying, messy, must-try North Shore experience! 🍧 Local Shave Ice Not what you’d expect — it’s more like fluffy, milky ice than traditional syrup-soaked snow. Refreshing and not overly sweet — a pleasant surprise! 🍲 Panda Express Yes, the American Chinese chain! On our last day — stressed from flight issues — this tasted like comfort in a box 😭 Even to our Chinese palates, it hit the spot. That orange chicken? No wonder it’s a U.S. favorite! 🍜 Tokyo Layover Ramen A quick bowl during our stopover — a bit salty and pricey, but tasty enough to make the honorary winners’ list! 🌊 Tencent Qingyun Banquet A stunning seaside dinner under the stars 🌌 That grilled beef — tender, juicy, unforgettable! Sipping drinks with ocean breezes = pure magic 💫 🚫 Skip List Embassy Suites Hotel Restaurant Our first meal in Hawaii — and almost our last 😂 Pizza: Salty Mac & Cheese: Mushy Sandwich: Dry and bland A classic case of overpriced, underwhelming “white people food.” Don’t do it! ICCV Conference Lunch Sorry, ICCV — but that sandwich was dry, a bit fishy, and hard to swallow. 🍦 BUT — the Haagen-Dazs ice cream saved the day! ❤️ 🍍 Final Thought: Hawaii’s food scene is a mix of breathtaking highs and “why did I order this?” lows. Choose wisely, drink tap water, and when in doubt — go for the garlic shrimp! #HawaiiOnABudget #FoodReview #HawaiiEats #TravelTips