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Macadamia nuts are a great source of protein, calcium, and dietary fiber. I'm a huge fan. When I was in Hawaii, I had some roasted macadamia nuts with fresh herbs at 22 North restaurant. So good! This inspired me to make my own from my organic balcony garden. I didn't have fresh sage or oregano, otherwise I would have used it.
Herb Roasted Macadamia Nuts
* Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 30 minutes
* Ingredients:
- 2 cups salted macadamia nuts*
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp dried sage
- 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp fresh basil, chopped
* Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- In a small baking pan, combine all ingredients with hands until mixed.
- Cook for about 30 minutes until the nuts have a nice brown.
- Serve hot.
* Note: One could use unsalted and add their own salt level to the dish or not have it at all.
This is a great quickie recipe and the fresh herbs bring out a lovely elegance. I would use this for finger food if company is coming over or an appetizer with drinks.
One of the best hotels on the island is the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i. That being said, it has some of the best restaurants on the island too. Tidepools is located on the pools of the resort with cute thatched hut-style roofs. Their menu has vegetable samosa and the garden isle salad for starters. For your main meal, they have tofu hiryozu which is quite tasty. It is like tofu crab cakes almost. Also located at the hotel is Yum Cha, an asian eatery. To begin, one can get their wok seared edamame. Their miso soup has fish broth in it, but they made me a vegan version special when I asked if it did have it in it. They also made me tofu summer rolls. For dinner, we had stir fried wild rice and stir fried seasonal vegetables. Overall, it was an excellent meal and the service was incredible. They went above and beyond to please us and had very generous portions for the price.
Another south shore favorite is Keoki's Paradise. While this is primarily a fish place, they do have some veggie options. For starters, one can have their house salad and for dinner, they have a teriyaki stir fry with vegetables and rice. For lunch, they have grilled veggie sandwich (get it without cheese and aioli).
A classic plantation in Kaua'i is Kilohana. It is a must see for its rustic beauty. The restaurant at the plantation used to be called Gaylord's but in the last year and a half they have changed it to 22 North. They pride themselves on farm raised food and local vegetables. Their menu changes from week to week. 22 North was very accommodating to vegetarians and vegans. I had herb roasted macadamia nuts, the estate salad (garden salad), a couscous stuffed tomato with crispy kale and zucchini, and ended it all with coconut sorbet. The restaurant is located facing out over the plantation with a lovely Hawaiian atmosphere.
Roy's is a world famous Hawaiian fusion restaurant with many Japanese influences. They even have a location here in Chicago. The one in Poipu had a small separate vegetarian menu. To begin, I had a tofu and mushroom appetizer and a garden salad. For my dinner, I had a vegetable stir fry with rice and then for dessert, fruit sorbet. They also serve sesame oil edamame instead of bread. Overall, Roy's is a fun place to go for a nice dinner.
On the east side in Kapa'a, there is a small lunch and dinner spot called Mermaid's Cafe. They have a really vegan-friendly menu and it's cheap. They serve a tofu satay plate, tofu curry plate, tofu stir fry noodle plate, tofu satay wrap, organic salad, and a black bean burrito (no cheese). Basically, the whole menu can be made vegan. Also in Kapa'a is Sukhothai Restaurant, a great Thai restaurant that is very good. Another Thai place in Kapa'a is Mema Thai. Other Asian restaurants in this city are Sushi Bushido and Shivalik Indian restaurant. A great kaiten sushi (sushi served on a conveyor belt) joint in Lihue is Genki Sushi. It's cheap and tasty!
Lastly, I went to Merriman's Restaurant which is located in Poipu. The waitress there was also vegan and helped me out with their menu. If you are reading this, thank you! I really appreciated it. She also has a vegan baking business called Hippie Cafe Kaua'i. Check it out! She recommended a restaurant called Caffe Coco in Wailua which is vegan-friendly. At Merriman's I had the petite lettuce salad to start and for dinner, I had the veggie platter. The veggie platter had lovely moist taro cakes and fresh crunchy green beans. Just don't get the honey sour cream on it.
Well, that is everything I have to say about vegan-friendly places in Kaua'i. I hope someone finds this helpful and enjoys this beautiful island as much as I do.
I've been to the island of Kaua'i many times in my life, but have never blogged about my vegan findings. This may be a bit extensive, fair warning, because of all the places I've been on the island. I've never been to another island, but this is the Garden Isle of Hawaii and it definitely doesn't live down its name. It is breathtakingly beautiful (maybe that's why all the celebrities go there?). It really is an amazing place to have a honeymoon and many do (or hell, you're wedding too!). My vegan findings are going to be mostly about south, west, and east shore. I rarely have gone to north shore (rains too much for me). So, if you are looking to go to Princeville or the Napali Coast, I don't have much information for you. But, I recommend going to south shore to visit to Poipu. It named year after year one of the best beaches in the world. One can often see the Hawaiian monk seals on the beach sunbathing as well as many tropical fish in the sea. For great snorkeling, I would recommend going to the beach in front of Lawaii Beach Resort and the Beach House restaurant. You find a lot of surfers going out here as well as divers. When I was just here, I saw three giant sea turtles at this spot almost every day. They are so close to you in the water, you could touch them. It is truly a magical experience to be surrounded by giant sea turtles munching away and tropical fish. Very peaceful and natural.
To start, I visited a local favorite, Puka Dog, in Poipu Shopping Village. They have a veggie dog that is vegan. Puka Dog has a good FAQ section on their website for all dietary concerns. The garlic lemon secret sauce is not vegan, though, so opt to just get one of their relishes or other condiments. I tried it with the lilikoi mustard on my hot dog which is passion fruit mustard (amazing!). There is a lot of bread on this which is its only downfall. It's also kinda large, so you could definitely split one with somebody for lunch. Another vegan hot dog place in the south shore is Dude Dog located in the Kukui'ula Village (also there is Lappert's ice cream that has a variety of vegan sorbets). They use Yves veggie dogs. Dude Dog has a variety of condiments to put on the veggie dog. Personally, Puka Dog is more interesting in how they present their food and with their original relishes. But, if you are around and hungry, Dude Dog is certainly a pretty good place to go.
Heading west are the little towns of Hanapepe and Eleele. In Hanapepe, there is the Hanapepe Bakery & Cafe. They have a vegetable sandwich as well as a garden salad with all locally grown vegetables (delicious!). Sometimes, the bakery carries vegan goodies. It quite a cute place located in this tiny town. I would recommend it for a quick lunch while driving around the west side of the island.
If you have a place to make food, I recommend going to one of Kaua'i farmer's markets at least once. It is really a site! Such great fresh, local produce. The fruits and veggies are to die for. It is just like getting it out of your backyard. I have nothing but praise for the farmers in Kaua'i. For other vegan products on the south shore, there is a small market called Kukuiula Market. It has surprisingly a lot of vegan and green products. They have brands like Seventh Generation, Amy's, Boca, Follow Your Heart, Daiya, Morning Star, etc. It really is more like a health food store. Perfect! Another place near by is Living Foods Market which is a upscale, gourmet small grocery. It reminded me a bit of a small Whole Foods. They also carried many vegan brands too. On east shore in Kapa'a, there is Hoku Foods Natural Market. It was a bit like a combination of the other two markets. It had many gourmet items, but also was very much like a large health food store.
One of the best hotels on the island is the Grand Hyatt Kaua'i. That being said, it has some of the best restaurants on the island too. Tidepools is located on the pools of the resort with cute thatched hut-style roofs. Their menu has vegetable samosa and the garden isle salad for starters. For your main meal, they have tofu hiryozu which is quite tasty. It is like tofu crab cakes almost. Also located at the hotel is Yum Cha, an asian eatery. To begin, one can get their wok seared edamame. Their miso soup has fish broth in it, but they made me a vegan version special when I asked if it did have it in it. They also made me tofu summer rolls. For dinner, we had stir fried wild rice and stir fried seasonal vegetables. Overall, it was an excellent meal and the service was incredible. They went above and beyond to please us and had very generous portions for the price. 
A classic plantation in Kaua'i is Kilohana. It is a must see for its rustic beauty. The restaurant at the plantation used to be called Gaylord's but in the last year and a half they have changed it to 22 North. They pride themselves on farm raised food and local vegetables. Their menu changes from week to week. 22 North was very accommodating to vegetarians and vegans. I had herb roasted macadamia nuts, the estate salad (garden salad), a couscous stuffed tomato with crispy kale and zucchini, and ended it all with coconut sorbet. The restaurant is located facing out over the plantation with a lovely Hawaiian atmosphere.
Roy's is a world famous Hawaiian fusion restaurant with many Japanese influences. They even have a location here in Chicago. The one in Poipu had a small separate vegetarian menu. To begin, I had a tofu and mushroom appetizer and a garden salad. For my dinner, I had a vegetable stir fry with rice and then for dessert, fruit sorbet. They also serve sesame oil edamame instead of bread. Overall, Roy's is a fun place to go for a nice dinner.
Lastly, I went to Merriman's Restaurant which is located in Poipu. The waitress there was also vegan and helped me out with their menu. If you are reading this, thank you! I really appreciated it. She also has a vegan baking business called Hippie Cafe Kaua'i. Check it out! She recommended a restaurant called Caffe Coco in Wailua which is vegan-friendly. At Merriman's I had the petite lettuce salad to start and for dinner, I had the veggie platter. The veggie platter had lovely moist taro cakes and fresh crunchy green beans. Just don't get the honey sour cream on it. 
I've been to the island of Kaua'i many times in my life, but have never blogged about my vegan findings. This may be a bit extensive, fair warning, because of all the places I've been on the island. I've never been to another island, but this is the Garden Isle of Hawaii and it definitely doesn't live down its name. It is breathtakingly beautiful (maybe that's why all the celebrities go there?). It really is an amazing place to have a honeymoon and many do (or hell, you're wedding too!). My vegan findings are going to be mostly about south, west, and east shore. I rarely have gone to north shore (rains too much for me). So, if you are looking to go to Princeville or the Napali Coast, I don't have much information for you. But, I recommend going to south shore to visit to Poipu. It named year after year one of the best beaches in the world. One can often see the Hawaiian monk seals on the beach sunbathing as well as many tropical fish in the sea. For great snorkeling, I would recommend going to the beach in front of Lawaii Beach Resort and the Beach House restaurant. You find a lot of surfers going out here as well as divers. When I was just here, I saw three giant sea turtles at this spot almost every day. They are so close to you in the water, you could touch them. It is truly a magical experience to be surrounded by giant sea turtles munching away and tropical fish. Very peaceful and natural.
To start, I visited a local favorite, Puka Dog, in Poipu Shopping Village. They have a veggie dog that is vegan. Puka Dog has a good FAQ section on their website for all dietary concerns. The garlic lemon secret sauce is not vegan, though, so opt to just get one of their relishes or other condiments. I tried it with the lilikoi mustard on my hot dog which is passion fruit mustard (amazing!). There is a lot of bread on this which is its only downfall. It's also kinda large, so you could definitely split one with somebody for lunch. Another vegan hot dog place in the south shore is Dude Dog located in the Kukui'ula Village (also there is Lappert's ice cream that has a variety of vegan sorbets). They use Yves veggie dogs. Dude Dog has a variety of condiments to put on the veggie dog. Personally, Puka Dog is more interesting in how they present their food and with their original relishes. But, if you are around and hungry, Dude Dog is certainly a pretty good place to go.
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