Food Network's Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Features Oahu Favorites

Viewers of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” will get a taste of some of Oahu’s most popular eateries when its all-Oahu segment, titled “Triple D Goes Hawaiian,” airs on April 5, 2010. “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” filmed its first Hawaii episode exclusively on Oahu, as guests of the Oahu Visitors Bureau, in October 2009. The episode will feature Hank’s Haute Dogs, Highway Inn, Nico’s at Pier 38, and a luau catered by Marian’s Catering that host Chef Guy Fieri and the “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” crew experienced. “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” also filmed at three other Oahu restaurants, Murphy’s Bar and Grill, Poke Stop and Rainbow Drive-In. Those locations will be featured in separate shows expected to air on May 17, May 3 and June 21 respectively.

On “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” funny, energetic and charismatic host, Chef Guy Fieri, travels the country in search of the best hometown favorites. However, he doesn’t just pick restaurants based on popularity. As much as possible, each restaurant featured in “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” must be willing to share most of their ingredients and recipes with viewers; offer food made from scratch with fresh, not frozen ingredients; offer menu items that don’t cost more than $20; have characters who are excited to be on TV; and have a historical element. With the strict criteria that “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” uses to choose restaurants featured on the show, foodies and fans can certainly get on the train to Flavortown by visiting Oahu and sampling the fresh, homemade, delicious dishes Fieri ate while on Oahu.

Hank’s Haute Dogs
Kakaako: 324 Coral St, Honolulu; 808-532-4265; www.hankshautedogs.com
Waikiki: 2330 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu; 808-532-4265
Nationally known restaurateur Hank Adaniya opened Hank’s Haute Dogs in the Kakaako area of Honolulu in 2007 before expanding into a second location in Waikiki in 2009. Hank’s offers gourmet hot dogs, including the classic Chicago Vienna all-beef hot dog or Polish dog with all the trimmings, as well as other regional and specialty dogs.

To eat like Fieri at Hank’s Haute Dogs, try the house-made Lobster Sausage, made up of lobster sausage seared in butter, then dressed in garlic aioli, relish and pickled takuan radish; the Fat Boy, a hotdog wrapped in bacon, deep-fried and served with lettuce, mayonnaise and tomato; Chicago Dog, a genuine Vienna all-beef hot dog with all the fixings; or the Hawaiian dog served with pineapple relish, passion fruit mustard and grilled sweet Maui onions. Don’t forget to try the hand battered onion rings with homemade dipping sauces, including wasabi tobiko crème, curry ketchup and chipotle mayonnaise.

Highway Inn
94-226 Leoku St, Waipahu; 808-677-4345; www.myhighwayinn.com
Highway Inn, located in the town of Waipahu, has been serving local favorites and Hawaiian classics for more than 62 years. The restaurant was established in 1947 by Seiichi and Sachiko Taguchi, who after returning to Hawaii following World War II, wanted to open a restaurant that served fresh, quality, simple Hawaiian and American foods. Since it opened, Highway Inn has been a popular eatery for Oahu residents. The award winning restaurant and caterer is best known for its beef stew, butterfish ‘n stew with gravy, dried pipikaula, lau lau, and squid luau.

To get a taste of old Hawaii, cruise up Kamehameha Highway to Highway Inn and try the pork and butterfish lau lau and pipikaula that Fieri enjoyed.

Murphy’s Bar and Grill
2 Merchant St, Honolulu; 808-531-0422; www.gomurphys.com
Murphy’s Bar and Grill is a traditional Irish saloon/eatery located in the Honolulu Financial District. Just one block off the waterfront, the building that Murphy’s occupies has been a haven for mariners, businessmen and locals since 1891. Ownership of the space changed throughout the years, but throughout history, the building where Murphy’s Bar and Grill stands has remained the same. In 1987, Murphy’s Bar and Grill opened when Don Murphy, a community-oriented businessman, purchased what was then the Royal Hawaiian Saloon. Serving comfort food including steak, fresh fish and shellfish, burgers, and daily specials, Murphy’s has won several awards and is a favorite among the locals.

Go Irish with Fieri at Murphy’s Bar and Grill, and try a few of the restaurant’s Irish specialties, including Shepherd’s Pie, a traditional pie with lamb and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and served with a house gravy; an open-faced turkey sandwich; and the juicy Gaelic Steak, a New York steak topped with green peppercorn sauce.

Nico’s at Pier 38
1133 N Nimitz Hwy, Honolulu; 808-540-1377; www.nicospier38.com
Located at Pier 38 in Honolulu, Nico’s is best known for serving fresh fish direct from the Honolulu Fish Auction next door where ahi, mahimahi, swordfish, opah, and other deep-sea fish are brought in and auctioned off every morning. French born owner and chef Nicolas “Nico” Chaize opened Nico’s in 2004, bringing his fine dining experience to a casual eatery to offer classic local favorites with a French twist.

Visit the Honolulu Fish Auction, then head to Nico’s for breakfast or lunch and taste one of the fish dishes that Fieri enjoyed – the freshly caught marlin fish burger, pan-seared opah, or one of Nico’s signature dishes, fried ahi belly topped with a lomi tomato salsa, and served with two scoops of rice and a side salad.

Poke Stop
Waipahu: 94-050 Farrington Hwy, Waipahu; 808-676-8100; www.elmerguzman.com
Mililani: 95-1840 Meleula Pkwy, Mililani; 808-626-3400
Chef/owner Elmer Guzman, considered one of Hawai‘i’s top young chefs, opened Poke Stop in 2004 after serving as executive chef of Sam Choy’s Diamond Head Grill for many years. The casual, inexpensive eatery located about 30 minutes outside of Honolulu specializes in different types of fresh poke (diced raw fish with seaweed, salt and other flavors) but also offers freshly made salads, soups and bentos (to-go meals often served with meat/fish, rice and a salad). While the typical bento includes SPAM, fish, teri beef, and fried chicken, Poke Stop’s bentos include items like furikake salmon, kalbi boneless short ribs, garlic island fish, and Casian (Cajun-Asian) spiced island fish.

At Poke Stop, Fieri tasted Guzman’s furikake salmon poke; kapakahi poke, made with fresh ahi and opihi; and Da Works Oio poke, made with oio, a bony fish cleaned for its meat and tossed with homemade sauce and onions, limu, and green onions.

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Ave, Honolulu; 808-737-0177; www.rainbowdrivein.com
Rainbow Drive-In has been serving delicious plate lunches to Oahu residents and visitors for more than 45 years. Owners Seiju and Ayako Ifuku opened the drive-in at its location on Kapahulu Avenue, near the entrance to Waikiki, in 1961. Since then, Rainbow Drive-In has been serving hearty, tasty, simple burgers and plate lunch favorites, such as chili rice, boneless chicken with gravy, mahimahi with tartar sauce, and loco moco.

During his stop at Rainbow Drive-In, Fieri sampled plate lunch classics, including shoyu chicken and chili dog plates served with two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad, as well as the eatery’s popular loco moco.

Resource

Hawaii Tourism Authority / Oahu Visitor's Bureau / July 14, 2010

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