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Introduction to Lanai's Restaurants
This article by the Lanai Visitors Association
is an introduction to the best restaurants and
cafes on the island of Lanai.
DOWN HOME DINING ON LANAI
The kitchens of Lanai are busy. Good food comes easily here because Lanai
people love to cook. They start with beautiful gardens that produce fresh herbs
and greens for the table. They love to visit over morning coffee. They honor
the important things in life, like an old-fashioned homemade burger and a
counter full of warm pastries. New York-style pizza, healthy sandwiches,
fried egg sandwiches and pasta - they are all equally important, and readily
available in a single, small, tree-lined square in a village named Lanai
City.
Dining out in "the city" is as comfortable and rewarding as going to a good
friend’s home. The painted blue clapboard with the early-morning crowd is
called Blue Ginger Cafe, where the three-egg omelets and fried saimin
(a locally adored noodle soup) are as famous as pigs-in-the-blanket.
Some people dine here breakfast, lunch and dinner, then return bright
and early the next day.
Canoes Lanai (a Tanigawa tradition), is also a popular option. Serving
breakfast and lunch, "must orders" include the fried rice, wok fried menpachi
and the grilled mahimahi sandwich. Reminicent of the old time Saimin stands
of days gone by, Canoes Lanai is noted for its hearty homemade burgers,
its ohana (family) style atmosphere, as well as local favorites for both
kama`aina and visitors alike.
Around the corner is Lanai’s java central,
Lanai Coffee - the only coffee
house on the island, serving Kona fancy, Kona pea berry, Jamaican Blue Mountain,
and a full menu of gourmet coffees, blends, flavored coffees, espresso and
cappuccino. Formerly a plantation home, it has a wide, welcoming wooden
deck shaded by umbrellas. You can order ice cream, pastry, gift items,
and inexpensive T-shirts too, and sit on the deck and watch the light
change through the Cook pines across the street.
Across the shaded town square called Dole Park, in the Hotel Lanai, the
popular
Henry Clay’s Rotisserie serves American country fare with a New Orleans
Cajun twist. The setting is the dining room of a 1923 country inn - a
rustic American ambience of knotty pine, red brick, a courtyard and a
fireplace. The Rajun Cajun Clay’s shrimp, fiery and complex;
herb-marinated rotisserie chicken; warm chocolate cake and old fashioned
pecan pie are among the legendary attractions.
A few storefronts away on Dole Park, you can spot
Pele’s Other Garden by
its cheerful yellow veranda, corrugated iron roof, and turquoise trim.
A haven for health-conscious diners with sophisticated tastes, it started
as a New York-style deli and has only gotten better. Excellent gourmet
pizzas, organic salads, smoked turkey and other made-to-order sandwiches,
hearty soups and tasty burritos draw loyal lunchtime fans. They make box
lunches and picnic lunches to go, and in the evening, out come the candles
and tablecloths for the pastas and bistro fare.
The fresh breads for sandwiches come from
Central Bakery down the street.
Birthdays wouldn’t be the same without Central’s freshly baked cakes, nor
would Lanai ’s resort dining rooms, which rely on Central for many
desserts and baked goods.
At Four Seasons Resorts Lanai at Manele Bay on Hulopo`e Bay,
Hulopo`e Court
serves the best Shrimp Benedict in town from its Hawai`i Regional Cuisine menu
featured at breakfast and dinner. Manele’s signature
Ihilani is renowned
for its Italian fare, and the
Challenge at Manele Clubhouse for its gourmet
salads and sandwiches. In the evening, when the sun sets and the chef
fires up his Pacific Rim seafood preparations, the Clubhouse is a feast
for the senses.
The Lodge at Koele’s
Formal Dining Room continues to win accolades with its
American/Hawaii upcountry menu served in a formal octagonal dining room.
Braised meats, ragouts, and local venison and seafood offer the comforts of
comfort food with the sophistication of continental preparation.
Above Article courtesy of the Lanai Visitors Association
See also:
More About Dining on Lanai
Lodging on Lanai
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Related Links
Lanai Island - Main Menu
Islands of Hawaii
Hawaii for Visitors
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