Kauai Pasta @ Lihue

What a find! Our last dinner in Kauai was at this cozy little Italian restaurant in Lihue. They have another location in Kapaa but this was closer to where we stayed. This somewhat smallish place is usually packed for dinner. Tourists, you see? And locals as well. The dark, warm, cozy interior is typical of any gourmet Italian restaurant.The food was great and at the same time not too spendy.

For starters we got the Garlic Buttered Grilled Sweet Corn - with garlic aioli, parmesan and crushed chiles. The corn was very juicy and grilled to perfection. The flavor was out of this world. It was quite filling too.

Grilled Corn @ Kauai Pasta

We got a side of the Kalani Farm Field Greens - Kauai fresh farm tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots and balsamic vinaigrette. Fresh, nutty and crunchy!




Salad Greens @ Kauai Pasta

Pesto Pasta was called for. Fettucini tossed in Kauai basil & Italian parsley,  blended with macadamia nut, Parmesan and Olive oil. I twirled my fork through the pasta, took a bite and instantly knew I was in an authentic Italian restaurant where they take food seriously.

Pesto Pasta @ Kauai Pasta

Most of the pastas can be made vegetarian. The waiter was friendly and catered to our needs promptly. He offered to split the pasta for us into two plates and the picture above is just one of the plates. That shows the portions are big!

On the whole, Kauai Pasta is a great little authentic Italian restaurant on the Island. It is a must-try if you are craving Italian!

Duke's Canoe Club @ Lihue

We are a big fan of Duke's here at Alki Beach and love the Duke's at Waikiki and were thrilled to have a Duke's right where we stayed, at Mariott Beach Club in Lihue. It was our regular hangout for a late night drink while strolling the beach in the wee hours.
Why this place was perfect? Well, for one, it was on the beach. Second, it was on the beach. Third, it was on the beach! You could listen to the waves, go in bare foot, sit outdoors and just have a ball! There were big screen TVs for the TV junkies. The waitresses were friendly and very attentive and it's always packed. Heck, everyone wants to hang out at Duke's.

We had lunch on one day. The Grilled portabello mushroom sandwich. - ciabatta bun with pesto-goat cheese, grilled tomato and roasted red balsamic red onion

And the waitress offered to make a veggie version of the Grilled Turkey, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich with Avocado, green sprouts, tomato, Swiss Cheese, Watercress, honey mustard sauce on a multigrain bread. Both came with crispy waffle fries.

They never go wrong with their creations. The friendly service and the laid back atmosphere along with scrumptious food makes one want to eat here again and again!

Tortilla Republic @ Poipu

Beach music, airy outdoor seating, earthy décor, friendly service and great happy hour sets this restaurant apart. Located in the Kukui ula shopping mall, this restaurant serves Mexican food with an Island twist and makes the best drinks in Kauai.

Comfy cane chairs awaited us as the waitress showed us to our table. Talk about beach décor. Fans, woody interiors, lots of sunshine, cool breeze.....I could go on and on. The happy hour menu lists lots of veggie appetizers priced at $5. And the cool cocktails are $5 too. On an Island that is heavily priced this is a steal. For the décor, awesome food and lip smacking drinks I would go here again and again.

I ordered a Hydration Margarita for me

and a Tortilla Tai for A.

Both were delicious. The best we had had in Kauai.

We started with the Jalapeno Croquetas Charred Jalapenos folded with potatoes and goat cheese, fried, cilantro crème .

Delicious! Crispy on the outside, soft, gooey medley of potato and goat cheese topped with a dollop of cilantro crème, this was finger licking good!
Huarache Thin Flatbread with Oyster Mushrooms, Roasted Shallots, Baby Arugula, Jack and Manchego Cheeses.

As good as a flatbread can get. The toppings were a good mix of greens and cheese. It was quite filling and totally worth the five bucks!

Patatas Bravas Pimenton Dusted Fried Potatoes, Fresh Aioli, Rioja Sauce, Chives

A must-eat for us at any Mediterranean restaurant, this was fantastic and a big plate! Rioja sauce was a nice Spanish touch. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. If you are looking for a classy happy hour with delicious drinks and scrumptious food in a lovely, casual, beach atmosphere with great service while not ripping your pocket, this is the place to go to!

Kukui's Grill @ Lihue

This little restaurant located in Marriot Beach Club in Lihue, is open for breakfast, happy hour and dinner. Right by the pool and a stone's throw from the beach, it is a wonderful location, perfect for lazy morning breakfasts and peppy cocktails in the evening. Since we stayed at the Beach Club, we got the opportunity to stop by this open bar and grill multiple times. In one of the happy hours, I tried the Lava Flow

While A got a chilled Beer

The drinks were excellent. We asked for Nachos sans meat and they obliged to make a veggie version with broccoli, beans, spring onions, Jalapenos, cheese, onions, guacamole, olives, tomatoes and some salsa on the side! It was interesting and nevertheless delicious!

Day 2

On the second visit we went when the happy hour was about to end and we were surprised with a basket of bread and butter.

We got a Mai Tai each

and some Fries to nibble on.

The drinks were excellent. And so were the Fries. One can't go wrong with Fries, eh?

Both times the service was great. The waiter was very friendly. People of Kauai are in general very warm.  Our hotel gave us some credit to use at Kukui's. We tried their breakfast on the last day. They have a breakfast buffet and an a la carte menu. We were in a hurry and opted for the three egg omelets filled with veggies and there was hash browns on the side. Very yummy.

Overall, Kukui's is a great place for breakfast. Not to forget the pool side happy hour!

Mermaid's Cafe @ Kapaa

It's official. This hole in the wall is a Wrap heaven. Or a Sandwich heaven. Oh alright, it is heaven indeed! I love these teeny tiny shacks that make humble efforts to serve up vegetarian/vegan foods.

Mermaid's Café

You order at the window, sit at a table (if you are lucky to get one) on the roadside, pay by cash only, pick up your food from the window and dig through it. You are free to BYOB. They even have high chairs for kids. Service can be a little casual and laid back, but hey, you are in Kauai! Just chill.

This is the kitchen where the wraps and sandwiches materialize.

The menu is on the wall.

We got the Tofu Satay Wrap - Tofu wrapped in tortilla with rice, peanut satay sauce, ginger soy sauce, and a light crunchy salad of mungbean sprouts, green onion and cilantro with a fresh squeeze of lime.

Tofu Satay Wrap @ Mermaid's Café

Mmmmmmmmmm yum.yum.yum! I probably had an O face while eating. You know, like on Food Network when someone tastes the food and go "Ooooooooh yeah! This is soooooo good!", it looks like they are faking it, but now I know. It was foodgasm. I could taste all the ingredients distinctly.

Then came the Focaccia Sandwich - Avocado served on a freshly baked focaccia with pesto aioli, tomato, cucumber, organic greens and red onions.
Very fresh and packed with flavors! The combination of the various ingredients and the sauces is like a match made in heaven. Couldn't go wrong! Must.Try.

Focaccia Sandwich @ Mermaid's Café

Postcards Cafe @ Hanalei

Picture a quaint little cottage complete with candle lit tables, table linens, out door seating, a busy kitchen and a long line waiting and you have it! Postcards Cafe is a charming, picture-perfect, cozy restaurant in Hanalei in the north shore of Kauai. They have some outdoor seating too.

Postcards Café @  Hanalei 

This restaurant is sought after by one and all visiting or staying in the northshore and can get really crowded. They are open only for dinner and that explains the long lines.We got there at ten to six and were lucky to beat the crowd.

Inside Postcards Café

The menu is not very huge, but most of the dishes have vegan and gluten free options. We ordered the Hanalei Taro Fritter- Local taro, polenta-crusted, with pineapple ginger chutney to start with.
Taro is found in abundance in Kauai. One can find Taro chips, Taro bread, Taro fritters, Taro Ice Cream and what have you! The polenta essentially made it nice and crisp on the outside and the taro itself was soft and tender inside. The pineapple ginger chutney was a fantastic dip. It married well with the fritter. The spiciness of the ginger and sweet and sourness of the pineapple...ummmm I could have some now.

Taro Fritter @ Postcards Cafe

For the main course, A and I opted for The Sombrero - Luscious enchiladas! Corn tortillas layered with vegan jack cheese, veggies, spices and mole sauce, topped with a macadamia sauce and served with pinto beans. Sombrero in my dictionary would translate to fantastico, what?

The Sombrero @ Postcards Cafe

It was an open Enchilada with all the veggies, cheese, beans and sauces pile on top of corn tortillas. The different flavors blended very well. The eggplant had absorbed all the flavors and every bite was juicy and succulent.

The dessert menu was too tempting and we ordered the Postcards’ Famous Chocolate Silk  - With a crust of graham crackers, dried cherries and crushed cashews, this chocolate (tofu) pie has no butter or eggs. It is vegan!

Like someone said, Chocolate is God's food and it will taste heavenly in any form. We dug into it and polished the plate so clean to the extent of being embarrased. Sigh! That's what Chocolate does to me. No butter, no eggs. I could eat one every day.

The waiter was very attentive and courteous. He offered to wash the toys that my little one kept dropping on the floor. We asked him for some bread with macadamia nut butter. He brought over the last batch of leftover bread after a while, apologized for the same and gave it on the house. The fresh batch of bread was in the oven, apparently. A little steeply priced. Each entree is $19 - $31. But hey, we are talking fine dining in Kauai. And they use fresh, local and organic ingredients. So, there. The taste is exceptional. Don't miss this restaurant on your trip to Kauai!

Verde @ Kapaa

Verde is a family owned hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in Kapaa that is known for great food and hospitality. With a very customizable menu, it certainly is a heaven for vegetarians. If you are setting out to explore the Northshore, this will be a great lunch spot.

We got there at 11:15 am with rumbling stomachs. The hostess who I believe is the owner greeted us and showed us to our table. She brought over a basket of chips and told us to help ourselves to the many different salsas from the salsa bar.

Chips and Salsa @ Verde

Salsa bar @ Verde

A and I opted for the Bean and Cheese tostada - Layers of guacamole, local greens, pico di gallo, garlic aioli, green sauce, beans and cheese piled up high on a flat toasted tortilla. It was garnished with crispy tortilla strips! Mountain of goodness!

Bean and Cheese Tostada @ Verde

It had a whole lot of flavors - fresh, crunchy, garlicky and spicy!

We then asked for the Verde Verde Burrito - Green beans, spinach, broccoli sauteed in chipotle, guacamole, potatoes, cheese with green sauce. We asked for eggs to be added to it. The lady was more than happy to customize it and asked us how we would like the eggs to be - hard boiled, poached or scrambled? Hard boiled, it was. One of the few restaurants that can toss and play around with any combination you want! And just for this reason, it is a complete lurer! And the taste was fantastic. 

Verde Verde Burrito @ Verde

We ordered dessert to-go. Sopaipillas - A triangle shaped fried pastry that's hollow inside. You bite the corner off and drizzle honey into it. Again, a classic I have never had before.

Sopaipillas @ Verde

The food was fresh and made to order. The service was excellent. The lady made us feel at home, chit chatting and playing with my eleven month old. She even offered a side of guacamole for the little one to snack on, for free. A great casual lunch spot in Kapaa. A must-try if you haven't already!