Kauai Trip Report from Sept. - any updates?

[melee]

Aloha!

We were lucky enought to spend 8 days in Kauai in September and I've been dreaming about going back ever since. Went with my husband and two kids (ages 9 & 6) and divided our time between Hanalei & Poipu. I'm really excited that we'll be going back this summer. This time we'll be spending the entire week in Hanalei. I can hardly wait!

Here's a quick recap of the places we visited on our last trip. Would love any comments or recommendations on north shore spots we shouldn't miss when we return (Bar Acuda is on my list):

Foodland in Princeville had everything we needed to eat well at home, and was also a good place to stock up on Kona coffee, Kauai honey, and other local goodies.Wasabi poke from deli counter was fresh & tasty.

Other places we tried in Hanalei:
Hanalei Pizza - We liked the Wild Pig pizza. Pizza had good sauce and interesting crust, Cheese pizza for our kids wasn't that exciting.
Hanalei Gourmet - Not exactly "gourmet," but decent. I had a burger and noticed that the only place on the island that asked how I wanted my burger cooked was poolside at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu.
Dolphin - Great service and nice location but the food wasn't anything outstanding,Sushi was really fresh. Next time I'd skip the restaurant and try the market for take out sushi rolls.
Hanalei Wake Up Cafe - The only place we visited on the island where the service was downright unfriendly. Eggs were overcooked and Macadamia Nut cinnamon roll was just sort of oily and flavorless. Not good food + not good service = not a chance we'll go back.
Pat's Taqueria - Food truck at Hanalei Pier was a HUGE hit with my family. We tried the fish, carne asada and pork tacos, along with a bean & rice burrito. We're from San Diego so we eat a lot of great Mexican food, and this was as good - if not better - than most of the tacos we eat at home. Wouldn't be surprised if we eat lunch their daily on our next trip.
Hanalei Taro & Juice - Tied for best food in Hanalei with Pat's. My girls demanded a smoothie each morning. Really fresh & tasty. Will try plate lunch next time we go.

In Poipu:
Bubba's - OK. My kids liked it and the fries were good.
Keoki's Paradise - Not the most innovative menu but fresh & tasty fish - not overcooked or overseasoned. Hula Pie was a hit with our girls.
Lappert's - Good ice cream. Made in Kauai.
Hamura Saimin - A gem. Difficult to find if you're using iPhone directions but worth searching out. Fabulous noodles, unbelievably light dumplings and the most delicious broth. I think it was about 90 degrees the day we visited and probably even hotter inside but we couldn't slurp up those noodles fast enough. The Lilikoi pie was really nice and a refreshing treat after lunch. Delicious!
Grand Hyatt - We were there for a conference and ate a lot of food poolside and at events on-site. Have to say they did a really nice job with their catering and the staff were fantastic.

[Beach Chick]

Aloha Melee..
Great report!

You didn't hit up Red Salt in Poipu..one of the best on the island.
Love Hamura's and interesting you found it hard to find since its on the main drag in Lihue..was it a iphone map thing?

Grand Hyatt is a lovely resort..we got married there and can't say enough how wonderful the service, food (except Tidepools) Did you get the brunch tickets from the front desk?
Did you stay there or only have a conference there?

Keoki's is great for happy hour..chicken stir fry with tons of veggies was the ticket for us.
Pat's taqueria food truck is new one so I'll be looking at that when we stay up North shore..did you go to the St. Regis?

Kauai is my favorite island out of the chain..reminds me of my beloved Moorea Tahiti with so much aloha spirit.
So glad you and your girls had a wonderful time!

Aloha and Mahalo

[melee]

Hola Beach Chick!

Thanks for the post. Sadly, we didn't make it to Red Salt or Princeville. They were both on my radar, but we ran out of time.

iPhone maps were a disaster on this trip. Directions to Hamura's were a joke - and you should have seen how they tried to get us to that famous waterfall from Fantasy Island. Yikes!

Grand Hyatt was amazing. We stayed for four nights. Shipwreach Beach was gorgeous and it was practically impossible to tear my girls away from that waterslide! We got breakfast each day from the conference, and their banquet food was really good! Super fresh fruit, malasadas made to order. Delicious!

I can see why you love Kauai so much. It's such a special place. I think of it often and really can't wait to get back. Although I guess you could guess that since I'm posting here about 7 months in advance of our trip!

Mahalo Nui Loa for your posts!

[kathryn]

I prefer the separate Google Maps app on the iPhone, maybe that will prove better.

[melee]

Great tip. Thanks!

[kathryn]

Have you seen this thread?
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/866903

[melee]

Haha - yes, I posted on that thread!!!

In looking through the board;s history it looked like it has been several months since there's been any discussion of N. shore restaurants, so I figured I'd make good on my promise to post a trip report and see if there were any updates since our trip. Would love to find out if there's anything new on the scene :-)

[kathryn]

I do know that Todd Rungren and his wife are opening a tiki bar up there in a few months! They're collaborating with a famous NYC mixologist named Julie Reiner who is from Hawaii (I think Oahu). It's going to be called Tiki Iniki.

[Beach Chick]

Love Todd and have known he's lived in Kauai for many years..saw him in concert in the 70's with his then girlfriend, Bebe Buell.

As a drummer, it would be an honor to jam with him but he's a man amongst himself..
I'll be there in September and Tiki Iniki will be definitely on the list..thanks Kathryn!

Check out these fab tiki iniki vessels.
http://toddrundgrenarena.blogspot.com...

Aloha

[melee]

Thanks Kathryn for the heads up on Tiki Iniki. Will definietely check that out.

Aloha Beach Chick! LOVE the vessels. We have some vintage ones from Harvey's In Lake Tahoe that belonged to my in-laws. Would be great to add these to our collection!

[kathryn]

Here's a news item from last month on Tiki Iniki:

http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/pr...

New owner will reopen Kauai bar and grill as Tiki Iniki
The Paradise Bar & Grill in Princeville, Kauai, will close in January and be replaced by a restaurant and bar called Tiki Iniki.
Tiki Iniki owner Michelle Rundgren said she will spend about $750,000 to remodel the 1,700-square-foot space in the Princeville Shopping Center. She expects the work to take about five to six weeks from when she takes over the lease on Feb. 1.
She said she is contacting local fishermen and farmers to supply food and has hired well-known mixologist Julie Reiner to create a menu of fresh juice cocktails. She also is looking for investors in the restaurant.
Rundgren, wife of Hawaii musician Todd Rundgren, said she also plans to have live music on weekends.
Tiki Iniki will be the first restaurant and bar that Rundgren has owned, but she said she is familiar with operating a business because of her years of experience working in the industry. Looking ahead, she envisions franchising to the Mainland and possibly Europe, depending how the Kauai business goes.