Hale Kai at the Fairmont Orchid

February 19, 2010 By Beth Hood Leave a Comment

IMG_4535Tonight we toasted to new beginnings for our business at the Hale Kai Restaurant, located at the Fairmont Orchid Resort on the Kohala Coast. The Hale Kai, or House by the Ocean, has a primo location right next to the beach and the pool.  The “floor” of the restaurant is actually sand (although they still have a “footwear required” rule posted on their Web site) and the overall atmosphere is casual.

Our family on the mainland can’t imagine any reason for buying a $16 hamburger, but they haven’t been to the Hale Kai, or the Ocean Grill Restaurant at the Mauna Lani (which is our usual favorite spot for a burger along the coast). It’s all about the atmosphere. The resorts provide such gorgeous surroundings, and having dinner while the sun sets over the ocean with palm trees swaying all around you makes you feel like royalty, and this makes life a little bit more fun.

That leads us to the food. We shared two different meals because we both wanted a little bit of each. First up was the Longboard Ale Battered Snapper which came with Preserved Papaya and Lemon Tartar Sauce, Green Papaya Coleslaw and French Fries. The second meal we shared was the Hale Kai Da Kine Surfer Burger which was “Grilled Ground Sirloin Topped with Cheddar Cheese, Sundried Tomato Aioli, Smoked Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Onion on an Onion Parmesan Kaiser” and was also served with Papaya Coleslaw and French Fries.

Did I mention that it was really windy? That comes into play a bit here as it cooled down the fish considerably before I could fully enjoy it. It was tasty, but I would have preferred a little more crispness to the batter, as it all seemed a little soggy by the time I ate it. The coleslaw (very unique) and french fries however were excellent. And the burger was fantastic; cooked perfectly, really tasty bun, and the sundried tomato aioli—yummy! We were really pleased with the service, although there was quite a waiting list by 6:30pm, so get there early if you want to eat during the sunset.

If you are a Hawaii resident, don’t forget to show your license for 10% off your bill. The reason they even offered for us was because Jim pronounced the “Hale Kai Da Kine” so well! If you are not staying in the resort you’ll also want to get  your parking validated by the valet (keep your receipt) to avoid the $17 parking fee that they recently instituted.

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Greenwell Farms Coffee Tour

October 10, 2009 By Beth Hood Leave a Comment

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As part of our anniversary getaway to the south of Kona, we decided to tour a coffee farm. It was time to fuel my coffee addiction a little more by gaining a true appreciation of how that little bean gets into my cup every morning. We chose Greenwell Farms, because our trusty travel bible The Big Island Revealed said good things about them and we were so pleased that we did.

We were essentially the only visitors when we arrived, so we go a private tour of the farm— tours are free by the way, although we would recommend giving a nice donation. Our guide was well informed, passionate about the process of growing coffee, and very enthusiastic about having us touch every stage of the coffee “cherry” or “bean”. I learned so much about coffee! (And being well-informed about the things you love can make life a little bit more fun.)

I wish I had taken a few notes, but my basic understanding is that Greenwell Farms has been doing this for a LONG time (mid 1800′s) and that they were one of the first (if not the first) farm to begin exporting coffee to Europe and the Americas. It was founded by Henry Nicholas Greenwell and his wife Elizabeth Caroline. The farm is located on the Hawaii Belt Highway (State Highway 11) between mile marker 112 and 111 (oceanside). For more info, you might want to visit their web site at http://www.greenwellfarms.com/

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Honolulu Coffee Company

September 15, 2009 By Beth Hood Leave a Comment

IMG_0334Years before we moved to Hawaii we heard about the Honolulu Coffee Company from our friend Rick. “They serve your coffee in a real mug!” he would always tell us. And they certainly do. Look at this beauty of a presentation for my breve latte.

I don’t know what it is about their coffee, but it far surpasses any other coffee that we’ve had across the islands. Perhaps it is the heart-shaped foam. Perhaps it is because we are always on vacation when we have it, since we have to fly to Oahu to partake.  Perhaps it is because the farmers they buy the coffee from hand deliver it to them in the mornings. I don’t know if that’s a fact across the board, but on one of the mornings that we were there, Jim was nearly run over by one of the coffee farmers bringing in his delivery. The tub that he was carrying the coffee in, caught Jim’s arm and cut it open. It was an accident of course, but if we hadn’t already been so well caffeinated we might have pressed for a free coffee.

On the occasion when this photo was taken (isn’t it a cool photo?) we were at the Waikiki location next to the Moana Surfrider Resort. This is simply our favorite Honolulu Coffee Company location. Get your coffee in a ceramic mug, take a seat by the window, and watch the morning scene in Honolulu—it’s fascinating. I am a relatively new convert to drinking coffee—I used to chastise my husband for doing so—but I must say that coffee definitely makes life a little bit more fun, and so does the Honolulu Coffee Company.

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