Aside from the beach, Poipu is known for its wide range of dining choices from gourmet food to pastries and sandwiches. Most restaurants are a walking-distance from the beach while some are a short drive away. Here’s a small list of the best restaurants in Poipu. Enjoy!

The Beach House
The Beach House cuisine is a fusion of Pacific-rim food with surprisingly delicious twists. Reservations are highly suggested since the place fills up pretty quickly on most nights (808) 742-1424.

Brennecke’s Beach Broiler
Brenecke’s boasts the best salad bar in Kauai. The food is typically American: ribs, steaks and sandwiches. Seafood is available, of course.

Casa Di Amici
This has to be the best Italian restaurant in the island. The food is influenced by both mediterranean and continental flavors. Live classical music is played here during Saturday evenings.

Koloa Fish Market
This little place offers delicious Hawaiian and Asian food. The prices are good and has received several rave reviews.

Keoki’s Paradise
A seafood restaurant also known for its Hula Pie desert.

Lappert’s Ice Cream
Lappert’s offers premium ice cream and coffee in one roof.

Roy’s
Roy’s is a fine-dining restaurant that offers Hawaiian, asian and usual comfort foods.

[Photo by chucklehuckle]

Passing by Kamehameha highway in Oahu, you’ll surely spot a bright yellow van parked along the windward coast and a group of people either lining up or merrily feasting in something. On a closer look you’ll notice that the van is called “Shrimp Shack,” home of Hawaii’s most famous pan fried garlic shrimps. They not only serve the famous shrimps, but also grilled mahi, snow crab legs, mussels, hotdogs, chili dogs, chili rice and corn on the cob. The Shrimp Shack is open daily from 11 AM to 5 PM.

[Photo by Mr. Biggs]

No one really knows but perhaps it’s the presence of Middle Eastern tourists that made food shops offer kebab and other Middle Eastern food on their menus. Whichever way, everyone wins! Most of the hole-in-the-wall restos in Puerto Galera offer beef and chicken kebabs, which are served with grilled tomatoes and onions – and sometimes chili. For the sauce you can dip it in yoghurt or soy sauce with red chili. The chicken kebab we ate was quite tasty even without the yoghurt.

[Photo by C.Boeri]

Bars lining the white beach of Puerto Galera will gladly offer the local alcoholic concoction called “Mindoro Sling.” This lethal beverage basically consists of rum, mango juice, lemon syrup, orange syrup, grenadine and lime soda. It is also sometimes served with slices of apple.

[Photo by lake"plays]

Aside from the seasonal Lanzones, one of the food items you can bring home are these pastries called Pastel that are made in Camiguin. These are soft bread buns filled with custard, that remind you of GoNuts Donuts’ pastillas flavoured donuts, only less sweet. You can buy Pastel from manang hawkers and pasalubong stands everywhere in Camiguin Island.

[Photo by Shinji Ikari]

Technorati Tags: Pastel, Camiguin

I wasn’t able to sample this much-acclaimed pastry of Boracay when I went there a few years ago. But I finally got to taste it when someone brought me a dozen of these famous muffins. I’d say Real Coffee’s Calamansi muffins are worth the hype – tastes kinda like Mary Grace’s but the taste is gentler with the sweetness and sourness balanced evenly. The muffin itself is dense, at first glance you wouldn’t think a piece would be so filling. A box of 12 pieces is priced at 560 pesos and individually a calamansi muffin costs 60 bucks a piece.

[Photo by southeast star]

Technorati Tags: Boracay, Real Coffee, Calamansi muffins

The Chori Burger is a popular beach food in Boracay. It is made with of grilled Chorizo, a type of sausage, slapped between two bread buns. Though several food outlets now serve this kind of burger in Manila, of course it is best to have the original in Boracay.

[Photo by wysgal]

Technorati Tags: Chori Burger, beach food, Boracay, Chorizo

Jonah’s Fruit Shakes concocts the best tropical fruit shakes in Boracay. They serve different flavors of shakes that include mango, melon, banana, chocolate, vanilla, coffee, avocado, pineapple and papaya. The shakes come in tall and heavy glasses– if you’d like to take your shake to go, Jonah’s staff will be more than happy to pour them into handy little PET bottles.

I really like their Melon-Mango shake which is very refreshing. What’s your favorite?

[Photo by PowerPee]

Technorati Tags: Jonah’s Fruit Shakes, Boracay

Polvoron is a sweet snack made out of powdered milk. It is considered as a native delicacy in the Philippines and is available in bakeshops and malls. Some even sell Polvoron coated in chocolate.

In this post we will teach how to make your own Polvoron. Try it, it’s fun!

Ingredients:
2 cups of powdered milk
1 1/2 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
4 cups of flour

Materials:
Polvoron pressers
Japanese paper cut into squares

I a shallow pan, over medium heat, pour in your flour and stir until it is toasted or light brown.

Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan.

Pour the flour in a bowl and add the 2 cups of powdered milk, 2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cup of butter. Mix it well.

Take your Polvoron pressers, these are available in department stores and cooking shops, and fill it with your mixture. Compact the mixture into the presser using a spoon, you don’t want your Polvoron to crumble easily.

Press the Polvoron down into your japanese paper. Wrap the Polvoron tightly but gently.

Since the ingredients in making Polvoron are relatively cheap, it is an excellent giveaway during Christmas – you can also make a business selling Polvoron!

Technorati Tags: Polvoron

It comes by the name of creme caramel, custard or just flan. But whatever it is called, Leche flan is the Pinoy’s most favorite dessert during fiestas, birthday parties, anniversaries and any other Filipino occassion. If you’ve been wondering how this divine dessert is made, read on as we teach how to make leche flan.

Ingredients:
1 can 14oz/390g of evaporated milk
1 can 14oz/390g of condensed milk
10 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3/4 cups of water

Place the cup of sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Mix until the sugar caramelizes.

Pour the caramelized sugar into llaneras or aluminum containers, to coat the bottom part.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg white (you only need the egg yolks). Mix the egg yolks evaporated milk, condensed milk and vanilla in a bowl.

Strain the mixture using katsa or cheesecloth. This would make for a smoother leche flan.

Fill the containers with the mixture to around 1/2 inches then cover them with aluminum foil.

Place the containers in a steamer for around 20 minutes

Set aside to cool. Leche flan is best served when chilled, but when kept in a refrigerator cover the containers with something so it wont dry out.

Enjoy your Leche flan!

For more information on Leche Flan, visit the wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leche_Flan

Technorati Tags: Leche Flan