Recently in Honolulu Category

As you travel around Hawaii during your stay at the Sheraton Waikiki, you might hear locals mention some odd phrases. "Crack seed?" "Shave ice?" Don't worry, you're not stumbling onto drug deals, just popular snack foods - these tasty local delicacies are not as weird or scary as they might sound!

Crack seed once referred simply to sweet, salty or sour preserved fruits, whose seed had been cracked (to increase the flavor, supposedly), but in modern Hawaii the term covers all manner of dried fruits, seafood, crackers and other bite-sized snacks sold by the pound. Crack seed stores are wildly popular with Hawaiian kids and adults alike. Step into Crack Seed Center, about a mile from the hotel, to sample such delicacies as "red hot football" (spicy preserved olives), sweet-salty-sour "tourist plum" and clam jerky, along with more mainstream options like gummi bears. Wholesale Unlimited is another favorite, with stores dotting Honolulu.

You might think you know what shave ice is, but this is no ordinary snow cone. That summer favorite is taken to whole new heights in Hawaii with a much finer texture to the ice and the addition of sweetened condensed milk, sweet beans, ice cream and other goodies, — not to mention far more syrup flavors than your typical carnival concession stand. Waiola Shave Ice is a top choice near the hotel, while Shimazu Store in downtown Honolulu offers such unorthodox flavors as buttered popcorn, red velvet, mojito and even li hing mui — salty dried plum, the original crack seed! The shop boasts the biggest shave ice on the island: Larry's Head, named for a customer who'd order three larges at a time.

[Image via Shave Ice Snobs]

If you're spending Mother's Day weekend in Honolulu, you're in luck — what better place to celebrate mom than on one of the most beautiful islands in the world?

The Sheraton Waikiki's own Kai Market will offer a "farm-to-table" Mother's Day brunch featuring locally harvested produce and proteins, including honey-rubbed country ham with pineapple and rum raisins, Kahuku shrimp scampi, "Kahlua-drunken" roasted Maple Farms duck and local-style kimchee fried rice. For dinner, Twist will have a special Mother's Day prix fixe menu that includes a local watermelon and Serrano ham salad, lemongrass-poached sunfish and Waialua chocolate crunch bars with fresh strawberries and lemon-lavendar sabayon.

In downtown Honolulu, Brasserie du Vin will have special Mother's Day hours, and will serve a limited but lovely menu of French dishes with a hint of Hawaiian influence, such as steak frites with roasted garlic and pan-fried moi with tiger shrimp and sauce provençal. Pair it with a show at the Hawaii Theatre, right across the street.

If ever there was a place destined to be a great town for sushi (outside of Japan, of course) it would be Hawaii. Smack dab in the middle of the ocean, with a large Japanese-American population and a major Japanese tourism base, sushi in Honolulu is world class. Stake out a spot at the bar at these spots when you stay at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

At Sushi Sasabune, you can order off the menu only at a table: the bar is reserved for those willing to let chef-owner Seiji Kumagawa decide what to feed them. And those who do are rewarded handsomely. Possible dishes include squid stuffed with crab, baked oysters, blue shrimp and some of the finest toro available. Be prepared to spend $300 for two, however.

Mitch's Fish Market & Sushi Bar is mostly a fish market, run by South African expats. But don't discount it for its low-budget looks — just head to the sushi bar (stopping beforehand to pick up some drinks; it's BYOB) and put yourself in the chefs' capable hands for some of the best sashimi you'll ever taste. The specialty of the house is live lobster sashimi, expertly sliced and accompanied by a miso soup made with the rest of the lobster.

If you're looking for more style with your rolls, head to Doraku, which gives sushi a "hipster vibe" despite its shopping mall locale.

I'm not usually one to recommend buffets, but I think the Sheraton Waikiki has introduced something truly admirable with its Kai Market: a farm-to-table concept featuring cuisine inspired by local family recipes and prepared with produce from local farmers.

You may not be aware, but Hawaii's many plantations have been staffed over the generations by workers from around the world. These workers brought food traditions and recipes from their homelands, and helped develop an indigenous cuisine that reflects the diversity of the island's cultures. Those family recipes are selected each month through a recipe contest for Hawaiian locals, and each is accompanied by a short history of the dish and the family who contributed it.

In addition to giving diners an opportunity to taste authentic Hawaiian beyond the staple poi and pig roasts, the buffet showcases the fantastic produce grown on Oahu's local farms. You might see Szechuan-style Japanese eggplant, kim chee-Portuguese sausage fried rice, or tapioca pearls in coconut milk. You can get updates on what's happening with the buffet on Twitter and Facebook.