If you're looking for a meal with a view, explore the restaurants at the upscale hotels and resorts that line O'ahu's shores. Settings can be as casual as a "barefoot bar" or as elegant as a romantic dinner for two under the stars. Beyond Waikiki are culinary jewels tucked away in shopping centers and residential neighborhoods that specialize in ethnic cuisines.

You'll almost never go wrong if you sample the offerings at any establishment whose name ends in the words "Drive Inn." Here you will find the local grinds, which are the staples of the Hawaiian diet: seafood plate lunches and noodle saimin soups. For snacks and fast food around the island, look for the lunch wagons, usually parked roadside near the beaches.