Winter Getaway to Kauai: Part 9 – Southside Eats

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Emily Jablon:   Daraius and I went to Maui, Hawaii in March 2013.  We loved Hawaii so much that we decided to return, but this time to Kauai.  Kauai is more laid back and less built-up than Maui.

We went to Kauai over Valentine’s Day week, which made for a very romantic getaway. Using our miles and points made it even better!

Winter Getaway to Kauai – Trip Report Index:

• Part 1 – Using Miles and Points to Get to Kauai
• Part 2 – Only $10 for 2 One-Way United Flights From Austin to Kauai
• Part 3 – Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa
• Part 4 – Grand Hyatt Garden Suite for 87% Off
• Part 5 – 3 Free Nights & a Partial Ocean View Upgrade at the Grand Hyatt Kauai
• Part 6 – Activities in Kauai
• Part 7 – Adopting a Little Girl
• Part 8 – The Many Pools of the Grand Hyatt Kauai and more…
• Part 9 – Southside Eats
• Part 10 – More South Kauai Eats!
• Part 11 – Shave Ice Bigger Than Your Face and More Yummy Meals!
• Part 12 – Flight From Kauai to Austin
• Part 13 – Conclusion and Blog Giveaway

Eating In and Around the Grand Hyatt, Kauai

We listed the restaurants by location:

South Kauai Restaurants (Near the Grand Hyatt, Kauai)

• Grand Club Breakfast Lounge
• Ilima Terrace, the casual dining restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Kauai  
• Puka Dogs
• Kalapaki Beach Hut
• Josselin’s Tapas
• Savage Shrimp
• Living Foods Market
• Brick Oven Pizza
• Craving Thai   
  
• Sueoka’s Snack Shop
• Koloa Mill
• Papalani Gelato 
  

East Kauai Restaurants

• Mermaids 
  
• Korean BBQ
• Hee-Fat’s General Store
• Hamura’s Saimin
  

West Side Eateries

• Paco’s Tacos
• Jo-Jo’s Shave Ice

North Side Restaurants

• The Tavern

Our favorites were Puka Dogs, Korean BBQ, Hee-Fat for shave ice, and Brick Oven for pizza.

South Kauai Restaurants

Grand Club Lounge

Daraius and I went for breakfast at the Grand Club Lounge.  We ate free here because of our Hyatt Diamond status.

The mirrored walls made for great photo-bombing opportunities.

There was a decent selection of fresh fruits, breads, meats and cheese, cereal, and yogurt.  There was 1 hot food dish.

There were breads and pastries…

…that all looked freshly baked.

There was an assortment of cheese…

…a selection of meats…

…lots of fresh fruit…

…Yoplait yogurt…

…boxed cereal…

…slices of bread and bagels…

…coffee and tea…

…and there was even miso soup.

It all looked pretty tasty!

Daraius was happy to get a plate full of food.

He got a crepe, cold cuts, cheese, and fruit.

We sat outside and enjoyed the gorgeous view.

It was a little hot with the sun, but I loved it!  Especially after all the rain we’d had.

There was plenty of seating indoors as well.

You could make yourself comfortable on the sofas.

The lounge had lots of natural light and tropical plants.

There was plenty of space for families or large groups to spread out.

It was a lovely place to enjoy breakfast and have a relaxing start to the morning.

Breakfast at Hyatt Terrace

One day, Daraius and I decided to try out the regular breakfast in the hotel.  The main breakfast was held at the Ilima Terrace.

We were seated right next to the water.  What a beautiful setting for breakfast!

Beyond the koi pond, you could see the ocean.

It was expensive!  The cheapest meal was oatmeal for $9 and the buffet was the most expensive meal at $31.

We checked out the huge buffet but decided to order from the menu instead.

There was an assortment of dried fruits and nuts…

…and a selection of cereal.

There were also breads and pastries…

…and 2 kinds of cheese…

…and smoked salmon with all the trimmings.

There was fresh fruit…

…including pineapple, papaya, and honeydew.  I liked the orchid garnish.

The freshly made jam was a nice touch.

There were so many hot foods to choose from…

…including homemade turkey frittata with Kauai green onions…

…eggs benedict…

…scrambled eggs…

…bacon…(no, Daraius!)…

…Lilikoi sweet bread French toast…it looked soooooo good!

It was served with coconut syrup.  Anywhere you go for breakfast in Hawaii, they serve coconut syrup.  It is divine!

There was bread pudding…

…miso soup…

Roast potatoes…

…and 3 kinds of fresh juices.

You could choose between passionfruit, orange, and guava.

Instead of the buffet, I ordered steel cut oatmeal with dried fruit and granola…

…and Daraius got (yup, you guessed it!) eggs, bacon, hash browns, and toast.

Puka Dogs

Daraius and I went for lunch at Puka Dogs, which is located ~1 mile from the hotel.  We had heard good things about this small restaurant, which serves vegetarian and non-vegetarian hot dogs.  This was 1 of our favorite meals!

It’s a small eatery with 4 tables, and benches outside.  When we arrived there was a line out the door, but the 2nd time we went there was no line.

There’s a small menu, and you can choose between Polish dogs or veggie dogs.

In addition, you can choose condiments to be served with the dog.

There were only 3 to 4 tables in the restaurant, and a total of 9 chairs.

Unable to find seating, we sat outside on a table with a thatched umbrella for shade.

I got a Polish dog with no relish (I wanted mine on the side) and lilikoi (passion fruit) mustard.  Daraius got a Polish dog with mango relish and lilikoi mustard.  We also got all of the relishes on the side, along with Dijon mustard.

You could also get chips and fresh squeezed lemonade, but we opted to save our appetite for shave ice.

The hot dogs were excellent, and they were 1 of our favorite meals on the island!

Kalapaki Beach Hut

Right after we landed in Kauai, we headed to Kalapaki Beach Hut for dinner.  It’s ~14 miles from the hotel, near the airport.

The regional Hawaiian menu included burgers and more.

The upstairs seating area was empty.

I ordered a Kalapaki burger, and Daraius got a fish sandwich.  We shared French fries and a smoothie to drink.

My burger tasted like a Five Guys restaurant hamburger.  It was a bit bland.

The fries were served hot and crispy, and were delicious.  I also liked the smoothie.  Daraius liked his fish sandwich.  The prices were reasonable.

Josselin’s Tapas

We went to dinner at Josselin’s, which is ~2 miles from the hotel and in an outdoor shopping mall.  There’s also a footpath in case you want to walk or bike ride.  Daraius discovered the restaurant on Chowhound.

We ordered lychee sangria, which was a bit tart and strong, but good.  Lychees are a common fruit in south Asia.

The restaurant was dimly lit but inviting.

Daraius ordered 2 fish dishes…

…1 as a starter and 1 as the main course.

I ordered lamb meatballs and beet ravioli.

Neither were very good for the price, but we’re glad we checked it out.

In the same outdoor mall are several other restaurants ranging in price.  And there are lots of shops to browse, including Quicksilver, art galleries, etc.

Savage Shrimp

Savage Shrimp is also ~2 miles from the hotel, near Josselin’s, and their menu looked awesome.

The scent of freshly cooked garlic emanated from the restaurant, and it smelled delicious!  The prices were also reasonable.

You could sit inside or outside.

Daraius ordered the spicy Grasshoppa Shrimp.

There was a lot of graffiti on the walls, adding to the restaurant’s personality.  I didn’t eat here because of my fish allergy, but Daraius said the fries and shrimp were well worth the ~$15.

Living Foods Market

One evening I went to dinner at Living Foods Market, while Daraius ate at Savage Shrimp.  I have a severe fish allergy so had to eat somewhere else.  It’s only ~2 miles from the Grand Hyatt Kauai.

They had a good selection of paninis, pizzas, and crepes.

I ordered the spinaci pizza, which came with mozzarella, spinach, pepper flakes, and garlic lemon oil.

To drink, I had Kona Red, a Hawaiian superfruit antioxidant juice.  My meal came to  ~$20, making it a bit expensive!  Daraius and I could have nearly split the pizza though.

It was delicious!!

Bottom Line

There are lots of great places to eat in Kauai.  Everything is so fresh and there are lots of interesting menu items you don’t see often on the mainland.

My favorite meal was the Hawaiian-style hot dogs at Puka Dogs.  And Daraius said the spicy garlic shrimp at Savage Shrimp was amazing.

But we still had a lot of eating to do…