Vegetarian Restaurants on Oahu, Hawaii

Time to start a page for Oahu, Honolulu, Waikiki Beach and hippy haven Hale'iwa (gateway to the North Shore surfing beaches).

Thanks for email tips to:

• Laura and Chris, 28 Jan 2003

Vegetarian Restaurants

• Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurant, 100 N. Beretania St. #109, Honolulu, 808/523-8218
  Chinese food, mostly vegan.
• Down to Earth Deli, 2525 S. King Street, Honolulu, 808/947-7678
  This is a popular deli near the corner of University and King Streets. It contains a health food store as well as a fixed-price deli. A wide variety of dishes and salads cost $5.99 a pound. Generally, the salads and pasta dishes are a great deal, and the potatoes and lasagna can add up, since they tend to be heavier per pound. But you can still feast for under $8.00. Also, there is a simple rice and bean bar for less per pound. Desserts are priced separately...muffins are about $2.00 each. Examples include tofu enchilada pie, sesame pasta, and spanikopita. Homemade desserts such as berry-spelt muffins, smoothies and vegan gingerbread are also popular. There is a separate eating area upstairs that can get a bit crowded, but you can also get your food "to go" and take it on a beach picnic! Vegan dishes are clearly marked to distinguish them from those containing dairy. (No meat is sold in the store). (L&C)
• Paradise Found Café, 66-443 Kamehameha Highway, Hale'iwa, 808/637-4540
  This is located in the back of the Celestial Natural Foods store. It's pretty ramshackle, with colorful drawings and sayings on the walls. The cook/waitress was pleasant and talented. We enjoyed a tofu curry dish which was first-rate, very tasty and nicely arranged. I've got to say the bathroom is about the funkiest indoor one I've even seen, but it did work. Vegan choices available. (RG)

Restaurants with Vegetarian Entrees

• India Café, 2851 - 1 Kihei Place, Honolulu. Take Kapahulu out of Waikiki (near the zoo) for a half mile to a mile, and turn left on Kihei Place before the overpass. Immediately turn left again into a small parking lot with a few shops, and you'll see India Cafe's neon "open" sign. Phone: 737-4600
  This an intimate new restaurant that opened in late 2002. My husband and I have eaten at all the Indian restaurants on the island, and this is our favorite! Especially good for vegans and those who love interesting, spicy dishes, this place is also a great bargain at $5.50-$8.00 for most dishes. This restaurant differs from other Indian restaurants because dosai (a rice and lentil "pancake") is served instead of naan bread. Great for wheat-free diets, these light, fluffy dosai are also high in protein, and are used for dipping and wrapping side dishes. We love to get the one dosai plate with three vegetarian sides. Choices include curried cauliflower, veggie masala, spicy tofu, or spicy eggplant. All dosai are served with a delicious coconut chutney. When you're really hungry, order an extra dosai and you'll be stuffed for less than $7.00. All dishes have a Malaysian influence, so this place is not to be missed. The space is being renovated and should be bigger and more welcoming soon. Evenings have occasional open mike nights for poetry readings and Indian music. We hope that more people patronize this place so that it can become more established in the next few years! (L&C)
• Zaffron, 69 N. King Street, Honolulu. Easiest way to get there is to go down Ala Moana Blvd, past Aloha Tower, and turn right into the Chinatown area. Phone: 944-4000. Note their limited hours: They are only open for lunch on some weekdays, and do not serve lunch on weekends, phone 808/533-6635
  This Indian restaurant in Chinatown has won several awards. Offering lunch and dinner buffets on weekdays and a dinner buffet only on the weekends, this is a high-class affair. Hot naan bread is brought to your table (buttered or unbuttered at your request), and is used to dip into your choice of entrees, including saag, garbonzo curry, and other vegetarian delights. Many items are vegan. Salad and chai are also free, but vegans should be aware that the chai contains milk. We go to this restaurant for special occasions, since the higher price tag ($15.95 per person for dinner buffet) is more than we can afford regularly. But the white tablecloths, relaxing Indian music and gracious service make it well worth it. This restaurant is usually not too crowded at dinner, so it is a peaceful place away from the bustle. Parking is easiest in the garage around the corner rather than on the street, and is only $2.00 after 5 pm. (L&C)
• Well Bento, 2570 S. Beretania Street #204, Honolulu, 808/941-5261. This is near the corner of King St. and University Ave, above some clothing import stores
  This macrobiotic take-out lunch and dinner place on the corner of University and King St. is a welcome find! For about $8.00, you can get a hefty slice of salmon with lemon and jicama, along with vegan pasta salad and steamed broccoli on the side. Or order the Louisiana barbequed tempeh or tofu, with similar side dishes included! All meals are macrobiotic, with brown rice and nice presentation. Since this is a take-out place only, it's best to call in advance and expect to pick up your meal within about 20 minutes. (L&C)
• Hale Vietnam, 1140 12th Ave., Honolulu, 808/735-7581
  This is our favorite restaurant (besides India Cafe). Winner of several awards, this affordable Vietnamese place serves several vegan and vegetarian dishes. Their service is the fastest we've ever had: about 5 minutes from order to table, and the waiters are gracious. Tablecloths and nice atmosphere make this a nice place to stay for a delicious dessert of coconut sorbet or flaming flan. A great vegan appetizer is the temple rolls, rice wrappers filled with tofu and lots of mint leaves, perfect for dipping in luscious plum sauce. We like these so much that sometimes we eat these as our main dish! Vegan entrees include a variety of tofu vegetable curries. We asked whether fish paste was used and they said no, but as with most Asian restaurants, this does not guarantee that it is not used in some sauces. This restaurant is open every day for lunch and dinner, and it's best to get there before 6:30 pm since the parking lot nearby gets crowded. (L&C)
• Cheeseburger in Paradise, 2500 Kalakaua, Waikiki Beach, 808/923-3731
  Named after a Jimmy Buffet song, and despite the name, fairly veg-friendly. They have both a gardenburger and a tofu burger on the menu, plus other items like a veggie jambalaya. Pretty good food and live music every night. This one is bigger than the one on Maui (Lahaina). (RG)

Additions welcomed - send email.