Hawaiian & Local-Style

Hawaii is my heart’s home. As someone of Native Hawaiian descent raised outside the islands, food is how I stay grounded—how I honor the place, people, and traditions that shaped me.

This collection includes both traditional Hawaiian recipes passed down in my family, and local-style staples we’ve loved for generations. From Kālua Pig to Spam Musubi to Butter Mochi, these flavorful dishes are full of the spirit of aloha.

A Taste of Hawai'i At Home

This digital cookbook contains 35+ tried-and-true recipes cherished by my Hawaiian family to deliver the best taste of the islands, no matter where you live. Almost all these recipes come from my Hawaiian Grandpa Clarence, Japanese Grandma Marian, Auntie Allyson, and Mom, Lori.

Grab Your Copy 🌺🤙🏼

Family Favorites

Auntie Allyson’s Salty-Sweet Furikake Chex Mix
Mom’s 25-Minute Crispy Chicken Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken Cutlets)
Mom’s Hawaii-Style Browned Butter Mochi
Dreamy Lilikoi Cheesecake Bars with Macadamia Shortbread Crust (Hawaiian Passion Fruit)

Traditional Hawaiian Recipes

True Hawaiian food is often misunderstood. It’s not pineapple on pizza or a sweet glaze on grilled chicken. It comes from the Native Hawaiian people and is rooted in the land (‘āina) and culture of the islands. These traditional dishes trace back to the early Polynesian voyagers who settled Hawaii thousands of years ago.

My Hawaiian family has passed down these recipes through generations. While some are adapted for the modern home kitchen, they’re always grounded in respect and connection to the culture I grew up with.

Shredded Kalua pig shown inside dried banana leaf in a white Dutch oven atop a creamy cement surface. A serving fork with a long wooden handle is inserted in the center of the pork.
Best-Ever Kālua Pig (Hawaiian-Style Pulled Pork!)
A close up and macro shot of ahi poke inside of a small ceramic bowl that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The ahi poke has been garnished with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. A small blue and white bowl filled with white rice rests alongside the bowl of tuna poke at center.
Shoyu Ahi Poke (Hawaiian Tuna Poke Recipe)

Local-Style Favorites

Local food isn’t the same as Hawaiian food—but it’s just as important to Hawaii’s identity. Local-style cooking comes from the blending of immigrant cultures—Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Portuguese, and more—brought together during Hawaii’s plantation era. These flavors merged into comforting, craveable dishes that are totally unique to life in the islands. You may remember them from your favorite plate lunch or snack shop on a trip to the islands!

Three Hawaiian spam musubi are arranged atop a wooden serving platter. The platter sits atop a creamy white textured surface and a container of Furikake seasoning sits out of focus in the background.
Best-Ever Spam Musubi
A side shot of the plated loco moco on a blue-green plate atop a grey tiled surface.
Rich and Hearty Loco Moco (Local Hawaii Comfort Food)
Finished hawaiian mac salad in a white serving bowl with a wood serving spoon inside. The mac salad has been garnished with extra grated carrot and thinly sliced green onion. The serving bowl sits atop a peach colored textured surface with a blue linen placed underneath. It is surrounded by a small white bowl filled with thinly sliced green onion and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt.
Mom’s Hawaiian Mac Salad (25-Minute Macaroni Salad)
Grilled huli huli chicken arranged atop a white oval serving platter that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A small white ceramic bowl filled with huli huli chicken sauce with a small wooden spoon inside sits atop the platter alongside the chicken. The huli huli chicken is garnished with thinly sliced green onion and the serving platter is surrounded by a small plateful of more sliced green onions and a white and black window pane patterned linen napkin.
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken (+ Mom’s Homemade Huli Huli Sauce)
A homemade ahi poke bowl is assembled inside of a large blue ceramic bowl. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface and a pair of wooden chop sticks rests atop the bowl. A blue and white linen napkin is tucked underneath the bowl.
Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls
Two small plates of mochiko chicken served on a bed of rice sit upon a teal surface. A striped dish towel, two forks, a bowl of furikake and bowl of aioli sit beside the plates.
Light & Crispy Mochiko Chicken (Hawaii-Style Fried Chicken Thighs)

Island Sweets

From chewy mochi to tropical fruit treats and Grandpa’s Famous Banana Bread, these Hawaii-style desserts are simple, nostalgic, and full of aloha.

A side shot of four stacked mochi bars on a white marbled surface. Several other bars are stacked in the background.
Mom’s Hawaii-Style Browned Butter Mochi
A close-up angled shot of several lilikoi cheesecake bars on parchment paper on a light pink surface. Several of the bars have been topped with whipped cream and passionfruit.
Dreamy Lilikoi Cheesecake Bars with Macadamia Shortbread Crust (Hawaiian Passion Fruit)
A close-up side shot of a halved loaf of banana bread, showing gooey chocolate chips. The bread sits on a parchment-lined wooden board atop a grey textured surface.
Grandpa Clarence’s Sour Cream Banana Bread

Island Sweets

From chewy mochi to tropical fruit treats and Grandpa’s Famous Banana Bread, these Hawaii-style desserts are simple, nostalgic, and full of aloha.

A side shot of four stacked mochi bars on a white marbled surface. Several other bars are stacked in the background.
Mom’s Hawaii-Style Browned Butter Mochi
A close-up angled shot of several lilikoi cheesecake bars on parchment paper on a light pink surface. Several of the bars have been topped with whipped cream and passionfruit.
Dreamy Lilikoi Cheesecake Bars with Macadamia Shortbread Crust (Hawaiian Passion Fruit)
A close-up side shot of a halved loaf of banana bread, showing gooey chocolate chips. The bread sits on a parchment-lined wooden board atop a grey textured surface.
Grandpa Clarence’s Sour Cream Banana Bread

How-To Videos

Step into the kitchen with me—and sometimes Mom!—as we cook up our favorite Hawaiian and local-style dishes together.

Best-Ever Spam Musubi
Easy, One-Pot Shoyu Chicken
Mom's 25-Minute Mac Salad

Essential Hawaii Ingredients

My favorite must-haves for cooking Hawaiian and local recipes at home.

Furikake
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Shoyu
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‘Alaea Salt (Red Hawaiian Salt)
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White Hawaiian Sea Salt
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Mochiko Flour
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All Hawaiian and Local-Style Recipes

A plate of seasoned shrimp on white rice, garnished with green onions, served with lemon slices and macaroni and cheese on a white, ridged plate. Hawaii-Style Garlic Shrimp (30 Minutes)
An overhead shot of an assembled shrimp bowl with lettuce, rice, avocado, and mango salsa in a light orange bowl atop a light blue surface. The bowl is surrounded by other assembled bowls and bowls of mango salsa, cilantro, and lime wedges. Quick & Easy Shrimp Rice Bowls with Mango Salsa (35 Minutes)
A close-up overhead shot of a small bowl of mango salsa surrounded by tortilla chips on a blue and white platter. Fresh Mango Salsa (15 Minutes)
A side shot of a stack of five white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, two broken in half, on white parchment paper on a white marbled surface. A dish of sea salt and additional cookies sit on the counter and on a plate in the background. Brown Butter White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies with Ginger
An overhead shot of a large patterned bowl of furikake chex mix on a light pink surface. The bowl is surrounded by small dishes of chex mix, a pan of chex mix and a plaid cloth. Auntie Allyson’s Salty-Sweet Furikake Chex Mix
A side shot of four stacked mochi bars on a white marbled surface. Several other bars are stacked in the background. Mom’s Hawaii-Style Browned Butter Mochi
An overhead shot of sliced chicken katsu on a light teal plate alongside a small dish of katsu sauce, mac salad and white rice. The plate sits on a light grey textured surface alongside a bowl of furikake. Mom’s 25-Minute Crispy Chicken Katsu (Japanese Fried Chicken Cutlets)
An angled shot of a spoon drizzling katsu sauce into a small bowl of sauce on a grey textured surface. The bowl is surrounded by containers of ketchup, brown sugar, shoyu, Worcestershire sauce, and sea salt. Mom’s 5-Ingredient Easy Homemade Katsu Sauce (10 Minutes)
A close-up angled shot of several lilikoi cheesecake bars on parchment paper on a light pink surface. Several of the bars have been topped with whipped cream and passionfruit. Dreamy Lilikoi Cheesecake Bars with Macadamia Shortbread Crust (Hawaiian Passion Fruit)
An overhead shot of grilled pineapple salsa in a red-rimmed white bowl surrounded by tortilla chips on a wooden board atop a blue surface. Margaritas sit alongside the bowl. Smoky-Sweet Grilled Pineapple Salsa
A close-up overhead shot of a soy-braised short rib topped with thickened braising liquid in a dark green bowl atop a bed of white rice and steamed bok choy. The bowl sits atop a beige surface alongside a dish of green onions and a bowl of sesame seeds. Succulent Soy Braised Short Ribs
A side angle shot of an ahi tuna tostada on a blue plate atop a white surface. A second plate with a tostada can be seen in the background. Spicy Ahi Tuna Tostadas
A side shot of the plated loco moco on a blue-green plate atop a grey tiled surface. Rich and Hearty Loco Moco (Local Hawaii Comfort Food)
Kalbi beef short ribs on a white serving plate, topped with sesame seeds & thin sliced green onions. The platter sits atop a cement surface, surrounded by a small plate of kimchi. Hawaii-Style Kalbi (Grilled Korean Beef Short Ribs)
A close-up macro shot of a partially eaten furikake salmon fillet on a green plate with a wood-handled fork. Furikake Salmon
Two small plates of mochiko chicken served on a bed of rice sit upon a teal surface. A striped dish towel, two forks, a bowl of furikake and bowl of aioli sit beside the plates. Light & Crispy Mochiko Chicken (Hawaii-Style Fried Chicken Thighs)
A homemade ahi poke bowl is assembled inside of a large blue ceramic bowl. The bowl sits atop a creamy white textured surface and a pair of wooden chop sticks rests atop the bowl. A blue and white linen napkin is tucked underneath the bowl. Ahi Tuna Poke Bowls
A close up and macro shot of ahi poke inside of a small ceramic bowl that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. The ahi poke has been garnished with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onion. A small blue and white bowl filled with white rice rests alongside the bowl of tuna poke at center. Shoyu Ahi Poke (Hawaiian Tuna Poke Recipe)
Grilled huli huli chicken arranged atop a white oval serving platter that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A small white ceramic bowl filled with huli huli chicken sauce with a small wooden spoon inside sits atop the platter alongside the chicken. The huli huli chicken is garnished with thinly sliced green onion and the serving platter is surrounded by a small plateful of more sliced green onions and a white and black window pane patterned linen napkin. Grilled Huli Huli Chicken (+ Mom’s Homemade Huli Huli Sauce)
Finished hawaiian mac salad in a white serving bowl with a wood serving spoon inside. The mac salad has been garnished with extra grated carrot and thinly sliced green onion. The serving bowl sits atop a peach colored textured surface with a blue linen placed underneath. It is surrounded by a small white bowl filled with thinly sliced green onion and a small wooden pinch bowl filled with kosher salt. Mom’s Hawaiian Mac Salad (25-Minute Macaroni Salad)