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What to eat in Hawaii? Top 4 Hawaiian Appetizers

Last update: Thu Mar 20 2025
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01

Fish Dish

HAWAII, United States of America
4.4
Poke
Poke infographic
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Poke is a traditional Hawaiian dish that is made with small pieces of fresh and raw fish or seafood, which are combined with finely chopped vegetables, herbs, condiments, and seasonings. Although traditional poke uses either ahi tuna (yellowfin tuna) or octopus, the variations on this dish are endless these days, including poke with salmon, mussels, crabmeat, or oysters, as well as vegetarian versions with diced avocados.


Typical ingredients apart from the raw fish or seafood include sweet onions, garlic, shallots, scallions, sesame seeds, seaweeds, candlenuts, limu (brown algae), soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and Hawaiian sea salt. The creation of poke has been attributed to local fishermen who used to combine freshly-caught small reef fish with few seasonings such as sea salt, candlenuts, limu, and seaweed for a filling snack. 

MOST ICONIC Poke

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02

Assorted Small Dishes or Ritual

HAWAII, United States of America
3.8
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Pu pu platter is a staple of American Chinese restaurants, consisting of a platter filled with a variety of small dishes and appetizers. This platter is believed to have been introduced to North America from Hawaii via Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic during the 1940s and 1950s.


A typical pu pu platter often includes spare ribs, chicken wings, egg rolls, fried wontons, crab rangoon, skewered beef, fried shrimp, and beef teriyaki. At the center of the platter, there is a small hibachi grill, and the fire can be used to reheat individual appetizers or make them more well-done. 

MOST ICONIC Pu Pu Platter

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03

Noodle Dish

HAWAII, United States of America
3.7
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Chicken long rice is a Hawaiian dish with the influence of Chinese cuisine. The dish is made with a combination of vermicelli noodles, ginger, green onions, and chicken thighs in a clear chicken broth. Some say that it's a version of chicken soup, only with more noodles and less soup.


Chicken long rice can be found in most Hawaiian restaurants and it's a comforting dish for many locals, especially during cold weather. It's served in shallow bowls as a first course or as a side dish accompanying lau lau or lomi lomi salmon. If desired, it can be additionally seasoned with soy sauce.

MOST ICONIC Chicken Long Rice

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04

Side Dish

HAWAII, United States of America
3.6
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Lomi-lomi salmon is a traditional dish originating from Hawaii. The dish is prepared with salmon and tomatoes as the main ingredients. It was originally introduced to Hawaii by early Western sailors. The salmon is rubbed with salt, then combined with diced tomatoes, minced red onion, and green onions.


The word lomi means to press, massage, or rub, referring to the method of massaging the salted salmon between the fingers. Lomi-lomi salmon is traditionally served as an appetizer or a side dish at Hawaiian parties (luaus), usually alongside kalua pig, poke, and poi.

Serve with

MOST ICONIC Lomi-Lomi Salmon

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TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.

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Hawaiian Appetizers