Street food$Daily 06:30-21:00
Musubi Cafe Iyasume on Kuhio in Waikiki Honolulu has fed handheld spam musubi to Waikiki visitors since 2000, with handmade Koshihikari rice and a dozen.
Try: Spam musubi in a dozen styles
Tip: The teriyaki spam musubi is the bestseller; the avocado bacon egg pairs well with morning coffee.
Street food$Monday to Saturday 09:00-14:00
Maguro Brothers Hawaii in Kekaulike Market in Chinatown Honolulu is the lunch poke counter brothers Junichiro and Ryojiro Tsuchiya stock from the Honolulu.
Try: Sashimi-grade poke bowl
Tip: Lunch-only counter inside the market; sells out by 13:00. Closed Sunday.
Street food$Tuesday to Saturday 09:00-18:00
Ono Seafood in Kapahulu Honolulu is the takeout-only poke counter that sells shoyu ahi, spicy ahi and tako preparations from a refrigerated case.
Try: Two-scoop poke bowl
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Take it to Ala Wai Park; sells out by 16:00 weekends.
Street food$Daily 07:00-21:00
Rainbow Drive-In in Kapahulu Honolulu is the canonical Hawaii plate lunch counter since 1961, slinging loco moco, BBQ beef and boneless chicken plates.
Try: Loco moco and mix plate
Tip: No inside seating, eat at the picnic tables. Mix plate is the move for a first-timer.
Street food$Daily 09:00-17:00
Leonard's Malasadamobile on Kalanianaole Highway in Honolulu Kai is the mobile food truck arm of the 1952 Leonard's Bakery, frying the canonical Hawaii.
Try: Sugar malasada straight from the fryer
Tip: Five-minute fryer-to-bag turnaround. Sugar plain is the move; haupia rotates.
Street food$Daily 07:00-20:00
Ted's Bakery at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, an hour from Honolulu, runs a plate lunch counter alongside the pie case with garlic shrimp.
Try: Chocolate haupia cream pie and garlic shrimp plate
Tip: The chocolate haupia pie is the canonical North Shore order; pies sell by the slice or whole.