6 BEST Places to Eat Vegan Food in Honolulu, Hawaii

Get the scoop on the best places to eat vegan food in Honolulu with our comprehensive list featuring a breakdown of six restaurants and cafes and their top dishes, as well as three honorable mentions, and tips on traveling to Hawaii in 2021—all courtesy of Val and Mani Latifi, creators of Plant-Based Passport blog and Best of Vegan contributors, who have just returned from their trip there and have insights to share.

Situated between North America and Asia, Hawaii draws a great deal of culinary influence from both continents. Elements of Japanese cuisine especially can be found in many Hawaiian staples like musubi, poke, and the Hawaiian plate lunch. In fact, in pre-COVID times, you would find as many Asian—particularly Japanese—tourists on the islands as you would mainlanders. Many signs and menus are in both English and Japanese.

And when it comes to vegan options, your head will spin! There are scores of restaurants to choose from. Best yet, many of these restaurants have a real commitment to sustainable practices and sourcing local ingredients—once again proving that eating delicious food and caring for Mother Earth go together like the sun and the sand.

6 BEST places to eat vegan food in Honolulu, HI

ISLAND VINTAGE COFFEE

When you’re on vacation in Hawaii, there are some things that warrant a bit of effort. Ascending the last ninety-nine stairs to the Diamond Head summit is well worth the 360-degree views of Honolulu. Likewise, the wonderful vegan options at Island Vintage Coffee’s Waikiki location more than justify enduring their famously long peak-hour lines.

With locations on Oahu, Maui (and soon the Big Island), Island Vintage Coffee prides itself on locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and serves only one-hundred percent Kona coffee. Although not entirely vegan, the restaurant offers abundant vegan options, and the staff is more than willing to answer any questions you might have. In fact, vegan patrons helped sustain Island Vintage Coffee through the COVID-19 pandemic—a fact the owners are grateful for.

Pineapple Mint Moana Bowl

Not only was their food a treat for our bellies, it was a visual feast for the eyes. Island Vintage Coffee takes the phrase “eating the rainbow” quite literally. You can’t go wrong with any of Island Vintage Coffee’s açaí bowls, but our favorite was the Pineapple Mint Moana Bowl. On the mainland U.S., smoothie bowl purveyors often fail to balance the tartness of the açaí base with sweet elements. Not so with Island Vintage Coffee, who add tropical fruit, almond milk, and organic cold-pressed apple juice to their base. We loved the crunch of the granola topping complete with puffed rice, as well as the refreshing mint sorbet. Make sure to request that your açaí bowl be prepared without honey.

Shoyu Spicy Tofu Poke

We stuffed our faces with many a vegan poke bowl in Hawaii, and Island Vintage Coffee’s Shoyu Spicy Tofu Poke was one of our favorites. The organic beets and local purple sweet potatoes mimicked the appearance and meaty texture of fish. The crispness of the cucumber and sweet onions, along with the five-grain rice, added great texture. While most vegan poke bowls utilize nori to impart fishiness, Island Vintage Coffee’s use of briny sea cucumber was an ingenious local twist.

Vegan Egg and “Bacon” Sandwich

Island Vintage Coffee has a wonderful selection of vegan sandwiches. We will be dreaming about the Vegan Egg and “Bacon” Sandwich, though. First off, the sandwich was an architectural marvel. Consider it an accomplishment if you can fit it into your mouth! A sandwich is only as good as its bread. The perfectly toasted seeded bun held up well under the weight of the sandwich’s delicious fillings of smoky tempeh bacon, crispy potatoes, and vegan egg. Breakfast sandwiches are usually just one-note textural experiences, but the addition of fresh greens, sprouts, red onions, and pickled vegetables added textural interest to every bite. We had the local half papaya as a side. Do yourself a favor and try the local papaya when you’re in Hawaii. It is sweet and impossibly buttery.

Vegan B.A.L.T. Sandwich

Next up was the Vegan B.A.L.T. Sandwich (which stands for tempeh bacon, avocado, lettuce, and tomato). The pumpernickel bread came slathered in decadent vegan garlic aioli. As a side, we had a fresh mixed green salad topped with mint and pistachios and dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette.

Vegan Sandwich

Lastly, we had the Vegan Sandwich. We adored the combination of the meaty beets with the tart sourdough bread. The acidity of the homemade pickled vegetables balanced out the richness of the vegan ranch dressing. We had the local seasonal fried ulu (breadfruit) as a side, which was a real treat. It was perfectly crisp on the outside and creamy and mildly sweet on the inside. It paired well with the vegan aioli dipping sauce. The fried ulu is definitely a must-try when it’s available.

They are not pictured, but we also tried the Vegan Bibimbap and the Island Latte flavored with macadamia nut and coconut. Both were fantastic.

Tips on visiting Island Vintage Coffee’s Waikiki Royal Hawaiian Center Location:

If you want to avoid the long lines, come around 2:00 p.m.
Breakfast is served all day.

JUICY BREW

No cap, Juicy Brew was hands down one of our favorite restaurants in Honolulu. Juicy Brew’s Chef Christina Hee is a mad scientist in the kitchen. Flexing inventive techniques and serious cooking chops, she serves up some of the most innovative and delicious vegan dishes we’ve ever tasted. Chef Hee views vegan cooking as a playground with no rules. This approach is evident in the imaginative items on her menu. Seriously, who dreams up things like sous vide watermelon poke or steamed Just Egg tamago?

Watermelon Poke

You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish more quintessentially Hawaiian than poke. Needless to say, we did our due diligence and indulged heavily in poke bowls. Although the competition was tight, we’d have to say the Watermelon Poke at Juicy Brew was our favorite. The watermelon was sous vide, which breaks down the cell walls of the watermelon. This results in a denser piece of fruit with a translucent appearance, mimicking the look of fresh ahi tuna. The watermelon was infused with kombu dashi and tossed in a house ginger-sesame poke sauce. Chef Hee’s ability to get watermelon to look, feel, and taste like ahi was truly an act of black magic.

JB-Bimbap

During our stay in Honolulu, we sampled a few bibimbap and, like the poke, Juicy Brew’s JB-Bimbap took the cake. The tempeh spears were meaty and topped with a sweet-and-spicy glaze that really complemented the braised lotus root, briny house pickles, and banchan. The JB-Bimbap was served with wakame brown rice, kimchi aioli, green onions, and sesame seeds. What really stood out for us was the Just Egg tamago. Steamed with dashi and maple syrup, it was as close to the real thing as we’ve had since going vegan.

Tacos Al Pastor

Tacos Al Pastor is the official dish of Mexico City. Being from Texas and having traveled to Mexico City prior to going vegan, we’ve had our fair share of great Tacos Al Pastor. And if we’re being honest, we were skeptical when we saw Chef Hee’s Vegan Tacos Al Pastor on the menu. But holy smokes were we wrong! Speaking of smoke, the marinated homemade chick’n was smoked to perfection. The tacos were served on grilled corn tortillas and topped simply with fresh cilantro, chopped onions, and grilled pineapple chunks—just the way they are served in Mexico City. The lilikoi (passionfruit)-spiked chick’n marinade took us right back to Mexico City. The tacos came with a creamy pistachio verde sauce.

Korean Fried “Chick’n” Burger

Let’s talk presentation. The Korean Fried “Chick’n” Burger was one of the most beautifully presented burgers we’ve ever seen. Served on a shiny-as-a-mirror golden brioche bun, with a red cabbage slaw, mesclun mix, kyurizuke (Japanese pickled cucumbers), the chick’n was battered, fried and glazed to perfection. The glaze was sticky, spicy, and sweet without sogging up the crispiness of the fry. The first bite was an explosion of flavor and texture. So much of what makes a dish great lies in the balancing of flavor, texture, scent, and appearance. This sandwich blended those components into an edible work of art.

Gingersnap Cookie & Yuzu Bundt Cake

For dessert, we had the Gingersnap Cookie and the Yuzu Bundt Cake. The massive, cakey, and moist cookie was loaded with an addictive gingery kick. The homemade icing was not overly sweet. If the cookie wasn’t so enormous, we could’ve probably eaten a dozen of them. The Yuzu Bundt Cake was served with white chocolate chips, a dragonfruit yuzu glaze, and coconut curd. The yuzu flavor definitely shined.

Although there are two Juicy Brew locations in Honolulu, as of the date of this article, only one is open due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That location—on Waialae Ave—is take-out and outdoor dining only. There are a few colorful tables set up in a beautiful parklet painted with tropical local fruits. Juicy Brew hopes to resume indoor dining later this summer.

DAGON

Dagon was our first experience eating Burmese food. It won’t be our last. The mild curries, pungent, crunchy tea leaf salad, and Burmese version of the samosa—called samusa—had our tastebuds dancing. Although not fully vegan, Dagon had a number of vegan options. The waitstaff was very helpful in answering questions and navigating us through their extensive menu.

Tea Leaf Salad

The Tea Leaf Salad is a must-try at Dagon. A Burmese staple, tea leaf salad is made with fermented tea leaves that, when mixed with lemon juice, act as the dressing. Romaine lettuce made up the base of this salad and it was served with split peas, peanuts, sesame seeds, and tomatoes. Eating it was a fun textural experience, and the fermented tea leaves had a flavor, unlike anything we’d ever experienced before. It was slightly bitter and a little funky and was balanced out with the freshness of the lemon squeeze.

Samusas

We are samosa-holics. What’s not to love about wrapped, seasoned potatoes fried to crispy goodness? So when we saw the Burmese version—called samusas— on the menu, we knew we had to try it. This, my friends, was not a mistake. The potato filling had a milder flavor than the Indian/Pakistani counterparts. The wrapper was also a bit more like a crispy spring roll wrapper. And as opposed to chutney, the samusas were served with a sweet chili sauce. The combination was simply magnificent: crispy on the outside, creamy and packed-full-of-flavor potatoes on the inside, and a hint of sweetness and heat with the sauce. If you’re into Indian/Pakistani samosas (and you should get your head checked if you’re not!) you need to try these.

Eggplant Curry

The Eggplant Curry was much milder in flavor than we anticipated. Long Japanese eggplants were cut in half lengthwise and simmered in a tomato purée, chock full of warming spices. The curry came garnished with cilantro for that hint of freshness. The eggplants were perfectly cooked and melt-in-your-mouth tender. If you’re familiar with Persian food, the dish was somewhat reminiscent of the eggplant stew, khoresh bademjan, minus the tang.

Pineapple Fried Rice

We loved the Pineapple Fried Rice. A general rule to follow when eating in Hawaii is if something has pineapple in it, try it. The pineapples there are tender and sweet and a world apart from the acidic, denser variety you get on the mainland. All that to say, we knew we knew we couldn’t pass on the pineapple fried rice. Served with Indian spices, cabbage, and pineapples, this take on fried rice was exciting and delicious. And, oh man, were those pineapples succulent.

Overall, Dagon is a fantastic restaurant if you want to try one of the lesser-known cuisines in America. In our humble opinion, Burmese food should definitely be on your radar, and Dagon definitely deserves a spot on the list of the best places to eat vegan food in Honolulu.

BANÁN

Banán’s banana soft-serve delights are as delicious as their backstory is compelling. Hoping to do their part in reviving Hawaii’s struggling banana industry, Banán was launched as a food truck by four childhood friends. It has since grown into a Honolulu staple.

Suffering from diseases and undercut prices from the international banana trade, many of Hawaii’s larger banana farms have had to shut down over the past few decades. Banán sources all of their bananas locally. These bananas are in turn frozen and converted into the base of their unbelievably smooth and refreshing soft-serve. They believe in a farm-to-table concept and partake in a zero-waste initiative. Everything on their menu is locally grown with no sugar added. Seriously, with soft-serve like this, who needs the damn dairy?

Pineapple Yacht

We ordered the Pineapple Yacht with an açaí and banana swirl. It was hands-down one of the most visually stunning desserts we’ve ever had. We added blueberries and macnella—which is basically Nutella made with local macadamia nuts. To make it vegan we asked them to hold the honey. The açaí combo was a match made in tropical heaven. The açaí wasn’t overly tart and the bananas added a wonderful hint of sweetness. Also, we will be having dreams about the macnella for years to come. The service was quick and helpful and they patiently answered all of our questions. There are several Banán locations around town and we stopped by the one right on Waikiki Beach. There is really no better way to cool down after soaking in the sun all day.

PEACE CAFÉ

The concept behind Peace Café is one all vegans can get behind: Harmony among man, animals, and nature. To chef and owner Shota Terai, that harmony begins with a peaceful mind nourished by whole foods provided by Mother Nature herself. At Peace Café, you will find generous portions and house-made sauces and ice cream.

Negitoro Bowl

The offerings we sampled drew inspiration from Chef Terai’s native Japan. Our favorite was the daily special: The Negitoro Bowl with tofu poke and black rice. To the uninitiated, negitoro is leftover tuna that’s unable to be sliced nicely into sashimi. The tuna is minced and repurposed for other dishes. Brilliantly, Chef Terai reimagined vegan negitoro as puréed, pressed, and seasoned tomatoes. The tomatoes were an uncanny replication for the texture and flavor of negitoro. Chef Terai even added flaxseed oil to the tomatoes as a substitute for the fatty acids found in tuna. Pure culinary sorcery! The tofu poke was flavorful, the black rice was texturally pleasing, and the vegetable accompaniments were fresh.

Tempeh Katsu Curry

We also had the Tempeh Katsu Curry. The tempeh’s batter was light as air. The curry was savory and packed with chopped vegetables.

Yuzu Strawberry Lemonade & Black Sesame Kinoko Iced Latte

To drink, we had the sweet-and-sour Yuzu Strawberry Lemonade and the nutty Black Sesame Kinoko Iced Latte.

Mochi Cheese

For dessert, we enjoyed the Mochi Cheese, which was equal parts sweet, savory, and chewy.

Peace Café’s eclectic, fully vegan menu will have you coming back for more. Other menu items include Moroccan Stew, Cilantro Hummus Sandwich, and the Heart and Seoul Bibimbap.

POKÉ BAR

Did you even go to Hawaii if you didn’t try the poke? We think not. Get your fill of vegan poke at Poké Bar’s Waikiki location. The Poké Bar experience is much like Chipotle’s: You build your own poke bowl over a base of rice and/or greens. And that’s where the fun begins.

From there, you add tofu and your choice of sides, mix-ins, and toppings—which include a variety of fun ingredients like pineapple, local seaweed, wasabi, edamame, and fried onions. Although Poké Bar isn’t a fully vegan establishment, the staff was more than happy to walk us through the vegan options on the menu as we built our bowls. They informed us that the only vegan sauce option was the sweet chili sauce.

Our vegan poke bowls were a flavorful, textural delight. If you leave Hawaii with a poke bowl-shaped hole in your heart, rest assured there are locations across fifteen states and Canada.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

DOWN TO EARTH

Make sure to stock up on vegan essentials at Down to Earth’s Honolulu store! The vegetarian grocery chain offers numerous vegan options. Peruse the fresh produce section for tropical fruits, or pick an item or two from their extensive deli offerings. Choose among the many clearly labeled vegan options from the hot table, cold salad bar, or bakery case. You can also grab freshly made sandwiches, smoothie bowls, or juices from their made-to-order menu.

We were obsessed with Down to Earth’s flavorful and filling Tofu Musubi and Tofu Nori Rolls, which we brought along with us for beach or hiking excursions. We loved the tangy Pono Purple Potato Salad and creamy Hawaiian Tapioca. The Ube Donut and S’mores Cookie were the stuff of dreams.

TANE VEGAN IZAKAYA

Tane Vegan Izakaya’s entirely plant-based sushi menu arose out of a realization that sustainable seafood by itself was insufficient to save our oceans. Standouts from our meal included the Tomato Nigiri—which emulated the juiciness and texture of biting into sushi-grade tuna and the Bean Curd Nigiri—which was reminiscent of sweet-and-salty unagi (eel). We also loved the Spicy Tofuna Roll, which was almost an exact dupe for its seafood counterpart. However, the Konnayaku Ceviche would have benefited from a bit of acid. And many of the ingredients listed on the menu for the Leahi and Manila Dune specialty rolls we ordered, did not come through flavor-wise. For instance, the smoke on the Leahi Roll’s smoked beets was not apparent. Still, Tane Vegan Izakaya’s offerings were creative and visually stunning. If you haven’t had the pleasure of dining at a fully vegan sushi restaurant, do give it a try. We recommend making reservations at least one week in advance.

UMEKE MARKET

The plate lunch is a classic Hawaiian meal rooted in the Japanese bento. A typical lunch plate consists of rice, macaroni salad, and seafood, pork, or chicken. Needless to say, the Hawaiian plate lunch is not traditionally vegan-friendly. But if you would like to try a vegan version of the Hawaiian staple, we recommend checking out Umeke Market. You can order a plate lunch with one main and anywhere from one to four sides, cafeteria-style. Our favorites were the Coconut Kalo Stew and the Pono Chili. The stew, loaded in local taro and vegetables, was hearty and creamy, and had a mild curry flavor. Being from Texas, we take our chili seriously. Umeke’s chili hit all the right notes. It was flavorful and tomatoey with a hint of sweetness, and it was served with a delicious macadamia nut sour cream. Don’t forget to save room for the ginormous cinnamon roll. We fancy ourselves cinnamon roll connoisseurs, and this may have been the best one we’ve ever tasted. The center—which is obviously the best part of a cinnamon roll—was wonderfully gooey and moist without being overly sweet. The rest of the roll had the texture of a fluffy pillow. Speaking of pillows, you may need to take a post-lunch nap after all that good eating.

TIPS ON TRAVELING TO HAWAII

Stay Abreast of the Changing Travel Requirements

The travel requirements to Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic are ever-changing. By the time you make your Hawaii travel plans, the requirements outlined below may very well have changed! We recommend following the State of Hawaii’s Travel Page for the latest developments.

Mandatory Pre-Travel COVID-19 Testing

At the time of writing, travel to Hawaii from the mainland U.S. requires a 10-day quarantine for mainlanders. This applies whether or not you’ve been vaccinated. To bypass this requirement, travelers five years old and up must be tested for COVID-19 within seventy-two hours of the final leg of their flight to Hawaii.

First, get tested through a state-approved testing provider. We went with Walgreens, and the Rapid Diagnostic Tests we took were free of charge. We received our test results via email.
Second, create an account with Safe Travels Hawaii.
Third, upload your test results to Safe Travels Hawaii twenty-four hours before departure, and fill out the program’s mandatory health questionnaire. You will then receive a QR code by email, which airport personnel will scan to grant you entry to Hawaii.
Lastly, many participating airlines offer pre-security clearance. This basically means that you can avoid waiting an hour or more in the long security lines at the airport in Hawaii. We flew to Hawaii on United Airlines, and they scanned our Safe Travels QR code before departure from the mainland. Check with your airline to see if pre-security clearance is available to you.

Starting June 15, 2021, No Pre-Travel COVID-19 Testing is Required for Interisland Travel

Previously, a pre-travel test was required if a traveler wanted to fly from one Hawaiian island to another—for example, from Oahu to the Big Island or Maui.

Book Your Rental Car, Like Yesterday!

As you’ve probably heard on the news, there is an indefinite rental car shortage in Hawaii. Some enterprising travelers have even resorted to renting U-Haul trucks to get around! You’re less likely to need a rental car on Oahu where Uber, Lyft, and public transportation are more accessible. However, you’ll definitely need a rental car on other islands like Kauai or the Big Island. Rental rates are not cheap at the moment. We traveled to the Big Island, where the daily rates ranged from $150 to $1000 per day. We suggest you look into rental car prices before buying your plane ticket to Hawaii and then book your rental car on the same day you book your tickets.

Mask Up

Masks are required indoors. As of May 25, 2021, mask-wearing is no longer required outdoors.

Sunscreen

Back in 2018, Governor David Ige signed a bill making Hawaii the nation’s first state to ban the sale of sunscreen containing the coral-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. This law went into effect in January 2021. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are two ingredients believed to contribute to the bleaching of coral. As a result, you cannot bring sunscreen containing these chemicals on the islands. If you are caught in the airport with sunscreen containing these chemicals, it will be confiscated. While many popular sunscreen brands contain these chemicals, there is a growing trend amongst the big-name brands to produce “reef safe” sunscreen. We suggest holding off to purchase your sunscreen until you are in Hawaii. This way you are certain the kind you are using is indeed reef safe. Also, make sure to read the directions on the sunscreen label and apply it more than advised—especially if you are swimming! That Hawaiian sun ain’t nothing to play with. Trust us, we came back to the mainland looking like a couple of maraschino cherries.