As a new section of the site in light of the abundance of downtime we all have from the COVID-emic, I'm going to occasionally post about culinary experiences I have had that stood out to me. I will, of course, include photos of the delectable dishes whenever possible.
So, readers, welcome to the first-ever Bitchin' Bites.
In 2016, after finishing a year-long graduate program, my parents treated my husband and me on a family trip to Kauai, HI.
We stayed near the airport in Lihue, at Marriott's Kauai Lagoons. being that Kauai is fairly small, most things are accessible as a day trip at the longest.
Red Salt at Koa Kea
Let me start by saying that while we loved this restaurant, the menu appears to have significantly changed as of late. Now, given the COVID-pocalypse that's going on, it could be a simplified menu for hotel guests only, but it's unclear. So, that's my disclaimer.
Red Salt, located in Poipu, was a bit far of a drive, especially compared to the other restaurant I mention later in this post. While on the much more expensive side of local restaurants, Red Salt ranks as the top restaurant of the island on Google, and some of the delicious bites we sampled are pictured below. Among our favorites were the absolutely outrageous $50 Red Salt Burger (below, third image from left), featuring Wagyu sirloin, foie gras, Kona lobster, and is served with garlic & gold aioli with truffle fries. While the burger was more of a spectacle than anything, the components were all delicious and top quality. Making Red Salt more my favorite than they'd become, they have Yukon gold mashed potatoes, which we know I love from my previously posted recipe for them. Another favorite from this restaurant was a corn soup they pour before you, which appears to have been removed from the menu - likely seasonal.
JO2 Restaurant
JO2, located on the edge of the town of Kapa'a, was equally delicious, yet much more affordable than Red Salt. The atmosphere was also much more casual, but still a place you can dress up a bit to go to. JO2 is rated as a top restaurant on the island according to Yelp and TripAdvisor, and we'd agree. At JO2 I got a foie gras dish that is no longer available on the seasonal menu, something I love when restaurants do (no sarcasm, seriously!).
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