Whenever I travel I always try to squeeze in a food tour. It’s a great way to try new foods, meet new people and to get the lay of the land where I’m visiting. I’ve done tours in Chicago, Portland, San Francisco and NYC.
My mom, sister and I went on the Saturday Farm To Table-themed food tour in Lihue. We met Shane, our fun local guide, starting at the Kaua’i Community College campus Farmer’s Market. Their rule is that the vendors have to sell products that are 51% locally sourced.
We started at the Monkeypod Jam Booth, trying coconut curd, chocolate orange sauce, savory tomato jam, white pineapple pepper jelly and a bunch of other spreads. I ended up buying 4 various jars and having them shipped. Yum!
Next we went to a booth selling in Sugarloaf pineapple - a smaller, milder, less sharp & sweeter white pineapple. They also had a frozen pineapple “frosty”: just frozen pineapple blended into a soft serve - fantastic. Then on to Haole Girl to meet Judy and sample her pastries, a variety of croissants. I picked a savory ham and cheddar, with passion fruit mustard, and bought a couple of pastries for later.
Then, a delicious Portobello Mushroom bahn mi, with a handmade baguette. The mushroom was grilled, veggies were lightly pickled & there was a lemongrass, shallot, garlic, fish sauce chutney, finished with a pineapple juice Demi glacé: sweet, sour, spicy and a bit jammy. So yummy!
Our last stop on the Market portion of the tour was a Cocoa and apple banana popsicle. No dairy. The apple banana is smaller, creamier, and has a mild banana flavor. It’s used here as a dairy substitute. Perfect end to the Farmer’s Market.
We hopped in our cars and followed our leader to the next restaurant: Verde. A locally owned & locally sourced Mexican restaurant. There we had a Kaua’i beef sopapilla: Tender, shreddy beef, smoky beans, roasted potatoes, chili verde, and cheese stuffed inside a handmade puff pastry.
Last stop on the tour was Kaua’i Brewery where we tried some taro fries with their signature lager: Black Limousine lager. The lager was smooth and rich, not hoppy and the taro fries were tossed in a spicy sweet salty seasoning blend. They were fried to a crisp and were soft on the inside — perfectly paired with the lager.
All in all, I’d recommend this tour to families with pre-teens, friends recalling together and couples. If you love trying new foods and talking to artisans passionate about their craft, I’d encourage you to book a trip. Ultimately, I’d suggest that you book at the beginning of your trip so that you’ll get the chance to go back to any favorite spots and have time to shop from the vendors again. A great experience, with a fun and gregarious host. Five stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️