The 16 Best Restaurants in Hilo, Hawai‘i | Eater

"While attending the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo as an art student, chef Kanoa Miura held a job cleaning fish in a local restaurant. On Mondays, his only day off, he would invite friends over for Aloha Mondays, a nod to the tradition of Aloha Fridays. Miura then worked at Roy’s in Waikoloa and the Flying Fish in Seattle, before recognizing his dream of launching his own catering service in 2005. Alongside catering (UHH is a regular customer), Aloha Mondays offers takeout for lunch and dinner using various local ingredients to create fresh, seasonal plate lunches, like furikake-seared ‘ahi with wasabi potato salad and ginger rice with a side of ginger lime ponzu, or Kulana beef mole shepherd’s pie with a green salad and creamy chipotle sauce. Vegetarians will find dishes like teriyaki baked-tofu steaks served with ogo-lomi tomato salad and sesame tahini soba noodles. Save room for dessert, which might include tres leche cake with toasted local macadamia nuts or walnut banana bread trifle with fresh local banana, salted caramel, coconut pastry cream, and vanilla whip. Just walking distance from the university, the restaurant sees a steady stream of students and faculty members for lunch during the school year." - Maya-Lin Green