Our top pick for Oahu Cheap Eats, plus a roundup of buttery, velvety, amazing Kahuku Shrimp Recipes so you can relive those North Shore memories at home!
Oahu's North Shore Kahuku Shrimp is easily one of the most succulent, delicious things Mr B and I have ever eaten, and I can't wait to try to make them at home! I've compiled a round-up of the best, most authentic sounding recipes I could find, which you will find at the end of this post. But first, our selection for the Best of the Best Oahu Cheap Eats is...
This post may contain affiliate links, but don't worry - they won't bite.
[drum-roll, please...]
Wait! Before I introduce you to the winner, just take a moment to appreciate these beauties!
I can wait.
Guess what? They taste even better than they look!!!
So where are they, you ask?
From Honolulu, take a drive up to Oahu's North Shore, and you will eventually come upon a number of Kahuku-style shrimp vendors - Giovanni's famous Shrimp Truck at the Kahuku food cart pod being the most notable. (If you can't see it for all the signatures covering the truck, you may be able to recognize it by the long line of hungry tourists stretching endlessly from it.)
Keep driving.
Farther up the coastline, you will easily spot the red Romy's Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp shack, with its equally long nightmare of a line.
Keep driving. (Just a couple more minutes, I promise.)
Soon you will see the sea-blue sided shrimp stand of Fumi's Shrimp Farm - with a short line, plenty of parking, lots of covered picnic table seating, and AMAZING farm-fresh shrimp.
Check out our countdown of the Best Oahu Cheap Eats, Part 1 & Part 2!
Fumi’s Shrimp Farm {Roadside Stand, Kahuku}
Mr. B and I both agreed that this was probably the best shrimp we’ve ever eaten – and we’ve eaten a lot of shrimp.
The first time we came here (yes, I said first, as in, we came here more than once), I ordered the Spicy Garlic Shrimp. My plate came with nine clean, fat prawns with the shells attached, and was served with two scoops of rice, a slice of fresh, cold pineapple, and a small tossed salad. (The pineapple slice and salad provided a nice complement, but felt mostly like a bow to social convention. I mean, you can't really just serve a big plate of prawns and call it a plate lunch, can you?)
My shrimp was bathed in a buttery garlic sauce that brought out its sweet notes without overpowering them, and the bite was firm and tender. They were so perfect that I think I may have even teared up a little.
At $13 a plate, this was the best deal on the island, as far as I'm concerned.
Mr. B had the Hot & Spicy Shrimp, and in his words, "that buttery texture and the sauce on the outside was so good that I couldn’t help but suck off the juice before I peeled them." Having tried them myself, I can tell you that they were quite spicy, but not overly so.
One thing we both noted was that the shrimp had an amazingly fresh flavor that you just can’t get from frozen shrimp. Taken directly from Fumi's aquaculture farm out back, the shrimp we ate for lunch had been scuttling around just minutes before we arrived. (I have it on relatively good authority that same cannot be said of all the shrimp along the North Shore, as much of it comes from the Costco freezer case in Honolulu.)
Finally, if you've read me for any length of time, you may know that I always check out the restroom at the places I review. If there is nothing to note, I don't, but in this case, there is.
Powder Room Review: We stopped here after a long day of kayaking, and were very happy to find that Fumi's had not only a cleaning station where you can wash up after eating those luscious crustaceans, but also a large, clean restroom that is perfect for changing.
The only drawback to eating shrimp at Fumi's is that it will leave you wanting more. And more. And more.
You don't need to take a Hawaiian vacation to enjoy Oahu's North Shore Kahuku Shrimp! Here's a collection of buttery, velvety, amazing Kahuku Shrimp Recipes you can make at home! For authentic Hawaiian style, use the biggest shrimp you can get your hands on. To serve it up shrimp-truck style, devein the shrimp, but leave the shells on. The north shore in Hawaii is famous for its huge waves and huge flavor found in the garlic shrimp at various restaurants and food trucks around town. Enjoy this recipe as a pupu (appetizer), or as a main dish over pasta or rice. Delicious famous Hawaiian shrimp cooked perfectly in a buttery garlic sauce! Why are Kahuku Garlic Shrimp so good!? It's that amazing garlic butter sauce, spooned over two large scoops of hot, white rice. Raiatea Helm makes her version of Kahuku Style Shrimp, the kind that you find on the North shore shrimp trucks on Oahu.Hawaiian Kahuku Shrimp Recipe Round-up
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp
Kahuku-Style Garlic Shrimp
Garlic Chili Shrimp
Hawaiian Style Garlic Shrimp
Kahuku Garlic Shrimp
Kahuku Style Garlic Shrimp
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Pech says
This was also my favorite cheap eats of Oahu! When my family went since it was my second time I knew to drive them here (even though it meant driving past our main destination the Polynesian Cultural Center) to eat here. The buttery garlic shrimp are my fave as well and perfect fuel for the North Shore adventures afterwards. I don't know what everyone else thought about our breath but we didn't care. The only minus is at Giovanni there was a stand of Grilled pineapple that you can visit for dessert...
kelsey says
woohoo! kahuku shrimp is awesome!
http://www.kelseymalie.com
Melinda says
Ha ha! I love that you make a point to always check out the restrooms! That is totally something I would do!
Renée ♥ says
I think you can tell a lot about a place by the state of the restrooms. Also, for better or worse, I guess I probably draw a correlation between the cleanliness of the bathroom and that of the kitchen.
Alison says
I don't think I've ever seen a better picture of shrimp! Looks amazing.
Blog To Taste says
Oh my, that looks yummy. Seriously mouth watering. I must be craving a crustacean today because I just added a shrimp recipe to my blog post too!
Jenni says
They look so good! Growing up in Oklahoma I never really got to try fresh shrimp until I moved to the PNW. Here it is MUCH better, but I can't even begin to think how great it would be in Hawaii!
Krissy Allori says
I love me some shrimp! This looks sooo good!
Sophie says
Such a beautiful post. I have been to Hawaii last year and your post makes my vivid memories come back.
Eden | Sweet Tea and Thyme says
Reminds me of the shrimp my mother used to make all the time, she lived in Hawaii while my granddaddy was in the military. Brings back great memories!
Renée ♥ says
Wow! You were lucky! The only shrimp my mom ever made when I was a kid came out of a can!
jenna | the urben life says
Omg these look amazing!! My husband and I love traveling to Oahu. I'll have to keep this in mind for next time 🙂
Kelly Anthony says
What a great find. I absolutely can eat my weight in shrimp so I'm excited to add this to my list of places to eat.
SHANIKA says
This Shrimp Recipe looks so amazing! So much flavor!
Mistle says
I haven't been to Ohau in over ten years. The food was so good though when I went. This shrimp looks so darn good! If I make it make to the island, I will be checking them out!
Rachel R Ritlop says
omg this looks SO good! I want to book my flight back to hawaii asap! haha
Elease says
Although I won't be traveling there any time soon, I am drooling over that shrimp! I guess I'll have to try to tackle this dish at home~
Mallory says
Ah! This post brings me back to our amazing trip to Oahu last March! We went up to North Shore and got shrimp at Giovanni's. Oh it was delicious! I think I had shrimp at every meal during that trip! I would love to try this place the next time we go, because we will definitely be going back!
aisasami says
These are amazing! I will check out this out if I ever go to Hawaii!
Amber S Battishill says
Oh my goodness, all that shrimp looks delicious! I'm a stickler for restaurant bathrooms too...I think it says a lot about the cleanliness of the place!
Erin says
It sounds and looks so good! I’m a total shrimp fan.