Restaurant Review: Marukame Udon, Waikiki

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Sluuurp!

The Waikiki area of Honolulu is notoriously expensive. If you're staying or spending the day in Waikiki, you'll be hard-pressed to find delicious, affordable food. As Waikiki was home-base during my trip to Hawaii, I did research on good eats in the area with a reasonable price tag. Based on the rave online reviews and my experiences, I believe Marukame Udon is the undisputed winner in that category!

For almost five years, Marukame Udon has been serving up the best bowl of thick, chewy Japanese-style wheat noodles or udon（うどん）in Waikiki. The noodles are made fresh to order; in fact, thanks to the restaurant's open kitchen, you can watch the chefs make them as you wait in line!

Hiking on Diamond Head

The view of Waikiki from Diamond Head's summit.

Climbing one of the steep
staircases.

Diamond Head—known as Lēʻahi in Hawaiian—is a prominent volcanic crater or tuff cone on O'ahu. The crater is part of a series of volcanic forms collectively known as the Honolulu Volcanic Series. Diamond Head is a well-known tourist attraction, especially because of its close proximity to Waikiki. The surrounding park and crater are open to the public between 6am and 6pm; however, visitors are prohibited from hiking Diamond Head after 4:30pm.

Although Diamond Head is steep (762ft), the hike is on the easier side, and one could make it both ways in under two hours. Nonetheless, the path is uneven at several points, and the stairs running up the crater are somewhat steep. If you're on the athletic side, you could definitely make the round trip to and from the crater summit in under 90 minutes. I imagine experienced hikers might think Diamond Head is a piece of cake. However, if you have an injury or disability, I'd take it easy. Additionally, I would advise those with small children to hold their hands at all times. It's easy for little feet to slip and fall at Diamond Head, and it's somewhat crowded, you don't want your little angels to get lost in the rush! Lastly, I suggest you bring a bottle of water with you and wear sports clothes; you're likely to get a workout!

Honolulu: My General Impressions

The view of Honolulu from the
Diamond Head crater.

I am going to be brutally honest in this post. I think Honolulu is, albeit beautiful, one of the saddest places I have ever visited.

Western imperialism and its depressing results have left deep scares on the city. I use the term "Western" because it is clear that the Hawaii is in no way, shape, or form a Western island, although it has been part of the United States for over 50 years. The atmosphere in Hawaii is so different it may as well be a different country. Wait—it was before.

Queen Lili'uokalani
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The Hawaiian kingdom was overthrown in part by the American Dole Food Company, which was founded by Samuel B. Dole, Hawaii's president after the coup d'etat that overthrew Hawaii's last monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani. Although she attempted to have a say in the new government before the coup, she was ultimately silenced and essentially shutout from molding the future of her own land. Why? Long story short, Dole and the United States were money-hungary and wanted to rape Hawaiian land for all they could get. (Thanks Dole Food Company. I'll stick with Turbana).

Hawaii's unfortunate history aside, did I generally enjoy my time in Hawaii? No. Why? Because of the melancholy.

Once you leave Waikiki, the degradation, homelessness, and destitute nature of the area is obvious. The natives have been pushed to the edge of the island due to insane property costs, and big companies as well as rich folks from the Mainland are beginning to buy up a lot of the land. By the time I left Hawaii, I felt guilty for vacationing there and indirectly promoting the marginalization of the people. (Granted, the trip was my dad's idea, not mine. I've honestly never been keen on visiting Hawaii).

Good luck if you plan on vacationing in Hawaii. Most activities are overpriced, and food is quite costly as well. Parking is hell, so don't rent a car. My dad and I found ourselves either driving around, walking about aimlessly, or eating cheap food. I think hiking in Diamond Head and visiting the Hawaii State Art Museum were the highlights of our trip. After all, those activities cost us $1 and nothing respectively, but I genuinely enjoyed those two stops. Oh, and we fell in love with eating at Marukame Udon.