Darin Brooks’ Hawaiian Punch
Planning a trip to Hawaii, specifically, the island of Oahu? Allow DAYS OF OUR LIVES’ Darin Brooks (Max) to be your tour guide. The actor was born and raised in Honolulu. “It’s the main island, with Waikiki, The North Shore and all the fun stuff,” smiles Brooks. “There’s so much to do there: surfing, swimming, snorkeling, going to the beach and having barbecues with family or friends. That’s what makes Hawaii great.” Here, Brooks offers some insider tips on the places to see, the foods to try, and the perfect souvenirs to bring back.
FANCY DINING WITH A VIEW:
“There’s a revolving restaurant that I always tell people to go to. It’s called the Top of Waikiki. It’s on top of the Ambassador Hotel of Waikiki. The restaurant slowly moves in a circle, so you get to see all of Waikiki while you’re eating. The food is great, too.”
SUSHI SO GOOD:
“Whenever I go back to Oahu, I go to Kozo Sushi. It’s a real hole-in-the-wall kind of place. They have the best sushi, and it’s cheap. Hand rolls are $5 in California. There, you can get them for a dollar.”
WHAT TO ORDER:
“Anywhere you go, ask for kalua pig. It’s the best thing ever. It’s pig that’s been covered with tea leaves and slow-roasted in a pit in the ground. It’s usually served with cabbage. Other standard Hawaiian meals are Lomi Lomi Salmon, which is salmon with sweet tomatoes and onions; and Chicken Long Rice, which is chicken with skinny, clear, long noodles. Chicken or pork laulau is good, too.
CATCH A WAVE:
“The waves are huge — like, 30 feet high — at The North Shore in the wintertime. The thing about Hawaii is that we measure our waves from the back. So when we say 30 feet, that’s the back of the wave. The front of the wave is going to be twice that size. Waimea Bay is a popular tourist spot. When there are huge swells, Waimea is the biggest of the big.”
HIDDEN SPOTS:
“Nuuanu Pali Lookout is a beautiful spot. There’s a rail and a ledge that tourists can go out on to take pictures of the east side of the island. The winds are very strong there. In fact, there’s a saying that if you jumped off, the winds would blow you right back up. You’re not supposed to, but I have thrown pennies off it, and they’ve blown right back up to me.”
WHERE TO SURF AND SNORKEL:
“I grew up on the southeast corner of the island. There are a lot of great hidden spots to go surfing, like Turtles, Tunas and China walls. People who live in the area would be able to tell you how to get there. There’s also a place called Seconds. That’s where my dad taught me how to surf. The most popular snorkeling spot is Hanauma Bay. There are all these tropical fish that live in this bay. You’re not supposed to walk on the coral, of course, because you don’t want to kill it. You can swim over it and see all the little fish. It’s really cool.”
LIFE’S A BEACH:
“Waikiki Beach is great. It’s close to the city, so it’s great if you want to get some food. If you want a really quiet, secluded beach where nobody is around, The North Shore is the perfect spot in the summer. There are no big waves, so nobody is there.”
SOUVENIR SUGGESTIONS:
“Kukui nut necklaces are what people usually buy. They’re black nuts that can be stringed up like a necklace. Hawaiian hooks, which are a symbol of strength for men, and shark teeth are big, too. A lot of people wear them around the neck.”
I LOVE SHOPPING:
“Go to the International Market Place in Waikiki. They sell all kinds of trinkets and necklaces. They carry authentic hooks, flowers, slippers, and lots of little things that you can buy for really cheap. It’s a cool little place, because you can barter with the [vendors], too.”
PHOTO OPS:
“If you hike to the top of Diamond Head, you can get great pictures of the sunset and all of Waikiki. You can probably see all the way out to Pearl Harbor. It’s beautiful.”
HAWAIIAN WORDS TO REMEMBER:
“Mahalo. It’s on all the trash cans, but it doesn’t mean trash. It means ‘thank you.’ Mahalo nui loa means ‘thank you very much.'”
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