5 Things We Love

This week we continue our recurring feature in 5 Things We Love spotlighting stuff you have got to do, see, hear, wear, use or eat in Oahu neighborhoods. Today: Waikiki. Coming up: Keeaumoku and Kailua. Send your suggestions to features@staradvertiser.com.

Aquarium exhibits are worth diving into

Everyone knows the aquarium is in Waikiki, but when was the last time you visited? It may not be as big as some of its mainland counterparts, but the beachfront Waikiki Aquarium is the perfect size for an afterschool visit or a fun stop between weekend errands. Nothing seems to mellow kids out like those dark, bubbling exhibit alcoves, a great respite from the heat outside. A unique addition to the tanks of colorful reef fish, sharks, monk seals, giant clams, eels and jellyfish is the new Amazing Adaptations exhibit of seahorses, sea dragons and pipefishes. Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (except Christmas and Honolulu Marathon day), admission is $8 kamaaina; $5 kids 4-12 and seniors; free for keiki 3 and under. Call 923-9741. — Donica Kaneshiro

Ocean views served daily under the red umbrellas

You don’t have to check in to a fancy hotel or visit a pricey restaurant to enjoy a meal with a postcard view of Waikiki. The kamaaina-owned Barefoot Beach Cafe — we call it Red Umbrellas — at Queen’s Surf serves up plate lunches, smoothies, shave ice, salads, burgers and sandwiches that are a cut above the usual beach concession fare.

The breakfast menu includes eggs Benedict ($12.95 and up) and Surfer’s Fried Rice ($9.95). For lunch or dinner, try garlic shrimp or grilled fish of the day ($14.95 each), presented on melamine plates for a little extra class. Order at the window and sit at picnic tables or under the pavilion.

Catch the Friday night fireworks at the Beach BBQ (also offered Saturdays) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. for $15.95 per person, with live music. The cafe is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (last call at 8:30). Just park along Kalakaua Avenue and look for — what else? — the red umbrellas. Visit barefootbeachcafe.wordpress.com. — Christie Wilson

Setting out on foot leads to tasty surprises

One of the great things about Waikiki is that amid all the big brand names and monumental hotels, small businesses still manage to assert themselves. In a car, many of these places are too small to notice, but on foot, they present an opportunity for surprise and discovery. Even on highly trafficked Royal Hawaiian Avenue, it took being on foot to notice the entrance to RHC-Hawaii, which offers cookies, a dried-fruit-and-nut crunch, and what I love here, Royal Hawaiian Crispies, RHC’s name for okoshi with macadamia nuts. The made-in-Hawaii treat starts with puffed whole-grain brown rice, unsalted butter and turbinado sugar, with mac nut bits stirred into the mix. An 8-ounce bag is $15. Find it at 339 Royal Hawaiian Ave. Call 923-0060. — Nadine Kam

Sprinkle your dish with island flavors

The Island Vintage Organic & Natural store in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center carries flavored sugars and salts that add another layer of taste to dishes, baked goods or even a cup of tea. Sprinkle a little lychee or mango sugar on top of cupcakes to add a touch of fruity sweetness to each bite. Or, for those who enjoy making chocolate, a few grains of the cabernet sea salt will turn it into something truly decadent. Pacifica Hawaii’s natural sea salts come in white, red, black, balsamic, Koloa Rum, kiawe-smoked and other versions. Natural Hawaiian Cane Sugar by For J’s Hawaii Inc. also comes in pineapple, coconut and lilikoi. Prices range from $9.95 to $16.95 for 4- to 8-ounce offerings; gift sets are available for $19.95. Call 923-3383. — Michelle Ramos

There’s a lot to like about present-day Waikiki, too

People like to criticize or poke fun at Waikiki, usually with comments like "I remember when … " or "Back in the day … " Maybe if you’re over 50, that’s legit, but I think Waikiki is nicer now than it has been in some time. I didn’t grow up here, but I visited Hawaii throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, and I remember when Kalakaua Avenue was four lanes of noisy, polluted traffic with jammed, narrow sidewalks. There was plenty of drug dealing and prostitution, and while the unsavory activity hasn’t completely disappeared, it’s not as blatant as before. Mostly, I like the Kuhio Beach hula mound and the free shows there Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. You can come right in off the water and catch a few numbers. The top-notch performers seem genuinely happy to be entertaining you, and there’s plenty of aloha in the crowd, from tourists and locals alike. — Steven Mark