Here are some notes from a trip last week. We stayed in Poipu. Overall, I thought the food in Kauai was mediocre.
JO2. Pretty good. Well below Michelin 1* level. Nothing memorable.
Tidepools (Grand Hyatt). What I expected. Average resort food posing as fine dining.
Kiawe Roots. Disappointing. Their signature “tinono” dish was bland and pointless. An amateur home cook could improve it on first try.
Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant. Basic but good Chinese food. Seafood and vegetables tasted fresh. Perhaps the best food we ate on Kauai.
Tortilla Republic. Bland Mexican food. Lifeless guacamole. Tangy entrees with no depth of flavor.
Pho Kauai. Decent Vietnamese food.
La Spezia. Breakfast was enjoyable. I suspect that dinner may also be better than nearby options. The wine shop next door has a great selection for Kauai, and I think this restaurant may be related.
Aloha Roastery. Good coffee. By far the best option I saw in the area. The roasted nut shop next door is also good.
Koloa Fish Market. Okay. A little disappointing to me. The poke dishes were salty and unexceptional.