I love talking story about Oahu because it’s so much more than Waikiki. The North Shore offers world-class surfing, stunning beaches, a taste of old Hawaii, and great local food like traditional Portuguese sausage, rice, and eggs.
Talking Story about Oahu’s North Shore
During our visit to the North Shore we were always on the hunt for local flavors. The food was memorable, but equally rewarding were the conversations, adventures, and friendships that grew out of those culinary stops.
The Hawaiian Term: Talk Story
In the spirit of aloha, I’m going to talk story about the North Shore. In Hawaiian Pidgin, “talk story” means to chat with friends and to tell stories. It’s a beloved tradition here. I love the phrase so much that I purchased a painting titled “Talking Story” by Juno Galang while in Haleiwa.
We spent the first five days on the North Shore, a quieter, less-visited stretch of coastline known as the surfing capital of the world. It’s a place I’m tempted to keep to myself, but I’ll share a little.
Near our oceanfront hotel, Turtle Bay Resort, lies the small town of Haleiwa (pronounced Ha-lay-ee-vah). On our first visit we discovered an eclectic mix of surf shops, art galleries, and local eateries, including the family-run Waialua Bakery.
Waialua Bakery in Haleiwa
The bakery’s old-time Hawaiian storefront invited us in. Inside, they focus on locally sourced ingredients and scratch-made items—bread, cookies, granola, ice cream, smoothies, and more. A surfboard sign at the entrance shares their history and farm-to-table philosophy.
We are a family run café, and in the 12 years we’ve been here, we found that the best way to ensure top-notch quality is to grow it ourselves! The family farm out in Mokuleia provides papaya, banana, mango, avocado, sprouts, basil, lettuce, tomato, eggplant, carrot, pepper, lime, lemon, and wheatgrass.
Here at the bakery everything is homemade and FRESH! We make our own bread, cookies, granola, ice cream, lemonade, veggie burgers, pesto and hummus from scratch daily, as well as roast our own turkey and deep-fry our own bacon. Made with love and passed from our hands to yours – Enjoy!
Even though we were still full from a morning stop at Ted’s Bakery, we couldn’t resist trying something here. The kitchen was busy with homemade bread being kneaded, and you could almost hear the chickens in the backyard that likely provided the eggs for their baking.
Talking Story in a Small World
We shared a sandwich filled with roasted turkey, crispy bacon, and homegrown greens on a fresh-baked roll and enjoyed smoothies when a woman noticed my son Gregory checking in on FourSquare. She asked if the bakery was a recommended stop and soon we were chatting. It turned out the two families were from a neighboring town near San Jose, one of the daughters knew friends from Gregory’s high school, and one of the moms had grown up in the same small Massachusetts town I’m from.
We became fast friends and spent the week together, sharing stories and experiences — even sitting together on the flight home. The world can feel unexpectedly small and wonderfully connected.
Have you ever met people far from home who turned out to be connected to your life back where you live? Share your “small world” travel stories and keep talking story.
We also visited Ted’s Bakery for malasadas, Portuguese sausage, and chocolate haupia pie — a delicious stop up the road.
Mahalo and aloha nui loa!
Thanks to Gregory Lee, DormantChef, and a cake-baking teen for many of the photos from this Hawaiian trip.