In January, Shake and I took our annual trip to Hilo to spend time with his family. While there, we knew we had to try a new restaurant that friends had been raving about: Full Moon Café. [See update below]

Full Moon is an old(er) restaurant made new. The ownership and food have changed, but the name has stayed the same. When we visited, the change was so recent that when you called the restaurant to make a reservation, they immediately asked, “You know that it’s not the same food anymore, right?”

I don’t know what the food was like before, but it’s fantastic now! The menu is always changing because the chefs go to the market daily to see what’s available and plan the day’s menu around that. On our visit, Shake selected as his entrée the Cake Noodle Pork (market vegetables, lean pork, egg noodles, oyster-garlic sauce).

Cake Noodle Pork — Market vegetables, lean pork, egg noodles, oyster-garlic sauce. © 2014 Sugar + Shake

These were, no joke, THE BEST cake noodles we’ve ever had. They’re actually saimin noodles, flash-fried, for an incredible crispy texture and a different flavor than the cake noodles you usually encounter at a Chinese restaurant.

You can check out the other items we ordered (all of it delicious; the “Smokey Sashimi” was probably my favorite) in the We Ate It Gallery.

Full Moon is now on our Hilo must-eat list. (Also on the list: Hilo Bay Café, Café Pesto and Miyo’s.) They are open for lunch and dinner, closed on Sundays.

UPDATE [1/16/15]: Full Moon Cafe is now renamed Moon and Turtle restaurant. Still the same location, still the same deliciousness! 




There's Always More to Eat and Drink:

Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival 2013; Under the Modern Moon event: ‘Ahi Tartare with Ogo & Quail Egg by Chef Floyd Cardoz (North End Grill). © 2013 Sugar + ShakeHawai‘i Food & Wine Festival 2013 — Under the Modern Moon and Christina Tosi / Michelle Karr-Ueoka “Sweet Endings” Seminar Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival 2014: “Under a Maui Moon.” Kampachi with Osetra Caviar, Uni, Preserved Lemon & Toasted Quinoa by Chef Mourad Lahlou (Aziza, San Francisco). Wine pairing: 2013 Weingut Rudolf Furst ‘Pur Mineral’ Silvaner, Franken, Germany. © 2014 Sugar + ShakeHawai‘i Food & Wine Festival 2014: “Under a Maui Moon” and “Corks & Forks” Deli pasta and chickpea salad at The Market by Capische. © 2014 Sugar + ShakeTo Market, To Market… Japanese New Year’s tradition: Ozoni (mochi soup). © 2013 Sugar + Shake“We Ate It” Round-Up (January 2013) Ama ebi ceviche and fried heads at Moon and Turtle restaurant in Hilo. © 2015 Sugar + ShakeFriday Photo — The Best Thing I’ve Eaten All Year