If you want really fresh, yummy, seafood combinations on the Kona side of the island, look no further than Sun Dried Specialties [81-951 Haleki’i St, Kealakekua, HI 96750]. No frills here, a few fold up tables, and the menu is written up on a board. You will find some complimentary fruity water if you plan to eat in, a refreshing bonus.
While the joint is celebrated for its poke, that is just one of its fine assets. We had been eating tons of poke on this trip, so it was great to have another option for the day. There were so many things to choose from, they all sounded so delicious! We decided on a combo plate of fresh Kauai garlic mushroom shrimp and grilled opah fish. While we both got brown rice I opted for an ocean salad while Jeff got a mac salad.
Let’s start from the beginning again. The shrimp were so vibrant, succulent, and tender. Peeling them is always half the fun. The garlic and mushrooms were bursting with flavor and really jazzed up the rice on which they fell. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned, I loved the creamy sauce slathered on top. I opted for the ocean salad on pure faith. I have had seaweed salad on the mainland and was never a fan, I figured this was the same thing. Wrong! This light and airy, scrumptious, but mildly flavored salad was amazing! It had the perfect consistency and was very refreshing. I began ordering it all over, but I have to say this was the best one by far. The mac salad, which of course I had a scoop of, was dense and seriously satisfying. It was creamy with a kick and had crab meat mixed in! This was some quality seafood in a relaxed atmosphere, the perfectly place for lunch while visiting the Kona side of the island.