The longest continuously running luau on the island is still the best -- a combination of an authentic Polynesian venue with a menu that works, impressive entertainment, and the spirit of old Hawaii. The feast begins with a ceremony in a sandy kiawe grove, where the pig is unearthed after a full day of cooking in a rock-heated underground oven. In the open-air dining room, next to prehistoric lagoons and tropical gardens, you'll sample a Polynesian buffet: poisson cru, poi, laulau (butterfish, seasoned pork, and taro leaves cooked in ti leaves), lomi salmon, squid luau (cooked taro leaves with steamed octopus and coconut milk), ahi poke, opihi (fresh limpets), coconut pudding, taro chips, sweet potatoes, chicken long rice, steamed breadfruit, and the shredded kalua pig. The Polynesian revue, a fast-moving, mesmerizing tour of South Pacific cultures, manages -- miraculously -- to avoid being clichéd or corny. The luau takes place Wednesday and Friday at 5pm.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hawaii 2008, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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