About me
E Komo Mai!
Hi, and Welcome. Iโm Tani, an island girl from Maui who happens to love food. I am an average day cooker like most of you. Thatโs why I want to make my recipes clear and concise with my videos and blog.
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is a food blog dedicated to sharing authentic Hawaiian and local-style recipes, rooted in family, culture, and the everyday food we grew up with in Hawaiสปi.
My main goal is to preserve the flavors of home. Not the hotel buffet version of Hawaiสปi. Not pineapple-on-everything dishes labeled โHawaiian.โ But the real food. The kind you find at potlucks, grad parties, church gatherings, backyard barbecues, and family kitchens across the islands.
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is a place where memories live through food, and where local-style recipes are shared with care, accuracy, and heart.
How Ono Hawaiian Recipes Started
Ono Hawaiian Recipes began with my dad.
He is my number one inspiration for cooking and for creating this site. My dad raised four kids on his own, and life wasnโt easy. Money was tight, time was limited, and eating out wasnโt an option. Because of that, my siblings and I often helped make dinner or cooked meals ourselves.
At the time, it was just something we had to do. Looking back, it was a gift.
My dad loved to cook, and he was good at it. I fell in love with food by eating his meals and learning alongside him in the kitchen. Those early years taught me how to cook, stretch ingredients, and make food that was filling, comforting, and always ono.
Years later, after moving to the mainland and marrying my best friend and hunk of a husband, Aaron (my #1 taste tester and camera operator), the homesickness hit hard. I missed the food, the culture, and the feeling of home. I realized food was what instantly brought me back to my childhood and those memories of Hawaiสปi.
So we started filming.
With our background in video production and storytelling, Aaron and I created Ono Hawaiian Recipes. Over time, our videos reached a wider audience, especially locals who had moved away and missed those familiar flavors. The messages we received were overwhelmingโpeople thanking us for helping them taste home again.
Thatโs when we knew this site needed to exist.
Our Roots & Perspective
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is created by Tani Belliston, a Native Hawaiian born and raised on Maui.
My mother is of Hawaiian descent and grew up on Oสปahu in Pฤpฤkลlea, within the Hawaiian Homestead community. My father grew up on Oสปahu in Kailua. Their histories, families, and lived experiences shape the food and stories shared here.
Hawaiสปi food is not one cuisine. Itโs a blend of cultures shaped by generations of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, Polynesian, and Hawaiian families living side by side. That mix is reflected in every recipe on this site.
This is not โinspired byโ Hawaiสปi food.
This is the food we grew up eating.
What Makes Ono Hawaiian Recipes Different
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is built on a simple but firm belief:
Not every dish with pineapple is Hawaiian.
This site does not focus on tourist-style or hotel-inspired food. Instead, it highlights the dishes locals recognize. The ones made at home, brought to gatherings, and shared without needing explanation.
Every recipe on this site is:
When new or creative recipes are shared, they are never passed off as traditional. Honesty matters here.
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Who Ono Hawaiian Recipes Is For
This site is for:
- Families who have left Hawaiสปi and want to taste home again
- Locals looking for that recipe their cousin used to bring to the potluck
- Visitors who want to understand Hawaiสปi through real food and culture
- Home cooks who value authenticity, clarity, and comfort food
If youโre here for ono grindz made the way locals know, youโre in the right place.Ono Hawaiian Recipes is created by Tani Belliston, a Native Hawaiian born and raised on Maui.
The Team Behind the Site
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is a family-run brand.
Tani leads recipe development, writing, and content creation, with support from Aaron and their two sons. From filming and taste-testing to everyday encouragement, this site is built with family at its core.
๐ Learn more about Taniโs background, experience, and recipe development process.
Recognition & Media
Ono Hawaiian Recipes and its creator have been featured and recognized by:
KHON2 News (Hawaiสปi)
Studio 5, for graphic design and creative work
For media, press, or collaboration inquiries, please contact us via email or through our social platforms.
Letโs Connect
Ono Hawaiian Recipes is more than a website. Itโs a place to reconnect, remember, and share meals.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for stopping by! Iโd love to be friends. You can find us over on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest too!
If you have any questions, ideas, or just need some reassurance, feel free to send me a message!
Mahalo for being here and cooking with me.
โ Tani
While you are here
Check out some of my most popular recipes that I’m sure you will love too!
