A little nervous after the mixed reviews but lunch was turned out great. Â I guess we had Ian and he was a good tour guide - learned a lot. Â Lunch was the chicken sandwich that others had mentioned with some great home fries plus the vanilla ice cream with lilikoi curd for dessert. Â I thought this was a worthy stop and a nice way to learn a lot more about the process of vanilla production.
Review Source:While Hawaii is known for pineapples and hula dances (which are actually Tahitian), there's actually a vanilla plantation here.
Parking is available here, but there aren't too many spots. Â Thankfully it wasn't busy at all when we were here.
The company is an active (family run) business, so you're really looking at some couple's house, a small gift shop with cafeteria, and some vanilla plants.
Staff were friendly, though to be honest, there wasn't too much to see here. Â Yes you can see the plants up close and the owner's laundry machines in the back, but you'll probably be hanging out at the gift shop the most. Â There's a TV that shows the history of the business.
As for the cafeteria, they serve a ton of vanilla products. Â My one gripe? Â This stuff is expensive. Â $12 for a jar and 1 vanilla bean (to make your own vanilla)? Â $7 for a vanilla milkshake? Â Holy geez. Â I guess you do get what you pay for, but I felt the prices were definitely on the steep side. Â With that said, that is one good milkshake. Â And one good vanilla root beer ($3).
Since we had our post wedding brunch at the Hawaiian Vanilla Company, I've been dreaming about their amazing brunch food....
vanilla bacon
vanilla handmade sausages
vanilla coffee cake and banana bread
vanilla homemade bagels for the lox
vanilla bloody mary
vanilla yogurt parfaits
vanilla FRIED RICE!
HVC was able to hold a private event for a party of 40 people. Â We occupied the entire dining area and part of the outdoor patio seating (until it started to rain). Â Also, they gave us a little tour about their vanilla farm. Â We were able to shop at their store and purchase more vanilla smoothies after the brunch. Â
My stomach is grumbling and my mouth is salivating as I write this review.
I'm going to have to agree that for $25, the tour and lemonade/iced tea were lacking.
I will say that the tour guide was very friendly and knowledgeable and happy to answer any of our questions. It was not the son however - apparently he had to make a run to town to make a pick-up. She mentioned casually that sometimes the son won't actually give the right facts about the property or the growing process (our tour guide actually worked in the grow houses) so I thought that was kind of weird.
After the tour we could either pick a vanilla lemonade, vanilla iced tea or a vanilla arnold palmer. Most of our group picked the blend and it was tasty. But seeing the signage that we could have done the tour and had lunch for $40, it left us feeling a little ripped off. Yea, yea - I know it's a family owned operation but it's not the money that bothers me... it's the value.
The giftshop is very cute but all of the gifts were unsurprisingly very pricey. $10 for a bar of soap? I don't think so.
My entire family (even kids!) loved this place and we only drove up to check out their store. Â Due to bad timing (read: Â it's impossible to get my kids anywhere on time!) we ended up not doing the tour or lunch as we had previously hoped to. Â Regardless, the drive up was a beautiful one and the vanilla milkshakes and vanilla ice cream were oh em gee to die for. Â The staff was super friendly, too! Â One of the girls came out to let us try cookies from a new recipe that she had just found that morning and was making. Â I highly recommend working this into your Kona trip - it was fun!
Review Source:**This place is a must-visit on the Big Island.**
This is a unique, family run business with lovely local feel. We came at 4PM and enjoyed our visit that did not include lunch and a tour. You can see how involved owner Jim is, he even served us our delicious bread pudding-worth every penny!
Recommend going early for lunch and making reservations, as this is a small family farm. This is a very personal experience, with a one-building dining room and gift shop. Drive up the mountain on Pohakea (vs. Kaapahu, which has hair pin turns).
For years, vanilla Roselani was my favorite ice cream and now I know why--its flavored by Hawaiian Vanilla Co.! What a treat it was to experience the warmth of a dedicated owners on a rainy day on the mountain. Thank you Jim and Tracy for making us feel welcome and educating us on how vanilla gets to our table (& lotions!) Right now, Californians are enjoying your Pikake/Vanilla Body Spray :)
Good food! Especially the 20% butterfat ice cream with mango curd :). The only thing I'd change is having them explain the attributes of cooking with vanilla BEFORE you eat lunch. So many people around us complained, "I don't taste the vanilla" with every dish because it wasn't used as a flavor; it was used as a way to combine other flavors.
But this was really interesting - especially for a frequent baker like me. The beans might be expensive but we learned how to make our own extract (and reuse beans for multiple batches) with cheap alcohol and to use only 1/20th of a bean if called for in a recipe. Lots of little, helpful facts that were truly useful.
We absolutely loved our visit to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company! Â We are vacationing with our daughter who is on crutches and were looking for things that she would be able to do. Â Being Foodies we noticed the brochure for this place right away. Â We called and made reservations for the tasting ($25) and set out in the morning to get there by 10:30. Â This is located in the middle of some beautiful country that we likely wouldn't have visited otherwise so we enjoyed the journey too. Â The Hawaiian Vanilla Company is located in a sweet, little yellow building and is small but adequate for their needs. Â We didn't have the farm tour so we stayed within the main building. Â We were seated in the adjacent eating room and served a really fantastic cold soup and salad, all prepared with vanilla laced condiments. Â Then a beautiful presentation of savory and sweet baked goods that were really fantastic. Â The oldest son gave us a presentation about the family, the business and the challenges of growing vanilla. Â it was all very informative and I learned far more than I imagined I would. Â The son (Ian was his name I think) was amazingly well spoken for a young man and obviously very comfortable in his environment. Â We bought several goodies to take back as gifts as we are always looking for unique items to gift. Â We also bought several vanilla beans to take home and make our own extract after learning how easy it is to do. Â I highly recommend this and would do it again.
Review Source:Summary first - after seeing a few mixed reviews, we were very happy that we came for lunch. If you happen upon this review after your visit and you were disappointed, I suspect I could understand why. On the other hand, if you are looking at this in advance of your visit - call NOW to make your lunch reservation because space is very limited and then read the rest of this review to set the appropriate expectations. If your plan is to simply visit for the $25 tour - you may wish to read further before you decide to make the trek.
Here's the deal - I own a small winery and operate a tasting room for the public. I regularly give talks & tours of my winery so I know what it's like to have folks come to your "home" business for an experience. Had the owner come from purely a farming background, my review would have been much shorter... however, the owner comes from a tourism background - so I felt compelled to call out a few things because it wouldn't take much to make this place a solid 5 start visit for everyone (lunch goers and drop-in's for the tour alike).
This is definitely a family affair. The oldest son was our host throughout. Growing up on the vanilla vineyard and full of lots of stories about his dad and mom, he provided a casual looking glass into the family business that I really appreciated. Lunch service was NOT polished - don't go if that's your expectation. First & foremost, this is a family operation. Â Sure - some polish would go a long way, but then you wouldn't be amused by the bickering that occurs between the oldest and youngest siblings. Just be prepared that you are visiting a family farm.
Lunch - the food presented at lunch tasted great! I thought the presentation that followed, explaining how Vanilla worked as a combiner and enhancer of flavors was informative. Some of the yelp reviewers, who were disappointed about not having enough vanilla flavors, mustn't have been listening to this part of the program. Everything worked and I highly enjoyed it.
Tour - lacking, yes, we walked down to their shade houses and learned why they weren't full of vigorous vanilla orchids. You won't be able to see the grow houses, so set your expectations accordingly. Their oldest son was great. He was articulate in explaining their history that included their successes and failures along with why you won't be seeing the grow houses. I suggest you visit their website before arriving. It's a great primmer on their operation and can help stimulate questions between you and your guide.
I came today clearly understanding I would be having lunch & the tour for $39. If I had come strictly for a tour, then I would have cried foul. Unless you go into it eyes wide open that what you are really doing is giving them a $25 donation for a drink, demonstration, short walk including an explanation of how vanilla grows and a scoop of ice cream, that wouldn't have been enough for me to be satisfied.
In conclusion, I really appreciated learning about how hard it is to grow Vanilla. I'm also happy that I learned how to use Vanilla beans in my cooking and in making infusions/extracts. I thought lunch was wonderful; the family operation quaint; the oldest son's tour acceptable and the value of their products reasonable - NOT too expensive as a few reviewers indicated. Running a small family agricultural business and producing a quality product on a small scale simply translates into a more expensive product. We ended up purchasing three vanilla beans and some salad dressing in addition to what we spent for lunch because it was well worth it. So, come, relax, enjoy and learn about Vanilla!
Dear Reddekopp's, you may wish to create a simple video of your own for folks showing the pollination process, a look into your green houses, the production process and why domestically produced vanilla costs what it does. Only charge $10 for folks who come for the tour, and if they can't make the tour, freely share your video with them! You really have something here and I wish you the best of success and I would like to see everyone who comes and visits you, become a huge fan and give you nothing but 4 and 5 start reviews and take home with them your wonderful products including your grade A vanilla beans. Mahalo!
Make Reservations! The drive up to the farm is gorgeous, which works out well since it is a winding, narrow road, so enjoy the scenery. We had lunch and it was wonderful! The flavors were intriguing, but nothing strange--I really don't like strange. I do not associate vanilla with savory foods, but it works, really works well. Our guide, really more of a host, was delightful, knowledgeable and funny. We thoroughly enjoyed him and his information about vanilla. Based upon our host's teaching, I am in the process of making my own vanilla flavoring with some vanilla beans and a bottle of vodka. Again, make reservations. Even if they have table space, they do not make food for more than the number of reservations. When you get up that mountain and smell the food, you will be glad you are going to get to eat some of it.
Review Source:I love local farms and hadn't seen a vanilla farm before. So, props for being something a little different. My friend and I saw a brochure for this place just by chance, on the table at our B&B (Maureen's B&B). As we had flown in in the morning and were looking for things to do that weren't whole-day commitments, a drive north was just the ticket. We went to Akaka Falls and then to the Vanilla farm in the afternoon. Â We didn't do any of the tours, but just enjoyed the lovely property, awesome weather, yummy refreshments, and cute gift shop. The staff is very friendly and eager to answer any questions. We were given complimentary tastes of the Vanilla Lemonade (yummy!) and Lilikoi Curd (so, so good I can't tell you!). I ultimately just had a cup of vanilla coffee, which was mild and just right for a peaceful afternoon pick-me-up. My friend had a cup of one of the vanilla teas and some vanilla ice cream with the lilikoi curd on top. She loved it and seriously would not shut up about wanting vanilla ice cream for the rest of our trip. After our snacks, we checked out all the delights in the gift shop. Â All the items used local ingredients and most items were unique or interesting spins on ordinary items. We both ended up getting lip balms (friend loves hers and seriously would not shut up about wanting more lip balms for the rest of our trip!) and divine-smelling spice rubs. Prices for these items were decent and totally in line with what you'd want to spend on little souvenirs. At some point I'll have to get me some of that lilikoi curd....
Review Source:As a foodie, I wanted to try all the local food I could fit into my body. Â This was a great place to do it. Â My wife and I did the Vanilla Luncheon Experience with tour. Â When we got there we were greeted with a choice of vanilla ice tea, vanilla lemonade, or an Arnold Palmer - a blend of both(my personal favorite). Â The food was top notch. Â Almost everything on the plate either came from their farm or a local neighboring farm. Â So fresh and flavorful. Â Between courses and after the meal we were given so much information about vanilla! Â It was so fansinating and a great educational experience. Â We also got a tour of the facility, and got to see how the vanilla bean is grown. Â Doug, the GM of the property, was our guide and he was fantastic!!! Â At the end of our tour we picked up some vanilla to take home! Â Can't wait to make our own vanilla extract.
Review Source:This was a highlight of our two-week stay on the island. Â We did the lunch and tour for around $40 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Â We learned so much while we were there and found it to be an interesting experience. Â The lunch was all pretty good, although I have to say that for the price of the food I expected fancier food. Â And hubby said his chicken was really chewy and almost inedible, so I can't give a 5-star review. Â We came away with a few products such as vanilla beans for making extract, lotion, and vanilla rubs for seasoning food. Â Overall it was a great experience!
Review Source:The Hawaiian Vanilla Company is run by very nice people with an admirable goal (bringing more sustainable local agribusiness [their term] to the area to create jobs and promote careful stewardship of the land), but it is too expensive as it stands, IMO.
I did not get to do the lunch, it was full, sadly, and I'm sure that for $39 with lunch and tour I'd have been a lot happier.  However, for $25 for just the tour, I'd have liked a little more.  Again - they were knowledgeable and friendly - but their "superstitions" about the orchids leads them to show off only some test plants, not the  real growing shadehouses.  So there were 3 of us (friends) who got an informative ~20 minute tour with all our questions answered, but it was basically a random 100-yard walk and talk, for a grand total of $75.  Oh, and we each got a scoop of vanilla ice cream, to be fair.  Want to buy a vanilla bean? $11 or $12 _each_.  And somehow 1 or 3 purchased lip glosses (not mine) was completely broken (as in devoid of scent or flavor).
Now I feel like a jerk, because I want to support them, but at a _slightly_ lower cost.
This was actually my third trip to the Hawaiian Vanilla Company in the year. Â The first two times, due to last minute planning and popularity of the place, I wasn't able to book the lunch, but this time, my friend and I were determined to visit and booked early. Â The company itself fascinated me, being the only vanilla farm in the country, and I wanted to find out more. Â
The lunch did not disappoint....in fact, I'd say it was probably my favorite meal on the Big Island. Â Just enough food and really nicely done recipes that showed off the vanilla flavor. Â The tour was interesting and really got into some detail, which I appreciated.
They had mentioned they had a cookbook coming soon and my only suggestion would be a little information about the food prepared for lunch, beyond what it is. Â I really would have liked to hear about the recipe used, how they incorporated the vanilla in the dish, etc. Hearing from the "chef" would have been a nice touch. It's such a unique concept, a vanilla-themed lunch, and I wish them much luck!
Overall, the Hawaiian Vanilla Company lunch was a nice experience.  The food tasted good and the presentation was fine.  My favorite was the vanilla iced tea.  If anything, I learned some very interesting things about vanilla that increased my appreciation for it.  It's a tasty stop to make when driving from Hilo to  Honokaa or Waimea.
Review Source:Looking to do at least one tour of some sort while on the Big Island, I did some research and chose this one, signing my boyfriend and myself up for the Vanilla Experience luncheon and tour.
This is really a family business, and they seem to have difficulty finding "just the right fit" when it comes to helpers (apparently some have been too crunchy, some too cosmopolitan): they've gone through a slough of people. Apparently the place is more about research than production at this point, according to Jim, the tour guide (and dad). He seems to be traveling everywhere learning more about the plant of choice. They still sell a variety of vanilla based products, from bath items to various cooking products and items such as sauces, ice cream toppings, and vanilla-caramelized nuts (through their website as well as their store; I also saw their products in several stores in Hilo).
Our lunch was quite good: a sandwich consisting of citrus-vanilla glazed chicken with vanilla-mango chutney, vanilla-spice roasted potatoes, organic green salad with vanilla vinaigrette, vanilla lemonade, and vanilla bean ice cream with vanilla toffee sauce.
The tour was very quick, much shorter than I expected it to be.
Overall, I'm not sure it was worth $39 a person and the long drive from Hilo (pretty though it was) for this experience. I didn't really learn anything about vanilla that I didn't already know from Diane Ackerman's book "A Natural History of the Senses," and I thought the tour would be more extensive. Not a bad experience, but parts were, dare I say, bland.
We were on the Big Island last December. I am a huge vanilla fan (make my own extract, etc.) and had heard about HVC, so they were on my list.
We had some difficulty getting ahold of them -- they never answered an email I sent requesting a reservation and at that time, they had two different sites up (depending on whether you were using an iPhone or a laptop) with conflicting information. I just checked their site and that has been resolved.
When we talked to them on the phone, they were very accommodating -- example: they asked if any in our party had special dietary needs. I have celiac and so cannot have gluten. Most places, I just eat a salad, and call it a day, but they prepared a separate meal for me.
The "tea" for $25/person was a steal in our opinion; we had three small courses (salad, main, and dessert) served with wonderful iced-tea. The presentation of everything was lovely. There were five in our party: two over 70, two 40-50 y/o, and one 8 y/o. Everyone loved the food and atmosphere. We were also lucky enough to be the only ones in the dining room and it was very comfortable.
After tea, the chef (who was wonderful) gave us a short talk and demonstration about vanilla farming, production and extract. The vines are located off-site, so you won't see full farm production. That was not a big deal to us -- maybe because we knew that going in. They do have a few vines in their patio courtyard so you can see what they look like.
So, call them on the phone to nail down your reservation, allow enough time to have a leisurely meal, and enjoy yourselves!
My wife insisted we stop here on our way from Kona to Hilo and this ended up being the highlight of our day on the Big Island.
The farm was written up in our hotel's food pamphlet and my wife is a foodie so we figured we'd give it a shot. Â We read the reviews on Yelp and even though they were mixed, we chose to go.
First off, the farm was off the main highway 19 and through a narrow road in a residential neighborhood. Â We wondered what it would be when we showed up and there were many cars and the farm is really nice. Â If you only want to go to a tourist spot with big billboards off the highway, this isn't for you. Â It's quaint.
The main building is historic and well kept. Â They have numerous huge windows from the main dining room and the kitchen from what we could see was big and nice.
We signed up for the lunch and were glad we did. Â We requested vegetarian so with our vanilla lemonade and iced tea, our vanilla infused meal included a nice homemade pastry, salad and tomato soup. Â Dessert was homemade vanilla ice cream with lilliko (passionfruit).
The younger boys served the course and were nice -- totally normal for kids that age. Â The adults in our seating seemed fascinated by them and they were well behaved.
The presentation by the oldest son was one of the best tourist location presentations I've ever experienced through a lot of travel. Â He was great! Â The presentation was informative and entertaining. Â He also was willing to answer any question about the farm and his family which was insightful. Â We were impressed and we felt he has a lot of self-confidence for his age and he should go far in life. Â (He's also considering my alma mater in Tucson for college so I hope he goes there because he would represent the school well!)
His presentation led to my wife buying a lot of products in their small gift shop -- especially vanilla sprouts to make vanilla extract. Â It's fermenting at home.
The tour was done by another employee and was just ok. Â It was relatively far down the road and down a hill. Â She knew a lot but when asked questions, she often said she didn't know. Â By that point, we were already happy with our visit and seeing the vanilla plants was just an added bonus.
I appreciate this family inviting tourists into their farm to learn about their business and sample their vanilla. Â This was a really unique, fun, almost personal experience and we hope to return if they're still there in a decade or so when we get back to the island.
Hawaiian boyfriend's big surprise for our time on the Big Island. Surprise! Vanilla! Homegrown vanilla!
I am so glad he took me here. I think I would have felt a barren sense of desolation if I'd come and gone on the BI and found out I never visited the one place in the US that grows vanilla. Mmm...Vanilla. So delicious.
The lunch was fantastic. Perfectly grilled focaccia bread with vanilla-marinated chicken, amazing salad and perfectly seasoned potatoes, all served with some form of vanilla. I usually can't stand mixing savory with sweet, but it just worked in this case. The vanilla bean ice-cream with passion fruit and/or chocolate syrup was fantastic too, as was the vanilla tea. I mean, how can you go wrong with food this fresh and lovingly prepared?
The family that owns this place is super sweet and friendly. They clearly love what they do. I had to wonder at what would become of the 5 kids when they reach the age where they start dreaming about the outside world but I imagine the parents are prepared for that. One might almost be skeeved out at the uber-Christian/homeschooled vibe going around, but somehow, I don't think this is the place where religious horror films come to life.
The tour was nice, though briefer than I would have thought. Not much to see at this time of year, I guess. The store though....It's always a good time to raid that. What didn't we buy (or want to buy)? We got the Hawaiian vanilla tea, a few sticks of vanilla, vanilla lip balm, some kind of syrup and two kinds of seasoning. Everything is homemade in the store which just makes it that much more enticing.
We signed up for the upcountry tea because it was the only "tour" that worked with our schedule. I can't imagine what they do for lunch because this was more than a simple taste. Â
The woman that served was quite delightful and happily answered all of my questions. We watched a short video about the family-run business which provides a great context.
So..the food was nice...vegetarian as we requested. I knew "vegan" wouldn't cut it here. Nothing had a strong vanilla taste which was a bit disappointing...because I love vanilla. But...it was all good. So good that we naturally purchased several products. Â
If someone hasn't already written this in their review..here's what we had:
Tomato-red pepper soup
Salad greens with pecans and feta cheese
Two sorbets
Savory pastries
Poundcake
Brownies, fudge, and sweet sauces
Black and green teas
Mulled wine
Everything has some vanilla in it...
On a table there are a number of various liquid bottles with vanilla pods. The woman, whose name I forgot to aSk, told us how easy it is to infuse liqour so we had to buy some pods. By the way, vanilla is a pod from an orchid plant...just a little vanilla factoid for you.
after all the other reviews, we thought this would be great and we were really looking forward to the lunch in particular.
it was a huge disappointment. Â though, re-reading the other reviews, my guess is the trick is to go when the owners are there. Â definitely agree with the reviewer who said the hostess could be better trained.
for $40, we did the lunch + tour. Â
lunch was a chicken sandwich (will try to post pic), with a side of potatoes, a side salad, and ice cream.  the chicken was dry, the potatoes were average, the salad was pretty good.  the other option, as the hostess told us -- was that if we really didn't want the sandwich, she could  "pull the chicken" out of the sandwich and serve that to us...
also, we asked if we could taste the "vanilla bourbon" sauce that she would otherwise put on the chicken (non-sandwich option) and the answer was a flat-out no. Â that was really disappointing, as even your usual cheap sandwich place will let you taste the other sauces.
the other reviewers seem to know quite a bit about the food (such as the 16% butterfat, and the type of bread in the panini). Â but the hostess didn't say much about the food at all. Â for example, when she served the ice cream, all she said was that we had a choice of two toppings and that she'd give us a 5-minute warning to take a restroom break...
the tour itself isn't very good - it consisted of a video plus a walk to the shade houses where the vanilla plants are grown, but they're mostly empty. Â we saw just two vanilla plants, so it wasn't very exciting.
I never thought it would be possible to be obsessed with a salad dressing... but it is. Â The vanilla bean balsamic dressing is amazing with spicy/ candied pecans and feta cheese with romaine lettuce. Â I have had a friend of mine in Hawaii pick it up for me from Whole Foods in Oahu several times before her trips to the mainland.
The farm is interesting to visit, the food is amazing and the hospitality wonderful - don't miss this on your next trip to the Big Island!
We rushed over here to get to our Upcountry Tea in time. Â A few things, don't come here partially full. Â You better come hungry if you book this. Â I thought we were going to try some dessert type dishes made with vanilla but just a few. Â Oh no...at least you get your money's worth with the Upcountry Tea.
Although my husband and I tried many extremely delicious things we may never have tried otherwise if we wouldn't have booked the Upcountry Tea, we both agreed we would've been happy with just a simple tour which they weren't really too great at giving, it's not the family's fault, they were on vacation. Â From watching the video that the woman holding down the fort showed us, the family needed a vacation, but they definetely could've trained their hostess person better. Â
We rushed over from another place just to make it to our 3pm tea time, but we should've been hanging loose the Hawaiian way and just ventured in at our leisure.
This place is very cool though and definitely worth a stop by, and it's amazing what you learn about vanilla. Â Also, the little place is charming and homey and very yellow. I suppose I'd return, but I'd also like to return when the family is actually around.....and I would like a better tour. From what I've heard, the family seems like would be great hosts and hostesses and happily show us around, but like I said they were on vacation and they only had a half-suitable hostess in place.
P.S. She only showed us ONE vanilla plant, and it wasn't even in the farm part, it was on the back patio.
We got super lucky with this one. I had guests that were interested in an afternoon tea, unfortunately the big hotels on the island no longer offer afternoon tea service. I called several friends but no luck. I found Hawaiian Vanilla Company on YELP but was a little suspicious as I had never heard of them before and I have lived part time on the island for many years. When I initially called they were closed and it was a holiday weekend. My message was returned promptly the following business day (a plus) and the manager was extremely accommodating -- we could only visit the Vanilla Company on a day they did not offer their afternoon tea service -- but wait, the manager said they would be happy to serve us on their day off! WOW, that is service! We arrived at the allotted time and were met by friendly staff in an amazing old coffee roasting barn. Our private service started with a Vanilla Lilikoi Granita (delicious) and a quick history about vanilla (in the orchid family). The first course was organic greens with vanilla-honey-peppered pecans, crumbled feta and vanilla-lilikoi vinaigrette accompanied by an amazing fire roasted bell pepper-tomato-vanilla bisque! A quickly devoured vanilla sorbet then on to the "Tower of Delight" which consisted of vanilla brownies, vanilla bean creme brulee, vanilla lilikoi poundcakes and vanilla "Mama" banana bread -- all amazing! The Savory side of the "Tower" included baked brie en croute with vanilla caramelized onion and vanilla pineapple chutney, cream cheese and bell pepper tartlet with sweet and spicy vanilla pepper jelly, and vanilla bourbon citrus marinated chicken, vanilla caramelized onions on herbed foccaccia with vanilla mango chutney aioli. Lot's of "this is amazing" and "this is so delicious" going around the table. Oh and by the way -- the hand blended teas (all vanilla inspired) were out of this world. Needless to say, my guests were extremely happy and impressed with this afternoon tea!!! Mahalo Hawaiian Vanilla Company.
Review Source:Dear Parents that must run this business, please do not leave your very sarcastic children "in charge". We called before driving 45 minutes to confirm they were in fact open on a Monday. We were never told there is just one tour and tasting per day at 10am (we called about 9 so you would think that would be mentioned). Â Once I got here 2 kids (they might have been 12 and 8?) Â rudely informed us we needed reservations. I assumed he meant for the tour but maybe it was for lunch?? Â Bummer we missed that. We then asked about any tasting....he rolled his eyes "I SAID YOU NEEDED RESERVATIONS IT WAS AT 10!" I was shocked so I responded something like oh ok, 10am....."NO, 10pm" the little kid sarcastically responds. What a brat!!! Â
At some point his dad (I can only assume it was dad and these aren't actual employees!!!) came out and was very kind but at that point we were over it. Sir, your kids are too young for this type of role and they need some manners. Â Five of us pulled up and your tastings are $25 each (does that seem crazy to anyone else???) so you let $125 walk...or your kids did.
Unless you are VERY close and have nothing else to do and $25 burning a hole in your pocket - this is one spot you can miss.
Hawaiian Vanilla Company is the only vanilla farm in the U.S. It is situated about 40 min north of Hilo on the Big Island. They offer tours, dining and their facilities for corporate events.
We came here with some friends for lunch on Saturday. Upon our arrival, we were informed that someone had called the night before and reserved the whole dinning area. We had driven about 40 min to get here, so we were a bit bummed. But, the manager asked us to wait while he checked with the chef, his wife, to see if they could still accommodate our party of 4. We took this time to check out their gift shop and discovered many cool vanilla products.
Five minutes later, the manager came back and told us that they could seat us on the back patio. It was a misty day, and we would be exposed to the elements, but that was the best they could offer. Awesome! We took the offer. I think this special seating was better than inside seating because it was really more of  a garden sitting, just lovely.
Everything on the menu is vanilla infused which is the reason we came here. My husband and I had the vanilla iced tea while our friends had the vanilla lemonade. Both were delicious. For lunch, I had the ham and cheese panini which came with mango-vanilla aioli on sourdough bread and my choice of soup or salad which was roasted red pepper-tomato vanilla bisque. My husband had the southwest chicken panini with the pecan salad that came with super yummy candied vanilla pecans. Everything we had was very fresh and delicious. The vanilla complimented every dish nicely and very well utilized on the menu. But that's not all, there was dessert.
There were a number of yummy vanilla desserts on the menu but we all chose the vanilla bread pudding. The manager told us that it was large and each order could be shared between 2 people, so each couple ordered one. The pudding was served fresh out of the oven with candied pecans, vanilla bourbon butter sauce and two scoops of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. The ice cream is made with 16% butterfat, and you can imagine how delicious it is this fat content. Yummy, yummy, yummy is all I can say. I was in heaven :o)
We really appreciate the fact that they made room for us during lunch, even though their dining room was already booked. A gesture like this is not forgotten and will bring us back in the future (I was going to rate them 4 stars, but gave an extra star for this). Â I would like to come back on a day that tours are given and check out the farm. I will definitely be back for dinner and check out more fine vanilla infused dishes. I left this place on a full tummy and a vanilla lip balm from the gift shop.
A unique and delicious Hawaiian adventure!
We have been so happy to have eaten at their gourmet and upcountry lunches in the past which need reservations. Â You need to call to find out when they are having these wonderful meals, however, now they have added a bistro menu as well. Â It is good to call ahead to make sure the larger lunches haven't been scheduled on the day you want, but we have always had luck showing up for the 10AM to 4PM bistro menu. It is small but choice--a grilled chicken sandwich, 3 panini sandwiches, a great honey pepper pecan and feta salad with vanilla raspberry vinaigrette, an outstanding red pepper soup, lemonade, hot and iced teas, etc. Â Desserts are milkshake, banana bread, ice creams, to name a few and the most outstanding bread pudding that we all have ever had. Â
Bread pudding is a super favorite and this one is the best we ever had including Commander's Palace in New Orleans.  In fact, we have had bread pudding at Emeril's and quite a few other name restaurants in New Orleans and this one blows us away.  Think pecan pie/bread pudding.  I also love red pepper soup and again, this is the best one I have had.  I have had good ones in both Napa Valley and Sonoma in California and this one is the best.  All recipes including the tea and lemonade use vanilla in the most delicious and balanced way.  We just tried the carrot curry soup--again outstanding.  You can get tea and dessert or salad  soup or sandwiches.  Afterwards, their little shop has a variety of vanilla products, vanilla extract, and you can buy the vanilla bean and make your own vanilla extract.  Smell the rum vanilla extract example of homemade vanilla extract!!  They are developing a chai tea that is so good.
This is one of the best meals on the Big Island and stop every trip. Â We love to eat and this place is the best.
Mail order products too!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hawaiianvanilla.com%2Fhvc_tours.asp&s=1bfc70a18999afee72d46dc69a08472168c48563d7933782ad0559fcae981a33" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.hawaiianvanil…</a>
Spent the most glorious morning at Hawaiian Vanilla & learned a vast amount of great vanilla info to boot
Firstly it's important to point out that David & his wife Christine opened on a Tues, just for us - they had no other Lunches or Tours scheduled but offered to open so Sis & I could do to the Tasting Tour
David & Chris our hosts, were the absolute nicest people we have met - took us into their fold & we learned about their families, the farm, how they had the good fortune to come to the Big Island & it was just so endearing to see how much they really love what they do
Also learned that Hawaiian Vanilla is the ONLY Vanilla producer in the US & they specialize in gourmet vanilla which means quality over quantity - don't expect to see this in Safeway......but DO expect to see them in the Hawaiian locations of Whole Foods - coming in the very near future
Saw how they grow the Vanilla Orchids & have to hand-pollinate each blossom in order to get the pods / fruit to develop; talked about how this is a family run business w/ the owner Jim - runs the farm, his wife Tracy - master chef & culinary creator extraordinaire & their 5 kids all helping out
They're about to start back up their Brunches & High Teas (zoning red tape) so be sure to call for reservations!! Â In the meantime, here's what awaits you.......
Full-on Lunches w/ a rotating menu of original Vanilla-inspired dishes such as Bourbon-Vanilla-Orange Chicken w/ Raspberry-Vanilla-Balsamic Dressed salad & homemade Herby Focaccia.....all the dishes & dressings & sauces were created by Tracy herself & are truly unique to Hawaiian Vanilla.....her Cookbook should be coming out in Dec!!
While we were at the Tasting & talking & learning about vanilla, we sampled a scrumptious & freshly baked Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookie, Vanilla Coffee w/ Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla Lemonade & Vanilla Tea - ALL WERE DEEEELISH!!
For the Savory side of the house, tasted ( & subsequently purchased ) their Lilikoi ( Passion Fruit ) Vanilla Sauce; the Champagne Vanilla Dressing; Vanilla Raspberry-Balsamic-Dressing & the Vanilla BBQ Sauce
For Ice Cream Sauces the Vanilla-Chocolate Fudge; Vanilla-Lilikoi; Vanilla Toffee; Vanilla Mango
Lastly, we learned how to make our own Vanilla Extract & how 1 bean will provide enough extract for forever - like 20 years....
Located between mile marker 37 & 38 on Hwy 19 - look for the screaming blue house, turn up the hill & go for about 3.5 miles to find this absolute jewel
Family owned vanilla farm, about 1 1/2 hour drive from Kailua-Kona. Tasting starts at 10:00 AM, Brunch starts at noon. We did tasting, we were the only ones there, the owner showed up and gave us a tour, his wife does all the cooking, his daughter served us savory dish, of course using their vanilla. It was facinating to know vanilla is the second most expensive herb next to saffron, polinating all by hands, etc, etc. The food was delicious, non sweetened vanilla ice tea was out of the world. They have a cute gift shop, selling tea, lotions, banana/vanilla muffins, cookies, etc. We bought tea and muffins. Best banana muffin I've ever had.
They have a large kitchen used to be a slaughter house. They left those big hooks, very unique. The tasting is $15 (Mon, Tue, Fri only) and the brunch is $35. They seem to get some cruise ship customers for brunch. Perfectly unique experience.
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