This Restaurant In Hawaii Was Obama's Favorite While In The White House

Despite their power on the global stage, in one way, U.S. presidents are just like us: They have to eat. However, some show a true love for food and demonstrate an adventurous palate while leading the nation. Former President Barack Obama is among this group, making headlines throughout his time in office for his visits to numerous, diverse D.C. restaurants. However, it turns out his favorite from his presidential years was far from Pennsylvania Avenue: Alan Wong's in his home state of Hawaii.

The conclusion comes from an analysis from Time, which scoured more than 12,000 White House pool reports to log where Obama ate while president. It discovered the former president patronized the Honolulu Asian-fusion establishment more than any other. The visits often came in the winter, when the Obamas routinely vacationed in the Aloha State and even brought friends to sample Wong's fare.

Speaking with Honolulu Magazine in 2010, Wong noted that the then-president typically ordered the multi-course chef's menu. This featured items like Wong's beloved tomato soup and foie gras grilled cheese sandwich appetizer, lobster lasagna, and Obama's reported favorite, soy-braised short ribs. The 44th president was also known to finish his meals with his go-to dessert, "The Coconut." It consists of coconut ice cream covered with dark chocolate shaped to look like a half-coconut, presented with tropical fruit. Wong revealed that the memorably health-focused Michelle Obama usually ate lighter fare when she joined the meals.

Unfortunately, those looking to dine like the former president are out of luck. Alan Wong's closed its doors for the final time in November 2020 after more than 25 years of operations. At the time, it had earned a lofty 4.2-star rating on Yelp with over 2,100 reviews.

Though his connections to Hawaii are well known, people familiar with Barack Obama's eating habits may be surprised to see his go-to spot wasn't in the District of Columbia. He routinely stopped by eateries ranging from high-end spots like Rose's Luxury to longtime community standbys like Ben's Chili Bowl. That's a microcosm of the former president's palate: enjoying both top-tier meals that foodies envy while also firmly establishing himself as a politician obsessed with fast food. (Obama is a big burger fan!)

However, presidents naturally spend plenty of time on the road, with the Time analysis finding Obama ate in at least 30 states while in office. Also, as the tally came with nearly two years left in his second term, it's likely the number increased by the time he returned to private life in 2017. To be sure, Obama has a lot more time to dine out now that he's long since left office. However, like many favorite restaurants of former U.S. presidents, including Eisenhower's beloved Sun Chop Suey in Washington D.C. and Grover Cleveland's standby, Gerot's French Restaurant in Buffalo, New York,  Alan Wong's is now part of the history books, meaning the 44th POTUS likely has a new (and less easily tracked) favorite eatery.