Raw fish dipped in peppery sauce is just one of the traditional Micronesian dishes served alongside the American and Asian fare offered at most Pacific Islands of Micronesia restaurant. There are more than 100 words for yams on the island of Pohnpei, where some yams grow large enough to have to be carried by several men. Tipping is discouraged and table service is leisurely on these islands which take great pride in their hospitality. Fresh lime juice and Pohnpei’s best known narcotic, sakau, are among the most commonly served drinks in the Federation of States of Micronesia. Alcohol is largely banned on the island of Chuuk.

Bars and Pubbing in Pacific Islands of Micronesia

A large part of Pacific Islands of Micronesia nightlife takes place on the islands’ resorts, many of which contain discos and dancing. The Blue Lagoon Resort Bar (Weno, Chuuk) and the Truk Stop Hotel’s Hard Wreck Bar (Weno, Chuuk) are two of the few places on Chuuk where visitors can purchase and drink alcohol.

The air-conditioned Manta Ray Bar and Grill (Colonia, Yap) is not only among the most unusual bars on Yap, but also on any of the Pacific Islands of Micronesia due to its location on the center deck of an on-sea schooner called Mnuw. Kosrae’s three licensed restaurants, including the MC Restaurant & Sports Bar (Kosrae Capital Plaza), are the only places where alcohol is served on that island. This sports bar offers a Friday night happy hour and is among the few Kosrae establishments open on Sunday evenings.

The only nightclub on Pohnpei is Club Flamingo (Pohnpei, Pacific Islands of Micronesia), whose parties begin after 10:00 p.m. and last well until 3:00 a.m. the next morning. Visitors can also imbibe at the Rusty Anchor (96941 Ponape, Pohnpei), which features pool tables and cheap beer inside an unfinished hotel shell. The Village Hotel’s more upscale Tattooed Irishman (Kolonia Pohnpei) serves slightly more expensive beer by spectacular sunsets. Pohnpei is also filled with sakau bars which serve a mildly narcotic beverage made from shrub roots and whose taste is not as pleasant as its after-effects.

Dining and Cuisine in Pacific Islands of Micronesia

Pohnpei contains more restaurants than anywhere else on the Pacific Islands of Micronesia, 10 in total. The Chinese cooks at the China Star Restaurant (Kolonia, Pohnpei) use fresh vegetables to prepare Kolonia’s best Chinese dishes. The Joy Hotel and Restaurant (Kolonia, Pohnpei) is famous for its Joy set lunches and dinners, which begin with free breadfruit and banana chip appetizers, then follow with a series of tasty Japanese dishes. Coco Marina (Kolonia, Pohnpei) has one of Pohnpei’s largest menus of American and local favorites.

The island of Kosrae contains only four restaurants, including the seaside Bully’s Restaurant (Kosrae, Pohnpei). Lobsters, crabs, and other shellfish dishes are this carefully hidden restaurant’s specialties. The dinner menu at Kosrae Village Ecolodge’s Innum Restaurant (Kosrae, Pohnpei) changes each night depending on what fresh local seafood, chicken, and produce is available.

Most of Yap’s restaurants are located in Colonia, including Juhn’s Oasis Restaurant (Colonia, Yap), which doubles as a bakery and restaurant serving Filipino and American favorites. The raised veranda dining area at Ganir Restaurant (Colonia, Yap) is the most relaxing place to enjoy local dishes, but visitors can pass on the fruit bat in favor of more familiar cuisine.