'Ono Kine Grindz

Satura Cakes

Now available at Ward Centre!

Below is a small sampling of some of my favorite treats from Satura Cakes. 

(green tea corone)

The green tea corone uses puff pastry (or phyllo) to create a crisp and crunchy exterior that surrounds a subtly flavored pastry cream (also available in mango).

(chocolate gâteau )

The chocolate gâteau is rich, dense and chocolaty and is presented topped with some whipped cream and a shard of chocolate.

(Kona coffee blancmange)

If you love coffee, you'll love the Kona coffee blancmange.  Take some coffee-flavored pudding (that's what I'd call it), add a few squares of coffee-flavored gelatin, then top with a dollop of whipped cream.  The perfect combination of flavors makes this smooth, creamy dessert one of my favorites.

(mille crêpe)

The mille crêpe takes a stack of 15 delicate crêpes and layers them with whipped vanilla cream.  Light and airy, this is what a Beard Papa cream puff in cake-like form would taste like.  Can I have this flavored with green tea, please???

(salty chocolate cookies)

The salty chocolate cookies are made with Valhrona cocoa powder, Himalayan salt, macadamia nuts (I'll have to ask again) and organic sugar.  Taking a bite of these cookies, you first taste the bittersweet chocolate.  As the cookie starts to dissolve in your mouth, the flavors of sugar and salt come through, making these the perfect cookie.

Since they opened, I must have visited about a dozen times, each time trying something new.  I've had almost every dessert and have yet to be disappointed.  I heard that they will be starting a limited menu for breakfast and lunch.  Let's hope these offerings are just as good.

Satura Cakes
Harbor Court
55 Merchant Street Suite 110 (lobby)
Telephone: 808.537.1206

Ying Leong Look Funn Factory

This is a small specialty shop along the Kekaulike Mall in Chinatown.  Unbeknownst to me, until an introduction by a friend several years ago, this shop sells just one thing -- look funn (chee cheong fun) -- or rolls of flat Chinese rice noodles.

Unassuming in it's outward appearance, you just might miss the shop if you aren't looking out for the sign above the door, or if you don't read Chinese.

Once inside the shop, you'll see boxes stacked up to the ceiling near the stainless steel refrigerator on the left.  Straight ahead, you'll find the counter and right behind the front counter is handwritten sign listing what's on offer.  Just three items are available here -- plain look funn (US$.60 each), char siu look funn (Chinese barbecued pork, US$.90 each) or shrimp look funn (US$.90 each).

Here is one order of char siu look funn (US$.90) that has been topped with some soy sauce.

The look funn is sliced upon request, then wrapped in some waxed paper before being concealed in an outer wrapping of pink butcher paper. 

Once home, I unwrapped the package, emptied a tiny packet of soy sauce over the cool noodles, and proceed to eat.  The cool, slightly chewy noodles, the salty soy sauce and the tiny bits of savory char siu, complement each other well.  If you'd like, the look funn noodles can be steamed before the soy sauce is poured over the top.  Another way to prepare this is to stir fry the look funn with a little oyster sauce or a bit of hoisin sauce.  The noodles become crunchy outside with a tender, slightly chewy middle.

For an inexpensive breakfast, or a light afternoon snack, this is definitely something worth considering.

Ying Leong Look Funn Factory
1028 Kekaulike Street
Telephone:  808.537.4304

TacoLicious Taco Truck

A while ago, I used to see this taco truck parked in the Daiei Kaheka parking lot during the afternoons.  In fact, the truck used to be parked adjacent to the one occupied by Tae's Teppanyaki.  Lately, though, I've been seeing this truck parked there in the evenings instead.  Nowadays, there are a couple of stools out front and there have even been times when a line has formed at the window.

The menu is quite short, consisting of 3 types of California-style soft tacos in two sizes -- steak (Angus beef), chicken (white meat chicken) and veggie in either border (1/4 pound) or grande (1/2 pound).  I opted for the grande steak taco with a whole wheat tortilla (US$4.80).

Chunks of Angus beef are topped with some fluffy rice, black beans and homemade guacamole.  The beef was lean and tender, well-marinated and tasty.  The rest of the ingredients proved to be complimentary and I enjoyed the combination of the flavors found in each bite.  Half way through the taco, I asked myself why I waited so long to try this.

Although this may seem a little pricey, what gets served out of this truck is some good quality stuff.  Concentrating on a single menu item (or 3), makes things even better as consistency should be guaranteed, right?  Early evening/late night dining options just got a little better with my visit to this truck.  I'll definitely be back again...soon!

Tacolicious Taco Truck
Daiei Kaheka parking lot
801 Kaheka Street
Telephone:  808.265.1986

Salumi Cured Meats - Seattle, Washington

After hearing so much about this place from several Seattle area food bloggers, I decided that I really needed to visit Salumi Cured Meats.  Since the shop is closed Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, I definitely had to make it here on Friday, otherwise, there would be no other opportunity for me to visit during my stay.

When I arrived at the shop, it certainly didn't look crowded.  Upon entering the doorway, I saw quite a long line, and it didn't seem to be moving too quickly even though the folks behind the counter were working at a breakneck pace.

While waiting in line, I noticed the refrigerator that was just inside the doorway.  Inside it was some hanging cheese and cured meats (and a pig's foot!) and a few boxes of vegetables (and someone's flowers).

Finally, it was my turn to order.

The woman here in the photo was the one who took my order.  Our exchange went as follows:   

"Can I help you?"
"I'll have the margherita sandwich please."
"No tomatoes."
"OK.  Can I have the prosciutto, fig and goat cheese?"
"No prosciutto.  It's been crazy today."
"OK.  How about the coppa?"

Turns to the guy slicing the meat...   

"You're not going to slice anymore meat, right?"
Guy shakes his head...
"He can't slice anymore meat today."
"The person ahead of me just ordered the same thing."
"We're not slicing anymore meat.  We're too busy."
"But I came all the way from Hawaii..."
"We can't slice anymore."
"OK.  Why don't you tell me what you do have."
"Meatball and fennel sausage."
"OK.  I'll take one of each...with provolone."

Reluctantly, I walked over to the guy at the register and told him what I was having.  He rang me up while I waited for the sandwiches.  After a couple of minutes they were ready.

After collecting my sandwiches, I made my way over to the communal table in the back past the kitchen.  There was an elderly couple sitting there sharing a sandwich and as I stood up to ask for a glass of water, I noticed that most of the people that were in line behind me magically disappeared from the shop.

Here is the meatball with provolone (US$6.50, add US$1.50 for cheese).

Three meatballs, slightly larger in size than an average golf ball, and three thin slices of provolone were served on thick, chewy bread -- way too much bread if you ask me.  The meatballs were tender, meaty, moist and flavorful, though, I can't say the much about the sauce.  I was hoping for more than just some "tomato sauce" with the meatballs.  However, if that's what it's supposed to be, then they can, and they should (at these prices), do better. 

And here is the fennel sausage with provolone (US$7.50, with cheese add US$1.50).

Two pieces of spicy fennel sausage were served on the same thick, chewy bread and with the same type of tomato sauce as the meatball sandwich.  Although I felt the sausage had a nice flavor, it really wasn't anything to get excited about.

As I was leaving, several minutes later, I noticed those that were in line just ahead of me enjoying their sandwiches at the communal table in front.

After I had walked out the door, I noticed this woman and her children walking out of the shop. 

Right after I was given my sandwiches, the man slicing the meat made his way over to their table with a plateful of sliced meat and proceeded to chat with her for about 10 minutes.  Too busy huh?  After the treatment I received here, if I were to visit Seattle in the future, I'm not so sure that I would eat here again.

Salumi Cured Meats
306 Third Avenue S
Seattle, Washington
Telephone:  206.621.8772
website

Crispy Kitchen

A couple weeks ago, I stopped by Palama Super Market and posted that visit here.  On my way in, I noticed this croquette shop out front, but when I walked up to the window, I was told that almost everything was sold out.  I decided to pay the shop a visit again today.

At the window, I had a peek inside the shop.  On the left you'll see some deep fryers and in the middle of the shop is the prep table.  The shop itself is quite small so I can only assume that when the croquettes are being fried, the shop can get quite hot. 

At first I wanted to try the mini curry ball, but was told that it was sold out.  Next on my list was either the cream corn or butter corn croquettes and those were sold out as well!  My final choices before giving up were the vegetable croquette (US$.89 each) and the hamburger katsu croquette (US$1.39 each).

The vegetable croquette was a mixture of mashed potato and mixed vegetables and was OK by my standards.  The hamburger katsu (menchi) croquette seemed to be your average homemade hamburger patty covered in panko flakes, then deep fried.  This wasn't like the minced meat (menchi) croquettes you find in Japan, but this was fine.  It was served with a packet of tonkatsu sauce.

Inside the hamburger katsu croquette.

All in all the croquettes here are reasonably priced and average tastewise.  These make a great addition to any lunch and I actually had mine with some kim bap (Korean rolled rice or sushi) that I purchased at the food court.  I'll definitely be back to try the cream corn croquettes and the mini curry ball and will update this post at that time.

Crispy Kitchen
Outside Palama Super Market
1670 Makaloa Street
Telephone:  808.447.7788

Great Harvest Bread Co. - Downtown

Fresh baked bread comes to downtown Honolulu courtesy of Great Harvest Bread Co.  Great Harvest Bread Co. not only bakes several types of great tasting breads daily, they now serve sandwiches and grilled panini, baked goodies such as scones and cookies AND they also have the first Peet's Coffee bar in the state.

When I arrived at about 1:00 pm, the place was packed.  Look at all the people in here!

I was happy and surprised to find that Peet's Coffee and Tea had a small coffee bar here.  Now if this place were only a little closer to my office, I could buy my morning coffee from Peet's which I find much better than Starbucks.

As I looked over the menu, I also took a look at all the delicious looking, fresh baked breads on the rack right behind the front counter.  Most of the breads are baked in either the traditional loaf style or in rounds, and I'm almost certain that they'll do slicing if you ask.

I decided to take home the low-carb Kauai crunch (US$6.95).

The loaf was dense and full of nuts and seeds.  Delicious.  Who would have ever thought this was low-carb?

For lunch, I decided to order the grilled cheese panini with tomato on honey whole wheat bread (US$4.95; with honey smoked ham, add US$1.00; with crisp bacon, add US$.75; with sliced tomato, add US$.50).

Between the two slices of honey whole wheat bread were two slices each of sharp cheddar and swiss cheeses, and several slices of tomato.  For additional flavor, the bread was spread with some garlic and herb mayonaisse.  It was then grilled in a panini press.  The panini was served warm, but I felt that it could have been grilled a little longer.  The cheese had not melted and although the garlic and herb mayonaisse was delicious, there was just a bit too much it.  Next time, I'll ask if the sandwich can be grilled longer and if they can use less mayonaisse as well.

On my trip to the shop the next day, I decided to try the BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) on honey whole wheat (US$5.95).

Here's another view of the BLT -- right before I took my first bite.

As you can see from the first picture, the grill marks on the sandwich are very light.  I was hoping that the bread would be crisp and crunchy, but the honey wheat bread here is really dense, sweet and slightly chewy.  The bacon wasn't as crisp as I would have liked, and it was really thinly sliced.  To tell you the truth, it seemed almost like the microwaveable type of bacon was used in this sandwich.

My disappointment with the two sandwiches that I ordered here will not stop me from buying bread from Great Harvest.  The breads here are excellent and in the last couple of days, I've also stopped by to get some scones and cookies as well.  The great thing about Great Harvest is that you get to sample the bread before you buy it.   

Great Harvest Bread Co. - Downtown
233 Merchant Street
Telephone:  808.587.0017

Mitsuba Delicatessen

I've been having quite a number of okazu-style lunches recently.  The first was from Mitsu-Ken a couple of weeks back, then it was Gulick just a couple of days ago.  Well, I was still craving for okazu food today when I decided that I would try my luck at Mitsuba.

Mitsuba Delicatessen is actually located right across the street from Mitsu-Ken.  It's advantage is not the food, but the parking.  Unfortunately for me, there was no parking in the lot when I arrived.  As I waited for a stall, I was hoping that I would be able to get some of my favorites here today.

By the time I finally parked my car and made it inside, there were two people being attended to.  That gave me a chance to look at what little was left for me to choose from.  I was seriously hoping for some of the sweet potato crumbles or maki sushi, but I knew that I was had arrived much too late. 

Since I wasn't really hungry, and because there was none of the maki sushi, I settled for one inari sushi (US$.95) and one piece of the garlic chicken (US$.75).

When I placed my order, the woman taking my order seemed quite surprised.  "Just one piece garlic chicken?", she said.  Yes, I nodded.  When it was time to eat, I opened my container to find two pieces.  I guess she felt that I needed to eat more. 

The rice in the HUGE inari sushi was seasoned perfectly, with just the right balance of vinegar-y sweetness.  Mixed with the rice, which was stuffed into a "cone" made of aburage (deep fried tofu), was some chopped carrots and chopped string beans.  The garlic chicken was deep fried then coated in a sauce which was slightly sweet and just a touch garlic-y.  Crisp and crunchy, this was delicious.  It was not the same as the garlic chicken at either Sugoi or at Mitsu-Ken, but it was good nonetheless.

This was probably the least expensive lunch that I have eaten in a long time coming in at only US$1.70!  Although it was a small lunch, it was quite enjoyable.  Mitsuba has some of the biggest and tastiest inari sushi in town.  Next time, though, I think I'll arrive at the crack of dawn so that I can have some of the maki sushi and the sweet potato crumbles.

Mitsuba Delicatessen
1218 North School Street
Telephone:  (808)841-3864

Café Laufer

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine asked if I wanted to meet for coffee at Café Laufer in Kaimuki.  Since I haven't been here in a while, I gladly accepted.

Café Laufer is located on a stretch of Waialae Avenue that is somewhat of a mini "restaurant row".  On the corner is Happy Days, a Chinese restaurant and right next door is Maguro-Ya, a Japanese one.  On the other side of Café Laufer, you'll find Big City Diner.

Inside, it's quite bright, especially those two "trees" made out of hundreds of tiny Christmas tree lights.  There's ample seating here and besides the baked goods and coffee, Café Laufer also offers a small selection of hot food items and salads.

To go with my coffee (US$1.95 including one refill), I decided to have the cherry sour cream tart (US$4.25).

There was lots of cherry filling here.  It was topped with a thin layer of sour cream and some whipped cream swirls.  The crust, in my opinion, was a little under-baked and the cherry filling seemed like it came from a can.  In all honesty, I thought that the filling would have been made with fresh cherries.  I was quite disappointed.

My friend ordered the cheesecake (US$4.25) to go along with her cup of coffee.

The topping on the cheesecake was strawberry, also canned.  I didn't have this, but I was told that it was just OK.

You'd think that with the premium prices that this place charges, you'd have the freshest, most wonderful tasting pastries and desserts.  Instead, the tart I had was mediocre and not worth the price I paid.  By the way, after being seated, no one ever came to our table to check on us.  In fact, I never got that coffee refill that was included in the price I paid for my coffee.  Maybe that's why I haven't been here in a while.

Café Laufer
3565 Waialae Avenue Suite 107
Telephone:  808.735.7717

Ninja Sushi

Several months ago, I did a post on Sushi Supreme.  Well, that shop has since closed and a new sushi shop, Ninja Sushi, has opened in its place.  I've been wanting to try this place for a while, so today seemed as good a time as any.

Ninja Sushi has a layout that's similar to the two previous occupants of this space -- a walk up counter and a few seats upstairs for those who prefer to dine in.  What's really different is the take-out window on the Union Mall side of the building.

After looking over the colorful photographs on the menu, I decided to order the tiger maki (special US$5.99, regular US$7.25).  This handroll was actually listed as a "Grand Opening" special.

It's an uramaki-style (reverse) handroll that has cucumbers, imitation crab sticks, mayonaisse and shrimp tempura on the inside, and some spicy ahi (tuna) and chopped green onions on top.

Here is another view.

The flavors of the ingredients complimented each other quite well.  I really enjoyed the combination of the imitation crab, shrimp and ahi.  The one thing that was missing, though, was the spiciness.  Next time, I'll ask for more wasabi in my sushi.

Besides maki sushi, Ninja Sushi offers party-sized sushi platters, nigiri sushi, inari sushi and several types of donburi.  Since this particular roll was such a tasty success, I most definitely will be back soon to try some of the other interesting menu items.  I was also impressed by the quick preparation of my order and by the prices on the menu, all of which seem to be quite reasonable.

Ninja Sushi
1150 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.541.9797

Great Hawaiian Hotdog Co.

This post is for Noodlepie, all the way over there in Vietnam.  He asked me to blog up some hot dogs a while ago, and I agreed, but haven't pulled through until just now.  It's been a long time coming, so Graham, I apologize for the delay.

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It's not everyday that you see a hotdog stand in Hawaii.  There used to be a Windy City Dogs located near the office, but that place closed down more than 2 years ago.  On my frequent shopping trips to both Borders Books and Music, and CompUSA, I've noticed these Great Hawaiian Hotdog Co. stands, but I've never eaten the hotdogs here.  Until now.

This stand is located outside CompUSA on Ala Moana Boulevard.

Photo of the one located outside of Borders Books and Music at Ward Centre is forthcoming.  That's where I picked up my hot dog from.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera.

Today, I had the sirloin steak hot dog with the spicy secret garlic sauce (US$3.50). 

According to the woman behind the counter.  The secret garlic sauce is like a garlic mayonaisse.  The spicy garlic sauce adds chipotle chilies to give it heat.

I didn't get a shot of the condiment counter, but located right next to the window, is a bin filled with pickled japapeno peppers, sauerkraut, pickle relish and raw onions.  I topped this hot dog with pickled jalapeno peppers and sauerkraut.  Behind the bin, was a row of squeeze bottles filled with mustard, tomato ketchup and cheese.  There was one other squeeze bottle, but I can't remember what was in it.  I get it the next time, and update this post accordingly.

The sirloin steak dog was nice and juicy.  According to the sign at the stand, this is an all beef hot dog, unlike other hot dogs which are made up of pork (and assorted pig parts).  The seeded bun was soft and fluffy.  And the spicy garlic sauce, was not spicy enough, though the pickled jalapenos did the trick and fired it up a bit.  The sauerkraut gave this a slightly sour tanginess.

Do I think this hot dog was worth US$3.50?  Probably not.  While it was nice and tasty and since you could add condiments of your choosing at no extra charge, it was still quite expensive, especially since the ones at Costco at only US$1.50 including a refillable soft drink.  However, since this sirloin steak dog contained no nitrates, it's probably a much healthier hot dog.

Great Hawaiian Hotdog Co.
CompUSA Location
604 Ala Moana Boulevard

Ward Centre Location
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard

Tanabe's Superette

On my way to work, I felt a bit hungry.  Normally, I have some toast or some hot cereal for breakfast, but today, since I left a bit early, I decided to stop at Tanabe's Superette.

Tanabe's is a neighborhood convenience store, and as the sign states, has been around since 1917!

I couldn't tell you if it's been in this location all that time, but I do know that I've been here many times over the years.  Here along with alcoholic beverages, juices and sodas, you'll find some pre-cooked food already packaged and ready to go.

That's a package of saba (mackerel) in front.

Here's some char siu (Chinese barbecued pork), roast pork, and tonkatsu (pork cutlet).

Some nigiri (hand-pressed), maki (thick rolled), and inari (cone) sushi.

Some musubi or onigiri (rice balls).

And for you healthy types, some pre-packaged cut fruits.  Here we have some li hing pineapple (pineapple with Chinese preserved plum powder), as well as some "plain" pineapple, cantaloupe and watermelon.

Besides the pre-packaged foods, you can also buy other items like chips and whole fruit.  On the right hand side of the store, they also have a hot lunch counter that serves a variety of local foods.

This morning, I picked up a couple of musubi called the yokozuna (US$1.10) or was it the akebono....sorry, I'm not too sure.  In haste, I ripped off the wrapping to eat them while they were still warm.  They had goma shio furikake (seasoned seaweed with sesame seeds and salt) mixed into the rice and an umeboshi (pickled plum) in the center. 

Warm and delicious, with just the right amount of seasoning, this was a perfect start to my day.

I've heard that the store sells upwards of 300 musubi per day, often selling out shortly after lunchtime (or 1:00 pm).  They have a wide variety of grab-and-go foods that are perfect as in between meal snacks, or even as a make-shift bento (box lunch).  In fact, many items sold here would be perfect to be eaten at a picnic on the beach.  Great idea for those of you into last minute get togethers. 

If you're looking for something more substantial, stop in for a Spam® musubi or one of their breakfast rolls, you won't be disappointed.

Tanabe's Superette
934 Keeaumoku Street
Telephone:  808.949.8301

Tae's Teppanyaki

It's been a quite some time since I've eaten the food at Tae's.  I guess it's because they are no longer in the parking lot at Daiei Kaheka during dinner time.  So imagine my shock at seeing the wagon yesterday when I was at Daiei getting some groceries.

Tae's is now at Daiei Kaheka only during lunchtime (from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm), but are now here on Saturdays too.  What a great surprise.  Since I was there late, about 1:15 pm, there really wasn't any line.  I loooked over the menu, which hasn't changed one bit.  One item, five different sauces for one price...fair enough don't you think?

I walked up to the window on the right side of the van and ordered my wasabi steak.  The food is made to order and in less than 5 minutes, I was ready to go.  Since it was a nice day, I decided to eat this at the beach.  It's a good thing that the beach wasn't crowded, I was starving!

I found a nice spot under the trees and opened up the styrofoam container.

Inside, I found two scoops of white rice, a container of ponzu sauce, and some thin ribeye steak wrapped around a "ball" of crunchy raw potatoes.  The ribeye steak roll was topped with some wasabi sauce, that while flavorful, wasn't spicy enough for me.  The ribeye steak itself was lean and tender.  The combination of the wasabi and ponzu sauces, along with the crunchiness and slight sweetness of the raw potatoes (I actually thought it was daikon), made this quite tasty.  Normally, the plate lunch is also served with some salad.  By the time I ordered, all the salad was already gone.

I haven't realized how much I missed eating this until now.  If you haven't tried the food here before, it's definitely a must try.  And while this isn't a lot of food (you won't be over-stuffed), it's fresh and tasty which makes this quite a bargain.

Tae's Teppanyaki
Daiei Kaheka parking lot
801 Kaheka Street
Telephone:  808.383.2280

Panya Bistro

I've been coming to Panya since it first opened near the Victoria Ward Centre back in the late 90s.  That shop has since closed to make way for a new highrise called Hokua.  About a year ago, Panya moved to the Ala Moana Shopping Center, and in addition to the wonderful European-inspired Japanese breads and pastries, they are now serving hot entrées (breakfast, lunch and dinner) among other things.

The shop is bright and spacious, and the interior offers some funky touches.  Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of the shop's interior.  On my next visit, I will take some and update this post. 

Panya in Japanese means bread shop, and the breads and pastries are definitely the highlight of what's on offer here.  Today, I bought something that is not regularly offered, the crown bread (US$2.85).

The woman at the counter advised me that this bread was made from dinner rolls that were baked in a pan and topped with apricot jam.  The bread came apart in sections, and was light and fluffy.  The apricot jam offered just the right combination of sweet and tart.  This was a great match for the lychee-flavored tea I had after dinner.

For tomorrow, I bought one of my favorites, and what's probably the bakery's best known and biggest selling offering, the Hokkaido bread (US$.99).

This is a mini loaf which is just right as a single serving.  You can buy the Hokkaido bread in a 3-pack (US$2.97) or you can buy a "Big Top" Hokkaido (US$2.95).  The Hokkaido bread is a sweetbread, and it's light and fluffy with just the slightest "crust" around the outside.  Crisp and slightly sweet, the "crust" is a nice contrast to the airy middle.  This is great and absolutely one of my favorites.

I haven't yet tried any of the food items, but I'm hoping to.  If they are as good as the breads and pastries, then I'm sure that I'll enjoy them.  In my opinion, Panya offers some of the best European-style Japanese breads and pastries on the Island.  The Hokkaido bread is a definite "must try".

Panya Bistro
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.946.6388

George's Delicatessen

Today, one of my co-workers bought me lunch from George's Delicatessen. 

It's not a traditional type of delicatessen, with sandwiches and stuff, but more it is an okazu-ya.  An okazu-ya is loosely translated as:  okazu meaning side dish and ya meaning shop.  Basically, these types of shops sell side dishes for bento, or boxed lunches.

There are many of these little shops in Hawaii, with most opening at the crack of dawn and closing shortly after lunchtime.  My co-workers order from George's Delicatessen because they deliver.

Here's what I had:

Clockwise from top:  kinpira gobo (seasoned burdock root), Spam®, chicken nishime (simmered vegetables), musubi (rice ball) with nori (prepared seaweed) and ume (pickled plum), shrimp tempura, egg omelet and vegetable tempura.

The good thing about an okazu-ya is that you can mix and match food items to satify your taste buds and your budget.  The food items here are priced from US$.50 up to US$4.00.  This plate lunch with 7 choices was about US$6.50. 

Great deal, great variety, and great food!

George's Delicatessen
1317 South Beretania Street
Telephone:  808.597.8069

Catania Ristorante Italiano

I've been visiting Catania steadily since it first opened a year or so ago.  Besides being convenient to the office (it's about a block away), the service is really quick and efficient.

This is a moderately priced Italian restaurant that makes some of the dishes found at my favorite Italian restaurants, but at a much lower price.  Today, I had one of my favorites, the linguine anchovy olio with chicken (US$5.90).

Anchovies and garlic are sauteéd in olive oil, then tossed with chicken and linguine.  Normally, there is a liberal coating of olive oil, but today, the noodles are a bit dry.  Which is not a bad thing, but I would have liked a bit more olive oil "coating" the noodles.  There are chunks of garlic in  here as well as lots of anchovy pieces, which makes this pasta tasty.  The chicken is nicely seasoned, although a bit dry.  Maybe it's because it was late in the day (After 2:00 pm).

To go along with my pasta, I also ordered a side of garlic bread (US$1.00).

The bread itself is light and fluffy, crisp and crunchy.  Slightly sweet, and full of flavor from the garlic, parsley and butter, this is probably some of the best garlic bread that I have tasted in a while.  It goes extremely well with the pasta and on more than one occasion I've wanted to eat here only to find that there was no garlic bread.  On those particular occasions, I've had to venture elsewhere for lunch.

If you're looking for some good tasting pasta, Catania has a very large selection of it at a pretty reasonable price.  The food is great and the portions are just right for lunch.  I guess that's why this one has been on constant lunch rotation.

Catania Ristorante Italiano
Education America Building
1111 Bishop Street Suite 1132C
Telephone:  808.528.4588

Sidewalk Deli & Sundries

Inspired by fellow blogger FatMan Seoul and all of the yummy Korean food that he gets to eat daily, I decided that I would have some Korean food for lunch today.  There are many Korean restaurants here in Hawaii, but since I was at work, I decided to visit somewhere close to the office.  Sidewalk Deli & Sundries is on a small side street near Hawaii Pacific University.

A proper restaurant this is not.  In fact, the food was probably an afterthought.  The store started off selling drinks and snack items, as well as homemade kim chee.  Hot food items were added later and now there are about 10 items that are offered daily. 

The food used to be cooked on a small hot plate located on the floor below the cash register.  The shop owner used to sit on a small stool to cook the food.  Now the hot plate has moved to a corner behind the register and next to the sink. 

Today, I ordered two of my favorites.  The first is the duk bo ki (tteokbokki, US$5.00).

I have lots of trouble finding this dish on the menu at most other Korean restaurants here.  Don't know why since I understand it to be a very popular dish back in Korea.  In fact, I think it's one of the more popular dishes amongst Korean university students.

This dish is usually made with sautéed bul go gi (thinly sliced marinated beef), rice cake noodles and vegetables (round onions, green onions, carrots and cabbage) in a sweet, spicy sauce which is probably made with ko chu jang (hot chili and bean curd paste) sauce.  This version, however, is made with odeng (fish cake) instead of bul go gi and adds a boiled egg.  This is delicious and probably one of my lunchtime favorites.  It has a nice balance of sweet and spicy flavors with neither overpowering the other.  My only wish...is that it were just a bit spicier.

For dinner, I decide to take home the kim chee fried rice (US$4.00).

The rice is fried with minced/ground beef, kim chee, onions and shredded carrots.  Like the previous dish, this could use a bit more spice (heat) and it could be cooked using a lot less oil (yes, it was very oily).  Other than that , this is yummy.  The egg, which is served over easy, is an added bonus. 

If you're in the neighborhood and want some home-style Korean food at a reasonable price, stop by Sidewalk Deli & Sundries.  Once you've had the food here, you will definitely be back for more.

Sidewalk Deli & Sundries
1154 Fort Street Mall Suite 107
No telephone number listed

Leo's Taverna

Another day, another lunch.  I normally don't buy lunch, but today is the designated day for it.  A couple of friends from the office suggested Greek food at Leo's Taverna.  Sure why not.

Leo's is located not too far from the office and has become one of my old standbys.  By that I mean, when I can't think of anything else that I'd like to eat, I come here.  Leos' sells all kinds of Greek dishes, but what I was really wanted to have today was the rotisserie chicken.  I ordered the quarter rotisserie chicken with rice (US$4.95).

(Excuse the photos, I didn't bring my camera along and had to resort to using my Sony CLIÉ®, PEG-TH55, to take the photos.)

This plate is served with a quarter rotisserie chicken, rice, lettuce and tomato salad, hummus and pita bread.  The rotisserie chicken is seasoned to perfection.  Crispy skin, juicy meat on the inside...mmmmm!  In fact, I don't think I've had better tasting rotisserie chicken anywhere else.  The hummus, which is a dip made from chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and other spices, is delicious, although just a little bit on the oily side.

Having tried many of the items here, some of my favorites are the gyros, the moussaka, the Greek salad and the beef kabobs.  Stop by Leo's for some good Greek food or for the rotisserie chicken.  You won't be disappointed. 

Leo's Taverna
1116 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.550.8443

K's Bento-ya

Today, I got a special treat for lunch.  A friend purchased a delicious looking bento for me!  I don't know what I did to deserve it, but who was I to question a free meal.  Since I didn't have my camera handy, I used a friend's camera to snap the picture...

This bento was packed with food, all for less than US$5.00!  How can you beat that value?  Here's a list of the contents if you can't tell by the photo (clockwise from left):  three pieces boneless fried chicken, fried tofu with kamaboko (fish cake), inari sushi (or cone sushi), musubi (rice ball with nori), maki sushi (rolled sushi), a piece "molded" sushi, luncheon meat (no, not Spam®), hot dog and a small corned beef hash patty.  Oh...and on top of it all...a wonderfully huge shrimp (boiled I think)!

It was a lot of delicious food!  After eating half the bento, I had to give up.  I was so full that a nap would have been so nice just then.  The portion of the bento which was not eaten at lunch time was eaten as a very late afternoon snack. 

Once I find out where this place is, I'll post more details....

UPDATE AUGUST 11, 2004

As Ryan commented, this is definitely a bento from K's Bento-ya in Waipahu.  Here's their information:

K's Bento-ya
94-164 Awalau Street
Telephone:  808.671.0160

Anna Miller's 24-Hour Restaurant

A couple of weeks ago I posted about Bravo Restaurant and was asked by Santos about Anna Miller's strawberry pie.  Since then, I've been trying to keep the urge to eat the fresh strawberry pie at bay...today, I caved in to my cravings!  URGH!

I made the twenty minute drive from my house to Anna Miller's in Aiea.

This is a huge coffeeshop/restaurant/bakery that is open 24 hours a day.  Many years back, they were known for their fruit pies:  cherry, peach, apple, etc.  It was only more recently (I would say maybe the last 10 years or so) that they became known almost exclusively for their fresh strawberry pie.  So much so, that it's become their signature. 

And here it is...the fresh strawberry pie still sitting in the box (US$10.95).

Doesn't that look good?  The only thing wrong about this pie today was the crust.  I felt it was a little undercooked.  Other than that, the pie was delicious (after removing some of the whipped cream of course!).  The strawberries were nice and plump...and contrary to what your eyes may be telling you, this pie is not as sweet as it looks (again, with some of the whipped cream removed!).

Now that I've had my fix, what am I going to do with the remaining 7 pieces of the pie?

Anna Miller's 24-Hour Restaurant
Pearlridge Centre
98-115 Kaonohi Street
Telephone:  808.487.2421