'Ono Kine Grindz

Bob's Big Boy

A slice of Americana right in my own backyard, Bob's Big Boy has been serving locals since the mid-70's.  One of just a few late night eateries around, Bob's serves up an eclectic mix of local favorites, diner classics and a small assortment of ethnic dishes too.

Mix combination (US$8.95).

On the plate, you'll find mahi mahi, teriyaki chicken and a small bowl of hearty beef stew.

Hot turkey open-faced turkey sandwich (US$8.95).

   Bob's Big Boy
   2828 Pa'a Street
   Telephone: 808.833.3440

The Eggbert's - Kapa'a, Hawaii

Banana pancakes (full stack, US$8.20).

Cheese and tomato omelette (US$7.95).

The Eggbert's Family Specialty Restaurant
Coconut Market Place
4-484 Kuhio Highway
Kapa'a, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.823.6799

Blossoming Lotus - Kapa'a, Hawaii

Spring rolls (US$11.00).

Rockin' Moroccan Seared Tofu (US$18.00).

Transcendental Thai Green Curry (US$16.00).

Crimson Carrot Cake (US$6.00).

Live Fruit Parfait du Jour (US$7.00).

Blossoming Lotus
4504 Kukui Street
Kapa'a, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.822.7678

Bubba Burgers - Hanalei, Hawaii

Bubba Burgers
5-5183 Kuhio Highway
Hanalei, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.826.7893

Hamura Saimin Stand - Lihue, Hawaii

Hamura Saimin Stand
2956 Kress Street
Lihue, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.245.3271

Chin's Kahala

Chin's Kahala
4230 Waialae Avenue
Telephone: 808.737.7188

Hata Restaurant

Check out photos of the food while you wait for a table.

(Folks, I think you should replace these.)

Under the nabemono section of the menu, it's the pork tofu (US$8.95).

Dinner special "C" (US$13.50).  It includes sashimi, tonkatsu and ahi (fried or nitsuke).

Here is the ahi nitsuke.

Hata Restaurant
1742 South King Street
Telephone: 808.941.2686

Ebisu Catering Service

This is a classic example of an okazuya. Okazuyas bring another dimension to the phrase "have it your way".

My "own" mixed plate (US$7.86; price varies depending on items selected).

Ebisu Catering Service
1915 South King Street
Telephone: 808.941.6055

The Seaside Restaurant & Aqua Farm - Hilo, Hawaii

Since the early 90's, the Seaside Restaurant has been my final stop in Hilo before heading to the airport for the short flight home.  On this trip, I didn't deviate from the usual routine.  Located in Keaukaha, right near the beach, this has got to be one of my favorites dining destinations in this quiet town.

Open since 1921, the Seaside Restaurant is in a converted house surrounded by 30 acres worth of fishponds on one side and Kalanianaole Avenue on the other.  You wouldn't expect too much from this place if you were to judge it on looks alone, right?

Entering the dining room shortly after 5:00 pm, I the first one in the dining room.  After getting settled, I ordered something to drink, then made my way outside to take in a view of the fishponds.

Two of the most popular menu items, the steamed mullet and the fried aholehole, are prepared using fish caught daily from these very ponds.  Other types of fish, are raised here as well and you will often see them appear as specials on the menu.

To start, I decided on the escargot (US$7.95).

These tasty snails aren't often found on local menus, and though these weren't served in the shell, the were succulent and tender.  Rich and creamy, they were a luxurious treat that complimented the crunchy ovals of toasted garlic bread quite well.

Since I couldn't decide on what I wanted for dinner, I asked for the volcano shrimp as an appetizer (appetizer, US$18.95; dinner, US$21.95).

Thin ribbons of phyllo dough were wrapped around skewered shrimp before being deep fried.  The result was a perfectly cooked shrimp inside and a nice crispy, deep-fried exterior.  Served with a dish filled with sweet mango mint chile dipping sauce, I'm glad I decided to try this.

For the main course, it was the Chinese-style steamed Kona kampachi (US$26.95).

The skin-on fillets were first steamed before being coated with some hot oil and shoyu.  The fillets were then garnished with slices of shiitake mushroom, matchsticks of ginger, slivers of green onion and a huge fistfull of cilantro.  The fish's firm, white flesh was mild yet slightly buttery and it was well suited to this style of preparation. 

Next came the pan-fried moi (US$26.95).

Once raised in fishponds and reserved for royalty, these days the moi seen on local menus is harvested from cages of the coast of the Big Island.  The delicate flavor of this fish is enhanced perfectly by this simple cooking technique.  A tiny squirt of lemon or a light drizzle of shoyu proves to be just the right accent for the crispy skin and flaky flesh of the fish.

After all of that, it was time for some dessert.  On this visit it was the taro and sweet potato bread pudding (US$4.50) and a scoop of Hilo Homemade gourmet ice cream (poha berry, US$3.00).

The moist and dense bread pudding was studded with tender chunks of taro and sweet potato.  I found the caramel/haupia sauce overly sweet, making this a rich and decadent dessert.  The ice cream, on the other hand, was tart and sweet with a smooth texture that was accented by bits of crushed poha berries.

The Seaside Restaurant & Aqua Farm
1790 Kalanianaole Avenue
Hilo, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.935.8825

Nori's Saimin & Snacks - Hilo, Hawaii

It's hard for me to visit Hilo without visiting some of my favorite places to eat.  Nori's is one such place.  Located away from the main shopping area, on what can be considered a "back road", Nori's can be hard to find if you haven't been here before.

Stepping through the door, there's a long narrow walkway that leads to the main dining area.  As you walk towards the cashier station and the main dining area, you'll notice several booths off to the side.  The decor here is nothing to write home about, but this is what casual, island dining is all about.

My initial choice was my favorite, the seaweed won ton min.  Unfortunately, they were sold out.  Instead, I ordered the New Hilo-style saimin with won ton (small special US$6.60).

A few minutes later, a steaming hot bowl of saimin was delivered to my table.  From what I was told a long time ago, Hilo-style noodles are "curlier" than normal.  I never really noticed that, but maybe because I was always too hungry.  The noodles here were cooked perfectly with the right amount of "firmness" to them.  The won ton had thicker than normal skins, but with a huge mouthful of juicy pork filing.  The only downside to this bowl of saimin was the broth.  It was much saltier than usual, rendering it "undrinkable" - definitely not what I was used to.

Here are the chicken sticks that were included with the small special that I ordered.

Two bamboo skewers covered with marinated and grilled teriyaki chicken.  The plump morsels of chicken were just a little too sweet this time, and I wish they had grilled them just a little while longer as I really like those crispy, charred bits.

And if all of that wasn't enough (!), I also had a Nori burger (US$3.50 ?).

Topped with a tiny square of nori, which didn't have much to contribute to the overall flavor of the burger, the teriyaki flavored burger was juicy and had a nice balance of salty and sweet flavors.  Simply dressed with pickles and lettuce, the bun was moistened with just the right amount of mayo-mustard dressing.

Nori's Saimin & Snacks
688 Kinoole Street
Hilo, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.935.9133

Café Pesto - Hilo, Hawaii

Arriving back in Hilo after a long day climbing mountains (or should I say volcanos), I was hungry, but the question remained, where to eat?  Hilo doesn't say up late, at least in my experience, and as soon as I took the exit from Highway 19 onto Kamehameha Avenue, I found my answer.

Located in downtown Hilo's historic S. Hata Building, Café Pesto has a reputation for serving contemporary Italian cuisine with a Pacific Rim twist.  It was my first time here, and it was still crowded when I arrived at about 8:00 pm.

(Don't be fooled, this was taken as I was leaving.)

To start, I had the wild greens salad (US$4.95).

On the menu, it said "an eclectic blend of organic baby lettuces, cucumbers and organic vine-ripened tomatoes."  When it arrived, it looked like a plate of nothing special.  I could have gotten a bag of these organic greens at the Hilo Farmer's Market for half the price!  Hey, by the way, where are my tomatoes?

Next, was the pizza luau (9" US$10.95; 12" US$17.95).

Topped with kalua pork, sweet onions and pineapple, this was a twist on the classic "Hawaiian" pizza.  Aww come on, you all know what a Hawaiian pizza is, right?  A Hawaiian pizza is garnished with ham (or Canadian bacon) and pineapple, and sometimes includes onions and green bell peppers.  Here, the smokey-flavored kalua pork perfectly balanced the sweet, but tart flavor of the pineapple and the crust was light, crisp and crunchy.

And finally, the coriander grilled tenderloin and blackened shrimp, garlic goat cheese mashed potatoes, honey buttered Manuka spinach, and Hamakua mushroom jus (US$28.95).

What looked like a great concept on the menu, was actually a mish mash of flavors when eaten.  The beef was expertly cooked and the coriander sauce gave a sort of Middle Eastern flair to this part of the dish.  The blackened shrimp were just that -- blackened and charred with very little flavor.  The honey buttered Manuka spinach was overly sweet while the mashed potatoes and the mushroom jus were just buried under all the other flavors.

On this particular visit to Café Pesto, the service was quite awful.  After setting the plates down on the table, my waiter was nowhere to be found.  My water glass was not refilled until I received the check and no one stopped by to ask how things were.  Given the prices for the food, I'm not really sure if I'll be back.  If I do come back, it might be to have a pizza for lunch after picking up some organic salad greens at the nearby Hilo Farmer's Market.

Café Pesto
S Hata Building
308 Kamehameha Avenue
Hilo, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.969.6640

Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp, Inc.

Years ago, there was only one shrimp truck on Oahu's North Shore that everyone knew about by name. A short time after this first shrimp truck became wildly successful, many others started popping up along Kamehameha Highway where a majority of Oahu's aquaculture farms were also thriving.  Today, some say the standard is still set by Giovanni's, but how do places like Romy's compare?

On a recent outing, while driving down Kamehameha Highway towards the beach, I immediately got the craving for some shrimp.  Not just any shrimp, mind you, but shrimp from one of the many trucks and stands that are in Kahuku.  After passing a couple of flashy trucks, I almost stopped at Giovanni's, but then the crowds forced me to go farther along the road (who wants to wait for 45 minutes when you're starving).  So I drove until I stopped here.

Romy's Kahuku Shrimp & Prawns, purveyors of fresh shrimp and prawns caught fresh daily ON SITE.  What does this mean to you?  You'll find out soon enough.

After placing my order, I made my way to tables off to the side to see everyone under the tent ravenously devouring their plates of shrimp.  After a wait of about 15 minutes, my number was called and I made my way back to the "shack" to pick up my plate of shrimp.

First up, the butter & garlic shrimp (US$11.00).

Fragrant chunks of garlic were spooned carefully atop a pile of shrimp (about 10 shrimp).  The shrimp were served with both the head and shell still intact, keeping them sweet and succulent.  The shrimp were indeed fresh, but I found them lacking any real flavor.  Something was definitely missing from the marinade.

Next, was a plate of sweet & spicy shrimp (US$11.00).

This time, the shrimp were slathered with a cloyingly sweet sauce with only the slightest hint of spiciness.  In fact, the base for this sauce was probably a Thai-style sweet chilli sauce with some sriracha mixed in to give it a little kick.  If it weren't for the freshness of the shrimp, this would have been pronounced a complete failure.

Being the only shrimp stand/truck on the North Shore that uses shrimp/prawns caught on site certainly gives Romy's the advantage in the taste department. Great service as well as great prices, give it a few more stars as well. The only thing lacking, in my opinion, was flavor.

Romy's Kahuku Prawns & Shrimp, Inc.
56-781 Kamehameha Highway
Telephone: 808.232.2202

Soul de Cuba Café

When I first heard about this place, I was excited.  You see, I haven't had any real Cuban food since my last visit to Miami in 1994.  All over the city, there were a number of tiny coffeeshops serving media noche and café con leche alongside plates of chuletas fritas, tostones and frijoles negros.  Delicioso, indeed!

Stepping inside, you'll notice the bar along the far wall.  The rich brown color and the photographs that line the walls, make this place feel homey and inviting.

Looking over the menu, the soul sampler (US$15.00) looked like a good place to begin.

On the plate you'll find deviled crab, a beef empanada, a veggie empanada and a small serving of the camarones bailando (dancing shrimp).  The empanadas were topped with a sauce that was a bit like Thousand Island dressing.  I've never eaten them this way, and the light, flaky pastry with its savory filling would have been much better without it.  The camarones bailando, were the stars of the plate.  Perfectly cooked, the tender shrimp were complimented by a smoky, black bean based "Cubano-chinois" sauce.  Last to be eaten was the deviled crab.  This deep fried cousin of the croquette, had a rock hard exterior that concealed a well seasoned and tasty interior filled crab.

On this visit, I also decided to try the pan con bistec (US$8.00).

According to the menu, this sandwich was "thin slices of pan fried Cuban palomilla steak and grilled onions served on pressed Cuban bread with mayo".  When the sandwich arrived, I discovered that it was filled with two thick slices of tough, dry beef and barely cooked onions.  Biting through the beef was a challenge from the very start and I was very disappointed.  The bread, however, was light and crispy, just like Cuban bread should be.

Giving the restaurant another chance, on a subsequent visit, I ordered the Cubano (US$7.00).

Traditionally, a Cubano sandwich is made by stuffing thin slices of pernil and ham, a slice of Swiss cheese and thinly sliced pickles between Cuban bread that is often slathered with mustard and sometimes butter.  It is then "pressed" in a fashion similar to a panini until the cheese barely melts and so that the pickles remain crunchy.  Here there was no mustard, or butter, to be found, instead there was quite a bit of mayonnaise.  In addition, there were small disks of a salami-like meat here too.  The combination of meats made this sandwich salty, and unlike a true Cubano, the pickles had lost their crunch.

Although I am appreciative that a Cuban restaurant has finally come to Hawaii, my only wish would be for the food to be more traditionally prepared with thoughtfulness and care.  The sandwiches were lackluster and uneven, and while the appetizers were good, only the camarones bailando really stood out.  The service is here is friendly and attentive, and if the food were to improve, even at these prices, I could see myself coming back.

Soul de Cuba Café
1121 Bethel Street
Telephone: 808.545.2822

Ken's House of Pancakes - Hilo, Hawaii

I'm sure that everyone who's visited Hilo has been to Ken's at least once.  Ken's is close to the airport and to all the major hotels that line Banyan Drive AND it's open 24-hours.

On my most recent visit to Hilo, I stopped at Ken's for a quick bite to eat before heading out for the day.  At 7:00 am, the tiny parking lot was already full and after circling around a few times, I was lucky enough to snag a spot.  Once inside, I was quickly whisked away to a table and placed my order for this....

This was the "original loco moco" (US$5.95) consisting of two scoops rice, a 5 ounce lean "home grown" beef patty, brown gravy and two eggs.  Two things about this loco moco -- first, the beef patty.  Unlike the beef patties that are normally associated with loco mocos, this one has that slightly smokey, charred flavor, like it was cooked on an actual grill.  And second, the eggs.  Piercing the thin layer over the yolks makes for delicious eating when the gooey yolk comes in contact with the thick gravy.

Otherwise, you can always choose something a little more straighforward.  How's this?

The Hobo (US$7.55), consists of two eggs scrambled with diced ham, onions and potatoes, then topped with hollandaise sauce.  This time, I chose to enjoy this with some hash browns and a fluffly stack of pancakes.

Although parking here is always an issue, the food is not.  At Ken's, simple homestyle food is served up efficiently and at reasonable prices.  Popular with both locals and with tourists alike, when visiting Hilo, a visit to Ken's is a must.

Ken's House of Pancakes
1730 Kamehameha Avenue
Hilo, Hawaii
Telephone: 808.935.8711

Tokyo Tokyo

My family is usually gone during the Christmas holidays so I often have the opportunity to dine out with friends.  This year, we decided to enjoy a Christmas dinner at Tokyo Tokyo at the Kahala Resort and Hotel.

Known as a "fine dining" Japanese restaurant, I was a bit excited to make the journey here. We encountered quite a few bumps in the road between making reservations up until the actual dinner, and maybe they were a sign of what was to come.

We tried for a while to get reservations for dinner here using the email at the hotel's website (three emails to the hotel went unanswered) and calls to the restaurant directly (2 voice messages left with no return call).  All the while, we remained upbeat and hopeful that we would get a reservation.  About two weeks before Christmas, a call to the restaurant was answered and we were able to get a reservation for 8:45 pm (!!!).

Upon arriving at the restaurant at 8:40 pm, we were told that our table was not ready yet and that we could wait in the hotel's lobby.  We sat, and waited....  and waited.... and waited.  In all, it was 25 minutes before the hostess came to the hotel's lobby to escort us to our table.  Once seated, at a table right next to the restaurant's entrance (probably the worst seat in the place), it was another 15 minutes before our server made an appearance at our table.

Before going any further, here is the menu, with accompanying photos, for that evening's dinner.

Special Christmas Menu

1st course (Appetizers)
Grilled white fish finished with saikyo miso cream sauce and garnished with ikura.
Japanese style onion soup with compliments of chicken and mozzarella cheese.
Succulent duck breast simmered in dashi broth to a perfect medium and finished with a red wine and shoyu reduction sauce, atop a mound of bacon and foie gras mashed potatoes.

2nd course (Sashimi)
The freshest sashimi in Hawaii including: Blue fin, kaware wrapped in Atlantic salmon, Shima aji, and boton ebi, all served under the warm glow of a daikon votive.

3rd course (Black Angus Beef)
Certified Black Angus Ishiyaki
The finest certified Black Angus rib-eye medallions cooked on your own heated lava stone at the table.
or
Certified Black Angus Shabu Shabu
Served with an assortment of vegetables and inaniwa udon.  Comes with a pot of Dashi soup broth. 

Intermezzo
Moscato di Asti sorbet with diced oranges and peach.

4th course (Sushi)
Includes: Blue fin zuke finished with sesame seeds, white fish, yellowtail and American Kobe beef finished with red chili ponzu sauce and garnished with fine julienne daikon and green onion.  Comes with a petite torotaku sushi roll.

Dessert
Chef's symphony of sweet Japanese delicacies featuring a butter cream Kona coffee "bouche d' Noël".

Cost: $98.00 per person

While the events leading up to the actual meal were disappointing, what I found even more odd, is that we were given a table right near the restaurant's entrance.  We were shoved into a corner near an artificial Christmas tree.  The tables in this area were very close together, so much so, that our server couldn't even sqeeze into the space between the two without us moving our table closer to the Christmas tree!

I'm not going to go over every dish that we were served because this dinner doesn't really deserve all of that attention.  What I will do is mention the highpoints, which aren't many, and give a quick summary of everything else.

The simmered duck breast was the highlight of the trio of appetizers.  It was indeed succulent, tender and perfectly cooked -- the center of duck breast was a beautiful pink blush.  The foie gras mashed potatoes were pure indulgence.  Earthy, creamy and smoky, I could have eaten an entire bowl of these potatoes and left feeling satisfied.

With the second course, the sashimi, we thought the restaurant would redeem itself.  Not so.  With a plateful of mediocre offerings, the only standout, on a plate that also included boton ebi and a tiny mouthful of uni, was the ootoro.  This ultra-fatty piece of tuna had a smooth texture with a creamy, almost buttery, flavor.  Sublime.

I would have enjoyed the third, or beef, course more if I had been given a choice.  Like the diner sitting at the next table, I had made up my mind to have the shabu shabu prior to coming here.  When I asked for it, I was told that it wasn't available and that the menu had changed.  Well, why wasn't I told this when they called to confirm my reservation the day before? 

The intermezzo, or sorbet, made with Moscato di Asti, was really bitter.  When asked if this contained alcohol (I'm allergic), I was told it was made of grapes (duh, grapes = wine?).  By the way, when did canned fruits become part of a gourmet meal?

The sushi "platter" left much to be desired.   There were no standouts here and I was really annoyed with the Kobe (Wagyu) beef sushi which I felt was cut too thick and was not marbled well enough.  It didn't help that it took me 5 minutes to chew through the entire piece of beef.

By the time dessert showed up, more than 2 hours later, I was more tired than full.  I'm not sure how a strawberry purée topped with a cream cheese ice cream would be considered a "Japanese delicacy", but I didn't find anything here satisfying.

The pacing of the meal was extremely slow.  Many times, we would be waiting 15 or more minutes between courses.  They did serve an excellent green tea throughout the meal and I must say that my cup was never empty, or that the tea was never cold (they continuously replaced the cup with a fresh one).  The waitstaff was knowledgeable and more than willing to answer questions, but overall, this experience was disappointing.  I'm not sure that I'll want to come back here again.

Tokyo Tokyo
Kahala Hotel and Resort
5000 Kahala Avenue
Telephone: 808.739.8901

Bombay Indian Restaurant

Dining out is fun when there are new restaurants to eat at, especially when they serve the type of food that isn't so widely available.  I had passed by this place a while back and wondered when it would open.  Then a week and a half ago, a friend of mine asked if I had tried the food at the new Indian place in Waikiki.  When I said no, she gave it a thumbs up and said that I should visit.

Bombay Indian Restaurant has been open for a little more than 2 weeks now in the space previously occupied by Capricciosa.  But judging by the crowd in the dining room a week ago, I'd say that quite a few people have already heard about it's opening and decided to make their way here as well.

This restaurant bring Hawaii's Indian restaurant count to 8 -- the others are: Café Maharani, India Café, India House, India Bazaar, Zafron Indian Restaurant and Komala Curry House (two locations).  Most of these restaurants serve decent Indian food at a decent price, how would the food here fare?

When I visited Bombay Indian, I decided to bring along a friend who enjoys Indian food as much as I do.  We decided to start out with the assorted platter ($9.95) and order the rest of the dishes family style.

Included in this platter were chicken tikka, palak pakora, seekh kebab, chicken 65 (2 pieces of each) and small dishes of mint and tamarind chutney.  The char-broiled chicken tikka had an excellent flavor profile, but as has been my experience, it was a little dry.  The chicken 65 was described on the menu as a specialty of Hyderabad and it was slightly spicy.  The flavor was definitely interesting and I think I'll order this next time.  The seekh kebab was a piece of grilled lamb "sausage" while the palak pakora was a batter-dipped and deep-fried spinach.

As we finished the appetizers, this plate of chicken biryani ($14.95) was brought to the table.

Garnished with some greens and accompanied by a small dish of raita, the biryani had a wonderful aroma.  The rice was cooked just the way I liked it -- dry with just a touch of moisture.  Delicately spiced, there were moist pieces of chicken scattered throughout.  This wasn't the best briyani that I've tasted, but it was as good as any that I have had here in Hawaii which can be good to mediocre at best.

Shortly thereafter, the nan arrived.  We ordered two types - plain ($2.50) and keema ($4.95).

The nan was soft and warm when it arrived in a basket lined with a cloth napkin.  Thick and just the slightest bit chewy, I enjoyed this as much as anything else that night.  The keema nan was a bit unusual to me, but the amount of lamb and cilantro stuffed between the layers of dough was just right.  I could still taste the deliciousness of the warm bread.

The nan was ordered to be eaten with our curry-like dish -- the lamb rogan josh (US$15.95).

Chunks of lamb were slow cooked in a creamy yogurt based sauce until tender.  This dish wasn't really a curry, as far as I could tell, but there was a faint spiciness to it and there were elements of familiarity mixed in.  I could detect the flavors of cumin and cardamom in the slightly sweet sauce and the yellow coloring was definitely from turmeric.  Tasty in a unique way, this is a dish that could be ordered again.

Bombay Indian Restaurant brings a few unique Indian dishes to Hawaii, but they come at a price.  The portions were on the small side for the price and even after eating all of this, we left feeling a little hungry.  Because of this, and because of the location (Waikiki), Bombay Indian will be come more of a once in a while splurge, rather than a regular dining spot.  The service here was great, and the food is interesting.  Next time I'll have to ask them to kick up the spice a bit more though. 

Bombay Indian Restaurant
Discovery Bay Center
1778 Ala Moana Boulevard Suite UL-8
Telephone: 808.942.3990

Makino Chaya

I'm not really a fan of Japanese buffets, but this one's not too bad.  Instead of serving pre-prepared food like at Todai or Hanaki, dishes are ordered off the menu.

Makino Chaya
1936 South King Street
Telephone: 808.955.5966

Happy Inn

This hole-in-the-wall next to a busy fast food restaurant probably gets by-passed quite often.  The food here is OK and inexpensive.  I'm glad that I decided to stop in a few weeks ago.

Happy Inn
1160 South King Street Suite A
Telephone: 808.591.2385

Kat's Sushi

I'll just let the photos speak for themselves.

Kat's Sushi
715 South King Street Suite 105
Telephone: 808.526.1268

Fritz's European Bakery

Fritz's makes excellent breads, but it's been a while since I last had their sandwiches.  Were the sandwiches here as good as I remember?

The Boss on wheat, grilled.

Fritz's Special on multi-grain, grilled.

 

If you need a sugar rush afterwards.

Fritz's European Bakery
1336 Dillingham Boulevard
Telephone: 808.845.0650

Boston's North End Pizza

OK, you know that I'm running behind!  *sigh*

Boston's North End Pizza
3506 Waialae Avenue
Telephone: 808.734.1945

Chez Panisse - Berkeley, California

The food here was wonderful, the service lackluster.

Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, California
Telephone: 510.548.5525

Shalimar Restaurant - San Francisco, California

In Hawaii, there are a few Indian restaurants, but nothing like Shalimar.  The food served here was spicy and delicious with a complexity of flavor that I had not seen in Indian food since my days in New York City.  Definitely a keeper.

Shalimar Restaurant
532 Jones Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.928.0333

Zuni Café - San Francisco, California

I was looking forward to eating here at Zuni Café because I had heard so much about it.  The food, in my opinion, did not live up the hype, and the service?  It sucked and I won't be going back anytime soon.

This hostess is the main reason why I will not be back.

Zuni Café
1658 Market Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.552.2522

Limón - San Francisco, California

Limón
524 Valencia Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.252.0918
website

Indonesia Restaurant - San Francisco, California

Now that we no longer have an Indonesian restaurant in Hawaii, I just had to come back here.  This second visit was just as good as the first, and I'll definitely be stopping by here everytime I'm in San Francisco.

Gado gado (US$6.25).

Nasi padang (US$7.95).

Nasi goreng (US$7.50).

Es chendol (US$3.50).

Indonesia Restaurant
678-680 Post Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone:  415.474.4026

Dragonfly - San Francisco, California

I first heard about Dragonfly when I picked up a copy of San Francisco magazine.  I was excited to eat here because they proclaimed the food to be on par with the food at the Slanted Door, which I paid a visit to last year.  Was my experience here just as good?

Dragon taste for two (US$13.95).

This was an appetizer sampler of all of their favorites -- tom chien (golden shrimp), goi cuon (spring rolls), bo nuong (sesame beef) and goi sen tom thit (lotus root salad).

Shaking beef (US$19.00).

Bamboo rice (US$13.00).

Marinated frog steamed in bamboo tube with rice.

Dragonfly tapioca (che ba mau, US$3.00).

Black sticky rice (xoi nep than, US$3.00).

Take a look at what's inside.

Dragonfly
420 Judah Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.661.7755

Canteen - San Francisco, California

A jewel box of a restaurant hidden away in a corner of the Commodore Hotel.  The menu here is short, and changes constantly, and the people that work here are cool and fun.

Bread and butter.

Dates+Bacon+Blue Cheese and Endive Salad (US$7.95).

Egg pasta with fresh tomatoes, parmesan and mint (US$9.95).

Roasted pork tenderloin filet, with horseradish, on soft roll (US$10.50).

Want to see what's inside?

Canteen
817 Sutter Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.928.8870
website (not yet updated)

Aziza - San Francisco, California

In Hawaii, there is little diversity in culinary landscape.  Besides the most obvious, Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese), you'll find only a small handful of restaurants serving Middle Eastern, Eastern European or North African cuisines.  When I first heard about Aziza, I was quite excited as I had never sampled Moroccan food before. 

Arriving at Aziza about 10 minutes late for my reservation, I was afraid that my table had been given up.  The restaurant was almost filled to capacity and when I provided my name at the podium and explained that I was late, I was told that my table was ready and waiting for me.

Inside the restaurant is cavernous and quite dark.  Shortly after we were seated by the hostess, our server Rebecca stopped by to take our order. We decided on the 5 course tasting menu (US$42.00).   

The bread arrived in a large bowl a moment before the soup was brought to the table.

The first course was soup.  Since there were two of us, we got one of each type of soup being offered that day.  Here is the vegan soup of organic green lentils served with a Medjool date on the side.

Traditionally served on special occasions and during Ramadan, harira is normally accompanied by dates or chabakkia.  The harira here was thin and light.  The lentils were still a bit firm and the overall flavor was tangy with just a touch of spicy flavor.  I could see why this soup would be eaten along with dates, the flavors complimented each other perfectly.  The harira was both interesting and delicious.

The other soup being served that day was a Moroccan spiced carrot soup.

Smooth and creamy, this soup was a little sweet with a hint of subtle spiciness.

Mediterranean spreads -- balsamic-eggplant mousse, roasted pepper-pomegranate-walnut, and yogurt-dill -- served with flatbreads.

The balsamic eggplant mousse was made with roasted eggplant and it had an earthy, smokiness to it.  The roasted pepper, pomegranate and walnut spread was perhaps my favorite as the sweet, tart flavor of the pomegranate really came through.  The yogurt dill spread was probably the least creative of the trio as it reminded me of raita or tzatziki.

Fresh bodega goat cheese with spiced cherry tomato and citrus jam, pistachios and zataar croutons.

The crisp croutons were made "zippy" with a light sprinkling of zataar (a mixture of oregano and ground sesame seeds, among other things).  The fresh goat cheese had none of the usual tanginess, but it did have a subtle sweetness to it and the texture was reminiscent of cream cheese. 

After we had finished course number three, Rebecca stopped by to clear away the dishes.  It was then that she announced, "the next course is basteeya."  As we turned our heads in her direction, we discovered that she had floated away from the table and was already three quarters of the way to the kitchen.

As quickly as she had departed, she had returned.  I wasn't able to take a photo before she began cutting into the basteeya's crisp pastry.

Traditionally, basteeya (or bastilla) is made with pigeon meat and warka pastry.  Here at Aziza, phyllo pastry is wrapped around a filling of saffron braised chicken and ground almonds before being baked until flaky and golden brown.  Once baked, the basteeya is given a light dusting of cinnamon and powdered sugar.  The combination of sweet and savory makes an accurate description of the flavor sensation next to impossible.

Next to arrive were our individual entrées.  First up was the prawn tagine.

The prawns arrived perfectly cooked -- slightly tender and succulent.  The vegetables included in the tagine were well stewed, rich and bursting with flavor.  The preserved lemons, tiny chunks of them, made this dish bright and vibrant, while the tomatoes brought a bit of balance with some acidity.

The other dish that we selected was the stewed lamb and charred eggplant.

Tender chunks of fork tender lamb were combined with smokey, charred eggplant rendering the usual gaminess associated with lamb well hidden.  The saffron flavored sauce that so elegantly decorated the plate was fragrant, but to be honest, I thought there was really too much going on here.  I would have preferred if this dish were more simply presented.

Shortly after we had finished the mains, Rebecca stopped by with the dessert menus.  The first dessert selected was a roasted lemon sorbet.

The sweet, yet mildly tart sorbet had a wonderfully balanced flavor.  Cool and smooth, it contrasted well with the "gritty" chamomile-citrus granita on which it sat.  A nice juxtaposition of textures and flavors, the addition of the "twirlly" tuille.  It was crisp and a tiny bit sweet.

When we had to choose the second dessert, I was torn.  In the end, instead of choosing the lavender-black pepper angel food cake with slow roasted strawberries and crème chantilly, I chose the baked spring rhubarb.

Recommended by our server Rebecca as her "favorite, to-die-for dessert" on the menu, after the first bite, I was already singing its praises.

The stalks of tart rhubarb were cooked until tender then topped with crisp and flaky "biscuits".  A small cup of rose geranium crème anglaise was poured over the dessert, rendering it absolutely sublime.

Amazing food, knowledgeable and friendly service, great atmosphere -- what more could anyone ask for?  Our server, Rebecca, took the time to explain each dish, which made dining here fun.  Her casual attitude and her willingness to answer our questions made this a meal worth remembering long after the food had been consumed.  This is definitely a place that I would recommend, and would come back to time and time again.

Aziza
5800 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.752.2222
website

Yank Sing - San Francisco, California

Some people call Yank Sing, the best dim sum restaurant in San Francisco.  Others believe that it never lives up to the hype.  One thing is for sure -- Yank Sing has some unique dim sum offerings and at premium prices too.  Is it worth it?

Stepping through the doorway into Yank Sing find me in some dim sum parlor in Hong Kong, nor does it make me feel like I'm in Chinatown.  Instead, I'm confronted with a sleek, modern interior that looks and feels like fine dining.

As we slowly make our way to the table, a server stroll past hawking her wares -- steamer baskets full of tasty treats like har gau and siu mai.  Once seated, we wait as the procession of carts begins.

Before any carts arrive a server approaches our table and asks if we would like some xiao long pau.  Shortly thereafter, we are presented with a steamer basket filled with six pieces of xiao long pau (Shanghai pork dumplings).

Taking a dumpling out of the basket, I slowly put it in my mouth and awaited the explosion of flavor from the steaming broth as I bit into it.  Sadly, there wasn't much broth here.  The skin was a little thick and just a bit chewy, while ground pork filling was quite tasty.

As our server set the basket of xiao long pau down on the table, I asked if I could have an order of braised chicken feet.  Speaking into her headset, she placed the order for me and in a couple of minutes, the basket of braised chicken feet arrived at the table.

Tender and succulent, if you can call them that, the chicken feet had a hint of spiciness to them.  The skin and tendons, practically melted in my mouth.  After finishing half the basket, I wanted to order more, lots more -- they were that good.

Just as I was about to ask for another basket, a server approached our table and asked if we would like to try the baked sea bass.

As she held out the plate for me to look at, I immediately said yes and smiled hungrily.  Slightly sweet, and a little sticky, the fish flaked nicely once my chopsticks touched it.  The flesh was smooth and kind of reminded me of misoyaki butterfish, which I absolutely love.  Nevermind that this was just a small chunk of a huge fish, I enjoyed every bite.

With a bit of sea bass in still in my mouth, a server approached with a plate of shrimp with honey walnuts.  Since my mouth was full, I couldn't say no (could I?), so I just motioned for her to put the plate on the table with everything else.

There were seven or eight medium-sized shrimps on the plate and they sat next to a pile of honey-glazed walnuts on a bed of shredded head lettuce.  The shrimp were a little soggy -- almost as if they had been cooked a while ago.  The sweet walnuts contrasted well with the shrimp, though I was wishing that the shrimp were hot and crunchy, and that there were just a little more mayonaisse on them.

Finally, this cart here stopped at the table.  The served told me that she was preparing lettuce cups.  Since I had seen this cart stopping at quite a number of tables around the restaurant, I wasn't about to refuse the offer of a serving or two.

The lettuce cup shown here is filled with a mixture of ground chicken and lup cheong which has been sauteed with chopped water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.  Its finished with some hoisin sauce and a generous sprinkling of green onions and pine nuts.

The filling is a bit dry with a texture similar to that of larb.  The crisp texture of the lettuce helped to enhanced this dish, but there was little flavor here.  I felt like this needed some chilli or some more hoisin sauce.

Shortly after we had eaten our fill of lettuce cups, we were presented a plateful of chicken wrapped asparagus (I think that's what our server called it).

Ground chicken was wrapped around tender asparagus spears before being batter coated and deep fried.  It was served with some sweet sour dipping sauce on the side.  This was an unusual flavor/texture combination that didn't really work for me -- the asparagus didn't really go well with the sweet-sour sauce.

Just as I thought I was full, this cart pulled up to the table.  Now I could have gone for one of the desserts -- either the egg tarts or the creamy mango pudding.  Instead, I chose a plate of shrimp toast.

Tiny rounds of hard toast (think stale bread that has been toasted or fried!) was topped with some shrimp paste then decorated with the tiny tail of a shrimp.

Our server told us to use the sweet-sour sauce with these and I thought the flavor combination for this dish was perfect -- sweet, sour with a touch of saltiness -- excellent.  The crunchy toast and the "springy" shrimp ball made this dish interesting texturally as well.

Overall my experience here at Yank Sing was good, though not exceptional.  What I liked was the clean, modern space and the interesting variations on dim sum.  I actually wanted to be "wow'd" by the selection and by the flavors -- neither really happened.  And when you're dining without knowing what the prices are (no menus are given), you might be in for a surprise when the check  arrives.  The 7 dishes here plus a pot of jasmine tea (US$3.00) was almost US$60, not including tax or tip.  Though nothing here was done poorly, in fact some of the dishes were excellent, maybe next time I'll skip the glamour and enjoy my dim sum in more "traditional" surroundings.

Yank Sing
One Rincon Center
101 Spear Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone: 415.957.9300
website

The Original Pancake House

Most mornings, breakfast for me consists of two slices of sweetbread toast, a cup of coffee and a banana.  Every now and then, I feel like something a little more elaborate and if I have the time, and the opportunity, I like to eat breakfast out at the Original Pancake House.

And even though there's a Pancake House right near my apartment, I will normally visit the location in Kalihi, if only because it holds some special memories for me.  Since I've been working a number of weekends lately, every few weeks I've made it a point to meet some friends for breakfast before going in to the office (or for brunch).

On one visit, we arrived shortly after 8:00 am, only to find the restaurant fairly crowded.  On that ocassion, we ended up waiting about one half hour for a table.  On a more recent visit, it wasn't nearly as crowded when we met for brunch.

On the first ocassion, it was the Swedish pancakes served with lingonberry butter (US$6.75?) and a nice hot cup of coffee.

The pancake itself has really crisp and crunchy edges with a slightly "chewy" middle that's still a bit tender.  The batter probably uses buttermilk as the pancake has a slightly tangy flavor to it.  It's one of my new favorites here.

Here's what the lingonberry butter looks like -- it's just a small bowl full of tart lingonberry jam with a scoop (or more accurately, a blob) of whipped butter in the center.  Most of the time I'll mix the jam and butter together, spread the mixture all over the pancakes, then roll them like crepes before eating.

The next time I was here, it was R&D's Favorite Omelette with three buttermilk pancakes (US$8.80).

The R&D is one of the house specialties.  Described as a baked omelette, the eggs are perfectly whipped and have a delicate, fluffy texture to them.  Stuffed inside was some spinach and ground beef that had been seasoned with Italian herbs, garlic and onions.  Spooned on top was some "Spanish" sauce that was tomato-based.  This savory omelette was perfectly seasoned and packed with flavor.  Satisfying.

Take a look at these light, fluffy, golden brown pancakes.  Need I say more?

The Original Pancake House may be a little pricey when compared to similar eateries around town, but the food, and especially the pancakes, are well prepared and are delivered to the table while still hot off the grill.  The service here is excellent, which makes dining here all the more enjoyable.  Just make sure you get here early, otherwise, you may encounter a long line (and a considerable wait) at the door.

The Original Pancake House
Waiakamilo Shopping Center
1414 Dillingham Boulevard
Telephone: 808.847.1496

Tudo De Bom

Back in 1992, I had the pleasure of spending 3 months touring Brazil.  A majority of my time was spent in the southern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.  Land locked and picturesque, I had an extremely memorable time there.  When I first heard about Tudo De Bom, I was excited -- I loved Brazilian barbecue (churrasco).

It took me a while to get here, but I finally did.  That was almost 6 months ago.  Recently, I returned with a couple of friends for dinner.  At the front door, you'll see the menu which lists the meats available during dinner (weekends offer a wider selection) as well as a list of some of the buffet items that are offered.

(click on the photo for a better view)

Rodizio is what's normally served in churrascarias, which is what Tudo De Bom is.  When we arrived on a Thursday night at 7:00 pm, the restaurant was about half full.

Brazilians like beef, so many of the meat selections here consist of a number of beef cuts and preparations -- top sirloin, garlic steak, pepper steak and beef tenderloin.  Sausages (two types), chicken, pork tenderloin and lamb round out the rest of the menu.  There is a nice sized buffet selection and a salad bar.  All this for $19.95.  Good deal?

At first glance, the all-you-can-eat concept seems like a bargain.  In the end, what really matters is not what cuts of meat are served (though this is important), but how quickly the food turns over and how quickly it is replenished and served to the customer.  This is where Tudo De Bom fails. 

In Brazil, you can expect meat to be constantly delivered to your table which will definitely lead to overeating.  Here it can sometimes be a lengthy wait.  At times, we waited up to 20+ minutes for a server to pay us a visit.  In addition to this, the evening's meat selections are not always available -- we asked for lamb and it arrived 1 hour and 20 minutes into the meal.  The server, though, was nice enough to mention that spaghetti was available instead (can you imagine spaghetti at a churrascaria?).

And while the meat was well seasoned, sometimes too salty even, it was moist and tender.  The buffet was missing some Brazilian standards like farofa, couve or even polenta, but included a wide selection of Western ones like the aforementioned spaghetti as well as mashed potatoes and Caesar salad.

Dinner here was a long one (we spent well in excess of three hours to finish our meal) and when we left, we were actually more tired than full.  Tudo De Bom offers a great alternative to the usual steakhouse fare, but with a fair amount of wait time between servings, the experience here left much to be desired.

Tudo De Bom
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 204
Telephone: 808.942.0267

Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar

When Shokudo opened a little more than a year ago, they opened on the premise of having this restaurant serve as a model for others to follow.  Located in a spot most recently vacated by the Bank of the Orient, Shokudo is located in an office building and is a neighbor to another Japanese restaurant, Angelo Pietro.

Stepping inside, you notice the clean, modern interior that is done with red, black and cream with lots of light wood surfaces.  On the left half of the restaurant, the expansive space is filled with tables for four and tiny dining nooks.

On the right, Noguchi-styled paper shades hang above tiered seating that might remind one of the tiered rice paddies found in Japan.  If you're seated at the top, you get a nice view of the entire restaurant, including the bar area which is located between the two distinct areas of the restaurant.

I had actually visited Shokudo a number of times before today, and many of the dishes are hit and miss.  Like most other places, there are dishes that are outstanding (like the fresh tofu), and then there are those that should immediately be forgotten.  On this particular visit, I decided to sample something from the new lunch menu.  But first, I decided to start with a salad that I had been wanting to try for a while -- the daikon salad (US$5.75).

Thick strips of fresh daikon were tossed with tiny dried anchovies (chirimen) and garnished with grape tomato halves and a small mountain of kizami nori (sliced dried seaweed).  The crisp strips of raw daikon radish were refreshing to eat, but I would have preferred if they were julienned thinner.  The thickness of the strips made it difficult for the daikon to hold any of the dressing's flavor (I couldn't tell what it was) and there weren't really enough anchovies here to make an impact on the flavor either.

After looking over all of the choices on the set lunch menu, I decided to go with the stewed beef hamburg set lunch (US$13.25).

Considering the amount of food I got, this was a bargain at $13.95 -- a bowl of miso soup, a bowl of rice, a side salad, tsukemono and "beef hamburg" which was topped with an egg and served with grilled zucchini, eggplant and tomato slices.

Red bean honey toast (US$8.75).

Two thick slices of toast were drizzled with some warmed, and slightly carmelized, honey then topped with a healthy spoonful of azuki beans and a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The crust was crunchy and a bit buttery, while the inside of the bread had been cut into bite sized cubes that were soft and fluffy!

Shokudo Japanese Restaurant & Bar
1585 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone: 808.941.3701

Dillingham Café

Months ago, a reader of this blog suggested that I pay a visit to Dillingham Café.  Located in a small strip mall (if you want to call it that) on Dillingham Boulevard across the street from Saint Germain Bakery (formerly known as Dee Lite Bakery), and on the site of a former gas station, Dillingham Café is one of many unassuming neighborhood restaurants. 

Although it isn't what I would call homey, it's very much an everyday, casual sort of place -- more like a coffee shop than a café.  The interior is clean and brightly lit, and on the day I visited, there was a crowd of people standing at the counter ordering some lunch.

The extensive menu is made up of local favorites, burgers and sandwiches with a smattering of Filipino specialties thrown in for good measure.  On my first visit here, I decided to try the beef stir fry (US$5.25).

Slices of beef were stir fried with long beans, red bell peppers and onions, then plated with two scoops rice and your choice of tossed or macaroni salad.  The strips of beef lacked tenderness and seemed to be barely seasoned, but the salty and slightly sweet sauce along with the medley of stir fried vegetables kept me interested.

On a subsequent visit, I decided to try one of the specials.  I chose the garlic steak and mahi (US$7.95).

Slices of beef were coated in a thick, flavorful garlic sauce, while a piece of pan fried mahi sat alongside it on the plate.  On its own, I doubt that the beef would have had much flavor as it seemed unseasoned.  While the mahi, on the other hand, which was coated in egg before being pan fried, was moist and well seasoned.

While my experience here was average at best (tastewise), the friendly staff, the prompt service and the great prices will probably bring me back again.  Since this is a new addition to the Kalihi dining scene, it may take a little while before Dillingham Café becomes a major contender here. 

Dillingham Café
1901 Dillingham Boulevard
Telephone: 808.847.1500

Pink's

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I LOVE Pink's!  Nuff said.

Chicago Polish dog (US$3.55).

Bacon chili cheese dog (US$3.95).

French fries (US$1.95).

Onion rings (US$2.25).

Pink's
709 North La Brea Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Telephone: 323.931.4223
website

Carney's - Los Angeles, California

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I've been coming here for a while now and while Carney's doesn't serve my favorite burgers, or my favorite hot dogs, a visit here is a trip down memory lane.

Chili fries (small, US$2.55; large, US$3.40).

Cheeseburger (US$3.55)

Carney's
8351 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Telephone:  323.654.8300
website

Warszawa Restaurant - Santa Monica, California

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I had never tried Polish food before, so when I heard about this place, I put it on my list of must tries.  Surprisingly, the food is not much different than Austrian or German food, and some of the dishes were quite distinctive and delicious.

Home made pierogi with wild mushrooms and cabbage (appetizer, US$9.00).

Hot dried plums wrapped in lean bacon garnished with carmelized walnuts (US$8.00).

Steamed cabbage leaves filled with beef, jasmine rice, and sautéed onions baked in tomato and paprika broth (US$16.00).

"Warszawa" beef stroganoff with wild mushrooms served over egg-drop dumplings (US$16.00).

Vanilla crêpe filled with lemon cheese served hot with raspberries (US$6.50).

Warszawa Restaurant
1414 Lincoln Boulevard
Santa Monica, California
Telephone: 310.393.8831
website

Border Grill - Santa Monica, California

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This is not the first time that I've been here, and it definitely won't be my last.  I first dined here in 1999, before visiting the Las Vegas outpost, located at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, back in 2001.  I definitely look forward to my next visit here.

Complimentary chips and a trio of homemade salsas.

Border classics (US$14.50)

Carne asada tacos (US$9.95)

Border Grill
1445 4th Street
Santa Monica, California
Telephone:  310.451.1655
website

Penang Malaysian Cuisine - West Covina, California

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When I heard about this place, I was quite excited.  The last time I had eaten Malaysian food was on my trip to Seattle.  The food at Malay Satay Hut was quite good.  The food here at Penang Malaysian, which is a chain restaurant, was fair.  It did little to satisfy my craving.

(Please accept my apologies for the blurred image.)

Penang satay (5 sticks, US$5.95).

Belacan kang kung (US$9.95).

Ikan pangang (market price, US$19.95).

Chendol (US$2.95).

Bobo cha cha (US$2.50).

Penang Malaysian Cuisine
Hong Kong Plaza
971 South Glendora Avenue
West Covina, California
Telephone: 626.338.6138

Jun Bo Chinese Restaurant

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What's a Chinese restaurant doing hidden away in a dark alleyway?  Is it any good?

New Diner's Drive In

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Many years ago, this was one of my late night haunts.  I've stopped by here a couple of times recently and discovered that the "new" Diner's isn't nearly as good as the "old" one was.

Diner's combo special #1 - charcoal broiled New York steak with/without teriyaki sauce, mahi mahi, and fried chicken (US$6.45).

Homemade hamburger steak smothered in brown gravy and sautéed onions (US$5.65).

New Diner's Drive In
1333 North King Street
Telephone:  808.842.0344

Big Kahuna Pizza

Big Kahuna Pizza is located along a stretch of roadway that is home to warehouses, and auto body and repair shops.  Since most of the surrounding area is industrial, one wouldn't expect to find a little green and yellow "shack" serving some of the Island's best pizza here.

A long time destination of both local residents and visitors, you'll have to keep your eyes open for the signs announcing da Big Kahuna's and quickly turn into the gravel parking lot.  If you drive too fast, or aren't looking for it, you'll drive right past it.

Walk past the "porch" and open the screen door to enter the tiny restaurant.  You'll see the menu board above the counter where the orders are placed.  The menu is quite lengthy, and includes a number of pizzas and sandwiches.  If you don't like waiting, take my advice and place your order over the phone -- well in advance of your anticipated pick up time.  But be forewarned.  If it's busy, the wait can be as long as 30 minutes or more!

After placing your order and paying for your meal, you can choose to dine-in (you food will be brought to the table), if one of the four tables inside the restaurant are available.  Otherwise, you'll have to order to go.

Since I had some time to spare, I decided to eat in.  It was busy, and crowded, so I ended up waiting 15 minutes for a table to open up and another 10 minutes for my food to arrive.  What did I order?  I had "da sumo special" (6" personal pan, US$5.95; 12" medium pan, US$16.95).

This perfectly sized pizza contains an extraordinary variety of tasty toppings.  Here's the short list of what's on here: pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, kalua pig (!), Portuguese sausage, bacon, onions, fresh mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and black olives!  Is that artery clogging goodness or what?  Even with all those toppings, the thick, fluffy and slightly sweet crust remains crisp and crunchy until the last bite.

I also ordered the garlic cheese balls (one dozen, US$3.35).

Fluffy and slightly chewy, these garlic cheese balls are brought to the table straight out of the over.  Rich and buttery, and made flavorful with all of that garlic and cheese, the bottoms of these are crispy, making these so fun to eat.  I do have to tell you that these garlic cheese balls are addictive -- you can't eat just one.  In fact, before you know it, you've eaten them all.

Sometimes when I'm in the area, and don't feel like having a pizza, I'll go for one of Big Kahuna's amazing sub sandwiches.  Here is the surfer sub combo/grinder (with turkey and roast beef, US$6.35).

The paper plate-sized homemade bun was slightly sweet, yet dense and fluffy.  Nicely stuffed with more than a few slices of roast beef and turkey before being topped by some shredded lettuce and tomatoes, this is one heck of a sandwich.

Big Kahuna Pizza
833 Puuloa Road
Telephone:  808.833.5588

The Well Bento

Back in July of 2005, The Well Bento announced that it was closing after several years of operation.  A little less than a month had passed before I discovered that the business was bought, and reopened, by a faithful customer and her fiancé. 

The Well Bento is actually located in a very outdated, and well worn, two story walk-up that looks more like an apartment building than anything else.  You'll know you've found them when you see this sign which is visible from the street as you're driving past.

In any case, once you've entered the parking lot, you'll notice Well Bento in the corner on the second floor.  It's not much to look at, if you ask me.

As you step through the doorway, you'll notice the front counter and the open kitchen.  Nowhere to sit, this is strictly take out.  Notice the mural on the wall?  That's a recent addition that brings some color to an otherwise, utilitarian space.

The menu is short, consisting of 7 different plate lunches, and a few sides.  Half of the menu consists of vegetarian options -- the zen macrobiotic, tempeh, tofu or seitan.  The other half of the menu is noted as "transitional" -- grilled chicken, salmon or steak and hamburger steak.  In my opinion, even though the options seem a bit limiting, the menu offers something for everyone.

Since I had previously tried the vegetarian options (and loved them), this time, I opted for items from the transitional menu.  Here is the grilled salmon (US$8.25).

The salmon is first seasoned with some olive oil and tamari sauce before being grilled to perfection.  The salmon was served on top of some Lundberg brown rice that had been covered in what the menu said was tahini sauce.  Looks like brown gravy, doesn't it?  Tastes a little like it too, only not as rich.  Garnished with some grilled/steamed vegetables, and served with a side of coleslaw and "healthy" macaroni salad, this made a satisfying lunch.

On another occasion, I decided to try a local favorite, the hamburger steak (US$7.50).

Here at Well Bento, you can have your hamburger steak prepared Louisiana style (with a homemade blend of Cajun seasonings), with Western BBQ sauce (which is a homemade maple barbecue sauce), or seasoned with tamari sauce.  This time I chose the Western BBQ.  The sauce gave a rich smokey, sweetness to the tender hamburger steak.  The only downside was that the hamburger steak wasn't all that juicy -- probably because it wasn't too fatty or full of fillers.

The Well Bento offers diners healthy alternatives to the standard plate lunch and is a place that should not be missed.  Keep in mind that the food here is cooked to order so be prepared to wait, sometimes in excess of 15 minutes.  With nowhere to sit, this could make the wait time seem unusually long.  It's recommended that you call ahead so that your plate lunch is ready upon your arrival.  Since there are very few healthy plate lunch alternatives, I consider the Well Bento to be a bargain.  Healthy, freshly prepared and delicious, what more can you ask for?

The Well Bento
2570 South Beretania Street Suite 204
Telephone:  808.941.5261

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant

Within the last couple of years, the area around Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre has been a flurry of activity.  New condos are coming up as well as stores and restaurants.  The first of these to be completed was the small building which houses a new Starbucks, Jamba Juice and the Wahoo's Fish Tacos place.  Meanwhile, work begins on the site that will house a new Whole Foods store and I believe construction has already begun on the PF Changs that will also be located in the same area.  The activity is not only confined to currently empty spaces though.  Ward Centre has also gotten some new tenants in where the old Scoozies was.  Besides Red Pineapple, which opened before the 2005 holiday season, there is this place, Goma Tei, which only opened about a week ago.

Upon entering the restaurant you'll notice the blond wood tables and counter as well as the black wood stained chairs.  The restaurant is clean and modern, and was fairly empty at dinner time, with only two seats at the counter and one table being occupied.  Perhaps word hasn't gotten out about this place yet.

After looking over the menu, I made an inquiry with the waitress.  It seemed as though the restaurant specialized in tan tan ramen, which, according to the menu, is a "Japanese style soup broth with spicy sesame flavor".

So I ordered #5, chicken tan tan ramen (US$7.50).

On the menu, it said that this was made with the restaurant's ban ban ji chicken and veg. garnishes.  When the bowl arrived, there was a pile of choy sum on one end of the bowl, and a pile of sliced white meat chicken on the other.  Well, I don't quite remember what the ban ban ji chicken was (I should have taken better notes), but I'm sure it didn't mean dry and flavorless -- which is exactly how I found this chicken.  The soup, however, was thick and flavorful, with only a hint of spiciness.

To go along with the ramen I also ordered a side of gyoza (5 pieces, US$4.95).

The gyoza took way too long to come out of the kitchen and when the plate arrived at the table, they were already starting to get cold.  There was just enough filling inside the wrapper, but if you ask me, these seemed a lot like the gyoza that's found in the frozen section of the supermarket.  Average.

On another visit, I decided to try the tonkatsu tan tan ramen (US$8.95).

The broth was the same as the first time (how I wished it were spicier) and the ramen was garnished with both choy sum and chopped leeks.  The piece of tonkatsu was quite big, filling up almost the entire surface of the bowl.  It was still crunchy when the ramen arrived, but I felt it could have been tenderized a bit more -- it was a bit tough when I bit into it.

Being that Goma Tei has only been open for about a week, I feel that they still have time to improve.  If the food stays on course, then they could be in for some real trouble.  While the ramen was quite good (the broth could use a bit more spice), it's the toppings that need a bit of work.  The service was good, but it could have been because it wasn't too busy.  The ramen is a bit expensive though, so I'm still a bit unsure if my initial impression warrants a return visit.

Goma Tei Ramen Restaurant
Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.591.9188

Bistro A Un

For several years now, I've passed by Bistro A Un on my way to CoCo Ichibanya, never giving a second thought to the restaurant that used "shower curtains" as window dressings.  Several weeks ago, however, my curiosity finally got the best of me.  I was walking by with a friend on my way to eat curry, when I decided to stop and read the menu board outside.  There were a number of interesteing, reasonably priced dishes on the menu, so we decided to give this place a chance.

Entering the restaurant, I discovered the place to be empty.  On one side of the room was a bar, on the other, were five or six tables situated along a wall of banquette type seating.  The soft, dim lighting made the inside of the restaurant feel quite relaxing and created the perfect atmosphere for a quiet night out.

Since we had already looked over the menu outside, there were a couple of dishes that we ordered right away.  The first to be ordered, and to arrive at the table, was the omurice with pork cutlet (US$8.75).

Under the egg "omlette" was a pile of fried rice that had been seasoned with ketchup and onions.  A lot of ketchup was also poured on top of the rice, giving it a lot of sweetness.  The tonkatsu (pork cutlet) was crisp and well fried.  Lacking the usual oiliness, the pieces of tonkatsu were also quite tender.

Next to arrive were the crabmeat croquettes (US$4.75).

Crunchy and golden brown, the croquettes arrived in a pool of sauce.  Hot out of the fryer, the creamy insides spilled out after I took my first bite.  Along with the chunks of crab, these were sinful and quite tasty.

Following the croquettes was the eggplant gratin (US$5.50).

Thick pieces of eggplant were first topped with a tomato based sauce and lots of cheese.  The eggplant was baked, resulting in a tender eggplant dish that was savory, gooey (from the melted cheese) and satisfying.

Shortly thereafter, the sautéed spinach with bacon (US$4.75) was brought to the table.

Fresh spinach was sautéed until tender with pieces of bacon.  This dish was a bit oily because it was probably sautéed in the bacon grease, but the spinach was also tender and smokey, just like the bacon.

Shortly after the spinach arrived, came the tofu leaf spring roll with shrimp (US$4.95).

When I saw this coming, I was actually disappointed.  I actually ordered this because I was curious to see what tofu leaf actually meant (it meant yuba).  The crisp and crunchy spring rolls were filled with cabbage and tiny pieces of shrimp.  The rolls were good, but not exceptional.

And finally, our last dish arrived,, the deep fried yakisoba (US$8.95).

I was actually quite interested in seeing how this was going to turn out.  To my eye, it reminded me of cake noodles that we get here.  Pan fried noodles topped with gravy, vegetables and meat.  Ordinary and my least favorite dish.

The food here at Bistro A Un is a bit eclectic, and that's not really a bad thing.  You can enjoy standards, like the omurice with tonkatsu here, or you can enjoy something fusion, like the eggplant gratin.  There really is something for everyone here, and most often, the food is good to better than average.  Although the serving sizes are a bit small, I found the prices to be quite reasonable.  Besides, we like to share, right?  The service is great and the staff is helpful in providing recommendations.  I definitely look forward to visiting Bistro A Un again sometime soon.

Bistro A Un
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 107
Telephone:  808.947.4914

OnJin's Café

Quite some time has passed by since my first visit to OnJin's Café.  Back then, the restaurant was hidden from view by a parking lot that was often gated.  With the surrounding area in the midst of redevelopment, gone is the parking lot and in comes a new street.  OnJin's Café now finds itself located on a busy corner and a lot more accessible to the masses.

I've been to OnJin's Café a number of times over the years, but usually for dinner.  More recently, I stopped by during lunch and found it a bit more relaxing since there weren't too many people here.  The restaurant is bright, clean and spacious with a mixture of dark and light colored wood furnishings.

There is also an outdoor seating area which makes al fresco dining the way to go when visiting for lunch -- as long as the weather is nice.  After placing my order inside, and paying for my meal, I take a seat outside in the "garden".  Here there are fresh herbs growing and I wonder if the basil, rosemary or sage is actually used in the preparation of dishes here.  The only thing that distracts is the traffic beyond the gate.

On a recent weekend visit, I ordered the boolgogi and kimchee sandwich (US$7.25).

Thick, tender slices of Korean-style barbecued meat were piled high atop a toasted onion bun before being garnished with a few pieces of won bok kim chee.  Sliced tomatoes and a crisp lettuce leaf were provided as added garnish for the sandwich while a salad drowning in dressing, a small pile of beans and a couple of crowns of broccoli covered the other half of the plate.  The beef was well flavored being neither too salty nor too sweet.  The kim chee, on the other hand, could have been a lot more fiery. 

On a subsequent visit, I decided to order the Korean style ahi don (US$9.25).

Intrigued by the name of the dish, I was a little disappointed when what was basically an ahi salad was delivered to my table.  Seven slices of sashimi-grade ahi were placed strategically on a combination of chopped romaine lettuce and Nalo greens.  Thin slivers of white radish were piled in the middle before being garnished with a spoonful of kaniko (crab eggs) and a few bits of dried seaweed.  Served with a bowl of brown rice and some spicy kochu jang sauce/dressing on the side, the salad proved to be a light, refreshing, and surprisingly,filling lunch.

Whether you stop by for lunch, or for dinner, the food here at OnJin's Café is sure to be enjoyable.  However, if you are the type of diner that requires constant attention (i.e. constant refilling of water, clearing of dishes, etc.) you should consider dining elsewhere.  On both visits, since I was seated outside, the server only stopped by to deliver my food and beverages to the table.  There was no follow up to ask how my food was, nor did she stop by to refill my iced tea or water.  Good food, mediocre service, and moderate to high prices, does not make OnJin's Café a frequent dining destination.

OnJin's Café
401 Kamakee Street
Telephone:  808.589.1666

Shanghai Bistro

I have been here a couple of times and the food is good, but not exceptional.  I enjoyed this meal on Chinese New Year with a couple of friends (one of them visits this restaurant quite often).  I did not order the food, but the owner of Shanghai Bistro, Li May Tang, prepared this special menu for us.  Cost was US$30.00 per person.

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Located in the Discovery Bay Shopping Center, Shanghai Bistro seems a little out of place with a McDonald's and a Starbucks nearby.  It's by chance that I had the opportunity to dine here on Chinese New Year and I honestly expected there to be more of a crowd -- but there wasn't. 

When we arrived at noon, the restaurant was practically empty.  If I had visited a dim sum restaurant like Fook Lam, Legend, or Panda Cuisine, I can guarantee you that there would have been hordes of hungry people around.  Not so at Shanghai Bistro.  After being seated, I glanced around the room to discover four or five tables occupied in the bright and expansive dining room.

Instead of being brought a menu, owner, Li May Tang approached our table at the front of the restaurant and chatted in Mandarin with one of my friends.  After their little exchange, I was told that she was going to prepare a special menu for us.  Several minutes passed by before the first course arrived.  I don't know what the names of the dishes are, but I'll try my best to describe them.

First up, was a salad that was served in a champagne flute with a long, thin shrimp roll jutting out from it.

The shrimp roll was still hot and the shrimp were fresh and cut into small chunks.  The salad consisted of baby greens and alfalfa sprouts with a bit of spicy thousand island dressing on top.  The dressing made a wonderful "dip" for the shrimp roll and this only had me wondering about what was to come.

Just as I was finishing my salad, the next course arrived at the table.  It was a crispy bacon tofu roll.

A block of tofu is wrapped in bacon, then deep fried until golden brown.  Crisp outside, and mouth meltingly tender inside, this dish was a wonderful contrast of textures and flavors.  Salty bacon, savory dipping sauce, soft tofu and crisp bacon -- this was probably one of the better dishes.

A few minutes later, the house specialty, Shanghai style pork dumplings with broth, arrived.

Thin-skinned wrapper shaped like a rose concealed a tiny bite of minced pork and lots of steaming hot broth.  I carefully picked up one of the dumplings and sucked the broth out from a hole in the top.  Afterwards, I found myself dipping the dumpling into the red vinegar and ginger so I could finish it off. 

As we sat there enjoying the dumplings, our server brought out this -- the Shanghai bamboo cup.

In a "cup" consisting of a length of bamboo, was a bit of clean, fresh tasting broth filled with chicken, pork, mushrooms, ginger and other ingredients.  A palate cleanser, no doubt, but a very warming one.

Next came this dish, the pan fried Dungeness crab with garlic and chillies.

The Dungeness crab was pan fried with lots of minced garlic and chillies.  And although this was probably the most expensive dish served that day, it wasn't the tastiest.  I felt that the crab had been overcooked as the meat in the legs and pinchers was quite dry.  The garlic and chillies, though, were a wonderful addition to the seafood fried rice.

This plate of kung pao chicken arrived at the same time as the crab.

Boneless pieces of chicken were stir fried with sliced garlic, peanuts, dried chillies and some green onions.  This dish was the sweetest, and the spiciest, of all the dishes we had, but it wasn't necessarily the best.  The chicken was moist and tender, though, I wish it had been a bit spicier.

As we were starting to get full, our waiter brought out a bowl of seafood fried rice.

Stir fried with pieces of scallop, shrimp and squid, the rice was a bit tasteless.  It took several spoonfuls of the garlic and chillies from the crab dish to perk this bowl of rice up.  I was kind of surprised that this came at the END of our meal.  I almost feel like it was an afterthought.

For dessert, we were presented with this.

If you asked me what it was, I couldn't tell you.  It's best described as a combination of rice (black rice and glutinous rice), azuki beans, sesame seeds and various herbs.  It was slightly sweet, very sticky, chewy and medicinal in taste.  Interesting, but not something I would have served a guest, nor would it have been something I would have ordered.

The food at Shanghai Bistro has never wowed me.  It's borderline good to mediocre, even though some of the dishes like the garlic butter rice, the crispy bacon tofu rolls and the xiao long pau are better than average.  The food here is a expensive given both the quantity and the quality, while the service leaves much to be desired.  Based on this experience, as well as a few past experiences, I don't think I'll be heading back here anytime soon.

Shanghai Bistro
Discovery Bay Center
1778 Ala Moana Boulevard Suite UL-10
Telephone:  808.955.8668

H & T Burgers

I don't often get out to the Windward side of the island, but when I do, I usually make a stop at Windward Mall.  There isn't really a great selection of stores there, but I do like to stop in for a bite to eat at one of the many small restaurants that one can find there.  One of these is H & T Burgers.

The shop is fairly small with 5 tables along the left side of the shop.  On the right, is the counter where you place your order, tender payment and pick up your food.  Everything is prepared to order (although I think some of the food might be pre-cooked) so it's usually quite fresh.  And even when it's busy, I've never had to wait for more than 5 minutes.  Looking over the menu, I usually skip the plate lunches and head right for the combo meals.  For a decent price, you'll get a burger or hot dog, french fries and a medium drink.  There are four combo meals to choose from...

After I made my selection and paid for my food, I watched as my food was prepared.

This time, I had the teriburger with french fries (US$4.90).

The teriburger is seasoned with teriyaki sauce before being cooked.  The sweet, slightly salty sauce is not as good as what you'll get at W & M, but it's decent.  The french fries were light and crisp and unsalted!

On another occasion, I sampled the chili hot dog with french fries (US$4.90).

The hot dog was a little over done.  It's possible that they don't sell many of these so it was sitting for a while.  The chili was a little spicy, but it tasted like it was from a can, rather than homemade.

The food here is a departure from the usual mall type of eatery (i.e. McDonald's, Pizza Hut, etc.) and the food is decent.  The prices are right, which is why this place is quite popular.  If you do happen to visit Windward Mall and find yourself at H & T Burgers, try the teri fries -- french fries covered with teriyaki sauce.  They are delicious.

H & T Burgers
Windward Mall
46-056 Kamehameha Highway
Telephone:  808.235.1311

The Mandalay

For a while now I've been walking by the old Yong Sing location in downtown Honolulu wondering if that space would ever be occupied again.  Then about 9 months ago, I noticed a bit of activity around the restaurant.  First, the entryway was cleaned -- it actually looked like someone homeless was camped out there.  A few weeks after that, I caught the doors open and it looked like the insides had been gutted.  Shortly there after, I would pass by every now and again to check out the progress.

At the end of June 2005, I visited the Mandalay's booth at the 14th Annual Taste of Honolulu.  After speaking with the owner, Linda Chan, I learned that the restaurant was planning an October opening (if I remember correctly).

Soon, October came and went, and the Mandalay still had not opened.  Then on Wednesday, January 18th, I saw a "Now Open" sign in front of the restauarant as I was walking back to the office from Great Harvest.

[insert photo here]

Interested, I walked in and got a menu.  When I got back to the office, I called the restaurant and attempted to make a reservation for the following evening, only to be told that the restaurant was going to be closed for a private function.  From what I was told by a co-worker that had lunch there that day, the restaurant was closed for an industry party. 

Since I wasn't able to enjoy dinner here on Thursday, I decided to have lunch here on Friday.  Walking up to the restaurant, I noticed a small area dedicated for take out lunches (great idea) which was set off to the side from the main dining room.

[insert photo here]

Looking over the options, I decided to try the dim sum which is noted on a sign right inside the door.  There were two options -- the "A" plate and the "B" plate. 

Since I was hungry, and because I wanted to sample as many items as possible, I decided to try the dim sum plate "B" (US$6.95).

The plate contained one of each of the following (individual photos where necessary):

Steamed sticky rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaf, steamed pork dumpling, steamed BBQ pork bun, deep fried shrimp dumpling, deep fried mixed meat dumpling, mini egg tart in crispy shell & mochi with peanut and coconut.

Here is a photo of the steamed sticky rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaf after it has been upwrapped.

And here is the inside of the steamed BBQ pork bun.

As a whole, this plate of dim sum wasn't very good.  The steamed BBQ pork bun was mostly bun and not enough filling.  What was there was mostly fat.  The deep fried shrimp dumpling was soggy and cold -- almost as if it were sitting on a cart for a long, long time.  The steamed pork dumpling was cold and oily.  I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for a while.  I wish that I had ordered, or brewed, some tea to wash away the oil.  The other two fried items were really oily as well.  The mini egg tart in crispy shell?  Well, it was named incorrectly because the shell wasn't really crispy.  And the steamed sticky rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaf was probably the best thing here, even though the rice was a bit "wet", it was still flavorful and stuffed full of ground chicken and dried shrimp.

After the lackluster experience with the dim sum plate, I decided to go back for something else.  This time, I decided to have something from the hot food station.  I decided on a two choice plate (US$5.95). 

All of the plate lunches are served with white rice, seafood fried rice or gon lo mein.  Since I didn't feel like eating rice, I had gon lo mein with orange beef and stir fried green beans.  The orange beef was overly tenderized and really sweet.  It didn't feel like I was eating meat.  The stir fried green beans were selected because they had just brought a fresh pan out of the kitchen.  The beans were crisp and stir fried with ground pork and dried shrimp.  I really enjoyed these and would have asked for a double order had I known the beef was going to be such a failure.  The gon lo mein, on the other hand, was dry and flavorless.  Some chilli sauce improved the taste a bit, but not enough to make this worthwhile.

After the poor showing during lunch, I am reluctant to visit the Mandalay for dinner.  I've come to two conclusions here.  One, don't order the dim sum for take out.  By the time you get back to the office, it's sure to be cold and nearly inedible.  Maybe the Mandalay should reconsider offering dim sum to take out.  Two, when visiting during lunchtime, make sure you select whatever has just been brought out.  I had a feeling that the gon lo mein and the orange beef had been sitting a while.  The stir fried green beans were a hit because they were freshly made.

Was it worth the wait?  Definitely not and it definitely wasn't worth the cost.  Will there be a next time?  It's hard to tell.  Ask me in a few weeks.

The Mandalay
1055 Alakea Street
Telephone:  808.525.8585

Fook Lam Seafood Restaurant

Several weeks ago I was in Chinatown hoping to have some Taiwanese food for lunch.  As luck would have it, it was a Monday, and K C Kitchen was closed.  I also thought about visiting Season's Ice & Eatery, but remembered that the owners of the shop were out of town for two weeks.  Since I was already in the area, my friend suggested having something to eat here.  After that first visit, I decided to come back again and try a few different things. 

Upon arriving at Fook Lam, I found the restaurant to be crowded.  Stepping inside, I left my name at the counter and was given a little slip of paper with the number 71 on it.  Below that was written the number 2 (for two guests).  After waiting for about 5 minutes, I heard over the loudspeaker "chat yap sat", "qi shi yi", "number 71" -- funny!  At least they gave me three chances to respond.

Once inside, we were seated at a table in the far corner of the restaurant.  This is the crowd at 1:30 pm.  Can you imagine how many more people are here at 11:00 am?

Once seated the carts started coming around to visit.  This one was on it's way and contained mostly fried stuff in the bottom and a number of desserts up top.  See the hungry look on the man in red's face?  And how's the girl with her mouth open.  I think she saw something she wanted.

We chose a few items off the carts and also ordered a few items that are not on the menu.  Let's start with this -- #24. honey tripe (US$1.90).

Sweet and just a little spicy, the tripe retained just enough bite to make this enjoyable.  One thing that I don't usually like about tripe, is that it's most often overdone -- too tender, with not enough texture. That was definitely not the case here.  If you like tripe, you'll definitely like this.

#9.  Chicken feet with black bean (US$1.90).

After the first bite, I couldn't really tell that the chicken feet were braised using black bean sauce.  Instead, the flavorful chicken feet seemed to have been flavored more with chilli and star anise.  Distinctive in flavor, I wish this would have been braised for just a little while longer so the chicken feet would have been just a bit more tender.

#21.  Steamed spinach & scallop dumplings (US$1.90).

Tiny bay scallops and wilted spinach were surrounded by a thin, semi-translucent rice flour skin.  Soft and tender, with just the right amount of filling, these dumplings were nearly perfect.

#33.  Beef look funn roll (US$2.75).

Thick and slippery look funn noodles were wrapped around lots of flavorful minced beef before being topped with sweet soy sauce and a healthy sprinkling of chopped green onions and cilantro.

Pan fried turnip cake with XO sauce (US$4.95).

This dish is actually not on the menu, but they will make it for you if you ask.  Mashed turnips were mixed with flour and dried shrimp before being pan fried until crispy with savory XO sauce.  Garnished with slices of cut red chillies, chopped green onions and cilantro, this was one of my favorite dishes here.  It reminded me of the chai tow kway that I had in Singapore.  All this needed was some of that sweet, dark soy sauce.

Xiao long pau (US$3.80).

Ever elusive, this dish is another that is not on the menu.  Xiao long pau, or pork dumplings with soup, are a rare find on dim sum menus here.  If you know to ask, you'll be in for a treat.  Eat them while they're hot, otherwise, the soup will be absorbed by the skins.  These were nicely filled with ground pork and well flavored with lots of ginger.  The skins could have been a little thinner though.

#43.  Fish rice soup (US$3.95).

Rice soup, or congee, is another favorite of mine, but one that I don't indulge in too often.  Normally, I will have the century egg (pei dan) with pork rice soup, but this time I decided to try something different.  Large chucks of fish were swimming in the bowl of smooth textured rice soup.  Add a little vinegar and a sprinkling of pepper and you're set.

After all that, I still had room for dessert.  I decided to have the red bean jelly (US$1.90).

Cool, refreshing and not at all sweet, this red bean jelly hit the spot.  It's not often that I indulge in dessert after having dim sum, but was so irresistable. 

The dim sum here at Fook Lam is, in many ways, just as good as the dim sum at my favorite place, Panda Cuisine.  The selection of items here is good and the dishes are thoughfully prepared, flavorful and well portioned.  In addition, the service here is better than at most dim sum places and given the quality of the food, the prices are very reasonable. 

Fook Lam Seafood Restaurant
Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 110-112
Telephone:  808.523.9168

Hale Vietnam Restaurant

In the Honolulu Advertiser's annual poll of Hawaii's top restaurants, Hale Vietnam has often been mentioned in the Southeast Asian category.  I have often wondered about this, and a couple of months ago, I had a bowl of pho here and left unimpressed.  Here are the details of that visit, and of one that was more recent.

Hale Vietnam is located on the outer fringes of what I like to call Kaimuki's "restaurant row".  Being on a side street doesn't help with visibility, but word of mouth surely must as the restaurant is always packed full of people.  As you approach the restaurant, you'll notice the distinctive round windows that glow with an otherworldly blue at night (caused by the neon signs).

As expected, I stepped inside the restaurant at 8:45 pm to find most of the tables occupied. 

After looking over the menu, I decided to start with a Vietnamese iced coffee (ca phe sua da, US$3.25).

Shortly after the coffee was delivered, the imperial rolls (cha gio, 6 pieces, US$7.95) arrived.

A filling of ground pork, carrots and taro, among other things, is wrapped in translucent rice paper before being deep fried to a golden brown.  The cha gio is served garnished with some shredded carrots, a few thin slices of cucumber, a mound of rice noodles (bun), some crisp romaine lettuce leaves and a dish of fish sauce (nuoc mam cham).  Perfectly fried, I thoroughly enjoy the roll's combination of textures and flavors.

To go along with the cha gio, I ordered the pho #1 (rare steak, cooked flank, tendon and tripe; medium bowl, US$6.75; large bowl, US$7.75).

First to arrive at the table was the plate of garnishes -- basil, beansprouts, a wedge of lime and some cut green chillies (no ngo gai).  A minute later, the bowl of pho was placed on the table in front of me.  I could tell right away that the broth wasn't hot enough to cook the herbs (it wasn't steaming), so I sent the plate of beansprouts back to the kitchen to be blanched.  After taking a sip of the broth, I realized that there wasn't much of the usual beefy flavor.  Also missing were the underlying, and subtle flavors, of anise, cinnamon and cloves.  And since the soup really wasn't all that hot, the noodles remained clumped together in the bottom of the bowl.  The worst thing, though, was the meat.  There were only four pieces of "rare" beef here, a couple "ribbons" of tripe, five chunks of tendon and couple pieces of really fatty flank steak -- in fact, the flank steak was so fatty that I didn't eat any of it.

On another occasion, I decided to order a dish with rice -- the sautéed lemongrass beef (US$9.50).

The lemongrass beef was served on a bed of steamed rice and garnished with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.  A small bowl of consommé was also served alongside the dish.  Taking a bite, I found the beef to be tough and dry with none of the flavor, or aroma, of lemongrass.  The consommé was quite salty and I left it untouched.

On many of my visits to Hale Vietnam, I have walked out of the restaurant feeling disappointed with the food.  Aside from the cha gio (which are great), the food here is generally bland and it lacks the strong, vibrant flavors that are normally associated with Vietnamese cuisine.  The portion sizes are good, but the prices are high.  So now I'm left wondering if there's any real reason to keep coming back. 

Hale Vietnam Restaurant
1140 12th Avenue
Telephone:  808.735.7581

Greek Marina

It's been a couple of months since I last had Greek food, and although I enjoy it, there aren't very many places here that do it well.  So after I had posted about my visits to The Greek Corner, a reader of this blog sent me an e-mail and asked me to visit Greek Marina.  So after a recent visit to Costco in Hawaii Kai, I decided to stop by Greek Marina for some lunch. 

Greek Marina is located in a small strip mall where you'll find a 24 Hour Fitness and a Yummy's Korean BBQ.  There may be other food places in the general vicinity, but there wasn't anything else that really stood out.  The Greek Marina offers both indoor and outdoor seating and since it was really hot out, I decided to eat in air conditioned comfort.  Since it was 1:00 pm, I thought more people would want to eat indoors, but I guess I was wrong -- I was the only one eating inside.

The white walls were trimmed with bright blue waves, and the furnishings consisted of light wood tables and chairs.  After reviewing the menu, I decided on the gyros plate (US$10.95).

When the plate arrived, I noticed that half of it was covered with salad.  On the other half of the plate, there was a huge pile of gyros and a stack of pita bread (one pita cut into 4 wedges).  The well seasoned and slightly spicy gyros was fork tender, but just a little dry.  The salad was refreshing and covered with just the slightest amount of tangy dressing.  The pitas, while warm and a little crispy around the edges, were just a little too brittle.

About two weeks after the initial visit, I decided to stop by Greek Marina again after running a few errands.  Again it was lunchtime and the restaurant was surprisingly empty.  This time, I was considering either the souvlaki or the Greek steak (if there is such a thing), but instead, I decided to go "healthier" and opted for the chicken gyros (US$10.95).

When the plate arrived, I was really shocked by the presentation.  On the plate where the gyros was last time, was a mangled mess.  The chicken was chopped and shredded, and it looked completely unappetizing.  After the first bite, I declared this a failure.  The chicken was extremely dry and flavorless.  The salad was drowning in dressing and the pita bread was cold.

While I was deciding what I was going to do, out came the side order of falafel (US$5.95) that I had ordered.

Here's a closeup of the falafel.

Garnished with lettuce and sliced tomatoes, the deep fried falafel arrived overdone.  When I tried to bite into the first one, I could have sworn my teeth cracked on the hard exterior.  The inside was moist and tender, but what little flavor was here was obscured by the bitter and burnt tasting "crust".

After the second visit, I left in utter disappointment.  The food here was inconsistently prepared, and expensive -- the quality of the food certainly did not justifying the price I paid.  And although the service was good, it isn't enough to warrant a repeat visit.

Greek Marina
Koko Marina Center
7192 Kalanianaole Highway Unit E-126
Telephone: 808.396.8441

Seasons Ice & Eatery Ltd

This is actually a Taiwanese snack shop located in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza.  Here is a sampling of what's available here.  I've actually tried almost everything on the menu and it's all pretty good.

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Several months ago, I was on my way to meet a friend for lunch at K C Kitchen. On that particular occasion, I parked in a different location and ended up walking past Seasons Ice & Eatery and that's how I discovered this place.  It's kind of funny to think about because both of these places serve Taiwanese food and they are within walking distance of each other.  The atmosphere inside each restaurant is quite different and so is the food. 

As you approach Seasons Ice & Eatery, you'll notice the food photos on the window facing the mall.  The photos do give you an idea on what's on offer here and most of it looks good...especially when I'm hungry.  When I arrived, there were only a couple of people here inside the small shop -- there are only 3 tables (or was it 4?) inside this tiny shop.

There's a small area in the front of the shop which contains a refrigerator full of cold drinks, and a small ice shaver to make some icy treats which are especially good when the weather is hot and humid.  To be honest, I have never had dessert here, only because I'm usually too full after eating all of the delicious food.

If you've been to the Taiwanese restaurants that are in the area, then you're probably familiar with the bright colored strips of paper that adorn the walls -- I've been told that this is the menu.  Now, if I was able to read the Chinese characters, then I'd probably place my order based upon what I read there.  But...

...instead, on the table is a menu covered in tiny photos with the name of the dish in English as well as a number.  You'll soon find out why this is helpful.

You see, on each table is a laminated sheet of paper and a black marker, like what's shown below.  When you're ready, you indicate which dishes you want by writing the number of servings in the little boxes next to the description of the dishes.  Now, it's much easier, in my opinion, to look for numbers rather than the names of dishes and that's why I like the numbering system.  Besides, there should be no confusion with having an incorrect order brought to the table, or an incorrect tab, right?

I often order this combo -- #17. seasoned boiled egg (US$.50) and #18. seasoned tofu square (US$2.00).

The tofu is braised before being topped with some yellow bean sauce and chopped green onions.  The tofu has an interesting flavor, one that I've become accustomed to over the last several months.  The seasoned egg is tasty, but could use a bit more flavor.  Perhaps they could braise it for a longer period of time?

Depending on how hungry I am, I will also order the #12. fried rice noodle (US$2.50).

Thin strands of glass noodles are stir fried with vegetables before being topped with a some minced pork and chopped cilantro.  Despite the low cost, this is the perfect portion size for a light lunch and the flavorful noodles taste even better when a healthy spoonful of chilli is added on top.

More frequently, I will order a bowl of the beef noodle soup or niu rou mien (US$5.50).

The piping hot soup arrives with a ton of noodles floating around in the bowl of beefy broth.  Along with the chunks of lean, tender beef, there's a lot of chopped cilantro and chopped green onions in here as well.  The soup here is almost always a little sweet, and more often, almost never spicy enough.  While "fishing" around in the bottom of the bowl, I discovered one of their "secret" ingredients -- tomatoes!

If I don't feel like having too much starch for lunch, I'll order the above mentioned seasoned tofu and this dish, #7. Meat dumpling with beef soup (US$5.50).

Eight thick-skinned and plump dumplings are found floating around in the same bowl of broth as the signature beef noodle soup.  The slightly sweet flavor of the broth pairs well with the beef and chive filling.  Stuffed until they are almost ready to explode, the dumplings are excellent.

Despite being in the vicinity of the more popular K C Kitchen, Seasons Ice & Eatery definitely holds its own.  The food here in inexpensive and tasty, and the service is great.  Now all that's left is to decide who makes the best niu rou mien.

Seasons Ice & Eatery Ltd
Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 117
Telephone: 808.538.1978

Hakkei

Originally scheduled for an August 2005 opening, permitting delays pushed the grand opening of Hakkei out by 5 months.  I am happy to report that after 5 months of waiting, Hakkei is now open -- the first meal was served on Sunday evening.  Let's just say it was well worth the wait.  I will definitely be back!

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Located on Young Street, near the old main police station, Hakkei occupies the space formerly occupied by Restaurant Kariyushi and more recently by Okinawan restaurant, Hatsune-ya.  Unless you are looking for it, Hakkei will probably be quite difficult to find as it's not really visible from the street.

According to the owner, whom I chatted with briefly, the original Hakkei is located in Okayama, Japan and is actually an onsen ryokan (a hot spring inn).

When I arrived, with a friend in tow, we found the restaurant to be packed full of people.  It's a good thing I decided to make reservations.  Upon providing my name to the gentleman at the door, he quickly led me to the table that was waiting for our arrival.

Since we had reviewed the menu prior to coming here, we already knew what we would be ordering, the "A Course" dinner menu (US$35.00 per person).  Within minutes, the appetizer "set" arrived at our table.

The "set" consisted of three items set on a black lacquer tray.  The dishes were beautiful to look at and even more of a pleasure to eat.  I do not remember the names of these dishes, but I will do my best to provide you with a description.

This first appetizer dish was some boiled vegetables that had been mixed with some fresh tofu (I believe).  The tender vegetables tasted wonderfully when combined with the cheese-like texture of the tofu.

This next appetizer reminded me of chawan mushi.  It was thick and custard-like, as well as smooth and ultra-creamy. 

And finally, some thin strips of gobo (burdock root) and carrots.

Once we had finished our appetizers, we were asked to choose the items for our oden.  On the menu, two kinds per person were included with the dinner set.  Luckily, we were asked to select three choices each.  If you do not get a set dinner, the oden selections are available individually.  Here is the list of oden items including the prices -- the items in bold are the ones we selected:

US$2.20 per piece:
konnyaku (devil's tongue jelly), firm tofu, atsuage (deep fried tofu), chikuwa (cooked fish paste), egg, daikon (Japanese radish) and potato.

US$3.20 per piece:
hirosu (deep fried tofu paste with clams, carrot, mushrooms and gobo), toridango (chicken dumplings), ebidango (shrimp dumplings), ikadango (squid dumplings), goboten (fish paste and gobo deep fried), nankin chiizu rooru kyabetsu (simmered pumpkin with cheese rolled in cabbage) and gyuusuji (beef tendon).

Combined in a beautiful pot with some dashi and vegetables (Chinese cabbage and mizuna), the oden was simmered at the table atop a portable gas burner.  As the dish cooked, the pleasant aroma of the dashi filled the air.  After what seemed like an eternity, it was ready to be eaten.  In no time flat, the contents of the pot were quickly consumed.  Each item was fresh, well prepared and so delicious.  I especially enjoyed the variety of items that we had selected.  Next time, though, I think I'll add on a few items to make this a part of the meal a bit more filling.

To finish off the broth, I normally will order rice to create zosui.  Tonight, I decided that I would sample the udon.  The udon noodles arrived on a plate and I hurriedly pushed them into the simmering broth.  After a couple of minutes, I switched off the burner and allowed them to finish cooking.  The noodles were slippery and quite tender (instead of chewy).  Were they freshly made in house?  I'll have to ask the next time I'm there.

After we had polished off the pot of udon and broth, the table was cleared and the tsukuri (chef's special appetizer of the day) was brought to the table.  The plate was topped with a single leaf of lettuce, a mound of cubed chutoro (fatty tuna) and thin slivers of red onion, daikon, carrots, cucumber, red and yellow bell peppers and some kizami nori.  The fish was definitely fresh and all of the flavors here blended wonderfully.

Finally, he last of the dishes, the nimono (or stewed vegetable), had arrived along with some tsukemono and a bowl of rice.

On the left is the tsukemono -- a few slices of kyuuri no nukazuke (salted cucumber) and some slivers of takuwan (pickled radish).  On the right, is a bowl filled with tender simmered vegetables -- a few pieces each of zucchini, carrots and eggplant.  On top is a ball of pureed kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) that has been covered in something (the name of this eludes me as I write this).

And finally, a bowl of okoge rice.  According to the waitress that delivered the bowls of rice to the table, we were quite fortunate to be able to eat this, and I wholeheartedly agree.  You see, I love okoge rice -- you know, the browned rice that you'll find at the bottom of the pot?  The flavor of the slightly burned bits of rice, combined with the subtle crunchiness and the overall stickiness of the rice makes this enjoyable.

After finishing the bowl of rice, a small flower shaped dish was brought to the table.  Inside, were three thin slices of chewy mochi, a piece of tart pineapple, and a dollop of sweetened azuki beans.  A refreshing end to a relaxing meal.

Hakkei
1436 Young Street Suite 103
Telephone: 808.944.6688

Sekiya's Restaurant & Delicatessen

Sorry, but I will be working late for the next couple of nights so I won't be able to update this post until Thursday or Friday.  But rather than leave you all hanging (especially you Clinton and Kirk)...ENJOY!

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Located across from Kaimuki High School, Sekiya's has been serving local-style homecooked favorites for almost 50 years.  Starting in 1957, generations of locals have grown up eating the food served here, and everytime I visit, I'm reminded of some of my favorite home cooked dishes -- saimin, pork tofu, beef tomato and butterfish nitsuke. 

As you enter the restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is the okazuya counter.  During the day, the warmers are filled with many different dishes that are combined to create your very own "mixed" bento box (plate lunch).  Since I almost always visit at night, this area is usually closed.

Inside, there are a number of booths with can accomodate 3 or 4 dozen people.  Near the "wall of glass" at the far end of the room are a few tables that will accomodate larger parties, and right outside, is a Japanese garden.

The last time I was here, I dined with a friend who lives nearby.  For some reason, my friend had never been here and wondered how the food was.  After we looked over the menu, and place our orders, we sat and waited for the food to arrive.  First to be delivered was a pot of tea, a bowl of rice, a dish of tsukemono and a bowl of miso soup.

When eating a local Japanese restaurants, these are the things that will most accompany your meal.  The miso soup contained cubes of tofu and lots of chopped green onions.  The tsukemono (Japanese pickles) served here consists of salted Chinese cabbage.

Soon after, the hash tempura (6 pieces, US$4.50) arrived at the table, fresh out of the fryer.

Corned beef is mixed with potatoes and various seasonings before being rolled into balls, covered in batter and deep fried.  Piping hot, I took the first bite.  The first thing I tasted were the creamy, slightly sweet potatoes inside.  It was only then that I noticed the lack of actual corned beef.  It was quite surprising that these weren't as good as they usually are.

This was my friend's choice, the oyako donburi (US$7.95).

Slices of onion are cooked with pieces of dark meat chicken in some dashi before the egg is added.  The egg left a little "runny" and is served in a bowl over hot rice to create the donburi.  Here the rendition is pretty straightforward, but I believe they used just a little too much sauce.

Tonight, I decided to sample the nitsuke butterfish (US$13.25, with tofu add US$1.00).

Cubes of tofu were combined with pieces of butterfish in a classic nitsuke "sauce" (flavored with shoyu and mirin among other things).  The "sauce" was well seasoned, and neither too sweet nor too salty for my tastes.  The pieces of butterfish had a very "fishy" aroma and consisted of many small pieces full of bones.  This dish would have been much better had it been prepared using a single butterfish "steak" rather than chopped up, leftover pieces of butterfish.

In my opinion, over the years, the quality of the food at Sekiya's has slipped as the prices have increased.  It has often left me wondering if the changes in ownership has been the cause of this.  Granted, there are quite a number of dishes that remain favorites, but for a few others, there are many other places that serve food that tastes just as good, or better, and are a lot more reasonably priced.

Sekiya's Restaurant & Delicatessen
2746 Kaimuki Avenue
Telephone: 808.732.1656

Wahoo's Fish Taco

Here in Hawaii it seems as though quite a number of Mexican food restaurants have been opening up lately.  Some have met with great success, while others, can be considered mediocre.  It was with great interest that I watched the corner of Ward and Auahi come alive with the construction of a new building that was completed in about 6 months time.  Several weeks ago, tenants finally started to move in.  First, of course, it was a combination Jamba Juice and Starbucks.  Shortly thereafter, came this place, Wahoo's.

Doing a quick search on the internet, I found that this was part of a chain of restaurants that got their start in California more than a decade ago.  Was this going to be another Del Taco, or even worse, a Taco Bell?

When I arrived on a recent weekday, I found myself confronted with a sign upon entering:

"10 minute wait from this point."

Were they trying to tell me that it was really busy and I had to wait, or were they trying to scare me away.  After looking over the menu, which was rather extensive, I paid the cashier and took my number (#29) to the table.

As you can see from this photo here, there was just enough of a crowd for me to believe that I had made the right choice by coming here.  There were quite a number of tables inside, and there were a few that were unoccupied.

After waiting for a little less than the anticpated 10 minutes, my #3 combo, Banzai burrito combination platter (US$9.75) was delivered to my table.

Stuffed with the filling of your choice (I chose blackened fish), Ahee rice, black beans, and sauteed teriyaki veggies (!), this combination sounded much worse than it ended up being.  The combination of the veggies, chunks of fish, rice and black beans, made this an interesting flavor combination. 

Here, take a closer look.

On the one hand, the teriyaki veggies were a bit sweet and mildly salty, while the beans lent a slightly "smoky" flavor to the burrito. The burrito was served on a plate with more Ahee rice and your choice of white or black beans.  Since this was my first time here, I asked for a little of each and have to say that I enjoyed the black beans more.  Next time, though, I'll just order the burrito and skip the rice and beans.  I honestly don't think that I need more carbohydrates in my daily diet.

On a subsequent visit, I decided to start with the chips 'n salsa (US$1.50).

For $1.50, you get a small basket of stale chips and some OK tasting salsa.  This wasn't anything special as the salsa itself wasn't too spicy, and the tomatoes lacked the necessary sweetness.

To go along with the chips and salsa, I decided on the #2 combo, two tacos combination platter (US$7.75).

According to the menu, this is the "bestseller".  It comes with your choice of two tacos (what I had) or two enchiladas, with the filling of your choice (I had one carne asada taco and one flame-broiled chicken taco) and a side of rice and beans (I chose black beans).  It was also served with more of that salsa.

A close up of the carne asada taco.

The taco itself with filled with a few cubes of beef that were a bit tough and quite dry.  There was a light sprinkling of cheese and to top it all off, was a huge handful of lettuce.  The taco was pretty much flavorless even with the addition of some hot sauce and all the salsa that was spooned on top. 

The flame broiled chicken taco, though, fared a bit better.  Here's a close up.

Well-seasoned white meat chicken chunks were flame-broiled before being stuffed inside a flour tortilla.  And although, the chicken was a bit dry, at least it had a lot of flavor.  I added a bit of hot sauce to give it some kick and squeezed a bit of lime over it all to give it some tanginess.

When I first walked into Wahoo's, I actually thought it was going to be an upscale taco shop.  Instead, what I walked into was all looks and not enough substance.  Combine the wait time, the mediocre food, and the premium prices and what's left is a place that I probably won't be revisiting any time soon.  In fact, I would much rather pay a little less and get a little more at Maria Bonita's or even Diego's. 

Wahoo's Fish Taco Hawaii
Ward Gateway Center
940 Auahi Street
Telephone:  808.591.1646

Ichi-Ryu Noodle House

If you'll believe me, I'll tell you that it's been a little cooler than normal around here lately. Because of this, I've been eating lots of soups and soupy noodle dishes -- saimin, won ton noodle, pho and ramen.  About a week or so ago, I went out for a bowl of noodles at Ichi-Ryu.

Located about 5 minutes drive from my apartment, Ichi-Ryu is located on the corner of South King and Pensacola right across the street from McKinley High School and down the block from Bac Nam.  Inside, a small television sits atop a refrigerator and a set of curtains separates the dining area from the kitchen.  And most times, when I am driving by this place, I peer inside and find that all of the 14 seats around the oddly shaped counter are occupied.

On the night I was here it wasn't too bad.  There was a couple to my left, enjoying a couple of bowls of noodles, and on my right, this man and his son sharing split a bowl between the two of them.

After looking over the menu and placing my order, I was given a small dish of kim chee.  By the way, am I the only one who noticed that quite a few ramen shops are run by Koreans?  I enjoy this because I like to add the kim chee to the ramen.

About 5 minutes later, my piping hot bowl of won ton ramen (US$5.50) was set down on the counter.

A half dozen, thick-skinned won ton floated in a shoyu based soup.  The soup had just a little too much shoyu in it, which made it too salty.  The won ton had just a small amount of ground pork filling, but there was quite a bit of ginger mixed in and that made the won tons quite enjoyable.  To round out the garnishes was a slice of kamaboko (fish cake), chopped green onions, lots of thin stips of nori and a thick slice of lean, Japanese-style chashu.

To go along with my ramen, I ordered the gyoza set (4 pieces, US$1.50).

Cooked using the traditional steam-frying method, the gyoza had a tender skin and just the right amount of ground pork filling.  Again, like the won ton, the homemade gyoza was seasoned with a lot of ginger which gave them a wonderfully sweet-spicy flavor.

On a previous visit here, I had the chicken katsu donburi (US$6.00).

The bowl that this was served in was a lot smaller than the bowl the ramen came in, but I have to say that this was the perfect portion size.  I was satisfied, but not stuffed.  There were a few pieces of chicken katsu mixed in with egg, then topped with a slice of kamaboko and a small pile of benishoga (red pickled ginger).  I found that there was a bit too much sauce on this and I also felt that it could have been cooked a little longer.  The rice ended up being really wet -- almost like sauce was poured over it.

A cozy neighborhood noodle shop that serves decent food with prices to match -- who could ask for anything more?  In addition to all of the above, the service is better than average and the food was delivered piping hot in just about 5 minutes.  I guess that's why this place is crowded everytime I pass by.  I'm just hoping that the next time I'm here, I can snag a space at the counter without having to wait.

Ichi-Ryu Noodle House
1103 South King Street
Telephone:  808.591.8033

Genki Sushi

I'm not really one to visit "robot" sushi places as I think I'm a little old fashioned.  You see, I like to be able to interact with the guys behind the sushi counter -- talk to them about what's fresh, and most of all, find out what they enjoy.  This was my first ever visit to Genki Sushi, and let's just say that it might not be my last.

A couple of weeks ago, after spending a few hours at the mall, I was asked if I was hungry.  When I said yes, my friends asked if I had ever been to Genki Sushi.  Well, once they discovered that I had never eaten there, they told me that I didn't know what I was missing.

When we arrived, it was about 8:15 pm, and there were a few people there.  It was strange to see the plates of sushi going round the room on a little conveyor belt. 

What I didn't know at the time was that you could actually "order" sushi off the menu.  There were quite a number of choices available here -- much like you'd find in any sushi bar, except at 1/3 to 1/2 the price!  The prices start at US$1.35 for a "gold" plate, US$1.90 for a green one, US$2.45 for a red one, US$3.60 for a silver plate, and the most expensive plates, the "black" ones, are US$4.40.  This sort of tiered pricing system can either work for you or against you.  As you can see in the picture below, the items are pictured in the corresponding "plate" section of the menu so you know what to look out for on the conveyor belt.

Tobikko (green, US$1.90).

Vegetable croquette (gold, US$1.35).

Inari (gold, US$1.35).

Ahi (tuna; red, US$2.45).

Chicken karaage (red, US$2.45).

Shishamo (river smelt; gold, US$1.35)

Ebi (shrimp; green, US$1.90).

Dragon roll (silver, US$3.60).

The photos above represented a small sample of what we actually ate.  As you can see below, we enjoyed a few more dishes that were not photographed.

While the sushi here may not be of the best quality, the ingredients seemed fresh and some of the items sampled were just as good as any that I've had elsewhere -- the chicken karaage and the vegetable croquette come to mind.  The sushi is worth the price and now that I know about ordering from the menu, I'll be sure to visit again.

Genki Sushi
885 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.735.7700

Zaney's Restaurant

Located in the space previously occupied by New Century Chinese Restaurant, and the extremely short lived Welcome Inn Café, Zaney's is a somewhat unique player amongst the Asian food establishments that one would normally find in the area.  Situated on the ground floor of the Smith-Beretania Apartment building, Zaney's is far enough away from the heart of the business district to make a visit here a planned event.

Inside, the restaurant spacious and furnished simply with large number of tables and chairs.  The menu is located right above the entrance to the kitchen, and each day is marked with the dozen or so items that are on offer for that day.

On one of my many visits here, I ordered the mini garlic chicken with brown rice and tossed salad (US$4.00; regular US$5.75).

To prepare the garlic chicken, pieces of boneless chicken thighs are battered and deep fried until they are golden brown and crunchy.  They are then tossed in a garlic-shoyu sauce which is sweet, salty and just a little spicy.  Though they were well coated with sauce, the pieces of chicken still had quite a bit of crunch to them.

On other ocassions, I've also ordered the hamburger steak (regular US$5.75; mini US$4.00).  The regular plate comes with two scoops rice and one scoop macaroni salad.

To be quite honest, this really isn't like local style hamburger steak at all.  In fact, it reminds me more of the salisbury steak that you'd find in the freezer section of you local grocery store -- you know, like those in the Hungry Man type of TV dinners.

On other ocassions, I've had the beef stew and the beef curry, both of which had lots of beef, tender carrots and potatoes, and thick gravy.  The only thing that made those dishes less than stellar was the amount of flour/cornstarch used as a thickening agent.

The garlic chicken is the stand out here at Zaney's.  In my opinion, it's probably some of the best garlic chicken around.  The other dishes here are a bit hit and miss, but aren't really too bad -- especially if you take the portion size and price into consideration.  Give it a try, you're bound to find something there to like.

Zaney's Restaurant
1170 Nuuanu Avenue Suite 102
Telephone:  808.523.3380

Eastern Paradise Restaurant

I don't often eat at "new" Chinese restaurants, preferring to stick to my tried and true favorites.  Tonight, I didn't even intend to eat Chinese food, but was coaxed into it by a friend, when the Italian place that I wanted to eat at was already closed. 

Several months ago, I visited a Northern Chinese restaurant called The Mandarin.  Since I wasn't too impressed with the meal that I had there, I actually refrained from visiting any Chinese restaurant that identified itself as being Northern Chinese.  I did receive a few recommendations for this place, Eastern Paradise, after that review and although I was reluctant to eat here, I was also quite curious.

Near the corner of South King Street and Keeaumoku Street, Eastern Paradise is located at a very busy intersection.  I often drive by this place and have noticed, on more than one occasion, that the restaurant consistently drew a nice sized crowd.  When we pulled up to the restaurant for dinner, we found the place more than two-thirds full at 8:15 pm.

After looking over the menu without a clue as to what to order, I asked the waitress for a bit of direction.  She was quite helpful in explaining some of the dishes and even threw in a recommendation.  Once my order was placed, I sat back and waited.  A couple minutes later, she delivered this plate of kim chee.

Slightly sweet, a bit spicy, and quite tangy (?), this kim chee could have been served at a number of Korean restaurants around the city. 

The first dish to arrive at the table was this one, the hot and spicy garlic chicken (US$9.95).

Boneless pieces of chicken were deep fried until lightly browned.  Prior to serving they were tossed in a wok with some garlic, crushed chillies and some chopped green onions before being served.  The chicken arrived at the table steaming hot, and slightly crisp.  While the slightly sweet flavor of the garlic was balanced by the gentle heat of the crushed chillies, I was expecting a lot more heat, and a little more flavor.

The next dish to be brought to the table, was a vegetable dish that was recommended by the waitress, the Northern style vegetables deluxe (US$8.95).

The vegetables included were mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, Chinese peas and bamboo shoots.  Stir fried with a little too much oil, this dish was well prepared and flavorful, with the vegetables maintaining their bright, fresh texture. 

The final dish was the Mongolian beef (US$9.95).

Served on a bed of fried rice noodles, thin slices of tender beef were supposed to be sautéed with green onions and red peppers.  And although there were quite a few green onions here, I didn't see any red peppers in this dish, so perhaps they ran out of them.  The beef was quite lean and sweet, and not the least bit spicy.  This dish was good, but could have been much better had it been spiced up a bit.

As you can see by the photo below, none of the dishes were really wasn't spicy enough for me.  Chilli, anyone?

Even though the food here wasn't what I expected taste wise, I thought the dishes were quite well prepared.  They could have used a little more flavor and spiciness, but that wouldn't stop me from trying more of the dishes here.  The service here was excellent.  Even though the restaurant was busy, and it was nearing closing time, the wait staff was helpful and didn't try to rush us into finishing our dinners.

Can anyone recommend dishes for my next visit?

Eastern Paradise Restaurant
1403 South King Street
Telephone:  808.941.5858

Poke Stop

I have to mention before going on with this review that Elmer Guzman and his wife, certainly are personable people.  When I walked into the shop, a several weeks ago, Elmer greeted me and asked me if it was my first time there.  When I said that it was, he proceeded to walk me through the layout of the store, explain the menu board, and the lists of specials.  I found this quite impressive.

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Located in the Waipahu Town Center, Poke Stop has been open for about five months now and has been on my "to visit" list since then.  Recommended by Gail and Fran over at Hawaii Diner, and Jupiter over at Nattokun, it was just a matter of time before I made my way to this gourmet plate lunch and seafood shop.

Upon entering the shop, I was greeted by owner, Elmer Guzman.  He asked if I had ever been to the shop before, to which I responded, "No."  He was quick to point out the fresh fish and seafood, on the right side of the shop.

Slightly to the left of the door way was the poke selection.  And in between, were some cold items (sorry no photo).

As I looked around the tiny shop, the locations of the various menus were pointed out.  The regular menu was posted along the left wall, while the daily specials were posted on a white board above the kitchen's stainless steel range.

Here was the specials board on the day I visited.

I was so tempted to order the fried garlic blue crabs, but decided to have the Poke Stop surf and turf with Puna's potato salad (US$9.00) instead.

One scoop of white rice, one scoop of Puna's potato salad, a piece of kalbi and three huge shrimp (prawns) were staring at me in the face when I opened up the styrofoam container.  Chunks of red potato were mixed with some mayonaisse and secret seasonings to make this potato salad an excellent alternative to a plate lunch's usual macaroni salad.  The kalbi was tender, with a sweet shoyu based marinade.

And the shrimp?  Take a look for yourself...

Pan fried and well seasoned, this was so much better than your average peel-and-eat shrimp.  It was more like "peel-eat-suck-the-shells-and-want-more" kind of shrimp.  I don't know what he used in the marinade, but I can tell you that after eating these shrimp, I won't even give Giovanni's scampi another thought.

A friend who came along for the ride (and for lunch), had the Shoreline Chef bento with tossed greens (US$11.00)

This "bento" contained tossed greens, one scoop rice, Casian (Cajun-Asian) island fish, furikake salmon and two pieces of that tasty garlic shrimp.  I didn't get to taste any of this, even though I paid for it, but I was told that everything was expertly prepared.

When asked about the food here, yeah, I could say it was a little pricy.  I could also say that the portions were a little small too.  In the end, only taste matters, right?  Most often times, I feel you get what you pay for.  In this instance, what I paid for was friendly interaction with a chef who knows what it takes to make people happily satisfied, a tasty satisfying meal that made me feel full (not stuffed) and a desire to visit again...hopefully it will be soon.

Poke Stop
Waipahu Town Center
94-050 Farrington Highway Space E-4
Telephone:  808.676.8100

XO Seafood Restaurant

This review is a "first taste".  XO Seafood Restaurant only recently opened and when I stopped by with a friend, the dish that I had wanted to try, was already sold out.  The restaurant is clean and the interior is unlike most Chinese restaurants that you're likely to encounter here. 

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Located at the former Dunkin' Donuts site across from the Hawaii Convention Center, XO Seafood Restaurant opened quietly within the last couple of weeks.  I stumbled upon this place, by accident, while driving down Kapiolani Boulevard on the way home from shopping at Ala Moana.  I called a friend, who quickly came down to meet me for dinner.

Since it was already 9:00 pm, I wasn't surprised to find very few diners in the back of the restaurant where I was seated.  There was a nice sized crowd up front though, and by the time my friend arrived, I had looked over the menu and decided on a dish to order.  Sadly, when I made an attempt to order one of the house specialties, the Mongolian lamb ribs, I was told that they were already sold out for the day.

Not one to give up, I looked over the menu a while longer before making my selections.  The first dish to arrive, about 15 minutes later, was the crispy sweet and sour fish fillet (US$8.00).

Pieces of fish were battered and deep fried until golden brown.  They were served on a plate that had been coated with sweet sour sauce.  Taking the first bite, I discovered that the pieces of fish weren't crunchy at all, even though they were still extremely hot.  The sauce was thick, gooey and extra sweet with almost no sourness to be found.

When we were three quarters of the way done with the fish, the next dish arrived at the table -- Chinese broccoli stir fry with crispy fish chips (US$8.00).

Now when I saw this on the menu, I thought it sounded interesting.  I was more curious about the crispy fish chips than anything else.  When the plate had finally made it to the table, I discovered a mix of broccoli AND Chinese broccoli (gai lan).  When I questioned the server, he told me that they didn't have enough Chinese broccoli to provide me with a full serving.  After eating a few of the "woody" stems of Chinese broccoli, I happened upon a few "burnt" tasting crispy fish chips, which were no more than flattened pieces of dried fish that had been fried.

And finally, the last dish that we ordered was the three flavor chicken casserole (US$9.00).

Arriving just as were finishing the two previous dishes, this dish arrived at the table in a small pot. We were served the equivalent of approximately 1/2 a small chicken  and there were bones here that had been crushed to tiny pieces, making this dish a challenge for us to eat.  Flavored with soy sauce, whole cloves of garlic and lots of fresh basil, I throughly enjoyed the flavors of this dish, even though I found it salty.

Even though there were lots of employees around the restaurant, the service was quite slow.  Food took a long time to come out from the kitchen, and water was refilled only once during the hour we spent there.  The food seemed a bit average overall -- some of it was overcooked, some of it was undercooked, and some of it was over seasoned.  All in all, this time around, I was slightly disappointed. 

XO Seafood Restaurant
1718 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.942.2020

Pae Thai Restaurant

About ten years ago, I ate at a Thai restaurant that was in the same location that is now occupied by Pae Thai.  I can't recall if the restaurant was actually called Pae Thai then, but I do know that the food was decent and worth a return visit.  Since this place is right near my apartment, I frequently passed by the restaurant without actually stopping to eat there. But one evening, not too long ago, I decided to satisfy my curiosity and stopped in for dinner with a friend.

Upon entering the dimly lit restaurant, the first thing I noticed were the colorful paintings on the wall that were ringed with rope lights.  Below the painting on the left hand side of the photo is a small waterfall and pond!  The restaurant was spacious and clean and just barely occupied at about 9:00 pm (yes, it was late).

After looking over the menu, I decided to start with the combination appetizer plate (US$11.95). 

This appetizer sampler included 3 spring rolls, 3 fish cakes and mountain of mee krob in the middle.  The spring rolls, which were stuffed with chicken, vermicelli, mushrooms and other vegetables, were hot and crunchy when they arrived.  Served with a side of sweet/sour dipping sauce, I enjoyed these because they were well drained and mostly oil free.  The mee krob, which is a crispy fried rice noodle, was supposed to have been stir fried with garlic, green onions, tofu, chicken and bean sprouts.  Instead, it arrived doused in way too much of the overly sweet chilli sauce rendering the noodles a bit soggy and with just a few  bean sprouts to be found.  And finally, we arrive at the tod mun pla, or fish cakes.  Normally, these fish cakes are seasoned with kaffir lime leaves and are served with a cucumber relish.  The small, rubbery fish cakes were lacking any of the kaffir lime leaves' fragrance and the cucumber relish was nowhere to be found.

After the slight disappointment with the appetizers, I was hoping to fare a little better with the Pae Thai ong choi salad (US$10.95).

Described on the menu as a "signature selection", I was hoping that this dish would prove to be a worthy selection.  When it arrived at the table, I was a little surprised to see the dish "garnished" with four deep fried ong choi leaves.

Have a closer look. 

This dish was a combination of seafood (squid and shrimp) and chicken that had been stir fried with lemongrass, red onions, tamarind juice and cashew nuts.  There were some cut red chillies, some chopped green onions and some chopped cilantro here as well.  After taking the first bite, I found the dish similar in texture to a favorite of mine -- larb.  The combination of flavors was interesting and familiar, yet different and well balanced, making this the most enjoyable dish of the evening.

The last dish to arrive at the table is one that I usually order at any Thai restaurant that I visit -- green curry with beef (US$8.50).

When the dish of curry was placed on the table, I found it odd that I couldn't detect any of the usual fragrance that is so common with green curry.  The curry was thick, and full of beef and eggplant.  There was just the slightest hint of coconut milk here and there was a small scattering of basil leaves throughout the dish.  The curry lacked the depth normally found in most curries and it certainly lacked the subtle flavors that make this one of my favorites.

The food here at Pae Thai is good in some instances and average in others.  The service here was good, and the food arrived quickly at the table.  The prices are in line with what you'd pay at a similar restaurant and I probably would come here again, if only for the ong choi salad.  There were a few other items on the menu that I was curious to try, and the next time I'm here, I'm going to have to remember to choose my dishes wisely. 

Pae Thai Restaurant
1246 South King Street
Telephone:  808.596.8106

Bangkok Chef

Housed in what looks to be a converted garage, Bangkok Chef, is a spot that is unknown to many.  It's located on Nuuanu Avenue, in a row of shops right alongside a small strip mall.  Parking is a bit of a problem here, especially since you're parking in three tightly compacted spaces on the section of real estate that's known as a sidewalk. 

Tipped off by a co-worker about 6-months ago, I finally had the chance to visit Bangkok Chef for myself.  When I pulled up to the shop, it seemed to me like serving Thai food was not part of the original plan as evidenced by the sign announcing that this was the Nuuanu Open Market.

Once inside, on the left side of the shop, you'll find a few produce items, as well as a some spice mixes and canned goods, and a refrigerated case filled with beverages and dairy items.  At the far end of the shop, you'll notice the counter where the orders for the food are taken and payment is made.

When I stopped by on a recent weekend, there were a number of customers inside the cool airy space enjoying their mid-afternoon meals.  After looking over the menu, and learning that they were sold out of sticky rice, I decided to order the pad thai (US$4.75).

According to the menu, the pad thai noodles were stir fried with a house special sauce and contained egg, chicken and tofu.  Once the frying was done, the dish was topped with a handful of bean sprouts, some sections of green onion and a light dusting of crushed peanuts.  The noodles were quite mildly flavored, which made them refreshing to eat.  The texture of the noodles was different too, they were chewy rather than "tender" -- almost cooked al dente if you will.

For dessert, I had the tapioca pudding (US$1.25).

Served warm, tender tapioca pearls were swimming in lots of coconut milk that had been sweetened with palm sugar.  I found this dessert to be just a little too sweet for me, but it was perfectly portioned.  Maybe I should have enjoyed this with some coffee.

On a subsequent visit, I had intended to try the green curry, but unfortunately, they were again sold out of sticky rice.  Instead, I decided to try the basil chicken with jasmine rice (US$4.75).

Tender slices of chicken were stir fried with fresh basil, bamboo shoots and cut red chillies, then seasoned with oyster sauce.  Served in a styrofoam container with half a plateful of jasmine rice, made this one huge meal.  And while I found this dish to be thoughtfully prepared, I think they could either cut down on the fish sauce, or the oyster sauce -- it was much too salty for me.

Since I had the tapioca last time, I decided to try the one remaining dessert item on the menu, the gluay buad chee (US$1.50).

Served warm, this dessert consisted of apple-banana chunks simmered in coconut milk sweetened with palm sugar.  The bananas had remained firm and had just enough bite to them for me to enjoy this.  Unlike the tapioca dessert, the sweetened coconut milk helped to balance out the flavors of the tart bananas.

Bangkok Chef seems to be quite a popular weekend lunch spot.  On both occasions, when I visited at lunchtime, there seemed to be a steady stream of customers flowing in and out of the restaurant.  With great service, great prices and decent food, who wouldn't want to eat here.

Bangkok Chef
1626 Nuuanu Avenue
Telephone:  808.585.8839

Maria Bonita's Authentic Mexican Food

Lunchtime dining options in downtown Honolulu rarely rise above the fast food joints, or the usual Asian fare that's found in Chinatowns across the country.  There are a few power lunch spots, Indigo and Che Pasta come to mind, and a few Italian places to be found, but for the most part, the options, though great, are quite limited.  When Maria Bonita's opened several months ago, I was happy, but also quite skeptical.  What in the world is a Mexican restaurant doing here?

The sign announcing the shop declares this to be authentic Mexican food and the gorgeous photos of the dishes lining the windows in front, makes sure that your mouth starts watering before you find your way inside.

The inside of the restaurant is spacious, with a few booths available for customers who want to eat in.  There is no lighting or air conditioning inside, but the place is clean and has a homey feel.  When I arrived for a very late lunch (3:00 pm), there was no one here.  Lucky me!

After looking over the menu, 13 regular menu items and a couple of specials, I decided to order the #6 -- taco salad plate (US$7.00; ala carte US$5.00).  The taco salad, as well as most of the other menu items, comes with your choice of meat -- shredded chicken, carnitas pork, shredded beef, asada beef (steak), or ground beef -- or veggies (grilled green and red peppers, onions, tomatoes and zucchini).  On this particular occasion, I chose the shredded beef.

A crisp fried flour tortilla was lined with beans and shredded beef, then topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and cheese.  It was further garnished with some chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream and served on a plate with some rice and refried beans.  How does this look?

The crunchy taco shell, crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes proved to be the perfect compliment to the shredded beef.  Fork tender and well seasoned, the shredded beef used here were more like the chunks of beef found in beef stew.  The refried beans and fluffy rice added just the right touch to round out the meal.

On a subsequent visit, I decided to have the #1 -- tacos (2) plate (US$7.00; ala carte US$5.00).  Again, I chose the shredded beef.

This time I was smart.  I actually snapped a photo of the shredded beef that's used in all the dishes.  Have a look at the chunks of beef that were in this taco.

On my most recent visit, just a couple of days ago, I didn't have time to eat in, so I decided to bring lunch back to the office.  This time, I had the #8 -- burrito plate (US$7.50; ala carte US$5.50).  I was leaning towards the carne asada, but instead, had the shredded beef.  What is it with me?  I guess I'm just a creature of habit. 

The flour tortilla wrapped burrito is filled with rice, beans, and shredded beef.  In addition, there is just a sprinkling of lettuce, tomato, onion, cilantro and cheese.

The flavors of these dishes are similar, with the dishes only being different in their presentation.  The food here is excellent and the service is quick.  On the day that I ordered my food to go, it took all of 5 minutes for me to order, settle the bill, and collect my food.  Even though the prices may seem a bit high, they are in line with what you'd expect to pay at other Mexican eateries around town.

Maria Bonita's
15 North Hotel Street
Telephone:  808.536.6185

Kohnotori

I thought that I would do this post and the one for Imanas Tei together since this restaurant is located right next door.  If this place was never mentioned to me by one of my readers, I would have never thought that it was a different restaurant.  But then again, I never really paid any attention because there are always people loitering in front of both places.

After entering the restaurant, you'll notice a counter area to the left, with a charcoal (?) grill towards the back, while straight ahead, and off to the right, were a few tables.  When I arrived, there were a couple of seats open at the counter, but I chose a table right inside the front door so that I could get a good view.  Not being too familiar with the restaurant or the items it served, when I was handed a menu, I immediately thought izakaya or yakitoriya.  Anyone know?

Being that this was my first time here, I decided to sample a few of the grilled, skewered items (kushiyaki).  Here are the ones that I ordered:

Sasami (chicken breast) with ponzu (US$1.60).

Clean and lightly seasoned, and a little dry (I guess because it was white meat), but the citrus-based ponzu sauce gave this a refreshing flavor.

Tori (chicken, US$1.20). 

Boneless pieces of dark meat chicken coated in a sweet shoyu-based glaze.  The chicken was moist and flavorful, but I would have preferred if it sat on the grill a bit longer and was a bit "charred".

Chicken back (US$1.80).

Boneless pieces of chicken seasoned lightly with just a little salt.  I somehow expected the back meat to be "different", but I enjoyed it with a light spritz of lemon.

Tsukune (US$1.40).

A ground chicken "meatball" that was lightly coated with a little of the sweet soy-based glaze and served with a dab of mustard on the side.

I wanted to order the negima (chicken and leeks), the tebasaki (chicken wings), nankotsu (chicken pieces with cartiladge) or the sunagimo (gizzards), but thought I would save those for my next visit.

Instead, I decided to order something a little more substantial -- the liver and chives (US$4.40).

Chicken livers were stir fried bean sprouts and chives, and seasoned with, what I presumed to be, a soy-based sauce.  The tender livers proved to be an interesting contrast to the crunchy beansprouts and the overall flavor was savory and slightly smoky.  I wondered to myself if this dish, or at least the livers, had been cooked on the charcoal grill as well.

After all of that, I decided to end my meal with a bowl of ramen (US$4.80).

This was a small bowl of shio ramen (salt based broth) that had been simply garnished with a square of nori, one quail egg, a piece of okra and some chopped green onions.  The broth was clear and light, with just the faintest hint of saltiness.

Kohnotori
2626 South King Street Suite 1
Telephone:  808.941.7255

Imanas Tei

Sorry folks.  I guess it's time for me to finish up this post.  I have been quite busy lately, but it's no excuse.  Please accept my apologies.

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Here are the details of my latest visit to Imanas Tei.  I've been here off and on over the last couple of years and have yet to be disappointed.  Imanas Tei is located in the same spot that was occupied by Apple Motoring so many years ago.  If you don't know where it is, you might just pass right by it -- it's not easily seen from South King Street as it's set a good 50 yards back from the street.

Inside Imanas Tei, you'll find a sushi bar to the left of the entrance.  At the front of the main dining area you'll find screened off section with seating on the floor (tatami mats) at low tables.  I believe two parties of four can sit there.

The main dining area consists of a curved table in the middle of the room surrounded by several tables for four.  The light wood furnishings and dim lighting make for a relaxed atmosphere.

Since I was in the mood for some chanko nabe, I decided to invite a couple of friends.  Luckily, when we arrived at 9:30 pm, there was only a five minute wait for a table.  After placing our order for the chanko nabe (US$18.50 per order, minimum two orders) we sat back and waited.

About five minutes later, our waitress returned with a hot plate, a huge pot, a pitcher of dashi (broth) and a huge platter of ingredients for the chanko nabe.  She started by pouring the dashi into the pot.  After the dashi started to bubble, she slowing started preparing "meatballs" by scraping some a ground pork mixture from a bamboo tube into the hot dashi.  The meatballs were made with ground pork, ginger and green onions among other things.

After she had finished with the meatballs, she expertly placed all the remaining ingredients into the pot.  How she fit it all in there is beyond me.  The ingredients included salmon, king crab, clams, scallops and shrimp; won bok (Chinese cabbage), watercress, green onions, gobo (burdock root) and mushrooms; long rice, tofu, aburage (fried tofu) and sliced mochi; sliced beef and pieces of chicken.  I hope I didn't forget anything.

As the aroma of the simmering food started to rise from the pot, we got anxious, even though we knew we had to wait.

Finally, after 15 minutes, everything was cooked perfectly and it was time to eat!

The dashi was lightly flavored with bonito and shoyu.  It had a slightly sweet, savory flavor that combined wonderfully with the all additions to the pot, soaking up the flavors of the meat and seafood.  This hearty "stew" was at once warming and comforting, with the freshness of the ingredients playing a big part in my overall satisfaction with this.

After we had finished eating everything that was in the pot, our waitress came back and asked if we wanted to finish off the dashi with either rice or udon.  We chose to have this made into zosui (rice porridge).  First, she skimmed the broth to make sure we had eaten everything.  Then she added a little more dashi and a large bowl of rice to the pot and started stirring things around.

Add a bowl of whisked eggs, stir a bit more and it's done.

Ladle the zosui into individual bowls, top with some kizami nori and eat!

Zosui is a Japanese-style rice porridge, with the rice being similar in texture to jook (Chinese rice soup), and with a flavor that is reminiscent of risotto.  The rice soaked up all of the flavorful dashi that was in the pot making this a tasty end to a wonderfully filling meal.  This was so good, that I ended up eating two bowls!

Since the three of us split two portions of chanko nabe for dinner, we each had a bowl of green tea ice cream (US$2.50) for dessert.

Cool, sweet and refreshing, this was a tasty end to a great meal.

Imanas Tei
2626 South King Street
Telephone:  808.941.2626

Cho Dang Restaurant

One evening a couple weeks ago, I was driving around town trying to find a place to have dinner.  By some stroke of luck, I came upon Cho Dang Restaurant.  I would have to say that it's pretty new since I haven't seen it on my previous visits to either Kaffee Imperial or The Mandarin. 

Stepping into the brightly lit shop, I notice that it's small and cramped.  There are only six tables inside with the two of them being occupied -- one by a group of Korean women and the other, by a solitary diner (like myself).

After I browsing the menu, I made my selection and waited for the food to being arriving.  Like with any other Korean restaurant in town, what arrives first are the small dishes of ban chan.  Here, there were six dishes presented, in contrast to the usual 8 to 10 dishes that are commonly served at most other places.

Bordering on the sweet, savory side of the spectrum were the slices of marinated lotus root and the thickly sliced potatoes.  On the spicy side, there was only the dish of Chinese cabbage kim chee.  The other dishes were standard fare -- mung bean sprouts, seaweed and chap chae.

As I started to eat my way through the ban chan, the beef soon dubu (US$6.24) was brought to the table.

Arriving at the table hot and bubbly, the small pot was filled with lots of tofu and beefy, spicy broth.  The soon dubu was topped with just a small sprinkling of chopped green onions, and again, I have yet to see the raw egg that customarily accompanies this dish.  Althought there was a lot of tofu in this dish, most of it was "firmer" than I was used to.

To go along with my soon dubu, I decided to have the fried rice with kimchee & beef (US$6.99).

A mound of kim chee fried rice was topped with a fried egg that had been decorated with a thin drizzling of ketchup.  Here, have a closer look at the fried rice.

The rice used was a bit too "fresh" (if that's the word I want to use) and caused the rice to be a little too "tender".  The kim chee gave the rice the necessary spicy-sourness and added some crunch as well.

On top of all that, I decided to add an order of meat jun (US$5.99).

When the plate arrived, I was a little shocked.  There was so much meat jun here (three pieces) that I knew I wouldn't be able to come close to finishing it all. 

To prepare this dish, thinly sliced beef is first marinated in a sweet soy-based sauce, then it's dipped in egg and pan fried.  Ideally, the layer of egg should be thin and slightly "crispy" -- there should also be a slight separation between the egg and the beef.  While there was a lot of food here on the plate, I found the meat jun to be just a little too sweet for my tastes, but enjoyable nonetheless.

With large portions, great prices and tasty food, this is another restaurant that will be added to my "visit frequently" rotation.  Though the food wasn't prepared exactly to my liking, there wasn't anything here that would stop me from coming here again.  The service was better than average with the waitstaff being attentive and the food arriving quickly.  Oh, and by the way, there was a lot to choose from on the menu.

Cho Dang Restaurant
725 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.591.0500

Double Eight (88) Chinese Restaurant

Chinese restaurants in downtown Honolulu are a dime a dozen.  It was surprising that I had never eaten at this restaurant before, especially since it's right across the street from one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants, Pho 97.  I came here for dinner one night with a friend after we both finished work at a very late hour.  It was raining and I was really craving some pho, but we had just missed our opportunity, as Pho 97 had just closed.

Stepping inside this restaurant, we found only one of the tables occupied.  As we looked over the menu, we discovered that the couple eating here were friends with one of the workers.  They were having a few drinks with her before heading out for the evening.

While I expressed some shock over some of the menu items (trust me), we were brought a pot of tea, two tiny cups and a plate of salted peanuts.  Each cup held a small sip of tea which we enjoyed.

Since I already knew what I was going to order for the main course, I was looking for either a tofu dish or vegetable dish to go along with it.  Since I don't see this dish on menus too often, I decided to order the pei-pa tofu with spinach (US$7.95).

Although the menu said this was served with spinach, when it arrived at the table, it was served on a bed of lettuce.  Not as tender and flavorful as the dish I had about a month ago at Cuisine Tony, this seemed quite unrefined and "doughy" in nature.  Perhaps it was because they used too much cornstarch to stabilize the tofu.  What I did enjoy were the crunchy lettuce leaves in the yellow bean and garlic sauce.

For the main course, I chose the house specialty -- the lobster with mochi rice in lotus flavor (US$21.99).

A live lobster was scooped out of the tank at the front of the restaurant for this dish.  I was almost tempted to ask to visit the kitchen so I could see what actually happened when they prepared the lobster (but I resisted).  About 20 minutes after the lobster left the tank, I lifted the cover of the bamboo steamer to discover this...

A large lotus leaf lined the bottom of the steamer basket.  Layered on top of the lotus leaf was some glutinous rice that had been stir fried with a bit of soy sauce and topped with the pieces of lobster and a healthy sprinkling of chopped green onions.  After the lobster and glutinous rice had been steamed, the lobster was covered in a sauce that was similar in flavor to the one that accompanied the pei-pa tofu -- a slightly salty yellow bean sauce that had been heavily perfumed with lots of minced garlic.  To add more flavor to the rice, it seemed like lots of tiny eggs (don't know if they came from the lobster or not) were sprinkled all over the rice. 

Although the glutinous rice had a delicate and light flavor, I found the texture to be a little mushy.  The mushiness of the rice was most likely due to the sauce that accompanied the lobster as some parts of the rice seemed to be slighty chewy, with just the right amount of bite.  The pieces of lobster were perfectly cooked and gently cracked for easy eating.

While the pei-pa tofu lacked refinement, I felt that the presentation of the lobster with mochi rice in lotus flavor was quite interesting and unique.  While it wasn't the best dish that I have ever eaten, it would probably be more enjoyable with a few minor adjustments.  The service here was great.  Our waitress came by often to ask how we were doing, to see if we needed more water and to find out if everything was.  We both agreed that we would visit again to try some of the other unique items that were found on the menu.

Double Eight (88) Chinese Restaurant
1113 Maunakea Street
Telephone:  808.526.3887

The Greek Corner

For the past several months, I've been driving by this place wondering if I should stop in for a bite or not.  After all, when it comes to flavors of the Mediterranean (Greek) persuasion, there aren't very many restaurants to choose from here in Honolulu.  So a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I would indeed stop in and have some lunch at the Greek Corner.

As I opened the door to enter the restaurant, I was confronted by a blast of cool air and a mostly empty dining room. 

After being seated at a table near the window, I looked over the menu, made my selections and waited for the food to arrive at the table.  By the time the waiter brought my food out, the restaurant was half full.

First to be delivered were the Greek fries with garlic mayo sauce (US$2.75).

Thick cut potatoes were deep fried until golden brown and served with some creamy garlic mayo.  Served unsalted, the potatoes were crispy outside and tender inside.  Dipping the fries into the garlic mayo gave the potatoes a slightly sweet, and somewhat savory flavor.

Shortly after the fries arrived, the beef and lamb gyro (US$5.95) was delivered.

Well-seasoned, tender and juicy slices of rotisserie cooked beef and lamb were stuffed inside a warm, fluffy pita.  The gyro was then filled with lettuce, onions and tomatoes and topped with some tzaziki (cucumber-yogurt) sauce.  This gyro was tasty and definitely something that I would have again.

On another occasion a week later, I decided to stop by again. On that second visit, I decided to start with the spanakopita (spinach pie, US$2.95).

Philo dough is layered with spinach and feta cheese before being baked until crunchy and golden brown.  Usually this dish is served without any toppings.  Here, at the Greek Corner, they serve it with lots of yogurt sauce spooned on top.  After taking the first bite, I discovered why.  The inside of the pastry was dry and the spinach, well, we won't even go into that.

I also decided to have the chicken gyro with side Greek salad (US$7.95; gyro only, US$5.95; add $2.00 for side Greek salad or Greek fries).

Here's a better look at the chicken gyro.

Chunks of dark and white meat chicken were marinated with various spices before being baked and stuffed into a warm pita filled with lettuce, tomatoes and onions.  It was then topped with some garlic mayo before being served.  Taking the first bite, I tasted something spicy.  When I looked into the gyro, I discovered red pepper flakes.  Now this would have been perfect if the chicken hadn't been a bit dry and over cooked.

The food here at The Greek Corner is a great bargain, especially when you consider the prices that are charged elsewhere.  The food here is tasty, but unevenly prepared -- one day it's pretty good and the next it's bordering on mediocre.  The service here was great.  The waitstaff was helpful and the food was served up quickly.  If they can be more consistent with the food, I think this could eventually be a winner.

The Greek Corner
1025 University Avenue
Telephone:  808.942.5503

O's Bistro - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

The last time I was here, O's Bistro was in this same location at the Crossroads, but it was known as Oodles of Noodles.  Oodles of Noodles has grown up and in a nice way -- in fact, I think the name alone makes this quite apparent.

Amy Ferguson-Ota's claim to fame is an appearance on Julia Child's program, "Cooking with Master Chefs".  She has also been nominated for a James Beard award and has the destinction of being the first female Executive Chef at the Ritz-Carlton Mauna Lani.  AND if that weren't enough, she part of the original group of twelve chefs that started the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement back in the late-80s and early-90s.

At 5:45 pm, my dinner guest/companion arrived.  We made our way into the restaurant which was almost empty.  I had actually called earlier in the day to ask if a reservation was necessary and was told that the dinner rush didn't start until about 6:30 pm.  Inside, the walls were painted a dark shade of purple and there were lots of colorful paintings on the walls (the paintings were for sale).

After looking over the menu, we decided to share a salad, an appetizer and two noodle dishes.  First up, was O's organic baby greens house salad with Asian green goddess dressing -- tomato, cucumber, onion (US$9.00).

Fresh, tender baby greens were piled high then garnished with julienned cucumbers, ribbons of carrots, paper-thin slices of onion and some croutons and grape tomatoes.  On the side, was a little dish of Asian green goddess dressing.  I don't often see green goddess dressing on menus here, and it's always been a favorite of mine.  Traditionally made with mayonaisse, anchovies and few other ingredients, this is one dressing definitely gives a little oomph to any salad.

Next to arrive was our appetizer, the spinach tofu pot stickers -- ginger scallion sauce (US$13.00).

When the plate was set down on the table, I just had to stop and look at it for a moment.  I enjoyed the plating, but was it going to taste as good as it looked?

Set in a pool of sauce that included both chili oil and ginger, among other things, I felt that the pot stickers were just a little undercooked, though the skins had a nice chewiness to them.  Topping the pot stickers was a handful of mung beansprouts, some chopped green onions and chopped cilantro.  The garnishes provided a bit of textural interest to the dish as well as some additional flavor.

As soon as we finished the plate of pot stickers, the first noodle dish arrived.  It was the Mongolian beef chow funn -- sweet spicy hoisin, onions, scallions (US$15.00).

A huge mound of chow funn noodles (of different thickness) arrived on a plate topped with mung bean sprouts, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions.  The sweet, sticky sauce had a bit of a spicy kick to it, but I was hoping for a bit more "heat".  The noodles and sauce were stir-fried with some sliced onions, a bit of chopped ginger, and lots of lean chunks of beef.  The lean beef meant that this dish was somewhat "healthy", however, it also meant that the beef was a bit tough and a little dry. 

And the last dish to arrive, is probably the restaurant's most popular one.  It was the "Kona Style" tuna noodle casserole --  orecchiette, wok seared or cooked spicy ahi, shiitake cream, crisp onions, scallions (US$18.00).

Orecchiette, ear shaped pasta, was tossed with a light shiitake cream sauce, then topped with lots of chopped green onions, crispy fried scallions and five thick slices of blackened, wok seared ahi.  The cream sauce was light without being over bearing.  The fresh, yet delicate flavor of the ahi, complemented the crunchiness of the fried shallots and the tender, but slightly firm bite of the pasta perfectly.  After a few bites of this, I didn't want to give it up.

Were we done yet?  Of course not.  There's always room for dessert right?  Again, we selected two and decided to share.  One of the desserts we chose was O's cheesecake (US$7.00).

Light and creamy, the individual sized cheesecake sat atop a tender crust.  Here, take a peek.

The flavorful topping included poppy seeds and lemon zest among other things.  This dessert had a very interesting flavor, one that I wouldn't mind trying to replicate at home.  The addition of poppy seeds to the topping was something that I found interesting, yet so exciting.  Excellent.

The other dessert we chose was the Hawaiian cream cake (US$8.00).

A tiny white cake was spread with frosting, then sprinkled with shredded coconut.  Since the cake was flourless, I found it to be a bit too dense and too dry.  The frosting was a bit too sweet for me and to be honest, I didn't really enjoy this dessert.

The food here at O's Bistro was a bit of a mixed bag.  There were a few items that were done very well -- the orecchiette with wok seared ahi and the O's cheesecake.  There was a dish that showed promise, but could use improvement -- the  Mongolian beef chow funn.  There was also a dish that was OK and not really worth the price we paid for it -- the spinach tofu pot stickers.  And there was an item that I would not order again -- the Hawaiian cream cake.  Although the portions here are quite large (except for the pot stickers/desserts), the prices are still a little high.  The service here was excellent.  Our waiter was friendly, knowledgeable about the restaurant's offerings and he continuously stopped by to see how we were doing.  And although I enjoyed my dinner here, no doubt due to the company I was with, if I were to eat here again, I would be very selective when making my decisions on what to order.

O's Bistro
Crossroads Shopping Center
75-1027 Henry Street Suite 102
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Telephone:  808.327.6565

Teshima's Restaurant - Kealakekua, Hawaii

Lunch at Teshima's was a difficult decision as I had also wanted to have lunch at the Aloha Angel Café.  Teshima's was a recommendation from a reader of this blog who actually lives in Honolulu, but was raised on the Kona side of the Big Island.

According to this sign on the wall in the main dining area, Teshima's started out as a general merchandise store, retailing beer and wine, in 1929.  In the years that followed, Teshima's expanded until it became a full fledged restaurant in 1940.

I arrived at the restaurant first and proceeded to stand in line.  There was a full house here at 1:00 pm on a Sunday afternoon.  As we proceeded to wait, the line of patrons behind us started to build.  After 15 minutes of waitiing, we were finally offered a seat, not in the main dining area, but in the dining area off to the side.

Looking over the menu proved to be no easy task.  There were so many things here that I really wanted to try.  In the end, I decided on one of my favorite comfort foods, pork tofu "in-a-kettle" (US$9.75).

This dish was served with rice, miso soup, tsukemono (salted vegetables), sunomono (sweetened vinegared vegetables) and some ocha (hot tea).  Here's a close up of the pork tofu.

In the pot were chunks of tofu, julienned bamboo shoots, slightly chewy shirataki (thin konnyaku noodles), some thinly sliced onions and shiitake mushrooms, chopped green onions, slippery long rice noodles and quite a bit of sliced pork.  Although most of the pork was tender, there were quite a few gristly parts in the pot as well, making this a challenge to eat.  The sauce which was flavored with shoyu, sugar and ginger, was just a little too sweet for me.

I addition to my lunch set, I also ordered the shrimp tempura appetizer (US$6.00).

Included were two pieces of shrimp, two pieces of eggplant, as well as two pieces of Okinawan sweet potato (there was something else as well, was it green beans?).  The tempura was crunchy and surprisingly, very light.  I appreciated the assortment of vegetables here and I was so happy that this wasn't oily.

Here is the "PUPU TRAY" (US$9.00).  I had planned to order it, but I wasn't quick enough.

Included in the tray was vegetable tempura, BBQ beef, and sashimi as well as a bowl of rice, a bowl of miso soup, tsukemono, and sunomono.

Does this fish look fresh or what?

When asked if I wanted dessert, I really couldn't make up my mind one way or the other.  The waitress recommended the chocolate truffle (US$3.75), which she said was one of their more popular offerings.  Sure, why not right?

When the dessert arrived, I thought to myself is that it?  I took the spoon, scooped up some of the dessert and aimed for my mouth.

At first, the thick consistency and firm texture of the truffle reminded me of fudge.  Then, as the chocolatey goodness dissolved in my mouth, the flavor reminded me of...what else?...chocolate truffles.  Cool and smooth, this had just the right combination of bitter and sweet flavors.  Much thanks to the waitress who recommended this dessert.  It was perfect for sharing over a cup of coffee.

The food here at Teshima's was quite good, though not great.  It was flavorful and tasty, just like the food straight out of Mom's kitchen.  The prices here were quite reasonable considering the amount of food we received.  And the service?  Well, since it was really busy, I'll give them a break.  Because we weren't sitting in the main dining room, it took more than 15 minutes for someone to come by to take our orders.  Once our order was placed, the food arrived in a timely manner.  Water and coffee, however, were not refilled regularly.  I guess the old adage "out of sight, out of mind" applied to us on this particular visit.  Would I come back?  Well, if I wasn't in a hurry, and if I was in the mood for some value-priced, homestyle cooking, I just might consider it.

Teshima's Restaurant
79-7251 Mamalahoa Highway
Kealakekua, Hawaii
Telephone:  808.322.9140

Manago Hotel - Captain Cook, Hawaii

The Manago Hotel first opened for business in 1917.  It's been upgraded and remodeled (a little) since then, but the hotel, for the most part, retains the quaint charm that makes this a place that is not to be missed on a visit to the Kona side of the island.  Located a short drive away from Kailua-Kona in the town of Captain Cook, the Manago Hotel overlooks Kealakekua Bay and is in the midst of the town's coffee farms.

The restaurant is located just inside a small door off the lobby of the hotel.  There is a porcelain basin right outside the door so you can wash your hands before entering the dining area.

As we walked through the door, I recalled a familiar scene of years past.  Dozens of hungry people eating, talking and enjoying the food.  The atmosphere here reminds one of a family party, everyone seemed to be having a great time.  The was just one table available in the entire place, at the far end of the restaurant near the windows.

The menu is posted on the wall, and hasn't changed much from the last time that I was here.  There are a few breakfast items, and a few more items on the combined lunch and dinner menu. 

After we had place our order, the waitress returned with these four dishes (clockwise from top left): kalua pig with cabbage, macaroni salad,  limu tsukemono, and a huge bowl of rice.  These were all included with the meal, just in case you're wondering.

When placing our dinner orders, we decided that we would share because we both wanted to eat the same two dishes.  First to arrive at the table was the pork chops (US$8.75).

Two thick, bone-in pork chops arrived on a platter with just a little of the pan juices on the plate.  Cutting into one, I discovered that while tender, the pork chop still had a lot of bite to it (good).  The juicy, pork chop was simply seasoned -- salt, pepper and maybe just a little garlic -- but extremely flavorful.  After I was done with my piece of pork chop, I couldn't help but gnaw on the bone just a little.

The last dish to arrive was the pan-fried butterfish with ginger miso sauce (US$10.00).

Instead of having this served nitsuke-style, braised in a shoyu/sugar sauce, we opted for the pan fried version with the ginger miso sauce on the side.  I have to say that this was an excellent choice.  The slightly sweet and buttery flavored fish was lightly coated with flour before being pan fried until browned on the outside.  The subtle flavors of the fish were further enhanced by salty spiciness of the ginger miso sauce.  I was almost tempted to order more.

The Manago Hotel has been serving the residents of Captain Cook, as well as the rest of the Kona coast, for more than half a century.  I have no doubts that people keep coming back because of the casual and friendly atmosphere, the homestyle cooking and the excellent service.  All in all, the Manago Hotel is a great value and a place that I will continue to visit everytime I'm in the area.

Manago Hotel
82-6155 Mamalahoa Highway
Captain Cook, Hawaii
Telephone:  808.323.2642
website

Shaka Restaurant - Na'alehu, Hawaii

Billed (self-proclaimed) as the most Southern bar in the USA, this restaurant's claim to fame is probably true, especially since South Point is 500 nautical miles farther south than Florida.

Attracted more by the sign than anything else, I had an idea that Shaka's would be a fun place to eat.  As we pulled into the parking lot, there was just one other car parked in the lot, way off to the side.   

Stepping inside the restaurant, we were escorted by our waitress over to the bar area and given a booth right near the windows.  I was surprised to discover that four of the other booths were already occupied.  Filled with wood furniture and tile flooring, Shaka's felt a bit homey and it reminded me of my aunt's dining room circa 1975.

After looking over the menu that consisted of stuff like sandwiches, salads, burgers and a few Tex-Mex style dishes, I decided to have a Shaka's basket.  I ordered the cheeseburger with french fries (US$7.00).

All the burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles and all baskets are served with french fries or home fries. 

When this basket was brought to the table, I felt like I had made a good choice -- a nice sized hamburger patty, melted cheese, a thick slice of tomato, lots of lettuce, a couple pickle chips and some red onions made up this monstrous looking cheeseburger.

Here it comes...

The verdict?  The bun was light and fluffy, but the patty was dry and almost flavorless -- it seemed as though the patty hadn't been seasoned.  In fact, we turned to each other in mid-bite, to see if the other of us felt the same way (we did).  Even when I added ketchup to the burger, it had very little, if any, effect on the burger's overall flavor.  The fries on the other hand, were done well.  Light, crisp and free of grease, the fries arrived at the table hot and salt-free.

My friend had a Shaka's basket as well - this was the mushroom and onion burger with home fries (US$7.50).

Although the burgers looked good when they arrived at the table, we were in for quite a surprise when we actually bit into them.  The food here was quite a disappointment, but the service was a different story.  The waitress was helpful and friendly, and she stopped by every few minutes to refill our glasses and to chat.  The food here was definitely not worth the price, but when you're practically out in the middle of nowhere, you don't really have much choice now, do you?

Shaka Restaurant
95-5673 Mamalahoa Highway
Na'alehu, Hawaii
Telephone:  808.929.7404

The Pavillion Café

If not for a reader of this blog that resides on Maui, I would have never thought to visit the Honolulu Academy of Arts for lunch.  But several months ago, this reader told me about a delicious lunch she had at the Pavillion Café while visiting with her sister.  Since I live in close proximity to the Honolulu Academy of Arts, I decided to pay Pavillion Café a visit for lunch.

After walking through the entrance to the Academy, take a right and walk until you see the wooden podium.  There are no signs to guide you here, but the Pavillion Café is quite easy to find.

Once inside, I had a seat on the far end of the restaurant.  Even though it was already after 1:00 pm, the restaurant was still a bit crowded.  I'm glad I decided to make a reservation.

When I arrived, I actually wanted to try the beef tenderloin sandwich, which received raves from this blog's reader on Maui.  Unfortunately, due to a problem with the kitchen's gas supply, the beef wasn't being served on the day that I visited, so instead, I decided to go healthy.  I ordered the sashimi salad with Nalo greens & shoyu mustard vinaigrette (US$10.95).

When the salad arrived I was amazed -- the fish looked so fresh.  How's this for freshness?

To create this salad, a mountain of crisp fresh greens was topped with 10 (!) pieces of fresh sashimi (raw fish) before being drizzled with a little shoyu mustard vinaigrette.  To be completely honest, although I thought the salad was refreshingly simple, I didn't particularly care for the dressing.  This would have been nice with perhaps a wasabi-based, or even a kochu jang-based dressing.  I just didn't enjoy the flavor of the mustard with the greens.

To go along with my meal, I had a cup of coffee (US$1.25).  The brand served here is Graffeo, which is a small roaster out of San Francisco, California.

For dessert, I really wanted the chocolate and walnut torte.  Unfortunately, it was already sold out when the waitress came by to take my dessert order.  Instead, I had the chocolate pot de crème (US$5.95).

The chocolate here was thick and smooth, and almost fudge-like in texture.  The whipped topping added just a touch of additional sweetness to the slight bitterness of the chocolate.  By the time I was finished, I was wishing that I still had more.

On a subsequent visit, I had the salmon burger (I think that's what it was called) on a house made roll with dilled horseradish sauce & green salad (US$8.95).

The soft, fluffy roll was topped with a "meaty" salmon burger, with the dilled horseradish sauce providing a savory, spiciness to the well seasoned salmon.  The generous side salad was garnished with a few walnuts and thinly shaved bits of cheese.  This was a healthy, filling and tasty way to satisfy my lunchtime cravings.

The food here at the Pavillion Café is delicious and reasonably priced, especially when the quality of the food is considered.  The service here was a bit uneven, as there were times on both visits when refills of both coffee, and water, weren't offered for an extended period of time.  For the most part, lunches here at the Pavillion Café have proven to be relaxing, making this a place that I will frequent quite often.

Addendum: A reader brought to my attention the fact that this place is actually more of a bargain than I originally made it out to be.  How so?  Well, if you do decide to have lunch here, admission to the Academy of Arts is actually free (admission is normally US$7.00 for non-members).  So in addition to some delicious food, you can also view the Academy's wonderful exhibits as well.  How's that for a bargain?

The Pavillion Café
Inside the Honolulu Academy of Arts
900 South Beretania Street
Telephone:  808.532.8734

Arirang House Korean Restaurant

NOTE:  You will not see any prices in this post because dinner was paid for by a couple of friends.

A couple of days ago a couple of friends called and asked me to join them for dinner.  Since it's been a while since I had seen them, I said sure...where?  When they mentioned this place, I was stumped.  It was practically in my backyard and I didn't even know about the place.

Arirang House is just like any number of neighborhood Korean restaurants that you'll find all over Honolulu.  It's on a major roadway, but since I pass by so often, I seldom glance in the restaurant's direction.

When I arrived here, I found the restaurant to be filled with a number of diners.  The restaurant was bright and clean, and in the air was the sweet, smokey aroma of barbecue.

After placing our order, a number of ban chan (side dishes) started to appear at the table.  Some of these were sour, others were bland, a few were spicy and still others were salty.  This is really what I enjoy most about Korean food -- all the side dishes with various tastes and flavors that are included with each meal.

Have another look.

The assortment of ban chan here was excellent, and if I remember correctly, there must have been 8 or 9 different dishes on the table -- definitely something for everyone.  I was also happy to discover that they served this multi-grained rice with the meals here.  This purple-hued rice (sorry, I don't know the Korean name for it) is mixed with different types of grains before being cooked and served.  It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor that I enjoyed.

For starters we had the haemul pajeon (seafood pancake).

The pancake itself wasn't as crisp as I was used to and maybe just a little too oily. 

And finally, the waitress came by with a plate of sizzling kalbi (barbecued short ribs).

Our waitress proceeded to slice the meat for us into bite-sized pieces.

With steam rising fast and furiously from the sizzling platter, I popped a piece of just delivered kalbi into my mouth.  Tender, juicy and well-marinated, the kalbi here was some good stuff. 

And finally, the meal was finished off with a few cups of ginger tea.

In this particular area of town, you're bound to find at least 20 or so Korean restaurants that serve kalbi and ban chan.  What separates Arirang from the rest of these is not necessarily the food, but the service.  The waitstaff is helpful and efficient.  Our waitress came by every few minutes to refill our water and replace any ban chan that we may have finished.  I'm not sure about the value as I didn't pay for this meal, but I guess I've just been introduced to another neighborhood joint that I might just want to visit again.

Arirang House Korean Restaurant
1334 Young Street
Telephone:  808.593.8830

Angelo Pietro

It has been a long time since my last visit to Angelo Pietro.  In fact, now that I think about it, the last time I was here was when the restaurant's location on Kapahulu Avenue was still open.  Back then, I think that Pietro's was probably the only Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant around. 

When I arrived for a late afternoon lunch, there were quite a number of people inside the restaurant.  As I was escorted to my table, I happened to glance at the other tables around me to see what everyone else was eating -- looked like a wide variety of dishes.

There was an open view to the kitchen and from where I was seated, I could view all of the action.

After glancing over the menu, I had a difficult time deciding what I would order to start with.  In the end, the fried calamari fritti (US$6.95) won out over the raw potato salad.

A couple dozen calamari rings were lightly seasoned, then breaded and deep fried until they were a gorgeous golden brown.  The crunchy coating contrasted wonderfully with the tender and slightly chewy calamari.  Creamy mayonaisse that had been spiked with lemon juice was served on the side and made an excellent accompaniment to the calamari.

For lunch, I decided to throw all caution to the wind and ordered the natto & bacon spaghetti (US$8.25).

For those of you who don't know, natto is a Japanese food consisting of sticky fermented soybeans.  It has an unmistakable odor, texture and flavor.  I have tried natto only once before, and really have to say that I did not really care for it at all.  However, since so many people recommended this dish to me, I decided that I just had to order it.

When the plate arrived, I saw that the noodles were topped by a mound of chopped bacon and garnished with a mound of kizami nori (thinly sliced dried seaweed) in the center.  As I glanced around the dining room, I saw four others indulging in the same dish.  That made me feel a whole lot better.  Holding my breath, I took the first bite -- noodles, bacon and nori.  The noodles were perfectly cooked, firm and springy, though slightly sticky (from the natto, I presumed).  I thought the flavor of the dish was interesting as it really didn't taste like natto at all.  Eating a bit more, I felt that the noodles were a bit too oily, and overall, I felt that the dish was just a little too salty. 

The dishes here at Angelo Pietro bravely combine elements of both Japanese and Italian cuisine.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  While the natto and bacon spaghetti was an ambitious idea, I felt that the dish itself needed a little improvement.  The prices here are about what you'd expect to pay at other Asian-Italian fusion restaurants -- Bistro Sun and Kit 'N Kitchen come to mind -- and the service here was great.  Have I finally come to accept natto?  Well, not exactly.  Will I come back to eat at Angelo Pietro?  Quite possibly.

Angelo Pietro
1585 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 110
Telephone:  808.941.0555

Kirin Restaurant

Open for a little more than a year now, Kirin first arrived on the scene as Hei Chin Rou.  Since I am a frequent visitor to Ala Moana Center, I was highly anticipating this new restaurant, but each time I visited, I was unable to go inside for one reason or another.  This past weekend I was shopping at Ala Moana for a birthday gift when I decided to stop in with a couple of friends.

The interior of the restaurant is well appointed -- dark carved wood panels and recessed lighting.  Unlike the interiors of most Chinese restaurants, this one was actually quite pleasant and calming.

What makes this different from most dim sum restaurants in Hawaii is the lack of carts.  Instead of carts making their way through the restaurant, your dim sum order is placed via an "order form" of sorts.  At each table is a large picture menu and a small sheet of paper with most of the dim sum items listed on it.  Check off the box next to each item, hand it to a waiter or waitress that just happens to be passing by, and your dishes will start to arrive in a few minutes.

We ordered a number of dishes and the first of these to arrive was the crispy green onion patty (US$2.95).

Lots of green onions were scattered throughout this crispy and slightly chewy pancake.  By the time was placed on the table, the pancake was a little cold and started to turn a little greasy.  The pancake itself, while tasty, was just a little too "doughy" for me.

Next came the seared bean curd rolls with vegetables (US$2.95).

Thin sheets of bean curd skin were wrapped around julienned mushrooms, carrots and bamboo shoots.  These were fine for what they were, but I would have liked just a little less filling and a lot more crunchiness.  These bean curd rolls were just a little too "tender".

The bean curd rolls were quickly followed by the deep-fried shrimp puff with thousand island sauce (US$3.25).

Huge pieces of succulent shrimp filled these deep fried puffs.  A dipping sauce consisting of a standard thousand island dressing accompanied this dish.  While the dipping sauce was unconventional (these are usually served with mayonaisse), these were quite good. These were not as good as the ultra thin skinned ones found at Legend though.

After we were done with the shrimp puffs, we waited a while before the next dish, the spicy Szechuan pork won-ton (US$2.75), arrived.

Four won-tons were filled with pork and arrived at the table floating in a mildly spicy gravy.  After taking the first bite, I discovered that these won-tons were overly salty and decided not to eat anymore.  I did taste the gravy and discovered that it contained coconut milk.  In fact, it tasted very much like laksa!

Finally, the steamed items started to arrive at the table.  First up, were the steamed barbecued pork buns (US$2.95).

Sweet chunks of barbecue pork (char siu) filled the over-steamed bun.  The barbecued pork filling had an unusually intense flavor (it seemed to be anise) and the bun lacked the standard fluffiness.

After the disappointment with the char siu bao, I was happy to see the next dish arrive at the table.  That dish was the glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf with chicken and dried scallop (US$3.75).

Unwrapping the lotus leaf , I discovered this...

Lots of chewy, al dente-style glutinous rice filled with minced chicken and dried scallops.  There was a lot of gelatinous fat here as well as something gooey that I couldn't quite make out.  The overall flavoring of the rice was good, but I found that it was much too "wet" for my tastes.

The final dim sum item of the day was the Shanghai style juicy pork buns (US$3.25).

Four small buns, if you can call them that, arrived in a steamer basket.   

Previously, when I had eaten xiao long bao, the "skin" was paper thin and translucent.  When you picked up the bao with your chopsticks, you could see the liquid "sloshing" around inside it.  Here the skin was thick, just as thick as a normal won ton skin.  When I pierced the skin to take this photo, there was hardly any liquid inside it.  There was, however, quite a bit of pork filling inside each tiny "bun".

After a somewhat mediocre experience with the dim sum, I decided that I was going to  order something for dessert.  I settled on the almond tofu (US$3.25).

Chilled almond flavored tofu was topped with a couple of spoonfuls of fruit cocktail.  The sweet, smooth tofu was refreshing and really hit the spot.

Upon entering the restaurant, we thought that the room full of people meant that the food here was good. After the first couple of dishes, we knew that our assumptions were wrong.  Did people just come here because it was convenient?  The food here was OK, and with each dish, something seemed to be lacking.  For a lot less than the premium prices charged here, better values, and tastier food, can be had elsewhere.

Kirin Restaurant
Ala Moana Shopping Center Street Level
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard Space 1215
Telephone:  808.946.1888

Boulevard Saimin

Whenever it's wet and rainy, I seem to crave noodle soups and tonight was no exception.  Initially, I had planned to go and grab a bowl of pho at Pho 97, but it was already after 8:00 pm and I believe the restaurant was already closed.  Instead, I decided that I would visit Palace Saimin, but as I pulled into the driveway, I discovered that they were closed too.  Since I was already in Kalihi and craving a bowl of saimin, I decided to stop by Boulevard Saimin.

A number of years ago, when I used to work in the neighborhood, Boulevard Saimin was a popular lunchtime spot for both myself and my co-workers.  The bowls of saimin were huge and filling, and there were quite a number of different choices that were available on the menu.  When I arrived tonight, there were people occupying a few of the many booths inside the restaurant.

Since it was already late (a little after 8:30 pm) when I arrived, I decided to quickly place my order for a bowl of the tsukimi (poached egg) saimin with wun tun, which is something that I've always ordered here.  Just as I was placing my order, I recalled an e-mail that I received from a reader of this blog not more than a couple of hours ago.  I decided to try his usual, the kayaku saimin with wun tun (kayaku saimin US$6.25; with wun tun US$6.80).

A few minutes later, the bowl of piping hot saimin arrived at the table.

The bowl was filled to the rim with noodles and broth, then garnished with some char siu, a couple of slices of kamaboko (fish cake), some chopped mustard cabbage (kai choy) and Chinese cabbage (won bok) and quite a bit of aburage (deep fried tofu).  The bowl of saimin was warm, flavorful and comforting, but just a little salty.  There were six wun tuns floating in the bowl, and although they were meaty, the wun tun skins were just a little to thick.

To go along with my bowl of saimin, I also ordered two bar-b-q beef sticks (US$1.85).

Marinated pieces of beef are first skewered before being grilled.  This time, the beef was a little tough and dry, and I really didn't enjoy the coating of overly sweet bar-b-q sauce.  In fact, when the bar-b-q sticks were brought to the table, the bar-b-q sauce started to become a little "firm" and jelly-like.

The saimin here at Boulevard is OK.  Not the best, in my opinion, but definitely good enough to be considered when you're craving saimin and it's raining outside.  There are quite a few choices on the menu, so you won't be stuck with too few options.  The service here is efficient and friendly, and the prices are reasonable considering the size of the bowl and the amount of ingredients in it. 

Boulevard Saimin
1427 Dillingham Boulevard
Telephone:  808.841.7233

Buk Chang Dong Soon Do Bu

It's been a little cool and rainy lately, so making a decision on what to eat for dinner was not a difficult one.  I initially felt like having some Korean food, and soon du bu sounded just right.  I was actually on my way to So Gong Dong when I decided to take a detour and stop here instead.

I had passed by Buk Chang Dong quite a number of times, and if I'm not mistaken, this hole-in-the-wall spot used to house So Gong Dong.  Anyone?

When I arrived, it was quite late -- almost 9:30 pm.  It's a good thing this restaurant was open until 10:00 pm.  Clean and bright, I sat on table number 2 right near the front door.  There was only one other party in the restaurant, a group of Japanese nationals, that were enjoying some soon do bu as well.

After placing my order, the ban chan arrived at the table -- seven little dishes in all.

Top photo: Clockwise from top - sukju namul (mung bean sprouts), sweet potato roots (I thought it was doh rah gee, but I was told that it wasn't.), won bok kim chee, radish kim chee.

Bottom photo: Clockwise from top - nokdu muk (green pea jelly), odeng (fish cake), cabbage.

I decided to order the bi bim bap + soon do bu combo (US$9.95).  First to arrive was the bi bim bap.

A bowl of hot rice was garnished with vegetables -- mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage and sweet potato roots -- and some pieces of marinated beef (bul go gi) before being topped by a sunnyside up egg that had been sprinkled with some sesame seeds.  Add a liberal amount of kochujang sauce, mix and eat.  The combination of flavors and textures in the bowl are was really make this enjoyable to eat.  This bowl of bi bim bap was no exception.  The quality of the ingredients, not to mention the perfectly cooked egg, make this worth eating again.

Shortly after the bi bim bap was delivered, the soon do bu arrived at the table bubbling hot.

Large chunks of soft tofu floated within the pot that also contained pieces of beef, thinly sliced onions and mushrooms, and a light sprinkling of chopped green onions.  There was a lot of the soft, silky tofu in the pot and the stock was just the right spiciness for me.  In fact, it was so spicy that I could just make out the beefy undertones of the stock.  This was the perfect dish for a rainy evening dinner.

At US$9.95 for a combination set, the price here is definitely a bargain.  The food is fiery and well prepared, and the portions are sized just right.  The food arrived at the table promptly and the service was friendly.  Given all of the above, it should be no surprise to discover that Buk Chang Dong has been added to my rotation of favorite dining spots.

Buk Chang Dong Soon Do Bu
1518 Makaloa Street Unit B
Telephone:  808.953.2299

Cuisine Tony

UPDATE:  November 2005
Cuisine Tony has closed.
Pho One now occupies this space.

Several years ago, Cuisine Tony used to serve up some eclectic dishes with some pretty far out names like Saturn pork chops and escargot de France.  A couple years later, you could find such things as African chicken and Hungarian oxtail soup on the menu.  More recently, I paid another visit to Cuisine Tony only to find that the menu had been revamped yet again.

When I arrived here for dinner with a friend a couple weeks back, we found the place to be quite empty.  There were a couple of tables that were occupied near the front of the restaurant, but the rest of the restaurant, which was filled with soft, high backed booths, was empty.

(This is a bad photo, but you get the idea right?)

While looking over the menu, I noticed that the funky menu items, like those mentioned above, as well as the Italian-inspired ones, were gone.  The menu had been totally revamped with Chinese specialties. While we looked over the menu to make our selections, we decided to start with an order of the crispy chicken wings with shrimp sauce (US$6.95).

As the plate made it's way to the table from the kitchen, I could smell the distinct aroma of shrimp paste wafting through the air.  Pungent, and smelling of the sea, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into those crispy wings.  Crunchy and slightly salty, these chicken wings were moist and juicy on the inside.

The next item to arrive at the table was the fish fillet with Szechwan hot chili sauce (US$9.95).

Chunks of tender fish were first deep fried then stir fried with lots of dried chillies in this spicy, yet savory dish.  Dark soy sauce, minced garlic, slivers of ginger, green onions and just little shrimp paste were used to create the mouth watering sauce that soaked each bite of fish.  The amount of heat was just right and the gravy was perfect spooned into my bowl of rice. 

Besides the two dishes mentioned above, we also wanted to order the stir-fried snow cabbage with dried tofu.  When we attempted to order it, we were told there was no snow cabbage.  So just as I was about to choose the bala chaung on-choi, the waitress recommended the pe pa tofu (US$12.00).  Since this dish is not commonly found on menus here, I was easily persuaded to order this.

As the dish was brought out to the table, I was delighted that the waitress recommended it.  Silken tofu was first mixed with bits of shrimp and lots of cilantro, then coated in batter and deep friend until golden brown.  Served on a bed of sautéed spinach, it was then covered in a light soy based sauce.  For me, this dish was the evening's highlight.  The unmistakable flavor of cilantro was enhanced by the subtle flavor of soy sauce in every soft, yet crunchy bite.  Excellent.

It's been a while since my last visit to Cuisine Tony and I'm so glad I came back.  The dishes are expertly executed and are made with quality ingredients.  The service here is attentive, friendly and helpful.  And the food?  The portion sizes here were the perfect size for sharing, and judging by the dishes that I ordered, the food here is worth every delicious penny. 

Cuisine Tony
1617 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.941.1234

Shabu Shabu House

Shabu shabu ("swish-swish") is the Japanese term for the sound created by the swishing action used to cook the thinly sliced cuts of beef, or other meats, in a boiling pot of broth.  It's said that when the meat is "swished" around in the broth-filled pot, the unhealthy fats are released from the meat, making shabu shabu a "healthy" dining option.

For more than a year and a half, I've been driving past the Shabu Shabu House with the intent of stopping in for either lunch or dinner.  However, it wasn't until just recently that I actually managed to visit the restaurant with a friend for lunch. 

When we arrived at 1:00 pm, there were a number of diners inside the brightly colored, and sparsely decorated, restaurant.  There was a counter area surrounded by bar chairs and there were individual tables for four situated throughout the dining area.

After selecting a table near the front of the shop, we looked over the menu.  For lunch there were a few "set" menus -- beef & pork, pork, beef, vegetable, seafood or beef or pork with shrimp.  There were also quite a few a la carte menu items that could be selected to either add on to your existing set, or to create your own mix-and-match meal.

After placing our order, and while waiting for the meats and vegetables to arrive, I looked over the condiment tray.  I found squeeze bottles filled with sesame, ponzu and ginger sauces available in the middle of the table.

There were also these containers of grated daikon and chopped green onions as well.

Each lunch set comes with a plate of vegetables.  On this plate here was some won bok, spinach, bok choy, a small handful of udon noodles, a slice of kabocha, two blocks of tofu and one gyoza.  Seems like quite a bit, doesn't it?

As the pot bubbled on the table, with a piece of konbu thrown in for good measure, the vegetables were slowly added and cooked to the desired level of doneness.  We were almost done with our plates of vegetables when the plates of thinly sliced meats arrived at the table.  The waitress apologized for forgetting our order.

The set that we both ordered was the beef & pork shabu shabu (US$8.95, large portion add US$3.00).

Eight ounces of thinly sliced, well marbled beef and pork arrived at the table at long last.  Dip each slice of meat into the "broth", if you'd like to call it that, swish it around a few times until cooked through, dip into some sauce, and pop each tender slice into your mouth.  The meat was nicely tender, with the beef being the better of the two quality-wise.  Of the three dipping sauces present on the table, my favorite had to be the ponzu. 

After we were finishing up both the plate of meat and vegetables, we decided to order a dessert to share.  We ordered the green tea and azuki chiffon cake (sorry, not sure of the correct name of the dessert; US$4.95).

We waited more than 10 minutes for the dessert to arrive.  When it was brought to the table, it was starting to melt.  Our waitress again apologized for forgetting about us and our order.

A thin layer of cake was topped first with a thick layer of azuki ice cream and finished with an equally thick layer of green tea ice cream.  The plate was covered with some azuki bean sauce and garnished with a thin rolled chocolate wafer.  The dessert, while sweet, was definitely not as sweet as it looked.  It was a light and refreshing end to our meal.

Specialty restaurants such as this one, can be a good thing or a bad thing.  The good thing is being able to focus on a single item, which in this case is shabu shabu, to provide the best possible product to your customers.  The bad thing is a customer expecting the best and coming away feeling slightly cheated by either the quality or the freshness of the ingredients. 

While the prices here were very reasonable, I felt that the quality of the ingredients could have been a little better.  The service, while pleasant and friendly, was often lacking.  And even though I found the lunch to be satisfying, I'm highly unlikely to return unless the quality of both the food, and the service, improves.

Shabu Shabu House
1221 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 108
Telephone:  808.597.1655

Pho Thuan-Loi

Over the past year or so, I've often driven past this place curious about what type of food it served -- Vietnamese and Italian -- it sounded interesting.  Back then the restaurant was called Smooth.  More recently, the name on the sign has changed, but the type of food served is still the same.  So one day, I decided to be adventurous and have dinner here.

The first time I was here, it was about 8:00 pm and I found the restaurant practically empty.  Was that a good sign?  Well, it was a Friday night, so maybe people had already eaten, who knows...

Expecting to see strange combinations on the menu, I was surprised to see a separate menu of Vietnamese dishes and another containing Italian ones.  Was that what I was afraid of?  So I proceeded to order the lemongrass fish on rice (US$6.50).

On the menu, it said that this was made with seabass.  Unfortunately, there was no seabass that night, so it was substituted with opah (moonfish).  The fish was stir fried with lemongrass, garlic, green onions and some other herbs until "dry".  When I say dry, I mean really dry.  I could have choked if I ate this the way it arrived.  Thankfully, a dish of fish sauce arrived at the table and the waitress explained that I needed to pour the fish sauce over the dish before eating.  After spooning a little of the fish sauce over everything, I took a bite, and then another.  The salty, tangy, and savory flavors along with the chunks of flaky fish made this worth every bite. 

A few weeks later, I stopped by again and had the pho dac biet (US$5.95).

It was cold and rainy outside, so pho would have made the perfect meal.  The pho dac biet served here had sliced beef, meat ball, tendon, tripe and brisket in it.  The meats were lean and tender, the tendon was slippery and jellylike, and the tripe, well, let's just say that it was cooked perfectly.  As you can see above, they were skimpy with the herbs.  On the plate were three stems of basil and just a small handful of bean sprouts, some lime and cut green chillies, but no ngo gai.  The broth here was very light and practically tasteless even though I could smell the aroma of anise as the bowl was being delivered to the table. 

To go with my pho, I also ordered the cha gio (spring rolls; 5 pieces, US$5.95).

Served with butter lettuce, mint, sliced cucumber and a mound of rice noodles, the spring rolls were perfectly fried, they were crisp, crunchy and golden brown.  Each bite was tasty, yet there was something unfamiliar there.  Upon closer inspection, I found that inside each spring roll was some vermicelli noodles, a bit of ground pork, and lots of potato (or yam), giving the spring rolls a starchy flavor.

The food here at Pho Thuan-Loi is quite uneven.  While the lemongrass fish was interestingly prepared and a delight to eat, the bowl of pho made me think twice about coming back.  The service, at this family run establishment, was good and the prices are fairly reasonable.  The next time I'm here, if I'm not having the lemongrass fish, I'm definitely going to try some of the Italian dishes.

Pho Thuan-Loi
2080 South King Street Suite 103
Telephone:  808.955.8387

Utage Restaurant & Lounge

A while back, when I did a post on Sunrise, one of my readers asked if I knew of any other Okinawan restaurants.  I mentioned this place, Utage, and offered a review on my next visit.  Utage is located in the City Square building next to Young's Fish Market, Kalani Korean Bar-B-Q & Sugoi.

Friends of mine asked me to call on my next visit here so they could sample some of the Okinawan specialties served here.  When we arrived at about 8:00 pm, a few of the high-backed vinyl booths were occupied.  Although it looks small from the outside, this place is actually quite spacious.  There are quite a few seats inside the restaurant.

This was the table next to mine. From what I could hear, it seemed as though the two couples enjoyed their food here tonight.

After looking over the menu and making our selections, this arrived at the table.

It was an appetizer of sorts, consisting of some pickled daikon that was crunchy, tangy and slightly sweet.  Each meal comes with a beverage of your choice, so I decided to have some ocha (tea).  Take a look at this teapot.  My grandmother has one just like it at home. 

A bowl of piping hot miso soup came next.

Filled with lots of firm cubes of tofu, chopped green onions and knotted konbu (seaweed), this was just a little too strong and a little too salty for my tastes.  Nonetheless, I found it quite satisfying.

I chose the goya (bittermelon) chanpuru (stir fry with tofu and eggs) with shoyu pork (rafute) (US$9.25).

This dish can be prepared with shoyu pork, as shown above, or it can be prepared with pork, chicken, Spam, bacon or tuna.  The shoyu pork was mouthmeltingly tender, its sweetness complimented the bitterness of the melon very well.  The pieces of bittermelon were tender, yet still retained some bite.  There was lots of flavor here, but much of it was too sweet.  I also didn't like that there was a lot of "gravy" on the bottom of the dish -- I guess I don't really like it when the dish is served "wet".  By the way, I didn't eat much of the fat that was on the pork.  I ate a couple of pieces of pork with the fat and that was about enough for me. 

For dessert, which was also included, I had a scoop of Dreyers green tea ice cream.

Both of my friends had the nabera (squash) chanpuru (stir fry with tofu and green onions) with chicken (US$9.25).

One had green tea ice cream, the other, tapioca.

The food here at Utage reminds me of home cooking -- nothing fancy, nothing spectacular, but comforting, even when they are not prepared exactly to my liking.  In fact, many of these same dishes have been cooked for me at home by my grandmother, who is half Okinawan.  I felt that for the price, the meal here was a good deal.  For less than US$10.00 each meal comes with soup or salad, a drink (coffee, tea, iced tea, fruit punch), an entrée including rice, and dessert.  These days, deals like this are very hard to find.

Utage Restaurant & Lounge
City Square
1286 Kalani Street Suite B102
Telephone:  808.843.8109

Restaurant I-naba

Several months ago, I drove to Dairyu House of Noodles hoping to get some ramen.  Unfortunately, when I pulled into the parking lot, I found the place closed.  So instead, I went and got a bowl of pho instead.  Several weeks ago, I drove past Dairyu on my way to Yamagen, and noticed that the sign outside had changed.

[insert photo here]

There was red banner that said "Grand Opening" on it, and a blue banner with some Japanese writing on it.  I decided that I would stop by some time to see what was on offer at this "new" (obviously) Japanese restaurant.  Well, I did happen to stop by a couple of weeks later and found out that the restaurant was called I-naba.

Restaurant I-naba is the 7th in a chain of restaurants that are spread throughout Southern California.  According to some literature on the wall near the entrance, the restaurant's focus is soba and tempura.  That sounded great to me.  The restaurant is full of light colored wood, and a few translucent room dividers to some how create a sense of separateness between each table.  On the banquette, there were little straw mats (goza) to make the seating more comfortable -- nice touch.

After looking over the rather short menu, I placed my order and waited for the dishes to begin arriving.

First, was a small dish of edamame (soy beans).

Next, came this serving tray.  I ordered the tenpura gozen (with hot or cold soba, US$17.95).

Here are the contents of the tray, one by one -- a bowl of rice with baby lima beans.

Some takenoko with katsuo bushi sprinkled on top (Bamboo shoots with shaved bonito).

A bit of kinpira gobo (simmered burdock root).

This was my favorite side dish.  Hidden amongst the slivers of gobo were a few thin strips of carrot and a some strands of gelatinous konnyaku.  This had just a bit of spiciness to it.

Three pieces of nasubi tsukemono (pickled Japanese eggplant) and two of takuan (pickled daikon).

Here is the zaru soba.

The handmade soba noodles are made fresh daily using buckwheat that is imported from Nagano, Japan.  To prepare this dish, the noodles are first boiled, then chilled so that they retain their firm, chewy bite.  There is a subtle, nutty flavor to the noodles which are served in a pile on a bamboo "sieve" lined tray.  The soba tsuyu (dipping sauce) had the right balance of both bonito and shoyu so that it was neither fishy nor salty.  Add wasabi and chopped spring onions to the tsuyu, then start eating.

And finally, the tempura (ebi, shrimp; long beans; kabocha, pumpkin; hasu, lotus root).

Fresh out of the deep fryer, the tempura was served piping hot.  Although there were a few oil stains on the paper lining the dish, the tempura was not oily at all.  The plump and succelent shrimp were firm and sweet and surrounded by that extra crunchy, deep fried batter.  The vegetables retained their crispness even after being cooked in a fryer.  What did that mean?  Perfectly timed cooking in super hot oil.

I enjoyed the food here at Restaurant I-naba immensely.  It was refreshing and expertly prepared.  The wait staff was pleasant, courteous and extremely helpful.  My water and tea were both refilled on a regular basis and the food was delivered in a timely fashion.  The price at dinner is a bit high for the quantity (not quality) of food that you get here.  My recommendation is to come at lunch when the same dishes are offered for almost a 30% reduction in price.

Restaurant I-naba
1610 South King Street
Telephone:  808.953.2070

Sweet Basil

A while back when I ate at Pho My Lan, I noticed a new Thai place next door.  Since I don't venture into Chinatown as much as I used to, I promptly forgot about this place until I went to buy some mooncakes this past weekend.  As I was walking to Legend for some dim sum, I walked right past this place and decided to come back the next day.

And here I am.  It was late when I arrived for lunch with a couple of friends.  In fact, it was almost 1:00 pm and four of the eight (or was it nine?) tables in the narrow space were occupied.  We chose the table furthest from the door so that we could see the expressions on people's faces as they ate -- almost everyone had a look of satisfaction on their face. 

Across from our table was the head of the buffet (weekdays, US$8.95; weekends, US12.95 includes seafood), so we decided to take a look before making up our minds (sorry, no shot of the buffet).

As we looked over the items on the lunch buffet, I remembered hearing good things about it from a couple of friends.  Since I don't normally like buffets, and since the individual menu selections seemed to be interesting, I convinced the others to order an appetizer, a salad, and two entrées to share.

We decide to start with a Thai classic, larb, listed here as 'Good Fortune' salad (US$7.50).

Ground pork (I'm checking on this because it tasted like pork, but I'm not sure) and toasted rice are stir fried then seasoned with fresh mint, scallions, cilantro, lime and chillies.  This was served with a garnish of sliced cucumber, a lettuce leaf and more fresh mint.  The flavor of this dish was muted and mellow, with not a hint of spiciness. 

Since this wasn't nearly spicy enough, we asked for some chillies.  Our waitress brought over this cool chilli (condiment) tray.

Colorful, as well as fiery, there were different types of chillies here for all the different types of dishes which we were about to eat.

Next to arrive was the eggplant & shiitake mushroom with chili-basil sauce (US$7.95).

This dish was one of our entrées so it was served with some tossed greens topped with a peanut sauce based dressing, and a bowl of sticky rice (white or brown also available).   Deep fried chunks of tofu were stir fried with whole shiitake mushrooms and pieces of eggplant in a chili-basil "sauce" (oil).  The eggplant was fork tender though it seemed to maintain most of its "bite".  The mushrooms' savoriness was balanced by just a hint of sweetness from the basil.  Again, as with the larb, this dish wasn't as spicy as I would have liked, and it was too much too salty and oily.  We all agreed that this was something that wouldn't be ordered again.

Then came our appetizer, the golden shrimp medallions (tod mun kung, US$7.95).

Three panko (?) crusted shrimp cakes were deep fried, and served with a sweet, spicy chilli sauce.  The plate was garnished with some sliced carrot and cucumber, and some tossed greens.  Despite being deep fried, these thick, crunchy shrimp cakes were well drained and I could see no sign of oil anywhere.  The cakes were sweet and meaty, and they reminded me a lot of Japanese-style croquettes.

Finally, our second entrée arrived, the soft shell crabs with panang sauce (puu tod lad panang, US$11.95).

This was the dish that I was looking forward to the most.  Deep fried, almond crusted soft shell crabs were served topped with panang sauce.  Fragrant, crunchy and flavorful, the soft shell crabs were the highlight of the afternoon.  The nuttiness of the almond crust went well with the peanut and kaffir lime leaf based panang sauce.  Again, there was not really enough heat here for my tastes, but overall, the sweetness of this dish proved to be most enjoyable.

To drink, we had the Thai iced vanilla tea (US$3.00).

Cool, sweet and utterly refreshing, Thai iced tea is the beverage I normally choose to compliment all the spicy food.  This one was not as sweet as the ones that I normally get and that made it all the better.

The food here at Sweet Basil is described as "Neo Thai", which in my opinion means fusion.  It combines classic Thai flavors and cooking techniques with new ingredients, especially those not normally seen in traditional Thai cooking -- an example of this is the almond crusted soft shell crab with panang sauce.  And even though the food preparation was a bit uneven, I would definitely come here again to try a few of the other menu items, and maybe even the buffet.  Cost may prohibit me from coming here often, but Sweet Basil could possibly be a sweet indulgence.

Sweet Basil
1152A Mauankea Street
Telephone:  808.545.5800

Legend Seafood Restaurant

Since I was in Chinatown buying some mooncakes today, I decided that to have some dim sum for lunch.  There are quite a few restaurants that serve dim sum in the area, such as Mei Sum and Tai Pan, but today I decided to have dim sum at Legend Seafood Restaurant.

Ask any local where to find good dim sum, and many times the response will be Legend.  So even when I arrived at 1:00 pm, this place wass packed.  I guess it shows how popular this place is, right?

Every few minutes the ladies pushing carts come around to each table hawking their wares.  This one is serving rice soup with preserved egg and salted pork as well as ox intestines with turnip.

This one here is offering pan fried turnip cake as well as pan fried dumplings with chives and shrimp.

My first selection of the day, was #22, B.B.Q. pork manapua (char siu bao, US$2.85)

Soft and fluffy, the bun was a bit moist when it arrived.  Tearing it open, we have this.

The soft, dense bun was a bit too "wet".  Don't know why this was the case, but for some reason, the bun seemed "soggy".  When I tore it in half with my fingers, I had pieces of the bun stuck there, and when I bit into it, it seemed as though it had absorbed quite a bit of water.  The pieces of B.B.Q. pork were a bit fatty and not flavored with not enough char siu sauce.

Next was #27, mochi rice in lotus leaf (US$2.85)

This is probably one of my favorite dim sum items.  After unwrapping the lotus leaf a bit, you can see what's inside.

Concealed by the tender, sticky grains of glutinous rice are bits of pork and black mushroom as well as half a chestnut (!).  Perfectly cooked, the flavor of the glutinous rice was enhanced by the fragrance of the lotus leaf.  The pork and mushroom filling gave this a savory flavor.  One of the best dishes served here.

Then came #19, the bean curd roll (US$2.85).

Bean curd "skins" are wrapped around a filling of minced pork, bamboo shoots, and black fungus (among other things), then steamed until soft and tender.  These were quite meaty with lots of crunchy pieces of bamboo shoot throughout.  I enjoyed these, but I thought the seasoning of the accompanying "gravy" could have been a bit more flavorful.

Here is #38, the pan fried turnip cake (US$2.85).

Grated turnip is combined with dried shrimp and bits of pork, then seasoned before being steamed until firm.  Before serving, the turnip "cake" is cut into squares then pan fried.  When this turnip cake was served, the outside was crisp, while the inside was still soft and tender.  There was lots of dried shrimp here, but there was an unusual flavor as well -- something that I didn't really care for.  I ate these smeared with a lot of chilli.

Since there was no more deep fried shrimp, which is actually one of my favorites here, I instead ordered the #33, barbecue pork pastry (US$2.85).

Pastry dough is wrapped around minced char siu (barbecue pork), then brushed with egg and sprinkled with sesame seeds before being baked.  The glossy pastry was a little sweet and just a little salty too.  Taking a bite of the overstuffed, flaky pastry caused crumbs to fly every which way and the savory bits of char siu offset the overall sweetness quite well.

The next to last dish was this one, #43, steamed look funn with beef (US$3.75).

Soft and slippery look funn is wrapped around a filling of minced beef before being steamed.  This is served with a bit of shoyu (soy sauce) poured over the top of the steaming hot noodles.  When this arrived, the beef filling was literally oozing out from the ends of the look funn noodles. 

For the final dessert "course", I selected #4, the small egg custard tart (US$2.15).

The flaky crust enveloped the jelly-like custard which was smooth and creamy.  I actually found this to be quite good -- better than average actually.  Why?  Don't know really, but it might have been the "slipperiness" of the custard.  It seemed to be more eggy than milky.

The dim sum here at Legend is often described as some of the best on the Island, but judging by my visits here, I have to disagree.  After eating the dim sum here on many occasions, I find the quality of the offerings quite inconsistent, and vary from one visit to the next.  Although there are several dishes that stand out, the mochi rice in lotus leaf is one, there are many more that do not.  The service here is spotty at best and although the prices here are reasonable, I would rather pay a little more for a better overall experience.

Legend Seafood Restaurant
Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 108
Telephone:  808.532.1868

Bistro Sun

Much like what happened to that stretch of Kaimuki (anchored by Town and 12th Avenue Grill), this section of Moili'ili has seen a few new restaurants open over the last several months.  Restaurants such as Spices , Aki-No-No and Bistro Sun have brought a new flavor to the neighborhood around old timers such as Imanas Tei, Sushi King and India House.  What does this mean?  For the residents of the neighborhood it definitely means more eating options.

As a frequent visitor to Spices, which is located up the block, I have often walked past this place wondering exactly what was served here.  According to the signage, this is an Italian Fusion restaurant.  But what kind of fusion food did it serve?  My curiosity finally got the best of me and I decided to pop on in.

My first visit here was a while back and the visit I'm going to describe here, is the latest and most recent one, just about a week ago.  "Irasshaimase!" (Welcome), is what I heard when I walked in the door at about 1:00 pm.  Glancing around, I found the restaurant to be quite empty.  There was just a family of four at a table in the corner, and a couple seated at the table next to mine. 

The restaurant's decor is whimsical and eclectic.  If you've been to the homes of a few friends of mine, you'd probably see something similar.  A mish-mash of styles much too difficult to describe, I thought it odd to see an artifical palm near the entrance and the string of Christmas lights that went clear across the middle of the walls.

Since I was here for lunch, I noticed a few specials on the menu.  After some thought, I decided to have the "Bistro's Original Daily Pilaf Special (2 choices)".  When I asked what the choices were, I was told that I could select either the Sicilian Pilaf or the Gorgeous Antonio Pilaf.  Just on the name alone, I decided to have the Gorgeous Antonio Pilaf lunch special (US$7.95).

According to the menu, this lunch special includes salad, soup of the day, garlic bread & coffee or ume kobucha tea.  What a deal! 

The first dish to be served was the soup.

It was a tomato based soup with thin slivers of onion and sliced cabbage floating around in it.  On top, was a generous sprinkling of dried oregano (I think).  Although the soup was a little thin, I loved the rich tomato flavor.  It was just enough to start off the meal.

Next came the the salad.

Thinly julienned pieces of cabbage, some lettuce and cubes of tomato were covered in an olive oil and citrus based dressing.  When I tried to coax the dressing ingredients out of my waitress and the manager, I was told that it was a secret.  The dressing was really sour, and while the manager said it contained lemon juice, I thought it was made with yuzu kosho. 

Here was the garlic bread.

Crisp and crunchy, but not really garlic-y.

And finally, the Gorgeous Antonio Pilaf.  Does it look gorgeous or what?

A mound of rice was topped with a corned beef hash sauce, a couple cubes of beef, some cheese and the chef's "secret" sauce.  The rice pilaf, seemed to have been cooked with some tomato sauce before being baked in the oven with the rest of the ingredients.  The cubes of beef on top were fork tender, while the cheese added a bit of saltiness to counteract the sweetness of the "secret" sauce.  The rice itself was savory so there was a really complex flavor party going on here.  In fact, the sauce was so good, I ended up soaking up what was left with those two pieces of garlic bread.  You should have seen me in action.

Here's a closer look at that rice.

Not one to leave without dessert, I ordered Bistro's sautéed banana (US$5.95).

Slices of banana were first pan fried with a little white wine (I think that's what the manager said).  Next, the bananas were "returned" to their peels and topped with a healthy drizzle of chocolate sauce (fudge?).  The dessert wass then garnished with some whipped cream, a couple of mint leaves and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  While I liked the flavor of this dessert, it was from different from what the manager described it to be, so I was expecting just a little more.

Bistro Sun
2671 South King Street
Telephone:  808.946.7580

Pee Wee Drive In

Way back in 1985, a friend used to live a block away on Young Street, her mother used to own a shop around the corner on Kalakaua, Emilio's was still serving Italian food next door to her shop and Cinerama Theatre was still showing movies across the street.  Cinerama Theatre is now long gone as is my friend's mother's shop.  Emilio's closed down a short time ago, and my friend's mother also moved out from the apartment on Young Street.  My friend has now been living in Switzerland for 12 years, but Pee Wee Drive In is still going strong.

Quite a number of years ago, I had read in the local paper that the ownership of Pee Wee's had changed hands and I wondered if the food was still the same.  It has been many years since I was last here, even though I live quite nearby.  When I drove into the tiny parking lot, there was just one space left.  All of the tables fronting the shop were occupied and there were a few people sitting around waiting for orders that had already been placed.

I initially wanted to have the beef curry, but sadly it was sold out.  Instead, I opted for another old favorite, the BBQ burger with cheese, deluxe (plain, US$1.85; add US$.30 for cheese; add US$.35 for deluxe, includes lettuce, tomato, onion).

In less than 5 minutes, my burger was ready.  I also got a small order of the crinkle cut french fries (small, US$1.75; large, US$2.50) to eat with my burger.

Get a good look before it's gone!

The burger was just as I remembered.  More sweet than salty, this had a really strong BBQ (teriyaki) flavor.  The firm, well-cooked patty, the slightly melted cheese, the crisp fresh lettuce and sweet tomatoes all give this burger it's signature flavor.  Not quite as good as W & M or Bob's, and on par with the ones at Saint Louis Drive-In (no photo of the burger), it was good to know that some things never change.

By the way, I was even suprised to see green river on the drink menu.  How's that for a trip down memory lane?  Since I haven't seen that drink on a menu in ages, I got a medium sized green river to wash down all those delicious memories.  Ahhhh....

Pee Wee Drive In
1602 South King Street
Telephone:  808.949.5781

Malay Satay Hut - Seattle, Washington

After a pretty forgetful meal at Baba Neo in Mountain View, California earlier in the year, I was a bit hesitant to visit any restaurant claiming to serving "authentic" Malaysian food.  But the food here got an OK from a couple of friends and a few others found the food inconsistent and in need of "work".  So instead of ignoring the urge to eat here, I decided that I would give it a try.

Located in the International District near Chinatown, Malay Satay Hut is a foreigner amongst the Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants that fill the area.  It is located in a small strip mall and can be difficult to find, especially if you're like me and had no clue where you were supposed to be looking.

Once inside, I found the dining area to be about half full.  It was shortly after 11:00 am, so I didn't expect too many people to be here anyway.  After all, it was a little early for lunch, don't you think?

After looking over the rather extensive menu, I decided to stick with the basics.  I decided to start with a vegetable dish, the kang kung belachan (US$9.95).

At US$9.95, this was the most expensive dish that I ordered.  The kang kong (ung choi, water convolvulus, or swamp cabbage), was cooked perfectly.  It retained its crisp texture, and although the menu indicated that this was hot and spicy, it was neither.  There was quite a lot of dried shrimp used in the rempah (spice paste), but they definitely could have used a lot more chillies.

Next, we have the Penang chow kueh teow (US$7.25).

Thick, flat rice noodles are stir fried with bean sprouts, green onions and shrimp in a thick, sweet black sauce, then served with some chilli on the side.  This dish was similar to one I had in Singapore several months back.  The only thing missing was the spiciness and more of that sweet black sauce.  Otherwise, I found this to be quite good.

Here we have the Malay-style rojak (US$5.95).

There was a lot of pineapple, mango (!), cucumber and turnip here.  There was no you tiao (fried dough sticks), tau pok (deep fried tofu) or beansprouts in this at all.  That said, the dressing was too thin and too watery.  There was not enough belacan (shrimp paste) or chilli used in the preparation of the sauce which was much too sweet.

And finally, the nasi lemak (US$6.95).

A huge mound of nasi lemak was served with ikan billis, acar, rendang ayam, and a sliced boiled egg.  The rice was fragrant and had just the right amount of coconut flavor.  Sadly, I could not detect either the fragrance or flavor of pandan leaves here.  The acar seemed to be homemade and it was perfect.  The slightly sour sweetness went perfectly with the other items presented here.  The rendang was a little sweet and not really too spicy, but the meat was fork tender and quite flavorful.

Before I came here, someone told me that the food was quite good, but needed a little "work" to be better.  I have to agree.  With some dishes, the level of spiciness was not there, in others, key ingredients were lacking the "oomph" needed to make the dish more than just ordinary.  If the restaurant were to improve the quality of it's cooking, it may be able to justify the somewhat steep (in the case of the kang kong belacan) prices that they charge.

Malay Satay Hut
212 12th Avenue S
Seattle, Washington
Telephone:  206.324.4091
website

Typhoon! - Seattle, Washington

Even after all the food I ate throughout the day, I was still hungry when I arrived at Typhoon! for dinner.  I had heard a number of good things about the place and I was ready for a nice relaxing dinner.

When we arrived, the sun was still out and the restaurant was not crowded.  In a nice twist of fate, we got seated at a table right near the front window (great for taking pictures of the food).

After ordering our dinner, I proceeded to wash my hands in the restroom.  Along the way was this wall of tea -- Literally hundreds of glass jars filled with all types of different teas. 

As soon as I got back, the dishes started arriving, one by one.  Here is the beef salad (US$9.95).

Lean and tender slices of beef were combined with raw onion and tomato in a tangy lime and fish sauce based dressing.  The salad was ordered medium-hot and it didn't seem like there were any chillies in this at all.  While I enjoyed the tangy sourness of the dressing, this dish wasn't all that special.

Next to arrive was the miang kum (US$8.95).

The waiter recommened this dish and explained that this was the restaurant's signature appetizer.  It is described on the menu as follows:

"Rare Thai peasant dish.  Wrap a pinch of toasted coconut, shallot, ginger, lime, peanut, dried shrimp and Thai chili in a spinach leaf with Bo's signature sauce, then pop in your mouth to burst in a medley of flavors."

Following the instructions above, I put a little of each ingredient inside a spinach leaf, spooned on some of Bo's signature sauce, which coincidentally tasted a lot like mango chutney, then popped it into my mouth and waited for the burst of flavors.

Crunchy peanuts, spicy ginger, fiery chillies, salty shrimp, tangy lime, smokey coconut and sweet chutney, made for an extraordinary taste sensation.  I was initially worried that the flavors would be a bit unusual together, but they actually complimented each other quite well.  In only a few minutes, we had worked out way through the entire plate.

The next dish to find its way to our table was the chicken in green curry (veggie or chicken, US$10.95; beef or shrimp US$11.95).

This is something that I always order in any Thai restaurant that I visit.  In my opinion, it's quite hard to produce a green curry that has the right balance of all the essential flavors -- coconut milk, chillies, kaffir lime, lemongrass and galangal.  This one was no different than most of the curries that I've had before.  Not great, and not bad, but just OK.  With all the Asian produce markets out there, why don't these Thai restaurants use authentic ingredients in their curries?  By that I mean, makheua praow (Thai eggplants) and the much smaller, makheua phuang (pea eggplants, which are very bitter).

The last dish to arrive at the table was this, the pineapple fried rice (US$10.95).

Jasmine rice, pineapples, shrimp, chicken and cashew nuts were fried and seasoned with some curry powder, among other things, then garnished in this dish with some sliced cucumber.  I've never had Thai pineapple fried rice that was seasoned with curry powder before, and this was definitely interesting.  However, it was too interesting for me and I really didn't enjoy this.  What's also funny is that given the price one pays for a dish like this, one always hopes that it's going to be served in the traditional fashion -- which is the hollowed out half of a pineapple.  Sadly, I've never had it served this way at any Thai restaurant in the US.

After dinner, we looked over the dessert menu.  I decided to have an old favorite, the mango sticky rice (US$5.95).

For almost US$6.00, the portion here was really small.  The portion of sticky rice was similar in size to a deck of cards.  The mango, was equal to a third of a nice sized fruit.  That said, the sticky rice was prepared quite nicely although it needed just a little more coconut milk.

The food here at Typhoon! was OK at best.  The standout and best tasting dish of the evening, the miang kum, was probably the simplest to prepare.  Given the prices, and they hype surrounding this place, I expected food that was significantly better that what I was served.  Maybe that's why the place was half empty when we arrived.

Typhoon!
1400 Western Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Telephone:  206.262.9797
website

Monsoon - Seattle, Washington

Arriving at Monsoon at just about 9:30 am, I was surprised to see that the restaurant was still closed.  The website did say 9:00 am, didn't it? 

I stepped through the door, only to be told that the restaurant would be open at 10:00 am and that I could return later if I wished.  Later?  I took a cab there and once I left, I wouldn't be back.  So when I told the waitress that I would be waiting, she directed me to the cafe across the street since she didn't have anything to offer me.

As soon as 10:00 am came around, I made my way across the street just as the sign was being changed from "closed" to "open".

Since I had already waited for a little more than a half hour, I was happy to be the restaurant's first customer of the day.  I selected a table in the corner of the room and proceeded to review the menu.

Many of the dishes seemed interesting and at the last moment, I almost decided to have something other than the dim sum that I came for.  Since the list of dim sum offerings was short (7 items), I ordered one of each item and a pot of tea (ti kuan yin, US$4.00), then sat back and waited.

The dim sum slowly made their way to the table.  Among the first to arrive was the wrapped lotus leaf pork sticky rice.

This is one of my favorite dim sum dishes, and looking at it here in the steamer basket, the lotus leaf didn't look like it was steamed for long period of time.

After unwrapping the bundle, my suspicions proved to be true.  Even though there was a great deal of minced pork here, the glutinous rice had not been steamed long enough.  The grains of rice were still firm and "dry" instead of being "chewy" and slightly sticky.  Aside from being just slightly undercooked, this had excellent flavor.

Next to arrive were the vegetable potstickers.

Plump and full of vegetables, these potstickers had the required chewy skin although the bottoms were a bit overcooked.  I don't like it when they taste burnt.

Next came the pan fried daikon cakes.

To prepare this, daikon is first grated then mixed with ground shrimp, ground pork and various seasonings before being steamed.  The "cake" is then cut and pan fried to order.  To somehow make up for the slightly overdone potstickers, these were perfect -- slightly crisp outside, moist and tender inside.  Add some chilli sauce, and these were even better.

Pork shui mai with dried shiitake mushrooms.

When these arrived at the table, I knew they were going to taste good.  Cutting into one, I found that they were half cooked.  There was lots of lean cubes of pork (not minced pork) inside that wrapper, but it was still pink.  The waitress apologized then took it back to the kitchen and advised that it would be replaced.  As she turned to leave the table, she commented, "I'm so sorry.  I guess you're the one we pick on today.  It always happens for some reason."  I laughed as she left the table.  You see, besides receiving half cooked shui mai, when the pot of tea arrived at the table, the water inside was lukewarm.  It was definitely not hot enough for brewing tea.

As the shui mai made their way back to the kitchen, the shrimp dumplings emerged.

As the waitress set the basket down on the table, I curiously peered inside it.  Three translucent dumplings appeared to be stuffed full of shrimp.  After taking a bite, and then another, I was impressed.  Perfectly steamed, slippery dumpling skins were filled with large succulent shrimp until each was almost ready to burst.  Excellent!

Finally, another one of my favorites appeared at the table -- steamed bbq pork buns.

For this classic dim sum dish, you'll often find soft and fluffy bread surrounding savory bits of bbq pork (char siu).  Splitting this one in half, I found this.

After taking the first bite, I discovered that this tasted more like hoisin sauce than Chinese-style bbq pork.  Sweet and sticky, the lean chunks of bbq pork were tender and the filling to bun ratio was perfect.  I just wanted the filling to taste more like char siu than anything else.

And finally, the last item to make an appearance at the table were these crispy shrimp Chinese chive wontons.

Resembling "cakes" more than the wonton I was used to, the crisp, pillowy skins were filled with lots of Chinese chives (garlic chives) and shrimp.  I liked the presentation here as the dish had lots of character as well as flavor.  The dipping sauce was used sparingly to provide an additional layer of salty flavor to this already well seasoned wonton.

As I was getting ready to leave, my waitress arrived at my table with another basket filled with shui mai.  As she proceeded to apologize for the delay, I explained that it wasn't necessary for her to give me another basket, as I was already full and ready to leave.  She again apologized, returned the basket of shui mai to the kitchen and brought my check.  Looking over the check, I realized that she had removed the charge for the original basket of uncooked shui mai.

The dim sum here at Monsoon was flavorful, but a little expensive when compared to the prices I pay back home.  Though there were a couple of mis-steps with the cooking, overall, I found the food to be slightly better than average tastewise and I have to say that there was no skimping on the ingredients either.  Lots of whole shrimp, lean chunks of pork, and fresh vegetables found their place in each dim sum offering.  If they can iron out all the rough spots, I predict the weekend dim sum brunch will be just as popular the nightly dinners.

Monsoon
615 19th Avenue E
Seattle, Washington
Telephone:  206.325.2111
website

Flying Fish - Seattle, Washington

Located in Belltown, Flying Fish has been occupying the space at the corner of First and Bell for a little more than 10 years.  I had heard many good things about this restaurant, so I thought this would be a good introduction to food here in Seattle.

Serving Asian-inspired seafood dishes, I was told that the menu here changes daily depending on the ingredients available.  Upon entering the doorway of the restaurant, one is greeted by the orange glow of this here flying fish.

Stepping inside the restaurant, I advised the hostess of our 9:00 pm reservation, which she promptly acknowledged.  Even at 9:00 pm, the restaurant was quite crowded.  In fact, it was almost full.

Just as we were being seated, I spotted a table opening up outside.  Instead of sitting inside, I asked if it would be OK to sit at the table being vacated (so I could take photos of the food) -- "Sure, one moment while we get it set up for you," was the reply.

After looking over the menu, I couldn't decide what to order.  My initial selection was going to be the wok blackened opah, however, I was told that there had been a last minute change and that the dish was being prepared in similar fashion with ahi instead.  After looking over the menu again, I decided on a couple of appetizers, or small plates as they are called here, in lieu of an entrée (or large plate).

First up, was the Thai crab cake with lemongrass mayonaisse and orange shiso salad (US$9.80).

This appetizer came highly recommended by our waitress.  In fact, she proclaimed this to be the most popular appetizer on the menu.  The combination of flavors here was incredible -- sweet/tart orange, spicy shiso leaf and creamy/savory lemongrass mayonaisse -- all combined with the thick and meaty crab cake.  I can see why the waitress recommended it.  After I was done, I wanted another.

Next to arrive, was the field greens salad, toasted hazelnut vinaigrette, parmesan crisp (US$6.95).

Crisp greens were tossed with a hazelnut vinaigrette and served with a lone, spicy parmesan crisp.  There was little flavor to the vinaigrette which should have been infused with hazelnuts.  In fact, what I didn't like about this was that there was way too much oil here, rendering the greens a bit soggy as I worked my way through the salad.

And to round out the appetizers, the steelhead, lobster and wild mushroom tart, sorrel sauce (US$11.55).

A piece of pan fried steelhead was propped up against a slice of wild mushroom and lobster tart.  The crisp skin of the steelhead proved to be a great contrast to the moist, flaky meat.  The tart, which was served at room temperature, had a flaky crust and just the right ratio of savory mushrooms to sweet lobster meat.  To finish, the dish was plated with two very different tasting sauces -- a slightly sweet, citrusy butter based sauce (yellow) and a slightly sweet, grassy tasting sorrel/olive oil based sauce (green).

The friend who had joined me for dinner ordered the crispy monkfish, curried vegetables, rice, spicy peanut curry sauce (US$23.90).

I had a taste of this and found the curried vegetables, which were served cold, to be seasoned quite well -- the vegetables had a nice spiciness to them.  The fish, which was crisp, and perfectly cooked, was just a bit too salty.  And I didn't find that there was anything remotely spicy about the peanut sauce.

Since I had eaten a light dinner, I definitely was going to have dessert.  I chose Elsie's miracle meringue cake, strawberry ice cream and berry sauce (US$6.75).

Dense, rich and moist, this layer cake had a slightly crunchy meringue topping and strawberry infused cream that was sandwiched between the layers.  To add to the strawberry overload was a scoop of fresh strawberry ice cream and some tart strawberry sauce.  After the first bite, I declared this a success, even though it tasted a lot like strawberry shortcake.

The other dessert that we decided to order was the nectarine blackberry crisp, almond meringue topping, lemon ice cream (US$7.50).

Unlike the first dessert which had been successfully executed, this one did not appeal to me at all.  The topping had a "sandy" mouthfeel to it, the nectarines were still a bit too firm (undercooked) and the blackberries were just too tart.  To add to that, the lemon ice cream was really tart as well (this would have been good on its own).  The combination of flavors here just didn't work well together.

The food here was almost exactly as I had imagined it would be.  The appetizers, with the exception of the salad, were tasty and well prepared.  The entrée, was a bit less refined tastewise, but was acceptable for what it was -- a few pieces of crispy fried fish, served with some vegetables and rice -- and certainly not worth the price.  The desserts, on the other hand, were a bit hit and miss and definitely not anything that I would rush to order again.  Would I come back here again?  For the service, definitely.  For the food?  Well, let's see.  If I did, I would be more inclined to order the small plates, selectively order an entrée and definitely skip dessert.

Flying Fish
2234 First Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Telephone:  206.728.8595
website

Sunrise Restaurant

After making a few calls this afternoon, a few of us decided to get together tonight for dinner.  Since everything was planned at the last minute, we wanted to go somewhere that didn't require reservations and that didn't require us to get dressed up.  Someone suggested Okinawan food, and since it was still early, we ended up here at Sunrise.

As you enter, you can hear the sound of Okinawan music as it fills the room.  The restaurant is small and cozy, with seating for about 25 people.  It was quite busy when we arrived as there were only a couple of tables available.

Besides a few specials listed on a couple of boards behind the sushi bar, the dinner menu is quite short.  Actually, there are 10 different items on the regular menu to chose from.  On the bottom of the single paged menu are the sushi combination dinners.

While snooping around in the condiment tray, which is something that I often do, I noticed this.  Anyone know what it is?  I wanted to open the bottle to smell the contents, but I decided not to.  These actually looked like pickled chili peppers if you ask me.

After placing our orders, the first items to arrive were the tea and some takuan (pickled daikon).

Two of us ordered the sushi combination with Okinawan soba (US$12.00).

Topped with a tender, meaty pork rib, the soup was further garnished by a lone slice of kamaboko (fish cake) and some chopped green onions.  The bowl here was on the small side, but it was full of noodles.  The broth was clear and had a meaty, slightly spicy flavor.  After eating some of the noodles in the bowl, I was surprised to see lots of benishoga (shredded pickled ginger) in the broth.

Here is a close up of the Okinawan soba noodles.  See how the noodles are thick and somewhat flat?  These noodles are usually made using wheat flour instead of buckwheat flour, which is what traditional soba noodles are made from.  These noodles were firm and slightly chewy -- perfectly cooked if you ask me.

(Sorry this one's a little blurry.)

The other two ordered the sushi combination with the special miso soup (US$12.00).

The miso and shrimp flavored broth was garnished with a slice of kamaboko, some chopped green onions and a shrimp head.  After digging through the bowl of soup, we discovered it filled with all sorts of stuff -- bean sprouts, tofu, luncheon meat (!), wakame (seaweed), salmon, daikon and Chinese cabbage.  I'm not sure if I missed anything, but if I did, it's because there was quite a bit in that little bowl of soup.

This was the sushi platter that was served with our combination meals.

It contained three pieces of tekka maki (tuna roll), three pieces of kappa maki (cucumber roll), two pieces maguro (tuna), two pieces hamachi (yellowtail), one piece tako (octopus), one piece unagi (eel), a pile of gari (pickled ginger) and a mound of wasabi.  The fish was fresh, and I felt we were given a nice assortment of sushi.  As always, my favorites were the hamachi and the unagi.

The food here at Sunrise is good, and to some, it's just like homemade.  Even though the portions may seem small, by the time you're done eating, you realize that you're full.  All those things, along with the homey atmosphere, the prompt service and the not-so-usual flavors and dishes, give me enough reasons to keep coming back.

Sunrise Restaurant
525 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.4118

Royal Kitchen

Manapua shops are a dime a dozen here in Hawaii.  A few of these shops have their specialties and I'm sure that many people have their favorite shops too.  Royal Kitchen is the home of "baked manapua", so if it's baked manapua that I want to eat, I will usually come to get it here.

Located outside the Chinatown Cultural Plaza right next to Nuuanu stream, you'll see a lot of elderly men out front playing mah jongg, card games or checkers.  Inside, the shop is small and cramped -- see for yourself.

On the wall facing the counter you'll see the menu board listing the various types of manapua being offered as well as some of the menu items.  On the right is the warmer where the manapua is kept once it comes out of the oven. Since the warmer was nearly full, I got to sample a few of the baked manapua.  Here is the baked cha siu bun (US$.90).

The bread here is light and fluffy with just a touch of sweetness.  The ratio of filling to bun was good and the minced char siu was quite tasty though a bit fatty.

I also tried the baked kalua pork bun (US$.90).

The kalua pork bun didn't really "WOW" me this time.  The pork had a smokey aroma and flavor, however, it was just a bit too salty and a little too dry.  Since this was the last one in the warmer, it may have been sitting for a while. 

And finally, the baked lup cheong bun (US$.90).

An "elongated" bun was filled with a piece of sweet, oily lup cheong.  I rarely eat lup cheong, but this was good -- imagine eating a Chinese "hot dog".

To go along with the manapua, I also ordered two pork hash (siu mai, US$.50 each).

The pork hash were bite-sized, meaty and not at all salty.  The skin was thick and chewy and just the slightest bit oily.

And for an after lunch snack, I got a small package of shrimp chips (US$.50; large US$1.00).

Light and crisp, these made a nice snack.  However, the shrimp chips were a little salty and not as shrimp-y as I would have liked.

Royal Kitchen calls itself the "Home of Baked Manapua" and it's a statement I think many people agree with.  There are about 10 different varieties of baked manapua served here -- from kalua pork to vegetarian to chicken curry -- definitely something for everyone.  The prices here are reasonable and the food is quite tasty.  Royal Kitchen also offers a limited menu of plate lunches featuring Chinese dishes as well as catering and roasting services. 

Royal Kitchen
Chinatown Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Shop 175
Telephone:  808.524.4461 or 808.524.2843

Mahalo Hawaii BBQ

Sometimes you're not always served the best food when you eat out somewhere, but what brings you back is time and time again is the people.  That's exactly how I feel about Mahalo Hawaii BBQ. 

Over the course of several years, I had visited L & L Drive-Inn near the corner of Kalakaua Avenue and Young Street (restaurant #12 for those in the know) whenever I wanted something quick and inexpensive to eat -- most often, it was the mini chicken katsu, or the mini loco moco.  On a visit about six months ago, I discovered that this place had changed, it was not L & L anymore, it was now Mahalo Hawaii.

Inside, the tables and fixed seating were the same.  The walls had been painted over with some bright yellow and orange paint.  And then there were the light fixtures.  Tiny pendant lamps hung over the tables casting a strange orange glow over the place. 

Instead of the usual stuff that I normally order, I decided on the mini general's chicken with fried rice (US$5.00; regular plate, US$7.95).

The fried rice was quite bland in the typical fast food, plate lunch place way and contained frozen peas and carrots, lots of onions and tiny bits of egg.  There were two pieces of steamed broccoli instead of the generic macaroni salad, and a huge mound of general's chicken.  Now, when I asked what this was, the girl at the counter (who was new, I suppose) told me that this was spicy "orange flavored" chicken.  When I tasted it, it was neither orange flavored, nor was it spicy.  Go figure.  It was probably the restaurant's attempted at serving General Tso's chicken.  Now I don't know of this is a Chinese creation or an American Chinese creation, but I do remember that I ate it for the first time at either a Hunan Garden or Ollie's Noodle Shop in New York City in the late 80's or early 90's.

On another occasion, I had the chicken katsu and fried mahi mixed plate (US$5.75).

A deep fried piece of mahi mahi was served alongside some deep fried chicken katsu.  It's stuff like this that makes me really love places like this.  In fact, I think they were made to serve this type of artery clogging goodness.  Most often times, at least in my opinion, the deep fried stuff is generally the best stuff on the menu.  Too bad I couldn't eat this all the time.

Mahalo Hawaii BBQ, much like the L & L's before it, doesn't really serve the best food in town, but it's OK.  If you're on a budget, you will get a huge portion of food for your dollar which makes this an attractive deal for many.  Mahalo Hawaii continues to offer the same menu as L & L -- local style plate lunches and sandwiches with a few pseudo Chinese dishes added on for good measure.  One thing for sure, the service here is fast and most often times pleasant.

Mahalo Hawaii BBQ
1513 Young Street Suite 101
Telephone:  808.951.4300

The Chef's Table

Located in a strip mall that's also home to Costco, Jamba Juice, Starbucks and Panda Express, the Chef's Table seems to be a little out of place.  It's one of the few restaurants that I know of that serves European cuisine in the state -- in this instance, the restaurant's specialty is Austrian food.  The restaurant has quietly existed in the Hawaii Kai Towne Centre for just about 8 years now, and after hearing so much about this place, I decide to pay it a visit.

With a frequent dining partner in tow, we make the drive out to Hawaii Kai (about 20 minutes from my apartment) and since it's a little after 7:00 pm when we arrive, the parking lot is empty.  I was surprised to find that the restaurant was doing brisk business as close to 75% of the tables were already occupied.

After rattling off a list of specials, our waitress brought us some break and left us so that we could look over the menu.  It has been a while since I last ate Austrian food so I had to ask the waitress for a little help in deciphering the menu.  She was very helpful in making recommendations, and after we had placed our orders, the dishes started appearing in a slow procession.

First to arrive was the carrot and orange zest soup (included in the meal).

The soup was warm and delicious and not at all like what I expected.  It was light and full of tender shards of carrot, onion and celery. 

Next was the appetizer recommended by our waitress, the roasted mushrooms in cheese and walnut sauce (US$7.50).

Underneath the cheese were tender slices of mushroom surrounded by a delicious gravy.  I couldn't quite make out the flavors, but it was definitely something that I would come back for.  As we worked our way to the bottom of the bowl we discovered bread there -- great for soaking up all that rich gravy.

Next was the house salad with onion vinaigrette (included in the meal).

(Sorry for the terrible photo.)

For dinner, I ordered the wienerschnitzel (US$18.50).

A lightly breaded and pan fried piece of veal cutlet was served with a lemon wedge, some steamed broccoli and carrots, a mound of red cabbage and some onion potatoes.  The veal cutlet was moist and fork-tender.  The breading was not too thick and the veal had been seasoned perfectly.  The braised red cabbage was tender and slightly sweet, each bite slowly melted in my mouth without my needing to chew.  The onion potatoes were a tasty departure from the starch options we normally see in restaurants here. 

The other dish that was ordered was the beef goulash "paprikash" (US$17.50).

This ragout of beef was served in an onion paprika sauce.  Alongside the goulash was some steamed broccoli and carrots, a mound of red cabbage and a lot of pasta.  The beef here had been slowly stewed and was very lean and tender.  The sauce had a slightly sweet, slightly savory flavor to it -- quite different from the Hungarian-style goulash that I was used to.

The food here at the Chef's Table was worth every penny, it was all delicious and thoughtfully prepared.  Our waitress was helpful and very attentive, frequently coming by to ask how things were.  The one thing that really stood out here was the pacing of the dishes.  At no time did I feel rushed, or hurried, to finish a dish.  Each dish arrived just as we were finishing the previous dish.  The delicious food, excellent service, and subdued atmosphere made for a nice, relaxing dinner.

The Chef's Table
Hawaii Kai Towne Centre
333 Keahole Street Space 2B8
Telephone:  808.394.2433

Cheeseburger Waikiki

This time last year, there were signs indicating the opening of a new Cheeseburgers in Paradise location at the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Kalakaua Avenue.  Open since December of 2004, Cheeseburger Waikiki has tried to fill the shoes of the previous tenant here -- a Sizzlers restaurant that had been in this same location for more than 20 years.  This restaurant joins another Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant which is located at the opposite end of Waikiki and has been open since 1997.

While being taken to my seat outdoors, I snapped a few photos of the restaurant's interior.  The inside of the restaurant is fun and playful, and there are strings of lights hanging everywhere.

There are a lot of knickknacks, tchotchkes, doo dads, or whatever you want to call them.  In any case, there's a whole lot of clutter in here, which I guess makes it great.

For some reason, the waitstaff all wear grass skirts around their waists.  I wonder if this is only done in the Hawaii stores.  When I visited the original location in Hawaii, our server had on a a grass skirt as well.  See the waiter at the bar in the grass skirt? 

My seat was out near the sidewalk under an umbrella.  The lighting was provided by these gas torches.  If Waikiki weren't so crowded, this might have been really nice.  It was much better than sitting indoors though -- at least it was cool and breezy.

After looking over the menu, I placed my order.  The waitress advised that the food would take about 20 minutes to arrive.  It actually came in 10.  Good thing because I was quite hungry.  It was already past 9:00 pm.  Since the burgers come with no sides, I decided to get an order of the 'ono onion rings^TM (US$4.95).

The onion rings were made with real onions and a different sort of batter and coating.  According to the menu, this was a "flaky crumb breading that you (I) will love". Did I love 'em?  Of course.  The crunchiness was just amazing and surprisingly these weren't oily either. 

Now for the burger.  According to the menu, all the burgers are made from "100% Natural Meyer Angus Beef.  Served Hot and Juicy with 1000 Island Dressing, Fresh Lettuce, Tomatoes and Sautéed Onions.  Our Sesame Seed and Whole Wheat Buns are baked Island Fresh every day!"

I decided to order the Black N Blue Cheeseburger^TM (US$9.95).

After I placed my order, I realized that I had ordered this same burger in Lahaina more than a year ago.  Oh well, maybe it was subconcious.  The burger arrived a little pink even though I ordered it well done.  I had half a mind to send it back, but decided I was too hungry to do so.  The burger came topped with three strips of bacon and lots of crumbled blue cheese, but surprisingly, no sautéed onions.  That was perfectly OK because I wouldn't have eaten the onions anyway.  Inside the basket that the burger was served in was a pineapple wedge, a pickle, and a bamboo umbrella.

Open wide....

The burger was indeed juicy, though not really hot for some reason.  The blue cheese and bacon went very well together and I was quite happy that there wasn't too much dressing on this sandwich.  The menu also states that the burgers served here are "5 napkin cheeseburgers" and on this occasion, it was no lie.  After the first couple of bites, I ended up using a napkin to hold the burger.

The burgers here are juicy and flavorful, but in my opinion, just a little too expensive.  Then again, this is Waikiki right?  If I were in the area, and in the mood for a gourmet type of burger, I would definitely consider coming back  here for the Black N Blue Cheeseburger^TM and definitely the onion rings.

Cheeseburger Waikiki
1945 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  808.941.2400

Karen's Kitchen

I first heard about Karen's Kitchen about three years ago when the office I work in had a pot luck.  Someone brought the potato salad from Karen's and it was so delicious that I just had to visit the restaurant to sample some of the other food.  Due to it's close proximity to my apartment, Karen's had become a pretty regular hangout over the last couple of years, but since starting this blog, my visits here have been infrequent at best.  One night several days ago, I left the office earlier than usual and decided to stop by Karen's on the way home.

It was already 8:00 pm, but the shop was quite crowded when I arrived.  In fact, Karen's seems to draw a steady crowd no matter what time of day it is, even though it is in a small strip mall in a mostly industrial area of town.

Tonight, I decided to have the hamburger steak with macaroni salad (US$6.95).

A huge piece of hamburger "steak" was topped with mushrooms and onions before being covered with lots of brown gravy.  The plate also came with two scoops white rice and some macaroni salad.  Delicious is how I'll describe this thick, well-seasoned piece of hamburger.  I'd probably go as far as saying that this is one of the better hamburger steak plates that I've had the pleasure of eating.  The gravy is the perfect consistency, though it can be a little salty at times.  The macaroni salad here is good too -- mixed in with all of the elbow macaroni, you'll find pieces of egg and potato as well.

For dessert, I had a slice of blueberry cream pie (US$2.50).

Although the blueberries used as topping for this pie are probably canned (?), the crust is flakey and definitely homemade.  The cream filling is dense and rich without being overly sweet.

On another night recently, I had the hamburger curry with tossed salad (US$4.95).

First of all, I have to mention the fact that the girl behind that counter was very nice.  It was late, a little after 8:00 pm, and when I had ordered the hamburger curry, she ended up putting whatever was left in the warmer into the "bowl" which is probably why the portion looks so huge here.  In fact, I couldn't eat it all.  The curry was very meaty and just slightly spicy, not really spicy enough for my tastes.  I got a lot of salad with some wonderful "oriental" style dressing that had the taste and armoa of sesame oil.

On the same evening, I decided to go home with a slice of the key lime pie (US$2.50)

When I ate this, my first thought was that it was really good.  I liked the graham cracker style crust and the key lime filling, which was thick and custard-y, was just the right tartness.  The whipped cream topping was sprinkled with something as well.  I couldn't really taste what it was, but my guess is grated lime zest.  Anyone know what it is?

The food here at Karen's is good without being fussy, and fresh, just like homemade.  The people here are helpful and friendly, making this a great place to eat at.  Taking the prices into consideration, the portions here can be considered extremely generous, thereby making a meal here a great bargain. 

Karen's Kitchen
614 Cooke Street
Telephone:  808.597.8195

Town

Town, along with 12 Avenue Grill, has helped to revive the dining landscape in Kaimuki.  The recent additions of these similar, but different approaches to American-style bistro cuisine give diners a few more options when it comes time to eat.

Here are a few photos of my most recent visit to Town.  I've been here on a couple of ocassions and I must say that the food is quite good.  The menu changes daily, so what I had today, might not be available tomorrow or even next week.  That's a good thing, I suppose, as it keeps things fresh.  Anyway, I like not knowing what to expect -- sometimes.

According to the hand typed menu, the restaurant's motto is "local first, organic whenever possible, with Aloha always".  That means fresh, healthy (somewhat) and served with a smile, or should I say guaranteed to put a smile on your face?  Anyway you look at it, the restaurant tries to promise a lot, but does it deliver?

I had been told by a family member that works here, that I should definitely come for dinner one night.  I invited a friend and I made it a point to come on a night when he would not be working so I would not get the "royal" treatment.  After all, I wanted to be treated like everyone else right?  As we walked through the door, I saw that the restaurant was packed full of people, both at the bar....

...and inside as well.  I stood near the podium and waited for the host(ess) to arrive.  As the minutes wound down, there was no one in sight.  After waiting for about 5 minutes, I flagged down one of the servers and asked him if I could be seated.  He returned with an older woman, who seated me, but neglected to apologize for keeping me waiting.

The interior is full of hard surfaces (concrete floors, stainless steel tabletops) which amplify the slightest noise.  That meant that our conversation was drowned out by the noise of the other diners and also meant that I could not hear, nor be heard, when trying to carry on a conversation.  I was seated on the banquette along the wall.  The seat is not padded and was uncomfortable to sit on.

After looking over the menu and placing our orders, one of the runners brought us bread, butter and olives.  The first serving is complimentary.  If you want more, it'll cost you US$2.00. 

I couldn't believe that they would charge if we wanted addtional bread, but then again, there was more than enough bread here for the two of us anyway.  The idea of combining whole olives with melting butter was great and one that I would consider using at home.  The olives provided a tasty counterpoint to the slightly sweet and creamy butter.

We started with a salad.  There were actually three different choices on the menu and this seemed to be the most interesting -- roasted pears, endive, arugula, ricotta salata, walnuts (US$8.00).

Crunchy walnuts, thin creamy slices of cheese, and tender roasted pears -- the flavors bitter, salty and sweet were all present here, and were complimentary and pleasing to the palate.  There was a light dressing that coated the greens, nothing too overpowering, and that helped this salad remain refreshingly simple with great texture and taste.  I felt that there could have been more endive in the salad though.  After we ate our way through the entire dish, we discovered that there had been only 3 thin slivers of the stuff.  Wasn't it supposed to be one of the main ingredients?

I ordered the 1/2 chicken, torn bread, roasted grapes, tatsoi, pancetta (US$16.50).

Moist and flavorful, the roasted chicken was delicious.  The crisp skin provided a nice balance to the wonderfully tender and succulent meat contained within.  The bite-sized pieces of torn bread were crunchy, and crouton-like in appearance and flavor.  The roasted grapes provided a bit of sweetness to this dish, as the pancetta provided a slight saltiness.  The real surprise was the tatsoi, an Asian green that is rarely seen on menus here.  The tender, slightly spicy sautéed tatsoi leaves added another dimension of flavor to an already complexly flavored dish.

My dinner guest ordered the fresh hand-cut pasta, lamb and mushroom sugo, pecorino (US$17.00).

The pasta was cooked al dente and was perfect.  The lamb and mushroom sugo (sauce) had that homey comfort food sort of flavor with the pecorino giving this dish a slightly more savory flavor. 

After dinner, we decided to look over the menu.  There were five items on the dessert menu with two of them being a sorbet and a gelato.  Since I've been busy at home with my ice cream maker, we decided on the following desserts.

The first dessert was the mango tart, cream cheese, toasted almond crust (US$6.00).

Layered inside the toasted almond crust was a thin layer of cream cheese topped with sweet slices of mango.  When eaten together, I somehow felt like the flavors were a little "off".  If I ate the cream cheese and crust alone, they were fine.  The flavors did not match the overripe sweetness of the mango too well.

Second, and my choice, was the bittersweet chocolate and apple banana panini (US$6.00).

Creative, fun and delicious are the words that would best describe this dessert.  Bittersweet Richart chocolate and thinly sliced apple bananas are sandwiched between two slices of sweetbread, then grilled to form a dessert panini.  Served with some whipped cream and lemon zest on the side, this makes for a rich and sinful dessert.  While I enjoyed this dessert, I do wish that either there were more bananas or less chocolate here as I could barely taste the tartness of the bananas with all the chocolate that was in the panini.

Overall, the food here at Town is very good to excellent, however, I don't think much of the ambiance or the service.  The wait staff didn't seem too attentive to our needs at all.  We waited for several minutes before being greeted upon entering, our water wasn't filled at regular intervals and no one really came around to question how we were doing.  During dinner, the noise was so loud that we stopped talking so that we wouldn't be shouting at each other.  Maybe that's why I'll stick to lunches here.  The food is great, but the noise is a little more subdued.

Town
3435 Waialae Avenue Suite 103
Telephone:  808.735.5900

Pho 97 Vietnamese Restaurant

A few days ago, someone posed a question regarding pho on the e-Gullet Hawaii forum.  I indicated that two of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants were Bac Nam, and this one here, Pho 97.  In the interest of being able to provide more detail to the person who started that thread, I decided to have lunch here on a recent afternoon.

This post is also for Jo, who has not seen pho tai (pho with rare beef) served with the raw beef on the side in the Bay Area before.

When I arrived at the restaurant at 1:15 pm, it was packed.  I was lucky to get the last open table.  Everyone around me looked like they were enjoying the food.  Since I knew what I was going to eat, I didn't even bother with the menu.

After being seated and after taking a few pictures, I spied the condiment tray.  Looking closer, I discovered a very unusual container on the little lazy Susan.  What was it?

A container full of mam tom (shrimp paste).  This is the first Vietnamese restaurant in Hawaii that I've been to that has mam tom in a container on the table.  Since it is a very popular condiment for the Vietnamese, I guess that speaks volumes about this restaurant's food (its authenticity in particular) and the restaurant's popularity with the Vietnamese as well.

Today, I ordered the medium pho tai (pho with rare beef, medium US$4.75; large US$5.25).  First came the garnishes for my pho (ngo gai, basil, mung bean sprouts, cut green chillies and lime).  You'll find this combination of herbs in any Vietnamese restaurant that you go to here in Hawaii.

Then arrived this small plate covered with thin slices of raw beef (10 slices). 

Next to arrive was the cha gio (spring rolls; 6 pieces, US$5.50) that I ordered.  It arrived at the table before the broth for my pho did.

The cha gio were plump, crunchy and not at all oily.  The minced pork and vegetable filling was tasty, making this a great way to start lunch.

Finally, here's the broth for my pho.  It was garnished with some chopped green onions and some sliced round onion.  Look no oil! 

Once the broth arrives, I start to add the slices of beef, one by one.  I usually push the slices of beef under the noodles so they are weighted down and thus, causing them to cook completely.  I will not eat the meat if it is still pink.  If you would prefer the meat to be a bit more "rare", then add the basil and ngo gai first, then allow the beef to cook to the desired level of "doneness".... 

After all the beef has been added to the bowl, I start adding lots of basil leaves and ngo gai (my favorite), then finish off with a handful of mung bean sprouts.  I squeeze a bit of lime into the bowl, and then I'm ready to eat. 

The broth here was beefy and delicious.  You could smell the herbs and spices that were put into the broth (such as anise, cloves and ginger), but each flavor complimented the other -- no one flavor dominated the broth.  Excellent.

To drink, I ordered a ca phe phinh sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, US$2.00). 

Ca phe phinh sua da is probably one of my favorite drinks to have during the summer.  It was absolutely refreshing.

As I looked around I saw everyone eating so many different things.  This was an older gentleman that was seated at a table near mine.  Looks like was enjoying his bun bo Hue (Hue style spicy beef soup) as well.

This was some of the best pho that I've had in a while.  The prices here are very good and the portions are quite large, making the food here a bargain.  Even though the restaurant was busy, the wait staff made every effort to come back every now and then to refill my glass of water and ask how I was doing.  All these things make Pho 97 worth repeat visits.

Pho 97 Vietnamese Restaurant
1120 Maunakea Street Space 176
Telephone:  808.538.0708

Rai Rai Ramen

A late night at the office led to dinner at Rai Rai Ramen with a couple of friends.  I had heard quite a number of things both good and bad about the food here, but I decided that I needed to find out for myself.

When we arrived at 8:30 pm, there was only one other person here and by the way she spoke with the waitress, she seemed to be a regular here.  The shop was clean and brightly lit and there were menus on all the tables under glass which made for easy reading.

After looking over the menu, two of us decided to try the kim chee ramen (US$6.50).

When the ramen arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lot of kim chee in the bowl.  This was my first time eating kim chee ramen, so I was quite excited to see what it would taste like.  Let's just say that after the first few sips of the broth, the excitement went away.  I don't know if it was the kim chee, or if it was the broth itself, but it was quite salty.  The kim chee gave the broth a bit of sour spiciness, which was OK.  I just don't think it worked well with the miso-based broth this time.  The two of us agreed that the kim chee ramen was not something we would order again.

My other friend at the table decided to have the mabo tofu yakisoba (US$6.25).

I've never had yakisoba with mabo tofu before and neither had my friend, but then again, that's why this was interesting.  I was told that the mabo tofu was not spicy enough, but that it went quite well with the yakisoba. 

The three of us also decided to split a six piece side order of gyoza (6 pieces US$3.25; 4 pieces US$2.50).

After mixing up some dipping sauce with vinegar, shoyu and hot chilli oil, I was ready.  These gyoza were plump, nicely filled and steam fried just right.  The filling, which was made of minced pork was quite tasty, however, I felt the gyoza skins were just a little on the thick side.   

The ramen here at Rai Rai wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding either -- it was just so-so.  Maybe I can be blamed for the choice that I made, but I honestly think that if you do something, you should do it well.  The mabo tofu yakisoba was OK, but could have used a lot more heat (according to my friend).  The gyoza was also OK, but could have been prepared with a thinner skin.  The prices were on par with most of the other ramen shops in town (or maybe slightly lower) and the service was OK as well.  This was definitely a dinner that left me wanting just a little more of everything.

Rai Rai Ramen
760 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.3877

Bert's Café

Comments are now open.

I've been agonizing on whether to upload this review of Bert's Café because several weeks ago I received two e-mails from readers of this blog telling me not to post the review.  They had seen Berts Café in my "Coming up..." list and both readers felt that the staff at Bert's would not be able to handle the extra traffic that a review on my blog might generate.  On the other hand, a couple of friends and several readers of this blog (ex-pat kama'ainas) had asked me to do a review of Bert's Café which I agreed to (more than three months ago).  What should I do?  After careful consideration, the review is being posted.  To those of you who had requested that I not post this review, please accept my sincere apologies.
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It's been many, many years since my last visit to Bert's Café.  A question, and a request, from a reader of this blog prompted me to agree to eat here again.  To give you all a little background on the place, I've been coming to Bert's off and on since the mid-70s.  If memory serves me correctly, it has always been in the same spot, and really hasn't changed much in the time that has since passed.  On most days (recently), there are three workers here -- an elderly gentleman, an elderly woman and a middle aged man. 

Bert's is located near the corner of King and McCully, right behind McCully Chop Suey.  If you don't know where to find it, you might just pass it by.  The sign is faded so you really can't make it out from a distance and the entrance looks dark when viewed from the street (it's on the right in the photo).

As you enter through the doorway, you pass this sign, which is basically a handwritten menu, and a jukebox.  I wonder if the jukebox still works.  In all the years that I've been coming here, I have never heard any music coming from it.  Maybe I'll try to see if it works on my next visit.  On a chair to the left of the jukebox, sits a board with a white piece of paper taped to it.  On the piece of paper, it says "Bert's closed at 1 pm".

There is a small outdoor dining area right inside the doorway.  There are four tables there, a cooler with water in it (self service) and an old shave ice machine.  Next to the shave ice machine, there is the entrance to the main dining area.  Here's a shot of the outside dining area from where I was sitting inside.

Here's a shot of the left side of the restaurant.  You might not be able to see it clearly in this photo, but there is an old cash register on the left half of the photo.  I was surprised to find that it still works!

This is the right side of the shop.  Behind the counter is a toaster and the coffee maker.  The doorway in the middle of the picture leads to the kitchen.  Right next to the doorway is the telephone, then there's the TV and a drink cooler (non-alcoholic only).

Here are the condiments that were on the table.  Notice the fresh flowers, the sriracha chilli sauce, the Lea & Perrins', and the old tofu container being used to hold the sugar and the packets of Coffee-mate®?  Now where's the ketchup and the shoyu?  This set up is quite unusual isn't it? 

I decided to have the breakfast special (US$3.00).  It includes coffee, toast and rice; two eggs any style with one choice of meat -- bacon, ham, hamburger patty, link sausage, portuguese sausage or luncheon meat.  No Spam®, shucks!

I ordered the eggs sunnyside up along with the hamburger patty.

The white toast arrived first (I don't think they have wheat) and was buttered and spread with a bit of strawberry jam.  I'm glad there wasn't too much of either on the bread.  Sometimes, I like my toast with a bit of flavor, other times, I like it dry (plain, without butter or jam).

When the rest of the food arrived 15 minutes later (they were busy), I found the eggs perfectly cooked.  The hamburger patty was too well done for me, but otherwise it was fine.  I sprinkled some black pepper on those yolks before digging into my breakfast.  The food here was just enough to get me started.

Bert's is your typical hole-in-the-wall, Mom-n-Pop type of restaurant.  A throwback to a long lost era you'll find no frills or fancy stuff here.  The food served here makes you feel as if you're eating in your own home.  The service here is a bit slow and the decor leaves much to be desired, however, everyone here treats you like part of the family.  They were helpful and welcoming.  By the way, did I mention that the prices are really reasonable too?

Bert's Café
939 McCully Street
Telephone:  808.941.2810

Pho My Lan

Several weeks ago, I was in Chinatown having lunch with some friends at Café Oriente.  As we were walking out we noticed Pho My Lan from across the street.  The colors were bold and caught my eye.  This past weekend, I was in Chinatown again, and instead of going to eat Thai food like I had planned, I decided that I would stop in and have some Vietnamese food here instead.

As I entered the shop, the first thing I noticed were all the colorful cranes hanging from the ceiling.  The second thing I noticed was that the shop was quite large and quite full.  Not knowing where to stand to be seated, I stood near the door for a few minutes trying to catch someone's attention.  It seemed as though the waitstaff was rushing around delivering food -- did anyone see me and the others that entered the shop?

Hungry, I walked up to the counter and asked to be seated.  The woman at the counter called one of the waitresses over and she sat me in a small dining area off of the main dining room.  Nevermind that she forgot to leave me with a menu.  All in all, it was 15 minutes from the time I walked in to the time I placed my order.

After looking over the menu, I decided to start with an appetizer and a bowl of pho.  The menu proclaims this to be "The Best Vietnamese Restaurant in Town".  Is it?  If the service was any indication of what was to come, I certainly didn't think so.

First to be delivered to my table was an order of cha gio (spring rolls, US$4.95).

There were 8 pieces here, or 4 spring rolls that had been cut in half.  The spring rolls were served with lettuce, vermicelli noodles, mint and nuoc mam (fish sauce).  The thin skin was nicely filled with a combination of minced pork and vegetables then deep fried.  The spring rolls were crunchy without being oily, a definite plus in my book.  This was also a great bargain, especially since most places only serve you with 6 pieces for a much higher price.   

Next the garnishes for the pho were brought to the table -- mung bean sprouts, basil, lime and ngo gai (saw leaf herb).

And here's the pho.  This was a small bowl of pho tai (beef noodle soup topped with rare beef, US$4.75; large US$5.50).

As the bowl was being delivered to the table, I could smell the aroma of anise in the air.  Sure enough, when the bowl arrived, I found the flavor of anise a bit too strong.  The soup was also quite oily and just a little salty.  There were tons of onions (green and round) here, but surprisingly no chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley).  The most disappointing thing about the pho was the amount of beef in the bowl -- there were only 4 thin slices here.

Close up of the vermicelli noodles.

Was this the best Vietnamese restaurant in "town"?  Not by a long shot.  The food here was quite inexpensive, but there is a bit of skimping on ingredients (the beef).  The spring rolls were good, but that was hardly enough to justify the restaurant's claim of "best in town".  The service, and the pho, would also have to improve quite significantly before I would choose to eat here again.

Pho My Lan
1160 Maunakea Street
Telephone:  808.528.3663

India Bazaar Madras Curry

Months ago, I ran into a neighbor and her husband in my building's elevator.  They were on their way home and I could smell the scent of Indian food coming from the packages that they were carrying.  So I asked, "are you having Indian food for dinner?".  When she responded yes, I just had to know where the food was from.  That's when I found out that she was a vegetarian and that the food came from India Bazaar.

Located in a strip mall across from the old Honolulu Stadium, I was told that India Bazaar has been in business for more than 15 years.  Since I like Indian food, I was surprised that I hadn't discovered this place sooner.  I've tried to visit this place many times since I've been told about it, but for one reason or another, each time I stopped by, the restaurant was either closed or about to close.  It was by chance that I was in the area recently and found the shop open.

Inside, the restaurant is clean, spacious and brightly lit.  The counter is straight ahead and the food is served cafeteria style and on paper plates.  Since I was here for a late lunch I found the place empty.  There was, however, a steady stream of customers entering the shop for the duration of my meal.

There is no written menu as the selection of food changes daily (9 vegetarian dishes and one meat dish).  The food here is prepared earlier in the day then dished from warmers as you make your selections.  How long the food sits before being replenished or replaced is anyone's guess.

Today, I decided to order the chicken plate which is served with two vegetarian dishes and rice (US$6.75).

This plate came served with yellow rice (flavored with turmeric and nigella, among other things) and chicken masala (I think it was masala).  My two additional selections were the potato stirfry (mild) and the tomato lentil (mild).  The chicken masala was flavorful, tender and just a little spicy.  The potato stirfry and the tomato lentil side dishes were quite tasty as well.  I thought that the items I chose had a nice balance of flavors and textures. 

I also ordered one pappadum (US$.85) and one samosa (US$.95).

The pappadum was light and crisp, exactly as it should be.  The only unusual thing about it was the size -- it filled the entire plate.  The samosa was nicely filled with tender curried vegetables.  The only downside was that since it was pre-cooked, it was only slightly crunchy and it was also quite oily.

Though the food here at India Bazaar is mostly vegetarian, they did have the chicken masala which completely satisfied my need to have meat with my vegetables.  The vegetarian dishes are served either mild or spicy, with the spicy dishes probably not spicy enough for those of you who like your dishes mouth numbingly so.  The dishes here are mostly flavorful and are prepared with just the right balance of flavor.  The portion sizes are good although I wish that some of the dishes (i.e. the samosas) would be cooked to order.

India Bazaar Madras Curry
2320 South King Street Suite B4
Telephone:  808.949.4840

The Olive Tree Café

The Olive Tree Café is located near Kahala Mall and came highly recommended.  Unfortunately for me, on my two previous attempts to dine here, it was too crowded and there were no tables available to sit at.  This time, I arrived with a friend at 5:00 pm just as the restaurant was supposed to be opening.  Imagine my surprise when there were already two tables outside that were occupied and two more tables inside that were occupied.  How did that happen?

The menu is located on a white board behind the front counter.  To the left of the menu board is the kitchen.  You can barely see them in this photo, but there were quite a few pitas warming on the grill there.

Inside there were about seven or eight round tables which could seat 4 people.  However, judging by the size of the plates, you probably wouldn't want to sit 4 to a table if you were ordering a lot of food. 

Service here is pretty much non-existent.  Basically what you do is make your selections from the menu and place your order at the counter.  You provide them with your name and find a seat.  When your food is ready (our food took 25 minutes), you proceed to the counter where you can pay for your food and carry it to your table.  Simple right?

Since this was our first time here, we decided that we would start with a salad.  Here's the horiatiki or Greek salad (US$6.72).

Sitting atop a bed of lettuce were chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, sliced cucumbers, chopped yellow bell peppers, a few Kalamata olives and lots of crumbled feta cheese.  Although the combination of ingredients in this salad worked well together, there was quite a bit of tangy dressing poured over it -- too much dressing if you ask me.  By the time I made my way to the bottom of the salad, it was really "soggy".  Next time, I should ask for less dressing or for the dressing on the side.

I decided to order the chicken souvlaki (skewered chicken, US$8.64).  The souvlaki was served with a side salad and a pita bread.  If I had taken the time to read the menu better, I would have noticed this and could have chosen a different starter -- possibly the argo lemono (egg-lemon soup) or the baba ghanoush (eggplant spread).

Souvlaki is served either on a skewer or inside a pita, like it is here. The well-marinated and nicely grilled chicken breast pieces (5 pieces) were placed inside a warm pita, then covered in tzatziki sauce.  I've found that chicken souvlaki isn't really a common item on most Greek menus, but I decided to go with the healthier alternative this time.  There was a lot of tzatziki sauce coating the chicken, and in my opinion, the sauce made this uninspiring.  Maybe next time I can try this with less tzatziki or with some tahini.   

Also ordered was the lamb souvlaki (US$ 9.60).

I did not try this, but was told that the lamb was well seasoned and tender.  Again, quite a bit of tzatziki sauce was used here, but since the lamb has a stronger overall flavor, the amount of sauce provided was better suited to this dish.

The food, while tasty, was not exceptional.  As I was eating my souvlaki, I noticed that one of the other diners had spanakopita (spinach pie).  When I inquired with one of the restaurant's workers, he mentioned that they do have daily specials that are not listed on the menu and that the girl that took my order should have mentioned them at the time I placed my order. Suggestion: Have another white board that is updated daily with the day's specials listed for those of us that don't know enough to ask. 

Since there was no table service here, I would have to say that the prices were a little steep, especially when you factor in the portion sizes.  I felt that the wait time for the food was a little too long considering the restaurant was not full.  I can only imagine the wait times when there is a full house.  Taking all of these things into consideration, I would probably not go out of my way to dine here again, but if I was in the area I might be convinced to give this place another try.

The Olive Tree Café
4614 Kilauea Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.0303

Okata Bento

A while back one of my readers sent me an e-mail recommending the food at Okata Bento.  It's been a while since I've actually been here, so my recollection of the food that I ate here previously isn't what it should be.

Like many of Hawaii's Mom-n-Pop operations, especially those that have been in business for 20+ years, this is your typical hole-in-the-wall -- maybe Okata Bento qualifies for that title more than some of the others....

The entrance on the sidewalk leads to a take-out window.  There are no tables or chairs to sit at here.  You order and take your food away -- to the beach, to the park or home to eat.  I decided to sit and eat my lunch on a bench fronting the shop.  The food here is cooked to order so be prepared to wait for a few minutes.  If it's busy, the wait could be even longer, so if you're in a rush, you may want to call ahead.  Today, I waited for about 10 minutes which isn't too bad considering the food was cooked on the spot.

On this occasion, I ordered the bento with chicken katsu (US$6.75).

In addition to your main dish selection, each bento includes mahi-mahi, luncheon meat, egg roll, fishcake, takuan, ume and shredded cabbage on a bed of white rice.  The chicken katsu was crunchy outside, and moist inside.  It was pounded really thin, which is how I like it.  And even though it was deep-fried it wasn't oily.  The mahi-mahi was lightly floured and pan fried -- fresh and tasty.

On another occasion, I decided to have the bento with teriyaki chicken (US$6.75).

The bento contained the same items as the one above substituting the chicken katsu with teriyaki chicken.  The teriyaki chicken was cut into bite-sized pieces and well marinated.  The chicken was tender and slightly sweet, the marinade reminding me of Mr. Yoshida's sweet teriyaki sauce.

According to the menu - "All foods are cooked to order.  Our beef, chicken, and pork are trimmed of fat, bone and gristle, then cut into bite sized pieces...." - this makes the food here a little healthier, even if it is deep fried.  Oh OK, who am I trying to kid?  The food here is fresh, tasty, and decently priced.  Okata Bento is definitely worth a return visit. 

Okata Bento
3616 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.6063

So Gong Dong

UPDATE:  November 2005
So Gong Dong has relocated.

A couple of weeks ago, I drove past this place and saw quite a line outside.  I had never been here before and I was curious as to the type of food this place served.  Tonight, it was a little cold and slightly rainy when I drove past.  Again I saw a few people waiting outside, so I decided to take a chance and have dinner here.  

So Gong Dong is located on Kapiolani Boulevard fronting Ala Moana Shopping Center.  Upon entering the restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised to see the place full of not just Koreans, but lots of Japanese tourists as well.  I guess they (the tourists) found out about this place before I did. 

After looking over the menu and placing my order, the food started coming to the table quite quickly.  First to arrive were the ban chan (side dishes).

Steamed (?) Gai lan (Chinese broccoli).

Marinated fern shoots.

Won bok (Chinese cabbage) kim chee.

Mung bean sprouts.

Daikon (white radish) kim chee. 

Each of the different side dishes was wonderfully fresh with my favorites being the marinated fern shoots and the daikon kim chee.  What I really liked was that they were each prepared a bit differently.  The daikon kim chee and the won bok kim chee were slightly spicy.  The gai lan and the bean sprouts were plain, and had very little seasoning.  The marinated fern shoots, on the other hand, were a bit sweet and savory.

Next came the kalbi & meat jun (US$7.99)

There were two pieces of local-style kalbi here.  The meat was tender and the marinade just a little sweet.  I would have preferred the meat to be "charred" just a little more as I really like the crispy bits.  The meat jun was quite delicious as well.  Here the egg coating was not too thick or greasy.  In fact, there was a bit of "crispiness" to the egg coating covering the meat.

Finally, the restaurant's specialty, the original soondubu chigae (beef & pork soup/stew, US$6.97)

The pot arrived at the table hot and still bubbling.  I let it bubble for a few minutes before attempting to dig into the spicy broth.  Here you'll find lots of minced beef and pork, slivers of mushrooms, soft tofu and chopped green onions.  In a way, this dish reminded me of mapo tofu.  It wasn't as spicy as I had expected it to be and the broth had a fairly "beefy" flavor to it.  It's quite difficult to describe the texture of the tofu, but just know that it was soft and "quivering" and easily slipped down my throat as I took each bite.

How does this look?

All in all, this was a satisfying meal.  The prices for a majority of the menu items are reasonable, although a few of the items such as the kim chee pancake and the chop chae were a little pricey (over US$10.00).  The service was excellent especially since the food appeared at my table in under 10 minutes even though the restaurant was practically full.  I enjoyed the food here so much that I've already planned my next visit and have already invited a few friends.

So Gong Dong
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.946.8206

Antonio's New York Pizzeria

Hawaii's pizza options are basically limited to the big guys, the national chain restaurants -- Domino's, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Chuck E. Cheese (for the kids), and California Pizza Kitchen (gourmet).  Of the smaller independent pizza joints, one of my favorites is Antonio's, which is located right across Waialae Avenue from Kahala Mall.  Antonio's serves New York-style pizzas, pasta dishes, calzones, salads, hoagies and Philly cheesesteaks as well as New York cheesecakes and cannoli.

There are many options on the menu here, with most pizzas averaging between $10 and $18 depending on the size of the pie and the number of toppings.  When I stopped by for lunch one recent afternoon, I found the pizzeria mostly empty.

There was just one couple and their two children enjoying some garlic rolls and a large pizza at a table in the corner of the dining area.  After looking over the menu, I decided NOT to order a pizza, but instead decided on having a hoagie.  You're in a pizzeria and you're having a hoagie?  That's just as bad as having a burger at a seafood joint (sound familiar?). 

So to save myself some frustration from having to explain myself, I'm going to start by saying that I did have the pizza here many, many times before.  My favorite is the white pizza, which substitutes olive oil and sweet basil for the usual tomato sauce.  More specifically, though, I usually order the Manhattan Supreme (white sauce, garlic, spinach, tomato, mushroom and Parmesan) or the Antonio's Special (white sauce, garlic, mushroom, pepperoni, black olives, Italian sausage and Parmesan). 

Today, I chose the deluxe hoagie (US$5.99).

A freshly baked 9" Italian roll is stuffed with ham, Genoa salami, pepperoni, lettuce, tomato and cheese, then topped with some tangy Italian dressing.  To me, this hoagie was better than any sandwich from Subway.  Filled with lots of meat and veggies, it almost seemed like I ordered a sandwich and a salad.  After the first few bites, I was confident that I had made the right choice.

How's about another look at the hoagie before I take the first bite?

After I was done with the hoagie, I made my way to the counter for a slice of the homemade NY cheesecake (US$2.99).

I had heard great things about this cheesecake so I was really anxious to try it.  The cheesecake is baked in-house by one of the owners' wives and the recipe for the cheesecake comes from said owner's mother.  Dense, moist, and creamy this cheesecake was perfect.  It was served plain and it was complimented by a thin, slightly sweet crust.  It's been years since I've had cheesecake this good, so I'm really glad that I decided to have this for dessert.

Antonio's New York Pizzeria
4210 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.3333

Nico's at Pier 38

I've been wanting to visit Nico's ever since I was tipped off about the place by "Juliana Chaize" via e-mail back in April of this year.  At the time, her e-mail indicated that Nico's had been open just six months and that they served delicious gourmet-style plate lunches at drive inn prices.  Nico's is located in a mostly industrial area off of Nimitz Highway.  See the sign above, take the left turn and you're almost there.

Nico's is literally on the water and is across the way from United Fishing Agency.  For those of you who don't know, United Fishing Agency is the home of the Honolulu Fish Auction, the largest auction house in the state.  Therefore, if you have a chance to eat the catch-of-the-day at Nico's you know that it will be of the freshest quality.

On my way to the pier, I almost missed the sign taking me to Nico's.  You'll know you're there when you see the green awning which covers the outdoor seating area.

Inside the shop, you'll see the menu board on the left as well as a list of the daily specials.  The counter is straight ahead with the open kitchen in back.  On the right is the drink machine and the condiment stand.  After placing my order, I went to secure a table outside.  As you can see, it was a gorgeous day and there was lots of outdoor seating.  It's cleared up a bit, but when I first arrived, only 2 of the 15 or so tables were unoccupied.

Based on a recommendation from Gail over at Hawaii Diner, I decided to have the Pier 38 double cheeseburger (US$5.75) which comes with your choice of french fries or tossed greens.  I chose french fries.

The two "homemade" hamburger patties, melted cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and red onions are all served on a sesame seed bun.  Unlike most of the other local burger places, you can really tell that this is a homemade burger just by looking at the patty -- none of that "uniformly shaped" stuff here.  Juicy and perfectly seasoned, this is one of the better burgers that I've had the pleasure of eating.  In fact, it was so tasty and juicy, I had to keep licking my fingers after every bite.

Here it comes!

Along with the burger came these crisp golden french fries.  The french fries were lightly seasoned with some sea salt (great touch!) and I think parsley flakes (?).  Crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, these were also cooked just the way I like them. 

Update:  07/20/05:

OK folks.  I have to admit that I did go back and I did order the fish, the furikake pan seared ahi with ginger garlic cilantro dip (US$6.95) to be exact.  Here it is for you all to enjoy.

It was nice piece of fresh ahi that was coated with furikake then pan-fried to the specified doneness (medium).  The fish was tasty, and though I felt that a little less furikake could have been used, it was cooked exactly as I had ordered it.  The ginger garlic cilantro dip was nice, but I didn't eat it with the fish.  This plate lunch is served with one scoop of white rice and your choice of either mac salad or Nalo greens.  Other menu items that sound really tasty are the "Catch of the Day" salad, the fried calamari on Nalo greens with sweet chili dressing and the grilled ahi sandwich.  I'll definitely be back to try those.

The food here at Nico's is tasty and incredibly well priced.  The portion sizes are perfect for lunch and the burger is one of the best that I've had yet.  In fact, I enjoyed the food here so much, this might just become a regular lunchtime hangout.

Nico's at Pier 38
1133 North Nimitz Highway
Telephone:  808.540.1377

Mariposa

A couple of weeks ago, I was shopping at Ala Moana looking for a new wallet and a pair of shoes.  I didn't realize it was so late until I got a call from a friend reminding me about a dinner I had later that night.  I was right outside Neiman Marcus, so I decided to make that my last stop before lunch.

On the way up to the third floor men's department, there are hundreds of strands of white butterflies hanging from the ceiling.  Here's what it looks like.

After taking a quick look around, I found a case for my iPOD mini and a stripey Paul Smith knit cap (no wallet or shoes, it always happens).  Since I was already here, I decided to pay a visit to Mariposa. 

It's been quite sometime since I've been here, but I would imagine that the food would be the same as it always was. 

Here's the dining room at about 2:30pm.  When I arrived here about an hour earlier, it was full of people.  This was taken as I was leaving.  It's a huge airy space that's filled with light.

When I arrived, I actually had a seat inside.  When I asked the hostess if I could sit outside, she said there weren't any tables available outside for me to sit at.  When I motioned to two empty tables, she told me those were reserved.  Not right after she sat me at a table indoors, she gave one of the tables outside to an obviously weathly couple.  Peeved?  You bet.

When my waiter came to the table to take my order, I asked if I could sit outside at a table that another couple had vacated.  He went up to the hostess and told her that he was moving me.  Two minutes later, I had a table with a nice view of Ala Moana Beach Park.

Here's the view of the outdoor seating area from where I sat.  See how crowded it was?

Here's the view.  The weather was beautiful and it was such a nice day for the beach.

As I looked over the menu, still undecided on what to eat, a freshly baked popover with pineapple-papaya butter was brought over to the table.

Crusty and still warm, crumbs flew everywhere as I tore it open to expose the soft, doughy inside.

Eaten with the pineapple-papaya butter, this was delicious.  After I finished this one, the waiter came over to ask if I wanted another, it was so hard to say no.  So I didn't.

Next came a demitasse of chicken broth.

Made for sipping, I suppose, this was lightly favored and quite tasty.  The broth was clear and I wondered how they kept it oil free.  It must have been strained many times over.

For lunch, I decided to have the smoked Maple Leaf Farms duck breast on baby field greens with sliced pear, walnuts, crumbled Gorgonzola and vanilla-orange citronette (US$17.00).

Tender organic greens were topped with smoked duck breast, crumbed Gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and sliced pears.  Not being a duck lover, I ordered this salad because I wanted to see how the various ingredients tasted together.  This was an interesting combination that was further enhanced by the vanilla-orange citronette.  I do have some criticism of this dish though.  I thought it could have used more than just the handful of both the walnuts and the Gorgonzola cheese that was here.  The smoked duck breast, while tasty, was a little dry. 

To drink, I had a plantation iced tea (US$3.00).

To make this drink at home, just use 2 parts iced tea with one part pineapple juice.  This one was really refreshing.

For dessert, I actually wanted to try the ginger and Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée with strawberries and jasmine tea cookies, but it was sold out.  Not wanting to have anything too heavy, I decided to try the warm lililkoi pudding cake with tropical fruit and whipped cream (US$6.00).

The lilikoi pudding cake was topped with a fresh fruit "relish" that consisted of pineapple, kiwi fruit and papaya.  The was also a sweet crisp butterfly shaped cookie and a slice of dragon fruit as garnish.  The fruits here were fresh and sweet, so I was expecting the pudding cake to retain most of the tart flavor of fresh lilikoi (passionfruit).  Unfortunately, the pudding cake was an oozing mess and much too sweet for me.

For the most part, the food here is delicious though on the pricey side, which makes Mariposa an indulgence rather than an everyday dining recommendation.  The salads here make the perfect light lunch, and the desserts are usually quite good as well.  The service is excellent, except for the hostess on this particular visit.  I'll be back again, and hopefully I'll be able to try the crème brûlée.

Mariposa
At Neiman Marcus Ala Moana
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard 3rd Floor
Telephone:  808.951.3420

Bangkok Thai Restaurant

I'm still searching for a really nice, authentic Thai restaurant here in Honolulu.  There are a few places that do a dish or two quite well, but then once I start eating some of the other dishes, things start to fall apart.  I've heard quite a few good things about Bangkok Thai from some friends so I decided to pay the place a visit.

Bangkok Thai is on the corner of Kapahulu Avenue and Paliuli Street and when I arrived to meet a friend, I could not find parking anywhere.  Luckily there was a noticed taped to the wall right next to the restaurant letting me know about the free parking at the Bank of Hawaii about 2 blocks away.  Was it going to be worth all the trouble?

After parking my car, I walked over to the restaurant.  As I approached the restaurant, I noticed that it had a purple glow to it.  Upon entering, I noticed that it was purple inside as well. 

After looking over the menu, we decided to start with the fish patties (tod mun pla, US$6.95).

The fish patties were served on a bed of chopped cabbage with some sliced cucumbers and carrots as garnish.  In the middle of the plate there was some cucumber salad which is made by combining chopped cucumbers, shallots and chillies with vinegar and fish sauce, and topped with chopped peanuts.  The fish patties were thick and meaty, and just a little oily.  They were delicious and fragrant with just a hint of spiciness.  I could definitely smell, and taste, the kaffir lime leaves that were used to flavor this dish and the cucumber salad served to add an additional layer of flavor to an already tasty dish.

Next I decided to order the green curry with chicken (gaeng keow wan gai, US$7.50).

Green curry with either chicken or beef is a favorite of mine and is a dish that I almost always order when I eat at Thai restaurants.  The curry here was really too sweet and not spicy enough even though I asked for this to be prepared medium-hot.  In fact, I don't think I tasted chillies at all.  After a few bites, I decided that I couldn't eat any more of this.  What I found really odd, is that in this particular green curry, there were a few pieces of red and green bell peppers.  I don't think I've ever had bell peppers in a Thai curry before.

And last, instead of a vegetable dish, which I should have ordered, I decided to order the Thai basil beef (pad kapao nuea, US$7.50).

Tender pieces of lean beef were stir fried with some Thai basil, lots of bamboo shoots and a few long beans.  The dish was served with a "gravy" made from fish sauce and a little soy sauce, among other things.  This dish was also ordered medium-hot and came out a bit spicy, just the way I expected it to.  The combination of flavors packed just enough of a punch to make this one of the better dishes of the night.

To go along with it all was some sticky rice (khao neow, US$2.00 per order/person).

After all of that, I decided on some dessert -- the menu called this apple banana (US$3.00).

It was some Thai tapioca served warm with some cooked apple banana and coconut milk poured over the entire dessert.  The comination of smooth tapioca pearls, coconut milk and slightly tart bananas made this quite delicious.  I just wished that the bananas were a little softer and not as firm as they were.

In addition to the parking issue, I felt that the food at Bangkok Thai was a definite letdown, especially since it was given the thumbs up by quite a number of people.  The dishes here were a bit "hit and miss" tastewise, but the service was quite good and the prices are about what you'd pay at most other Thai restaurants.  I would not go out of my way to dine here, but if I were in the neighborhood, I might be convinced to stop in to try some of their other dishes.

Bangkok Thai Restaurant
829 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.735.6338

Jane's Fountain

It was an overcast day and almost 2:30 pm.  I didn't want to drive too far to get something to eat, and the first thing that came to mind was saimin.  I could have gone to my favorite place, Palace Saimin, but I wasn't sure if they were open.  Instead of driving down there only to find it closed, I decided to go somewhere closer to home.

Jane's Fountain is a 5 minute drive from my apartment and has been around for quite sometime.  Since it's in close proximity to my grandmother's house, I remember paying a few visits to this place when I was much younger. 

Stepping inside the shop, you find that it's filled with lots of red-orange vinyl that's used to cover the seating.  There's a counter with a non-working soda fountain to the left and in back, the entrance to the kitchen is just below the neon clock on the wall.  There's also a jukebox in front, though I've never heard it playing any music.  Nostalgia anyone?

When I arrived, I heard the other customer's talking about the grill just having been cleaned, so obviously that meant no barbecue sticks for me.  Here's what I ordered, the large won ton min (US$4.40).

This won ton min was topped with luncheon meat, char siu, kamaboko (fish cake) and chopped green onions.  The broth was almost clear and practically flavorless.  After a few sips though, I noticed that it was actually quite salty.  Did this mean lots of MSG?  The noodles were great -- still firm, just the way I like them -- and there were quite a few won ton floating around in the bowl, about 6-8 pieces I'd guess (I didn't count).

The won ton were OK tastewise, but I thought that they didn't have enough filling in them.  Wouldn't you agree?

I've had other things to eat here a Jane's before with most of the food being on the average side rather than being good or great.  The service here is iffy at best, with the waitress taking 10 minutes to bring me a glass of water, even after I had asked twice (it wasn't busy).  At more than $4.00 for a bowl of mediocre won ton min, I don't think I'd make the trip out here next time.

Jane's Fountain
1719 Liliha Street
Telephone:  808.533.1238

Mini Garden Orient & Vegetarian Cuisine

For a couple of weeks I've been driving by this place hoping to stop in for a quick bite.  A chance meeting with a friend a couple of blocks away brought me here for a late lunch just a few days ago.

According to the sign, Mini Garden has been open for about a month now and inside it really shows.  Although most of the detail work is completed, there is still a lot more to be done -- covering the plywood at the front counter, putting the facing on the banquettes along the walls and painting the trim around portions of the ceiling.

There is another Mini Garden located in Chinatown and for the most part, their noodle dishes are quite good.  So, in the interest of seeing what the rest of the menu is like, I decided to order different things today.

To start off, I decided on the pan fried onion pancake (US$3.25).

Way back when, this used to be one of my favorite dishes to order at both Korean restaurants, and at Chinese ones too.  Here the pancake was light and crisp and just a little too oily.  There were lots of green onions in this, but for some reason this pancake was quite flavorless. 

The next dish was the pan fried spinach with garlic (US$5.25).

This dish was OK as it was done in the standard fashion.  What I liked about this was that the garlic didn't overpower the dish.  The subtle garlic flavor enhanced the flavor of the spinach nicely.

For the mains, we decided on two dishes.  The first to arrive was the honey and garlic chicken (US$7.95).

Pieces of boneless chicken thighs were stir fried with onions in a fairly sweet honey garlic sauce.  The sauce was a little too sweet for me, but there was a fair amount of garlic in this creating a bit of balance.  I would have liked this more if it were made a bit spicy with the addition of a few dried chillies.

And last, the black pepper beef (US$8.95).

A few slices of beef were stir fried with chopped bell peppers and onions in a thick black pepper sauce.  This was really peppery and this could have been my favorite dish because I really enjoyed the sauce.  The beef, however, was sliced into large pieces -- six pieces to be exact.  This made the beef quite difficult to eat, especially since there was no knife at the table.  That coupled with the fact that the beef was tough and dry, made this a disappointment.

I also asked for a hot Hong Kong milk tea, and was told that they only had it cold, so I said OK.  It was never delivered to the table.

Although the name of the restaurant suggests vegetarian cuisine, there were only a handful of vegetarian dishes on the menu.  The dishes that I tried were average at best and because of the lack of friendliness on the waitstaff's part, I probably won't come back here again.  By the way, for those of you that were curious about what happened here on the day that I visited, I decided not to post that story. 

For those of you who dine regularly at Little Village Noodle House, one of the waitresses that used to work there now works here.

Mini Garden Orient & Vegetarian Cuisine
2065 South Beretania Street
Telephone:  808.946.3828

Ray's Café

Many of you might remember Ray's Café when it was still in downtown Honolulu near the corner of Smith Street and Beretania.  All of you must definitely remember the inch thick prime rib for $9.95 as well.  A few years ago, Ray's relocated to the Kalihi area and I haven't been back since.  That is, until now.

Ray's is located on North King Street at the corner of Kopke Street.  In a non-descript shop that was once the home of Naka's Okazuya, you won't find the shop too easily.  The easiest way to find it is to locate the bright orange, hand-lettered sign.

Once inside, I found several of the tables occupied.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying their food, so I decided that it was time for me to look over the menu.

Here's one half of the menu.  It seems like there is quite a nice selection of steaks and the price seems quite reasonable.

Taped to the stainless steel refrigerator, just below the cats and the fan are a few of the daily specials.

After I had placed my order, I sat and waited.  In the meantime, I noticed the condiment tray.  Looks like everything I could ever want to use while I'm here -- syrup, mustard, powdered coffee creamer, Tabasco, steak sauce, ketchup, shoyu, salt and pepper.  Whew!

What did I order?  Well, I actually was going to order the lobster omelet, but it was already sold out.  Instead, I ordered one of the other specials -- New York steak with fried mushroom, onion and bell pepper (and asparagus and celery) AND french fries (US$9.95).

The steak was tender with most of the fat being trimmed away before it was cooked.  It was also perfectly seasoned which meant that I didn't have to add any additional salt or pepper to it.  I also tasted the slightest hint of butter on the steak, leading me to believe that it might have been cooked with butter.  The vegetables were still crisp and crunchy, adding a lot of color and texture to this dish.  The french fries, were of the crinkle cut variety and were a little undercooked (I like mine crispy), but acceptable.

Offering simple, homestyle meals, the food here at Ray's is delicious and a definite bargain.  There are no frills here, but you do get good service and the food is always fresh.  It's too bad that Ray's isn't in downtown, otherwise, I'd probably come here more than I have been.  Then again, now that I've re-discovered the food here at Ray's, maybe I'll start making the drive to Kalihi more often.

Before leaving, as I was paying for my meal, I took this photo of the kitchen where all the tasty food is cooked.

Ray's Café
2033 North King Street
Telephone:  808.841.2771

Tai Pan Dim Sum

I'm always on the look out for new and interesting places to eat at.  This place was recommended to me by a Taiwanese friend who remarked that the dim sum here was pretty good.  Not knowing what to expect, I brought a friend along.

I've passed by Tai Pan Dim Sum a number of times, but never really thought to venture inside.  I guess it's because it's always a full house and there are normally people waiting outside.  When I visited, it was no different.  In fact, I had to wait about 15 minutes for a table (and this was at 2:00 pm).

After looking over the menu, I chose the following dishes...

No. 3 - Chicken feet with black bean sauce (US$1.80).

The black bean sauce was not as tasty as I would have liked and the chicken feet were not cooked for a suitable length of time.  The chicken feet were a little tough and not as tender as I was used to.  Too bad.

No. 9 - Baked char siu buns (US$1.80).

The baked char siu buns were done quite nicely.  The golden brown, and slightly sweet tasting bun was actually good.  The bad thing about this was that inside the bun there was such a small amount of filling.  The pork was minced really finely.  I wonder why?

Here's a closer look at the inside of the baked char siu bun...

No. 28 - Steamed mini glutinous dumpling (US$1.80).

For this dish, glutinous rice is stuffed with minced pork then steamed inside a lotus leaf.  The rice here was tasty, but just a little too wet.  In addition to the minced pork, I was also hoping for some salted duck egg.

Here's a peek inside as the lotus leaf is unwrapped...

No. 21 - Steamed chives dumpling with shrimp (US$1.80).

Chopped chives and one piece of shrimp were wrapped in this dumpling.  The skin was a sticky and just a bit too thick.  They were very generous with the chives though and that made this one of the better dishes that I had.

No. 31 - Bean curd roll (US$1.80).

A sheet of bean curd is wrapped around a filling of minced pork, shrimp and other ingredients then steamed.  Again, I didn't think this was cooked long enough as the bean curd skin didn't have much flavor and the filling was a bit too firm.

No. 12 - Taro gok (US$1.80)

A center of minced pork is covered with mashed taro, then deep fried until golden brown.  I never understood how they got this to be so light and airy, but I was happy that this wasn't oily.  There was lots of filling here making this another good choice.

Want to see what's in there?

To finish off the meal, I actually wanted some egg tarts.  I was told by our waitress that there were no egg tarts left so I decided to select something else. When I asked what this was, I was told it was peanut and coconut.  Well, it's obviously mochi and it's FILLED with peanut and coconut (US$1.80).

Soft and slightly chewy, these were so stuffed that when I cut them open, all the filling spilled out.  This was good because there wasn't too much sugar here, but I would have liked this more if there were more crushed peanuts.  Still these weren't that bad.

By the way, as I sat eating this coconut and peanut stuffed mochi, I saw not one, but two plates of egg tarts being delivered to the next table. 

Take a look at all that filling...

I would have expected a room full of people to mean that the food I was about to eat was going to be good.  Here at Tai Pan, I felt that there were a couple of dishes that were a little better than average, but for the most part I found the food was just alright.  So for me, the crowd meant a cheap meal.  Would I come here again?  Probably not, especially if I had to wait in line to get a table again.

Tai Pan Dim Sum
Chinese Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 167
Telephone:  808.599.8899

Spices

Spices has taken over the former Montien Thai and is along a stretch the road that has seen a quite few restaurant openings lately -- among them Aki-no-no and Bistro Sun.  Dinner here was actually a much anticipated one after I had passed by a couple of weeks ago and found the place closed.  It was a good thing that a copy of the menu was available outside the restaurant, as it made my choices a little easier upon my arrival.

The interior of the restaurant, with enough space for about 10 tables, is brightly lit with a nice mix of yellow and orange on the walls.  Lots of photographs, both black and white and color, line the walls, and were taken by one of the owners on his many travels back to Southeast Asia.

Since I had reviewed the menu prior to my arrival, I only did a quick once over before selecting the following dishes.

First up was Ty's taro shoot salad (US$6.45).

A bed of lettuce was topped with some thinly sliced taro shoots, chopped mint and crispy fried shallots then tossed with some lime-mint dressing.  The taro shoots were light and crisp with a very subtle flavor.  If there were no dressing here, I doubt that I would have tasted much of anything.  The dressing with it's tangy and sweet flavors, proved to be an excellent match for the textures in this refreshing salad. 

A close-up of the thin and porous slices of the taro shoots.

(Sorry for the bad photo.  I will post another later.)

Next to arrive was the chicken satay (US$9.45).

Chicken was first marinated in a mixture containing coconut milk and curry powder, then skewered and grilled.  It was served with some peanut sauce (delicious) and some cucumber relish (OK).  What I found unusual was the way this dish was prepared.  The satay here was made using white meat chicken, which was good.  It was also not cut into cubes before being skewered, which was not so good.  The fact that the chicken was in one whole piece made it difficult to eat directly from the skewer.  And although the satay was tasty, it was a bit dry. 

And finally, the green curry with beef (US$10.45).

Green curry is my favorite type of curry and although I normally cook it at home using chicken, when I eat out, I will usually have it with beef.  There was lots of tender beef in this curry and it appeared to be pieces of flank steak.  There was also quite a bit of eggplant, red bell pepper and basil to add color and flavor to the curry, with the pieces of eggplant remaining firm throughout the meal.  The curry was by no means a disappointment, however, I found that it lacked a certain subtlety that separates an excellent curry from a good curry.

After dinner, it was time for some desserts.  Here is the sticky rice with coconut custard and mango (US$4.50).

Sticky rice is covered with coconut milk, then garnished with slices of fresh mango and several spoonfuls of coconut custard.  The mango was sweet and slightly firm, just bordering on overripe.  The coconut custard made a nice, and welcome, addition to this traditional Thai dessert.  The coconut custard was smooth, creamy and wonderfully fragrant.  As I took each bite of the custard, I recognized a familiar flavor which I really couldn't put my finger on.  I soon learned that the custard was steamed covered in pandan leaves. 

And finally, not one to let some delicious ice cream pass me by, I opted for the  homemade durian ice cream (US$3.50).

Durian, the king of fruits, has a complex flavor that is really difficult to describe.  It's sweetness is layered on top of an almost buttery, custard-like flavor that is at once unique, yet common.  This ice cream was really sinfully rich and delicious, so much so, that I found myself wanting to eat more.  The only suggestion that I gave to Pony, who makes all of his ice creams in house, was to leave a few chunks of fruit in the ice cream to make the flavor of the fruit much more pronounced.

The food here at Spices was OK, but the desserts here were the real stars.  I would definitely come back to try some of the other dishes on the menu, but more so, to try some of the other ice creams on the menu -- pandan, chili pepper and lemongrass, and green apple/curry just to name a few.  The service here is excellent, with the owners of the restaurant often making the rounds to greet customers making us all feel like old friends.

Spices
2671D South King Street
Telephone:  808.949.2679

Maguro-Ya

I must have passed by Maguro-Ya at least a hundred times over the last several years, especially since I'm a regular visitor to this particular block in Kaimuki.  Maguro-Ya is located between Happy Days and Café Laufer, while a little further up the block are Big City Diner and Kim Chee II.

When I entered the restaurant, there were a couple of tables occupied, but there were quite a few people sitting at the sushi bar in the corner.

What I really found interesting about the interior of the restaurant was the reverse wave pattern that was painted on the walls, and the huge boat sticking out from the side wall.  It sort of reminded me of those Cadillacs that you see sticking out from the roofs of various Hard Rock Café locations.

As I was seated, I was presented with a menu and brought a cup of tea and a glass of water.  Here's the tea cup with the restaurant's name and logo on it in a wonderful shade of midnight blue.

After looking over the menu, I was stumped.  I didn't know what to order because everything seemed so good.  I called over the waitress and told her that I was considering a few of the choices.  She immediately recommended the Magurozukushi on the teishoku menu (US$15.95).  OK, I said...and proceeded to drink my tea and wait for the food to arrive.

First, to arrive was this lacquered tray which contained sashimi, nishime, salad, tsukemono, miso soup and a bowl of white rice.  Don't be shocked as you see the rest of the dishes that came along with this.

Here was the maguro sashimi.  In the little serving dish were some shredded daikon, some wakame, and some wasabi.  In the front left corner of the dish was a bit more fish and I believe the sauce on it was miso-based.  Everything here was so fresh and delicious, I couldn't help but want more.

Here's the bowl of miso soup.  There were a few cubes of tofu and some wakame in there as well as those radish sprouts floating on top.  Delicious.

Here we have a tossed green salad.  Garnishing the salad was some minced bonito (?).  There was also some delicious dressing on the salad as well. 

(Sorry this one's a bit blurry.)

This was a small bowl of nishime which consisted of daikon, carrot, bamboo shoot and araimo.  The vegetables were nicely seasoned and perfectly cooked.

Here we have several types of tsukemono, or pickled vegetables.

One by one, the other dishes started arriving.  This was a deep fried maguro, almost like a katsu.  On the plate with the deep fried maguro was some finely shredded cabbage and a scoop of potato salad.  The fish was tasty enough with just a squirt of lemon juice.  There was also some katsu sauce there as well, which gave this a different sort of flavor.

Next, was this huge chunk of grilled maguro.  The fish was lightly seasoned and it was served with some grated daikon.  Moist and flakey, this one was good with just a little shoyu sprinkled over the top.

This little platter of goodies arrived next.  Included in the assortment of goodies were some edamame, two pieces of tamagoyaki, grilled maguro and Japanese onion on a skewer and something the waitress called the "mini negi-ma".  Basically, the mini negi-ma was two cubes of maguro that were coated with some puffed rice and then deep fried.  It was crunchy and slightly chewy at the same time.  It was probably my favorite item here.

Last to arrive was this little cup of chawan mushi.  Served warm, I couldn't stop eating this and by the end, I wanted more -- even though I was stuffed. 

Have another look at what's near the bottom of the cup.  Mmmm.

The food here at Maguro-Ya was delicious and super fresh.  The decently sized portions are well priced and the wait staff was helpful.  They made some wonderful recommendations and came back often to see how I was doing.  I'll be sure to come back for more of the tasty dishes here in the near future.

Maguro-Ya
3565 Waialae Avenue Suite 108
Telephone:  808.732.3775

Minato Japanese Restaurant & Izakaya

My apologies for the poor quality of the pictures.  The lighting in the restaurant was quite dim.  Rather than disturb the other diners, I decided to take the photos without using my camera's flash.

Dinner time decision making is always so difficult for me because there are so many wonderful places to eat at here in Hawaii.  Last night, was especially difficult since I felt like having Japanese food.  But at where?  I wasn't really too sure where I wanted to eat at until I stopped here.

I've been to Minato quite a few times for lunch, but never for dinner, so tonight seemed as good as any.  When I arrived, five of the 10 or so tables in the small restaurant were occupied.  There were also a few people seated at the bar having dinner (where they offer $2.00 off per entrée ordered!).  A few minutes after taking this picture, more people arrived and the restaurant was full.

After looking over the menu, I decided to start off with some appetizers.  First, to arrive at the table was the hiyayakko (US$3.45).

Five pieces of cold tofu were topped with a slice of grape tomato, and a dollop of grated ginger before being sprinkled with some black sesame seeds and chopped green onions.  This was the first time that I had eaten hiyayakko with tomato before and I thought it was delicious.  The sweetness of the tomato contrasted quite well with the "spiciness" of the grated ginger.  Great combination.

Next to arrive was the homemade gyoza (pan fried or crispy fried, US$3.45).

Tonight I chose the pan-fried gyoza which is cooked using the traditional steam-frying method.  The gyoza here were a little smaller than what I usually see, but they were nicely filled and had a wonderful garlicky flavor.  The balance of filling was perfect although I did find that it was a bit salty. 

For dinner, I decided to have one of the specials -- udon and chirashi combination (US$12.85).

The meal was served on a lacquer tray and besides what you see here, it also came with a bowl of miso soup and tossed salad.

First up, the udon.

This was quite a large bowl of udon.  Most places will serve a "mini" udon as part of a set.  The bowl was filled with lots of udon noodles and some very tasty broth.  Not too salty, the broth here was better than at most places.  The toppings included wakame (seaweed), kamaboko (fish cake) and chopped green onions.

Next is the chirashi.

First a bowl was filled with sushi rice, then topped with nori (dried seaweed).  It was then garnished with some sashimi consisting of ahi (tuna), salmon and tako (octopus).  Rounding out the list of garnishes were some shredded daikon (Japanese radish), tamagoyaki (Japanese egg omelette), kamaboko, tobiko (flying fish roe), spicy ahi (chopped tuna mixed with mayonaisse), ama ebi (sweet shrimp) and some vegetables on the bottom.  Everything here was really fresh and of decent quality.

The food here at dinner time is the same as it is at lunch -- freshly prepared and delicious.  Although the gyoza wasn't really up to par taste wise, the chirashi more than made up for the misstep with that dish.  The portions here are large enough to share, and in my opinion, are a good value for the money.  The wait staff is friendly and helpful, and were good at answering my questions about items on the menu.  I will definitely be coming here again for dinner soon, although next time, I think I'm going to try the steak.

For those of you in the San Jose area, you can also visit Minato's sister restaurant at 617 North Sixth Street.

Minato Japanese Restaurant & Izakaya
930 Hauoli Street
Telephone:  808.956.1322

Magoo's Pizza

"No hoo hoos, call Magoo's!"  Anyone remember that slogan from the 70's and 80's?  Well, I for one honestly thought that Magoo's no longer existed, especially since I didn't see the restaurant in Waikiki anymore.  But then a couple of weeks ago, after having dinner, I was walking by Pucks Alley and saw this place full of people.  I honestly thought that this was still Moose McGillycuddy's (and previously Mamma Mia), since it was full of drinking college students, but found that it's now a Magoo's Pizza.

When I came back on Sunday afternoon, there were no crowds here.  In fact, the huge place was virtually empty, save for about 5 other guys having a few beers.  More a bar than a restaurant, I was happy when I discovered that Magoo's still served pizzas and that the original giant-sized "square" pizza was still being served (as indicated on the wall here).

Here are some interior shots of the place.  Notice the TV monitors, the large number of tables/chairs, the huge fish tank and the open air arrangement.

In the evenings this place is packed full of people, mostly college students from the nearby University of Hawaii.  I also noticed that there was a poke/sushi bar which wasn't open when I arrived.  I was told that it was open during the evening hours only.

There's also lots of outdoor seating with shade being provided by a canopy and some ficus trees.

After looking over the menu, I ordered the small Magoo's Famous combination (US$14.50) pizza.

According to the sign/sample on the wall the small pizza contains 8 slices.  The pizza had a nice combination of ingredients including pepperoni, mushrooms, pork sausage, bell peppers and olives.  Here's a better view.

The above pizza arrived about 10 minutes after being ordered and the first thing I noticed was the generous amount of toppings on it.  After taking the first bite, I found the crust to be thick and crunchy, almost like a cracker.  The tomato sauce was a bit sweet, almost too sweet for my tastes, and the mushrooms were virtually non-existent.  The pork sausage had just a touch of spiciness and the olives were plump and flavorful.  Here at Magoo's a combination of cheeses was used to top the pizza.  In addition to the standard mozarella cheese, they also used a bit of cheddar.

To go with the pizza, I ordered a special Caesar salad (US$6.95).

It was delivered in a styrofoam container and contained lots of chopped romaine lettuce that had been sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese and garlic croutons.  In the container in back there was the egg-less Caesar dressing that was made with anchovies.  When I opened the cover of the container, I immediately was overwhelmed by the smell of anchovies.  After tasting the gray-colored dressing, I found that too many anchovies had been used in it's preparation, for my taste anyway, and decided to eat the salad plain.

Years ago, Magoo's used to be one of my favorite pizza shops.  After eating the pizza here this past weekend, I wondered why?  The pizza itself was not outstanding, but it wasn't too bad either.  Rather, I found it to be just middle-of-the-road, it was just OK.  I would have preferred a slightly thinner and crisper crust, although they were very generous with the toppings.  The anchovy-flavored Caesar salad dressing was too overpowering, and I found that the quality of the food here, didn't justify the prices that I paid.

Magoo's Pizza
Puck's Alley
1015 University Avenue
Telephone:  808.946.8830 or 808.949.5381

Kiwami Ramen

Recently I've been craving ramen.  When I get this way, two things happen.  The first, is a planned shopping trip.  The second, is a planned shopping trip to Waikiki.  Waikiki is loaded with ramen shops, and good ones at that.  I guess it's because of all the Japanese tourists that come to visit.  Previously, I stopped in at Tenkaippin, and Ramen Nakamura.  Tonight, I didn't feel like eating at either one, and went searching for another place.  Entering the food court at the basement level of the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, I came upon this sign.

Turning the corner, I saw the entrance to Kiwami Ramen.  I started by looking at the menu that was posted outside the shop next to the front door.  The prices seemed to be quite reasonable, and the place was full of Japanese (usually a good sign).

There were no tables available for us to sit down at, so instead, we had a seat at the counter.  Most of us in the shop had just arrived and were waiting to place our orders.  After reading the menu more thoroughly, I placed my order and waited.

About 5 minutes later, my mini shio ramen (US$5.25) was delivered.

According to the menu, the clear broth was seasoned with Hawaiian salt and scallops.  After a couple of sips, I came to the following conclusion -- the broth was very lightly flavored, and it was not salty.  The noodles were thin and done perfectly in the Japanese style, which means they were still firm.  Most often times, the noodles will be cooked a bit longer to appeal to locals, but not here.  The toppings that were included at no charge were menma (pickled bamboo shoots), chopped green onions and corn.  This was quite good and I ended up finishing the entire bowl of broth.

Along with my mini shio ramen, I also ordered a medium charsu (roast pork) rice (US$3.50).

When the bowl arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.  I saw two pieces of sliced charsu and quite a nice pile of cubed charsu as well.  The charsu was on a bed of white rice, then garnished with a "tasty" baked egg and topped with some chopped green onions. The marinated egg was tasty and delicious.  The charsu, while not melt-in-the-mouth tender, was lean, moist and slightly sweet.  Instead of just serving the charsu as is, they included a bit of sauce which made this taste even better.  In fact, I finished the entire bowl of rice because of it.

Since I never go to Waikiki alone, I brought a friend along who ordered the shoyu "AO" ramen (US$7.50).

I took a sip of the broth and found that unlike traditional shoyu based ramen, this was also quite light and not too salty.  The broth had a nice flavor with a slightly spicy kick to it, most likely because the bowl was full of mizuna (Japanese mustard greens).

The ramen here at Kiwami was much better than I anticipated.  The light stock was a welcome change from the heavier, and often times, saltier stocks found at other ramen shops.  The service was excellent, with our ramen being delivered about 5 minutes after our orders were placed.  The prices here were quite reasonable for the quality and quantity of food provided.  Recommended.

Oh, and one other thing that I forgot to mention.  Prior to handing us the bill, our server asked if we were Hawaii residents, to which we replied, "yes".  When the bill arrived, we had discovered 15% deducted from the cost of each dish.  How's that?

Kiwami Ramen
Waikiki Shopping Plaza
2250 Kalakaua Avenue Space LL102
Telephone:  808.924.6744

The Slanted Door - San Francisco, California

This will be my final post from my recent trip to San Francisco.  I hope you all enjoyed my adventures in the city by the bay, I had a great time sharing my experiences with all of you.

From the time I found out that I was going to visit San Francisco up until the time I was actually in the city, I tried, and tried, to get a dinner reservation at The Slanted Door.  Unfortunately for me, the restaurant was booked solid.  If I wanted to, I could have gotten a reservation for a late lunch (2:00 pm) on Sunday, but since I was doing lots of running around, I didn't want to hang around for that long. 

It was finally my last day in the city and I still hadn't gone to eat at the Slanted Door.  I called the restaurant and was told that they open at 11:00 am.  I asked about lunch and was advised that they weren't taking any reservations for that day, but I was told that I could sit at the bar and order lunch which I thought would be fine.  After packing, and checking out of the hotel, I made my way to the Ferry Building.  It was 10 minutes to 11, so that meant that we would have a few minutes to spare.

At 11, the door was opened and the crowd started to make their way inside.

After my friend and I had slipped through the door, I had noticed this subtle detail between the glass door in front and the reception counter hidden behind the thick black curtain. 

Stepping up to the counter, I found that the bar was empty.  I asked the host if there was a possibility of securing a table.  She said that we would be able to get a table right and took us to be seated.  YES! 

As we were leaving, about an hour and a half later, the bar area looked like this.

To me, there seemed to be a constant stream of people stepping up to the bar to enjoy a drink or a light lunch.

After being seated, I took this photo.  I honestly thought it would have been full of people by now.

This is what the restaurant looked like when our second dish, the cellophane noodles with fresh Dungeness crab arrived (about 20 minutes later).  See how crowded it got?

To start we each ordered a Vietnamese iced coffee (US$2.50).

This was brewed in the traditional manner with the coffee still dripping as it was delivered to the table.  The ratio of condensed milk to coffee was just right and this really hit the spot.

The first dish that arrived at our table was the Slanted Door spring rolls (US$7.50).

These were just like the summer rolls that we get here.  They had nice plump shrimps inside, and they were stuffed full of lean pork.  There was no skimping here.  The filling was rounded out by some mint and glass noodles.  The peanut sauce was thick and delicious.  These were a perfect start to the meal.

Next to arrive at our table was the cellophane noodles with fresh Dungeness crab meat (US$14.00).

Cellophane noodles were stir-fried with huge chunks of fresh Dungeness crab meat and perhaps a simple seasoning of garlic, black pepper and a few chopped green onions.  This dish was so simple, yet so tasty.  I could have eaten the whole serving myself.  That's how good this was.  I would definitely like to come back here just for these noodles.  On second thought, maybe I can try to recreate this dish at home.

The next dish that our server delivered was the lemongrass tofu with fresh shiitake mushrooms, onions and chili sauce (US$8.50).

Here the tofu, mushrooms and onions (green and red) were stir-fried with lemongrass and spices.  This was probably the spiciest dish that we ordered -- and it wasn't spicy.  In my opinion, there were just a little too many onions here, but there was also a surprise.  After I started, eating this, I discovered some "black" tofu, if I can describe it as that, hiding in this dish.  This was a tasty addition to this already delicious dish.

The last dish to arrive was the shaking beef (US$21.50).

This was described on the menu as being "cubed filet mignon with garlic and organic red onions".  The beef was nicely seasoned, lean and tender.  What I liked about this was that the beef had been seared on the outside and had sort of a "crust" when I bit into it.  The textural contrast was great.  I only wished that there was more beef, less onions, or more spinach (is that what it was?).  The somewhat tangy "dressing" gave this dish a little "oomph" and complimented all of the flavors well.

After eating all of that, we were satisfied, but had saved some room for dessert.  Since I had a plane to catch in a few hours, I decided that I would order dessert and share it.  I decided on the warm strawberry and Thai basil turnovers with coconut ice cream (US$6.00).

When the dessert arrived, I was almost afraid to eat it.  The presentation was outstanding.  I only worried about the flavor combination.  All my fears were set aside after I took the first bite.  WOW!  This was amazing.  The flaky pastry, the slightly tart strawberries, the cold ice cream, and the sweet Thai basil sauce all went together so well.  I couldn't stop eating this dessert.  After it was gone, I felt like ordering another -- it was that good.  In the end, I stopped myself, but I must say that this was one of the highlights of the meal.

After we were done eating, I had told my friend that I was initially skeptical about dining here.  I normally don't like "fusion" cuisine as it sometimes takes away the very element of a dish that makes it special.  That was not the case here.  The "street" element was well integrated into each dish and The Slanted Door excelled with each dish's presentation and execution.  Though the food was a bit pricey, but the quality of the ingredients more than made up for it.  The portion sizes were decent, enough to share, and I was not left feeling hungry even after several hours had elapsed.  The waitstaff is knowledgeable and helpful, and the service really can't be beat.  I am definitely coming here again if only for those cellophane noodles.

If you aren't able to secure a table at The Slanted Door, and if there is no space at the bar, there is a counter located inside the Ferry Building that does take out called Out The Door.  I didn't try the food here, but I would assume that the quality of the food is similar to what was served inside.  I heard that the emphasis at this counter was Vietnamese Street food.

The Slanted Door
One Ferry Building Space 3
San Francisco, California
Telephone:  415.861.8032
website

I'd like to thank the city of San Francisco for being such a gracious host and for providing me with clear weather (most of the time).  Good-bye San Francisco!  I'll be back.

Next stop?  Seattle -- September 2 thru 6.

Burma Superstar - San Francisco, California

I considered posting more about my daily adventures in San Francisco, but I decided not to.  Therefore, I have two more reviews and then I'm done. 

This was the second most anticipated meal of my trip.  No matter what, I just had to come here.  The last time I had Burmese food was when I lived in New York back in the mid-90s.  The restaurant was in the East Village on East 7th Street, I think, close to all the wonderful Indian restaurants.  Anyone from New York know if it's still around?  As I was doing research on this place, I discovered that Burma Superstar did not take reservations.  So when we arrived there at about 7:15 pm, there was a line of people waiting to get in.

After we had written our names down on the sign up sheet right inside the door, we came back outside to wait.  All the while, we had to endure the scent of the delicious food that escaped through the open door.  After talking to some of the folks standing there, we discovered that those with larger parties (4 and up) had already been waiting for about an hour! 

After waiting for close to 50 minutes for a table ourselves, we were finally seated.  Once inside, I found the restaurant to be packed full of people, with just a small space to maneuver between each table.

After carefully reviewing the menu, we decided to start with the la pot dok (tea leaf salad, US$7.75).

This salad contained a number of ingredients -- sunflower seeds, split yellow beans, fried garlic slices, peanuts, white sesame seeds, minced dried shrimp, cut green chillies, lettuce, tomatoes, fermented tea leaves and lemon juice.  As our Burmese server tossed the salad, we found that the restaurant imports the fermented tea leaves directly from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma).

Add a bit of lemon juice, and let the tossing begin.

I must say that the combination of flavors and the textures of the various ingredients was just wonderful.  The salad had the right amount of spiciness and crunch, with the flavor of the fermented tea leaves being the standout.  This was something that I could definitely enjoy over and over again.

Here is one of the dishes we ordered.  OK, I've looked over all my notes and I cannot, for the life of me, find where I wrote down the name and price of this dish so you will all just get a description. 

The only way for me to describe this dish is to say that it was like an Indian-style chicken biryani.  In this "casserole" were two pieces of chicken that were quite tender -- when I removed the drumstick, the meat fell off of the bone.  It was buried in some biryani-style rice that contained golden raisins.  The dish was then garnished with a few green peas and slivered almonds.  I have to say that I liked this dish, however, as we ate our way to the bottom, we found that there was quite a bit of gravy there.  I would have preferred this dish "dry".  Both the chicken and rice were flavorful, however, I felt that it could have been a bit spicier.

**NOTE**

I sent an e-mail to Burma Superstar about this dish and am awaiting a response.  Once I get the information, I will update this post with the proper name of this dish, as well as the price.

The last dish to arrive was the beef kebat (US$9.75).

This was stir-fried flank steak with onions, tomatoes, green chillies and mint leaves.  This dish had a mild flavor and I enjoyed the combination of mint, tomatoes and beef.  The beef was really "smooth" and was quite tender -- in fact, it was almost too tender.  To be quite honest, I was hoping for a bit more flavor, and spiciness in this dish.  I also felt that the tomatoes were a bit overcooked.  This was my least favorite dish of the night.

Since we had discovered the "gravy" at the bottom of the chicken dish, we ordered one platha on the side (US$2.50) to soak it all up.

According to the menu, this is an Indian influenced pan-fried layered bread.  It was layered quite thick and was crispy on the outside, and chewy/doughy on the inside.  It was quite nice actually, but I think I prefer the Indian paratha better.

For dessert it was the coconut custard fritters with coconut ice cream (US$6.50).

Inside each of the three fritters was the coconut custard.  The crunchiness of the outer "shell" provided a nice foil to the smooth, creamy custard that lay within.  The coconut ice cream and fresh sliced strawberries served to further enhance this dessert. I can see why this is the restaurants top seller.

As we were leaving (a little after 9:30 pm), we realized that the line was still there, only there were quite a few new faces.  And even though it had passed the restaurant's closing time, no one in line was turned away.  In fact, the waitresses went outside to take orders from those still standing in line, promising them a table once one became free.  How's that for service?

I'm not certain about the authenticity of all the dishes that I tried here, but I am certain that the quality of the food ranged from average to very good, with the highlights being both the la pot dok and the coconut custard fritters.  The only low point for me was the beef kebat. 

Would I come here again?  Absolutely.  The waitstaff is pleasant and accomodating.  For example, when it was explained to the hostess that we wanted to sit near the window so that we could take pictures of the food, she never questioned us or asked us why.  We did end up with the window seat and without an additional wait time.  Our server was happy to tell us something about the dishes we were eating, and the waitress was more than happy to make some recommendations.

Burma Superstar
309 Clement Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone:  415.387.2147
website

Indonesia Restaurant - San Francisco, California

After the walk, or should I say hike, from the hotel to Lombard Street, I was famished.  Since my friend agreed to accompany me on my trek, I decided that a free meal was in order.  We headed towards Naan-N-Curry on O'Farrell at the recommendation of Amy.  At the corner of Taylor and Post, we came across Borobudur an Indonesian restaurant.  Peeking inside, I didn't see anyone dining there.  As I turned around and headed back towards the corner, I saw the sign for Indonesia Restaurant across the street.  Since we only have one Indonesian restaurant here in Hawaii, I decided that I would forgo my craving for Indian food and have Indonesian food instead.

Upon entering Indonesia Restaurant, I saw that it was a small shop that was not elaborately decorated -- a hole-in-the-wall.  There were quite a few tables occupied, so I was hopeful that I made a good decision in coming here.

After looking over the menu, there were so many things that I wanted to try, but since I had to settle on just a few, I decided on a salad and a main dish.  To start, I decided to have the gado gado (US$5.95).

This Indonesian mixed salad had green beans, potatoes, bean sprouts, tofu, hard boiled eggs, cabbage and krupuk (prawn crackers).  It was all topped with a lot of peanut sauce.  The only thing this was missing was the fried tempe (soybean cake).  The ingredients were fresh and the peanut sauce was as authentic as any I had every tasted.  It was slightly sweet with just a hint of shrimp paste and just the slightest amount of spiciness to it.  Excellent!

My friend had the nasi padang (US$7.95).

This one was served with some spicy coconut beef (similar to rendang daging), a hard boiled egg in sambal sauce, some cabbage, some peanuts and sambal ikan billis (anchovies), coconut rice which was topped with fried shallots and more krupuk.  I was told that this was very good.

I ordered the nasi lemak (US$8.25).

A huge mountain of nasi lemak (coconut rice) was topped with fried shallots and garnished with slices of tomato and cucumber.  It was served with one piece of ayam panggang (barbecued chicken), one stick of satay ayam (chicken satay), two pieces perkedel, some peanuts and sambal ikan billis and some krupuk. 

I thoroughly enjoyed both the satay and the ayam panggang.  The satay was nicely barbecued and had the right amount of seasoning.  The ayam panggang was tender, with the meat just falling off the bone.  The sauce was just a little sweeter than I would have licked, but it was still delicious.  The perkedel, which is a fried potato "cake" that has some minced meat in it was good as well.  I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a bit of meat in there especially since most often times the amount of meat used to make these "cakes" is minimal at best.

After all that food, we had dessert.  I really wanted the es kacang with durian, but was told that they weren't serving es kacang that day.  So instead, we both decided to have the es cendol.

This looked like homemade cendol to me.  The cendol (green worm-like stuff) is made from green bean flour.  The dessert is finished off with some condensed milk and lots of gula melaka (palm sugar).  This was delicious and wonderfully refreshing.

I'm glad I decided to stop here.  The service was excellent and the food arrived quickly at our table.  The tasty, delicious food was quite authentic and in my opinion, reasonably priced.  I will definitely come back here on my next trip to San Francisco, and I will definitely recommend this place to all my friends who travel here.

Indonesia Restaurant
678-680 Post Street
San Francisco, California
Telephone:  415.474.4026
Indonesia Restaurant Menu.pdf
(Requires Adobe Acrobat)

Ton Kiang Restaurant - San Francisco, California

Prior to visiting San Francisco, I had read up on some of the city's restaurants.  It was by chance that we had ended up at Ton Kiang while driving around the city at night.  In fact, we drove past Naan-N-Curry hoping to stop by for a bite to eat, but we couldn't find any parking near the restaurant.  So driving around, apparently with no idea where we were headed, I saw the sign for Ton Kiang, and luckily we found a parking space about a block away.

According to the restaurant's website (link provided below), the served Hakka food.  I really hadn't tried Hakka food before, nor did I know of any Hakka restaurants in Hawaii, so I was quite excited to try the food here.

Walking up to the restaurant, and peering inside the window, I could see that there were a number of people inside.  Entering the restaurant, I found that it was brightly lit and full of people.  I was actually surprised at number of people eating at 9:00 pm.

After looking at the menu, and not really knowing what to order, we took a few recommendations from the waiter before making our decision on what to order. We decided to start with some soup.  We shared one bowl of fish maw and crab meat soup (US$10.50).

For those of you that don't know, fish maw is the air bladder of the fish and is used in delicately flavored soups.  This soup was delicious and really hit the spot, especially since it was cold out.  There was lots of fish maw and crab meat and the soup had great flavor without being too salty or oily. It seemed to both my friend and I, like the fish maw used here was fresh and not the dried variety.  If so, kudos to the chef.  This was excellent.

For our entrées, we selected the Ton Kiang steamed salt baked chicken (half, US$9.50).

When this arrived at the table with the accompanying ginger sauce, we thought this dish would be like the Cantonese cold ginger chicken.  Not so.  The chicken was served slightly warm and had a wonderful aroma.  Despite being packed in salt, then steamed, the chicken was surprisingly not salty at all.  The chicken was tender, juicy and really flavorful.

To finish off the meal, we selected one dish from the clay pot menu -- the diced chicken with salted fish and tofu (US$9.00).

This dish was a surprise.  There was lots of tofu, diced chicken AND salted fish here.  There were also some vegetables buried on the bottom of the dish, with everything combined in a thick rich gravy.  I don't know how authentic any of these dishes were, but they sure were good.

Here are the sauces provided - grated ginger for the chicken (top), red (right) and green (left) chilli sauces for everything else.  Both of the chilli sauces were made in house and were very good.  The red chilli sauce was especially good as there was a bit of tanginess to it.

When the bill was brought to our table, we were also served some homemade almond cookies.  This were crisp and buttery, with just the slightest hint of almond flavor.  Excellent.  Can I have a few more?

Besides the Hakka and Cantonese dishes, Ton Kiang also serves dim sum until well into the evening.  The service was excellent and everyone was helpful in recommending dishes.  And although the restaurant was fairly crowded, the food was delivered quickly to our table.  The dishes here were expertly presented, and the flavorful food will have me coming back everytime I visit the city.  Highly recommended.

Ton Kiang Restaurant
5821 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, California
Telephone:  415.752.4440 or 415.387.8273
website

Baba Neo - Mountain View, California

At the recommendation of a friend, and based upon the comments made on my site by two of my readers, Jo and Milgwimper, I decided to visit Baba Neo. 

(This is the side view of the restaurant.)

It's a short drive from San Francisco, and it's located in a well-manicured and quiet town.  Upon entering the parking lot, we both saw this sign announcing the day's special, fried Hokkien mee.

Immediately I thought that I was going to be in for some yummy tasting Singaporean and Malaysian food.  We hurried inside to discover that the place was virtually empty. 

Once inside, we were greeted by the owner, Nelson (I hope I remembered his name correctly), who asked if we were the ones who had called for directions.  We said yes, and explained that this place came highly recommended by a Singaporean friend in San Francisco.  He then seated us and asked if we would like to start with some Malaysian style coffee -- who was I to refuse such an offer?

After a few minutes, more people started to arrive.  Good food?  Hmmm....

Within a couple of minutes the kopi (Malaysian-style coffee with condensed milk) was delivered to our table along with some homemade kaya (coconut jam) toast.  (We were offered these at no charge.)

Although the bread wasn't charcoal grilled like it is in Singapore, I must say that the homemade kaya was delicious.  The coffee was good as well.

To start, we decided try a few of the appetizers.  First, to arrive was the pohpiah (US$6.25).

Having tried this dish in Singapore, I was disappointed with the presentation here.  Normally, the hot sauce (if desired) as well as the sweet black sauce is spread on the pohpiah skin prior to wrapping.  The pohpiah here lacked the flavorful filling that I had come to love and I found that the pohpiah skin was a bit too thick.

Next to arrive was the rojak (US$6.95).

This is a Malaysian (also Indonesian or Indian) dish which is served with a slightly sweet sauce that has a hint of belachan (shrimp paste) mixed in.  This one had a nice combination of fruits and tofu, and while the sauce had the noticeable flavor of belachan, it was just a bit too sweet.

And finally, the last of the appetizers was the Singaporean fried crispy squids (US$6.50).

This was an utter disappointment.  When this came out, my jaw dropped because it didn't look anything like what I had eaten in Singapore.  I thought it was actually going to be baby squids that had been marinated in sweet black sauce and then fried until crisp and crunchy.  This was squid rings that had been dipped in batter then deep-fried until golden brown.  Then the squid rings stir-fried with onions, bell peppers and tomatoes and some kind of sweet, tangy sauce.

For the mains, we ordered char kway teow (US$8.50).

And nasi lemak (US$8.50).

According to the menu, the char kway teow was supposed to contain shrimp, squid and mussels.  If they were there, I didn't see them.  Where was the lup cheong?  That said, I found the char kway teow to be just average.  The noodles were nicely fried, but lacked enough chillis or black sauce to make this memorable. 

The nasi lemak was just OK as well.  I didn't find the rice to be fragrant enough and found that it lacked flavor.  What struck me as odd about the presentation, were the sugar coated ikan billis (anchovies) that were on the plate (bottom left).  To complete the meal was some rendang daging (dry curry beef), which was too sweet and not spicy at all.

When we first arrived, we thought of sampling some of the desserts.  After the major disappointment with the food, we decided to cut our losses while we could.  My enthusiasm to eat Singaporean and Malaysian food outside of Singapore has once again left me high and dry.  The service here was outstanding.  The waitstaff was courteous and helpful, but given the prices that we were charged for the food, I would have expected a little more authenticity with the various dishes that we tried.  This experience was a complete and utter disappointment, especially since the owner is an expat Singaporean.  I would not recommend this place to anyone.

For comparison's sake, here are some photos of the same dishes that I had in Singapore:

kaya toast - Ya Kun Kaya Toast
pohpiah - Hock Heng
Indian-style rojak 
Malaysian-style rojak
crispy fried baby squid - No Signboard Seafood
char kway teow - No. 18 Zion Road Fried Kway Teow
nasi lemak

Baba Neo
311 Moffett Boulevard
Mountain View, California
Telephone:  650.903.9219
website

Kim Chee II Restaurant

This one is for Clinton in Southern California....  According to Clinton, this is his favorite place for local Korean Bar-B-Q and a place that he always visits when returning to Hawaii.  As for me, I rarely, if ever, come to Kim Chee II.  Why?  I don't really know. 

When I arrived at 2:30 pm it was empty.  The only sounds were the guys laughing at the TV...wonder what program they were watching.  Since it was empty, I got to sit anywhere in the huge dining area.

After being seated and after placing my order, a bowl of seaweed soup arrived at my table.

(Sorry this one is blurry).

The soup was standard, but in my opinion, just a little salty.

Next came a bowl of the complimentary veggies -- mung bean sprouts (left), seaweed (right) and cabbage (rear).

I ate both the mung bean sprouts and the cabbage.  For some reason, I don't really like the seaweed.  Don't know why though, especially since there really isn't much flavor to it at all.

I tried to remember what Clinton told me he normally orders, but for the life of me, I just could not remember it.  So, giving up, I ordered the mixed plate (US$9.90).

There were two pieces of Bar-B-Q chicken, one piece of Bar-B-Q short rib (kalbi) and one piece Bar-B-Q beef (bulgogi).  Also sharing the plate are three pieces fried mandoo (Korean dumpling).  The plate is served with a bowl of white rice, a bowl of cabbage kim chee (middle bowl) and dried daikon kim chee (I think that's what's in the bowl on the right).  The bowl on the left contains the dipping sauce for the fried mandoo.

The marinade used here is quite good.  Not too sweet, but just a little too salty for me.  Maybe it the amount of shoyu used or maybe it's the brand.  The meats are nicely grilled and though I like my meat to be cooked this way, I really should watch out for eating all those burnt crispy bits.  The mandoo, which was nicely stuffed, wasn't as flavorful as I would like, and I found that the skin was a little too thick, a bit chewy, and a little greasy -- perhaps it was cooked ahead of time.

One thing about the portions here -- they are huge.  I couldn't finish the whole plate.  I ate the kalbi, which is cut in the traditional style, half a piece of chicken and half of the bulgogi, as well as the mandoo.  After that I was stuffed.

Kim Chee II Restaurant
3569 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  (808)737-7733

Nippon Take Out & Catering

A couple of weeks ago, a friend in my office told us about a new bento place that he had found out about.  He discovered it purely by accident...well not really, there were people passing out flyers.  So since we were looking for somewhere different for lunch, we decided to place an order.

That first time, I had the mini special #1, which was the mochiko chicken, rice, Spam, gyoza and daikon (US$3.50).  I thought it was a delicious bento and an excellent vaue.  In the weeks that followed, I ate other bentos from Nippon which weren't as good as the first one I had.  These were the salmon (OK), the tempura (not so good) and the BBQ chicken (so-so).

Several days ago, a friend in my office asked if I wanted to order a bento again, and still unsure because of the most recent orders, I told her that I would think about it.  She convinced me when she said that I should definitely have the #26, which was the mochiko chicken and butterfish.  So I said OK and that's what I ordered this time -- the large bento #26, mochiko chicken with butterfish (US$5.50).

The mochiko chicken was the same as before -- four pieces of deep fried boneless mochiko chicken which while flavorful, were a little greasy.  This was probably caused by the bento sitting for a length of time before being delivered.  This bento included some noodles (dry, but tasty), and some pickled vegetables (OK).  The butterfish was the best part.  It was moist,  and just slightly sweet with the subtle flavor of miso.  This was also cooked just the way I liked it, with a bit of carmelization.  I was even so lucky as to have gotten a piece of butterfish that had no bones in it.

I was pleasantly surprised this time.  The bentos from Nippon are a bit hit and miss, with the better tasting selections being the mochiko chicken and the butterfish.  I haven't had the opportunity to sample the other choices on the menu, such as the BBQ short ribs or the chicken katsu, but I think that if I order a bento from here again, I'd just stick to what I know.  The food here is reasonable priced, but nothing to get too excited about.

Nippon Take Out & Catering
Queen's Plaza
801 Alakea Street Suite 119
Telephone:  (808)524-7373

NipponTakeOut&CateringMenu
(Requires Adobe Acrobat)

Spot's Inn

It's been a while since I've eaten lunch in the Kalihi area, but two of my readers, Clinton in California, and Lance from somewhere here in Honolulu area, have mentioned Spot's Inn to me recently.  While I used to visit this place weekly almost 10 years ago, I haven't been here in quite some time.  This past week, I was in the area and decided to drop by.

Spot's Inn is located across the street from Honolulu Community College,  and is right next to the Kapalama Canal.  It's in a small strip mall called Kokea Center, and it's in the same complex of buildings as Nisshodo.  As I arrived, I noticed that the parking lot was practically full.  There weren't too many people in line, but the dining area was crowded so I decided that I would order my lunch to go.

From the little specials board to the left, I ordered the New York steak (US$7.95).  Each plate is served with rice (one scoop) and macaroni or tossed salad. 

Even though it was super busy, I got my lunch in a very reasonable 10 minutes -- this was especially good since I ordered my steak well done.  The steak was still tender and very juicy, and quite surprising lean.  It had a wonderful flavor with just the slighest hint of butter.  If I didn't know better, and if this steak wasn't being eaten out of a styrofoam container, I would have guessed that this steak was from a more "gourmet" type restaurant.  The steak was that good.

On Spot's menu, it says in quotes "Gourmet Food at an Affordable Price!".  Based upon my visit today, it certainly tasted like gourmet food and the price was very affordable taking quality into consideration.  In fact, if I were able to come out here more often, I probably would.

Spot's Inn
Kokea Center
1111 Dillingham Boulevard Suite E9
Telephone:  (808)848-2770

Spot'sInnMenu
(requires Adobe Acrobat)

Grace's Inn

Years ago, I used to visit Grace's quite often, now it's become one of my old stand-bys.  For me, it was one of those places that I knew served decent food, but never was compelled to go out of my way to visit.  Well, a couple of days ago, I found myself at Market City Shopping Center.  Not wanting to eat at either Gina's or Sumo Ramen, I decided to visit Grace's.

When I got there, it wasn't busy at all -- in fact, only one table in the place was occupied.  Right after I had placed my order and sat down at a table in front of the counter, the place started to fill up.

I ordered the mochiko chicken plate (US$6.25).

Each plate comes with two scoops rice, a bit of chow fun (which is hiding under all the chicken) and your choice of two salads -- tossed, macaroni, Asian cole slaw and kim chee (I think).

The mochiko chicken was deep-fried, extra-crispy and super crunchy.  The pieces were slightly larger than bite-sized and very flavorful. Despite being deep-fried, the chicken was still moist inside, and surprisingly, not greasy or oily.  The chow fun, on the other hand, was a bit dry and lacking in flavor.

Here's a picture of the salads I chose -- macaroni on the left and Asian cole slaw on the right.

The macaroni in this salad were still quite firm.  The salad was made by mixing the macaroni with mayonaisse and pickle relish for a slightly different taste.  The macaroni salad was good because there wasn't too much mayonaisse mixed into it.  I only wish that the macaroni had been cooked longer so that it would have a bit less "bite".

The Asian cole slaw, on the other hand, was very tasty.  It was bits of cabbage and carrots combined with a spicy vinegar-sesame dressing.  It was topped with a few strips of won ton pi and it was great.  The textures and flavor combination made this a winner.

Every now and then, when I'm in the area, I'll stop by Grace's.  It's not one of my favorite places, nor is it a place that I'd drive out of my way to visit.  But the food is decent and somewhat of a good value.

Grace's Inn
Market City Shopping Center
2919 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  (808)732-0041

Tenkaippin Hawaii (天下一品)

Tenkaippin Hawaii is the local outlet of a Japanese ramen chain.  It has actually been on my short list of places to revisit, but because it's usually so crowded, I haven't really had a chance to eat here again.  Last night, I just happened to be in Waikiki on a shopping trip with a friend when we decided to stop by.

It was about 9:30 pm and I was so happy that the shop was actually empty.  We proceeded to the table in the far corner and just as we sat down, a couple entered the shop.  A few minutes later, more than half the tables in the small shop were occupied.

As I looked over the menu, I decided to snap a picture of the various condiments that were on a small tray on each table.  Some of the more common items were black pepper, shoyu, hot chilli oil and vinegar.  I didn't see any shichimi togarashi, but there was a container, in the middle of the picture, that was filled with chopped garlic and chillies!

I ended up selecting the "C" set (US$10.25) from the combination menu. The price quoted is the price with assari ramen.  Also available in the "C" set were the kotteri ramen (US$10.45) or miso ramen (US$10.65).

The assari ramen consists of a bowl of ramen noodles, topped with one piece of homemade char siu, some menma (bamboo shoots), and lots of chopped green onions.  Over all of this is the piping hot chicken stock and shoyu based broth.  The broth, which also seemed quite peppery, was very delicious.  It was light and full of rich chicken flavor.  The homemade char siu, on the other hand, was a disapointment.  It was dry, tough and fatty.  It lacked that melt-in-your-mouth quality which makes Japanese-style char siu so different from Chinese-style char siu.  The noodles, while cooked in the traditional Japanese style, firm and with quite a bit of bite, just didn't do it for me.  Maybe it was the texture of the noodles.  Disappointing.

Included in set "C" were 3 pieces fried chicken.

(Sorry this one is so dark.)

The chicken took more than 10 minutes to be delivered to my table!  In fact, by the time it arrived, I was almost finished with my bowl of ramen.  Alongside the chicken was a mound of chopped cabbage that was topped with some vinegar-based dressing.  Although well-fried, crispy and still juicy, the fried chicken lacked any real flavor.  There was just the slightly hint of garlic flavor.

Meanwhile, my friend ordered the "B" set (US$9.65) from the combination menu.  This time, it was with miso ramen.  Also available in the "B" set were the kotteri ramen (US$9.45) and assari ramen (US$9.25).

Previously, I had tried the miso ramen, but I took a few sips of the broth here so that I could comment on it.  Using chicken stock as a base, this one had a nice amount of miso added to the broth.  In fact, I would have to say that the amount of miso was just right -- not too overpowering.  The miso ramen came topped with lots of mung bean sprouts and green onions. 

Included in this set meal were 3 pieces gyoza.

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings that are normally filled with pork, garlic, cabbage, ginger and green onions.  These were nicely sized and seemed to have been cooked using the traditional steam-frying method.  I tried these on an earlier visit, and felt that something was missing.  These weren't as flavorful as they could have been.

After I finished my meal, I asked myself if I really made a wise choice by coming here.  Although the ramen broth was delicious and well-flavored, it couldn't hide the fact that the noodles weren't as good as I was expecting.  The gyoza was just so-so and the fried chicken was almost flavorless.  For the same price, I can think of many ramen shops within a mile of this place that would have left me feeling more satisfied.

Tenkaippin Hawaii
2132 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  (808)926-1100

Manoa Bar-B-Que

I haven't been to Manoa Marketplace in ages, so a few days ago, I decided to take a trip out there to see what was still there foodwise.  I was in the mood for something quick and simple, and the first thing that came to my mind was sandwich.  The next thought after that was plate lunch.  Well, I wasn't really in the mood for bread so I decided that I would try the food at Manoa Bar-B-Que.

[insert picture here]
I neglected to take a photo outside the shop.  I'll remember to visit and update this post.

From what I understand, Manoa Bar-B-Que has been at the Marketplace for a while now, but for some reason, I never noticed it.  Stepping inside, it looks just like any other Mom-and-Pop plate lunch shop in the Islands -- refrigerator(s) in the main dining area, boxes piled everywhere and the cheap tables with vinyl covered chairs.

After looking over the menu, I decided to have the bento (US$5.50).

The bento contained some teriyaki beef, a piece of Spam® (!), some chicken katsu and a piece of fried mahi.  The teriyaki beef was nicely seasoned, not too sweet and not too much shoyu flavor either.  The meat was tender, and just a little fatty.  The chicken katsu was crispy and crunchy -- well fried, but not oily.  In fact, it might have been fried just a little too "well".  And the piece of mahi was very generously sized.  It was seasoned, then coated with egg and flour, then pan fried until golden brown.  The fish was flaky and surprisingly, not too salty.

To go along with my bento, I decided to splurge on a side order fried won ton (5 pieces, US$1.95).

When the won ton arrived, I was a bit perplexed.  It was the first time that I saw won ton that were folded like these were.  Though the won ton were well fried and crispy, the won ton skin was just a bit too thick for me to enjoy.  It tasted a bit like eating some cooked dough even though each won ton was stuffed with quite a bit of ground pork filling.  What also surprised me was that I received "lemon" dipping sauce for these.  The sauce actually made a better match for my chicken katsu.

Even though I didn't enjoy the won ton, I did enjoy the bento.  The food here is a bargain considering the size of the portions.  And even though the girl at the counter wasn't the friendliest person, the food was quickly prepared and the tables were clean.  I wouldn't make a trip out to Manoa to eat here, but if I was in the area, I would definitely stop in again.

Manoa Bar-B-Que
Manoa Marketplace
2752 Woodlawn Drive Suite 5-111
Telephone: (808)988-4979

ManoaBar-B-QueMenu
(Requires Adobe Acrobat)

Natsunoya Tea House

A couple of weeks ago, it was announced that a good friend of mine had accepted a promotion to a new position within our company and would be leaving the office at the end of the month.  Last Friday, we had a luncheon in the office to celebrate this event and to wish her well in her new position.

Leading up to the event, we had discussed a luncheon and after tossing around some ideas, we decided on ordering food from Natsunoya Tea House.

Natsunoya provided several types of bentos and menus to choose from and in the end we decided to order from the shokado bento menu.  Four different menus were offered with a minimum of 5 orders per menu choice.  I decided to choose the Natsunoya Deluxe (US$13.00) -- more information on the items included to be provided later.

When lunch arrived, I wasn't in my office.  When I returned to my desk, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lacquered shokado bento box on my desk.

I was surprised that this wasn't served in the standard styrofoam take out container.  This was a nice touch, especially when you take the price we paid into consideration.

Here a list of the bento box's contents:

• katsuboshi chicken
• nishime
• tamago yaki
• niku teriyaki
• 2 pieces shrimp tempura
• pumpkin (kabocha) tempura
• namasu
• misoyaki butterfish
• rice and tsukemono

There didn't seem to be any pumpkin tempura in the box.  Instead, it was substituted with Okinawan sweet potato tempura.  I didn't see any tsukemono in the box either, and didn't notice any substitution for it.  Here are the contents of the shokado bento that I ordered, shown individually.

Katsuboshi chicken.

The chicken was deep fried, but a little oily -- probably from sitting in the bento box for a little too long before being eaten.  The chicken was well seasoned, though just a little too salty for me.

Tamago-yaki and nishime.

The tamago yaki was a bit bland, with not enough shoyu or sugar used to season the eggs.  The nishime, traditionally a New Years' dish, was much better.  The vegetables here were cooked to perfect "doneness" -- meaning, the vegetables retained their texture and "bite".  Most times when eating nishime at restaurants, I find that the vegetables have been simmered for too long, causing them to become "mushy".  There was one piece each: carrot, bamboo shoot, konnyaku (devil's tongue jelly), daikon (Japanese radish) and araimo (Japanese taro).

Misoyaki butterfish and niku teriyaki.

The misoyaki butterfish was a big disappointment.  Too much sake had been used in the marinade causing the bitter sake flavor to overpower the sweetness of the miso.  The niku (beef) teriyaki was very delicious.  The grilled meat was lean and tender, and had just the right amount of sweetness to it.  It was also nice that they decided to use ginger in the marinade -- many places don't do this anymore.

Shrimp and Okinawan sweet potato tempura.

The shrimp and Okinawan sweet potato tempura were good, but already a little soft.  Again, this is probably due to sitting in the bento box for a while before being eaten.  The napkin lining the compartment was soaked with oil meaning that the tempura wasn't drained too well before put into the bento box. 

Rice and namasu.

The pressed rice was unseasoned (maybe a little salt) and was served topped with a generous sprinkling of black sesame seeds (kuro goma).  The namasu, a side dish of vinegared cucumbers and daikon, was given to a friend who enjoyed them.  For some reason, namasu is a dish that I've never eaten.

Here are the other three shokado bento menus that we were offered:

Tea House Special (US$11.00):

katsuboshi chicken
nishime
tamago yaki
niku teriyaki
shrimp tempura
pumpkin tempura
namasu
croquette
rice and tsukemono

Vegetarian (US$11.00):

somen salad
nishime
kabocha
miso nasubi
vegetable tempura
namasu
musubi and tsukemono

Chef Special (US$13.55):

katsuboshi chicken
misoyaki butterfish
tamago yaki
kuri maki namasu
shrimp tempura
vegetable tempura
nishime
spinach goma
musubi

Customized shokado bento menus also available for the  depending on the number of bentos ordered.  Free delivery is provided to downtown Honolulu.

Natsunoya Tea House
1935 Makanani Drive
Telephone:  (808)595-4488

12th Avenue Grill

Back in the beginning of April, I did a post on The Mandarin Restaurant based on a recommendation from a couple of my readers.  I wasn't too impressed with the place, so Ryan, who was one of the readers that recommended the Mandarin, asked when I was going to visit 12th Avenue Grill.  He wanted to see if my "blah" attitude towards the Mandarin was mearly a fluke, or if our "tastes" in food were in actually in sync.

This place has actually been on my "to visit" list for a couple of months now, ever since another reader, Mr_Me, made mention of it in a comment on my post of Yama's Fish Market.  Each time that I had passed by, the restaurant was busy, with a line of customers waiting hungrily outside the front door.  Well, I passed by again, this time hoping to snag a table for lunch.  The restaurant was closed, so I don't think they are open for lunch anymore.  I ended up coming back for dinner and thankfully, there was no line.

(I apologize in advance for the dark photos.)

When I got here with a friend, there was a bit of a crowd, but at least there were a few empty tables.  After being seated, I was given the short menu and it was explained that the specials were listed on the chalkboard above the counter dining area/kitchen entrance. Daily specials include appetizers on the far left, meat and fish entrées in the middle, and desserts on the far right of the chalkboard.  It's a good thing the table next to me was unoccupied.  I had a clear view of the chalkboard and the kitchen.

After placing our order, we were given a basket of bread.  There were actually two types of bread in the basket, with the larger slices being the more tasty of the two.

For dinner, I had the kim chee steak (US$17.95).

This was a skirt steak that had been marinated in a homemade kim chee sauce then char grilled to order.  When it arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the meat had been sliced into smaller pieces and that it was so tender that I could cut into it with my fork.  The pieces steak were sitting on a bed of slightly sweet sautéed cabbage and onions.  It was topped with some sliced peppers and onions and served with what the menu said was "lacquered rice cake".  Simply put it was yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball).

The steak was delicious.  It was slightly sweet, slightly tangy (my guess from vinegar) and slightly spicy.  A perfect combination of flavors.  This is definitely something that I could order again.  The vegetables complimented the steak very well, with the only disappointment being the "lacquered rice cake".  The outside was much too hard to be eaten.

This was the fish special of the day.   

It was a grilled mahi on baby green salad with a sundried tomato-olive-garbanzo tapenade (US$19.95).  The fish, while moist and perfectly prepared, was marred by the slighly sour taste of the tapenade.  Maybe there were too many sundried tomatoes here.

Desserts here are prepared by Lisa Siu of 3660 on the Rise and Kaka'ako Kitchen.  Since I just love her bread pudding with crème anglaise and vanilla bean sauce, I had to sample some of the desserts.

We started with the lemon mousse pie (US$5.95).

The mousse was light and fluffy -- it almost felt like I was eating air.  The shortbread crust was crisp and flakey and surprisingly enough, there was a very strong, rich lemony flavor.  This was actually very tart, just the way I like it.  Excellent.

We also sampled the maple crème brûlée (US$5.95).

The custard was smooth, creamy, and just slightly firm, though, not as rich as I had hoped.  The grade A maple syrup gave this dessert just a slightly different taste.  Overall, though, I must say that I enjoyed the lemon mousse pie a lot more.

I must say that I throughly enjoyed the food here.  Although there were a couple of low points with the food, overall it was quite good.  The ambiance is relaxed and casual, although it can be a little noisy once the place starts to fill up.  The wait staff was helpful and the service excellent.  A visit to 12th Avenue Grill is wholeheartedly recommended.

12th Avenue Grill
1145C 12th Avenue
Telephone:  (808)732-9469

12thAvenueGrillMenu
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JJ Bistro & French Pastry

This past weekend a few of us decided to go to JJ French Pastry.  Five of us to be exact.  It's been a while since I've been to this little pastry shop, so I was quite surprised to discover that a little remodelling of the shop had been done. 

When we arrived at about noon on Sunday, there was quite a crowd inside the shop.  In fact, almost every table was occupied.  We got one of the tables in the far corner and decided to look over the menu. 

But before looking over the menu, I decided that I need to look at all of the wonderful desserts that were in the chiller to the left of the front entrance.

Here are more desserts in the same case as those shown in the picture above.

Besides being pleasantly surprised about the remodel, I was also a bit surprised that JJ's had now started serving a few salads, soups, sandwiches, pasta dishes and pizzas.  The food was a mix of styles and ingredients.  Using ingredients from his native Laos as a basis for many of his dishes, "JJ" prepares the same dishes using French cooking techniques and flair.  Think of this as a Laotian bistro if you will.

Instead of ordering everything a la carte, we each decided on the #3 prix fixe menu, which gives you the following -- choice of pizza or pasta, a side salad, one beverage of your choice and your choice of dessert for US$11.50 (add an additional US$1.00 if your dessert is one of the chocolate pyramids, JJ's specialty).  I'd say that was a great deal.

(Note that the prices listed next to each dish are the a la carte prices.)

Here is the salad that we started off with.  It's a simple tossed green salad consisting of lettuce, tomato wedges, julienned carrots and cucumbers tossed with a ginger-sesame dressing.  Notice the waffle cut of the cucumbers?  How'd he do that?  I found the dressing to be quite tasty, and overall the salad was a refreshing start to the meal.

Here is the angel pizza (US$6.50).

This pizza was topped with beef satay (!), angel hair pasta, bell peppers, onions, spinach and mozarella cheese.  Interesting combination.

Next we have the ratatouille (US$5.75).

This dish originates in the South of France and each vegetable is normally cooked separately to enhance the flavors.  Be warned, that this is not a traditional ratatouille, but an Asian inspired dish "created with a French flair"  The key ingredient here should be eggplant (but it wasn't).  In addition to using the "required" eggplant, this dish substituted bamboo shoots, baby corn and red bell pepper for the usual zucchini, onions and tomatoes.  It was finished with a chili butter sauce and garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary.  Another interesting combination.

This was my dish, the classic fettuccini with chicken (US$7.95).

This is JJ's take on the classic fettuccini Alfredo.  In this dish here, fettuccini noodles are tossed with chicken, red bell pepper, eggplant and spinach.  It's then garnished with a sprig of fresh rosemary and served with a parmesian cream sauce.  This was definitely not what I was used to, but the sauce here was rich in flavor, but a tad bit thin and "soupy".  In my opinion, I also felt that the portion was sized a little small.

A couple of other entrées were ordered, but I somehow neglected to snap photos of those.  And just how did that happen?

After the table had been cleared and we had rested for a couple of minutes, it was time for the procession of desserts to begin!  Served by JJ's wife, the desserts are what we really came for!  Served with a smile, we were in for the biggest surprise of all.

Here is the "frou frou au chocolate" (US$3.75).

My apologies.  I didn't eat this, but it's white chocolate mousse, strawberry (or raspberry) and apricot all hidden under that chocolate ganache.  Here's a cutaway view.

Here is the poached pear in red wine tart (US$3.75).

Here's the banana haupia (US$3.75).

And last, this was my dessert, JJ's signature, the chocolate raspberry pyramid (US$4.50; with raspberry US$4.75).

There are actually two different types of chocolate pyramids on the menu, well three if you count the bite-sized miniture ones. 

The first is the chocolate pyramid.  Constructed using chocolate mousse and chocolate cake, then finished with a dusting of bitter (extra brut) chocolate powder, this dessert is simply the most sinfully, chocolate-y dessert around.  The flavor is rich and intense -- slightly sweet and slightly bitter -- and the cake is moist with a perfect crumb. 

The second type of chocolate pyramid, adds an additional layer of flavor to this already richly flavored dessert.  In the middle is some raspberry sauce.  The raspberry flavor provides a tart edge and compliments the sweet-bitterness of the chocolate perfectly. 

To go along with the desserts, we had some coffee (US$1.50 including one refill) to wash it all down.

All in all, the food was a bit of a mystery.  In some aspects is was OK.  In others, it was just a little too fusion for my tastes.  This is not to say that it wasn't enjoyable because it was.  The portions were a little on the small side though, but given the price, it was still a bargain.  In my opinion this is still a pastry shop, or café, first and foremost.  JJ's is the perfect spot for friends to meet for a cup of coffee, some wonderful French-style pastries, and some good relaxing conversation.

UPDATE:  05/01/05

Here's a not too good cutaway view of the chocolate raspberry pyramid from JJ's.  This is being posted at the request of Augustus Gloop and Julia.

When I was there this past weekend, JJ had made a huge chocolate pyramid for another customer.  Here's the pyramid as it sits on the table waiting to be boxed.  I really wanted to eat that one!

JJ Bistro & French Pastry
3447 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  (808)739-0993

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Vietnam Café Pho Saigon

It's been a while since I did a post about Vietnamese food, so I decided to post this.  I visited Vietnam Café Pho Saigon a while back and meant to post this, but the food here didn't really WOW me, so I put it off until now.  Vietnam Café Pho Saigon is located in downtown Honolulu on Hotel Street.

I've made many trips here with my friends from work and have enjoyed both the pho and the bun rieu cua for lunch.  This time, though, I came for dinner with a friend who had never been here.  We arrived late, at about 8:15 p.m., and there were a few customers inside having dinner as well.

Looking over the menu, my friend decided to have the thit bo kho (beef stew) with French loaf.

Commentary: "the gravy is nice, but with not enough beef flavor.  The vegetables were still firm and the meat was a bit fatty.  Can I have more bread?"

We shared a bowl of bo vo vien (beef ball soup).

The soup had a really strong anise flavor, which isn't bad, but I thought that the anise overpowered everything else.  The beef balls were chewy, but contained far too must gristle.  I didn't really care for the quality of this dish at all.

For dinner, I had the lemongrass beef on rice vermicelli.

(I apologize for not listing the prices of the dishes, it seems as though I forgot to write them down.  I'll try to get them later, and I'll update this post.)

When this dish arrived, I was a bit surprised.  I've had the lemongrass beef here before and this looked nothing like it.  So, I decided to make the best of it and started to eat.  The lemongrass beef was quite bad.  The beef was tough and dry.  There seemed to be no seasoning to this dish -- there was hardly any flavor to this dish at all.  I was so disappointed.  Was it because we had arrived late?

We settled the bill, and left.  We stopped by Zippy's on the way home for some chicken.  I wondered what had happened that night.  I apologized to my friend for the bad meal.  I haven't been back since.

Vietnam Café Pho Saigon
52 North Hotel Street
Telephone:  (808)536-8462

Ted's Bakery

Many of you must be wondering what I was doing at Ted's Bakery.  After all, Ted's is on the other side of the island and I can easily buy Ted's Bakery pies at the local supermarket.

I actually took a drive out to the North Shore to eat at Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp, but once there, I discovered that the line was too long.  There was no parking, and judging by the number of people there, the wait was probably in excess of an hour.  Hungry and disappointed, I continued on, down the road, until I got to Ted's.

Ted's occupies most of the space that is/used to be the Sunset Beach Store, which has been around since the late 50's.  Ted's has been here for more years than I can remember and they are most famous for their cream pies -- most notably, the chocolate haupia cream.  When I arrived at the shop with a couple of friends in tow, there were a few tourists, and locals, ordering food and purchasing baked goods.  In addition to the pies and other baked goods, Ted's has a nice selection of sandwiches and plate lunches.

Since we hadn't eaten, and were starving, we decided to eat here.  The bento (US$6.95) sounded good, so that's what we all had.

The bento came with FOUR (!) scoops rice, a few pieces of chicken katsu, a piece of teriyaki beef, a piece of Spam®, and a piece of mahimahi.  The little containers in the middle of all that rice hold some chicken katsu sauce and some tartar sauce.  The first thing I have to say about this bento was that it was huge!  The second thing that I have to say about this bento is that it was delicious.

The contents of this bento were prepared fresh and because Ted's was a little busy, that meant a wait of about 7 minutes.  The chicken katsu was golden brown and crunchy.  Lightly seasoned, and not at all greasy.  The teriyaki beef was cut thick, the sauce was slightly sweet and meat was so tender.  The bento was worth its price for the teriyaki beef alone.  Awesome and delicious.  The mahimahi was dipped in egg, then pan fried -- once again, not greasy.

For dessert, I took home a slice of Ted's famous chocolate haupia cream pie (US$1.95).

Now, this is the best chocolate haupia cream pie that you will ever have.  The chocolate filling is chocolately, smooth and creamy, and doesn't really taste much like the pudding that it's probably made from.  The haupia on top, provides the perfect compliment to the chocolate.  On top of the haupia, is lots of piped whipped cream.  This is one of my favorites.  The only thing that I think needs improving is the "doneness" of the crust.  In my opinion, it could be baked a little darker and made a little flakier.  Other than that, this is one pie that can't be beat!

Next time you're on the North Shore, stop by Ted's for some of their delicious cream pies.  If you haven't yet had lunch, make sure to have one of their awesome plate lunches, or the BIG bento.  You'll be glad you did.

Ted's Bakery
59-024 Kamehameha Highway
Telephone:  (808)638-5974

Jimbo's Restaurant

A while back one of my readers mentioned that I should do a post on Jimbo's, and well, here I am.  Since a friend of mine had asked about this place as well, I brought him along.

Once inside, we took the table next to the kitchen and looked over the menu.  The interior of the restaurant was dimly lit and filled with lots of dark wood furniture.  There were quite a few people here, at about 2:00 pm, but the place was not as crowded as I had anticipated.

Jimbo's is known for their homemade udon noodles, so I decided to have the nabeyaki udon (US$9.10).

Nabeyaki udon is traditionally cooked and served in a donabe (earthenware) pot.  I don't know if this pot was a traditional donabe pot or not, but most of the times that I've eaten nabeyaki udon here in Hawaii, it came served in a pot similar to that in the picture above. 

This bowl contained lots of thick, homemade udon noodles that were perfectly cooked.  The udon noodles were topped with pieces of boneless chicken thigh, vegetables, a poached egg, one piece shrimp tempura, one piece eggplant tempura and one piece kamaboko (fishcake).  It was all swimming in a piping hot bowl of broth.  The broth, or dashi, tasted like it was shoyu based and it was nice -- not too salty and not too fishy.  The best part of this dish for me were the noodles.  Thick, slightly chewy, with just the right texture and doneness.

My friend on the other hand had the spicy beef yaki udon (US$7.25).

The udon noodles were stir fried with string beans, carrots and beef, then topped with some green onions, benishoga (red pickled ginger) and some spicy sauce.  While it looked tasty to me, I was told that this was just OK and not something to be ordered again.

I would definitely come here again for the hot udon, and I'd most likely want to try the cold udon dishes here too.  The service here is efficient, my bowl of udon arrived in about 3 minutes, and the wait staff is helpful.  The prices here are on par with most other saimin/ramen shops in town.  The main reason for coming here, though, would be for the perfectly cooked, homemade udon noodles.

Jimbo's Restaurant
1936 South King Street
Telephone:  (808)947-2211

Jimbo's Menu   
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Torito's Mexican Restaurant

Last night, after work, I went shopping in Waikiki.  After walking around for a while, I realized that it was getting late and I hadn't eaten.  I was at the International Marketplace, and decided to eat at the food court there.

The food court at the International Marketplace is an open-air, outdoor food court with approximately 20 stalls serving all kinds of food.  It reminded me a bit of the hawker centres in Singapore, only this set up was more for tourists (prices) and with less variety.  After taking a walk around the place, I decided on eating here, at Torito's Mexican Food.

I don't often eat Mexican food, and if you ask me why, I wouldn't really have a good answer for you.  Maybe it's because I find that Mexican food is expensive in Hawaii, or maybe it's because there aren't very many Mexican restaurants around.  In any case, my decision tonight was based upon the food the gentleman in the foreground was eating.  It looked good.

Torito's has quite a few items on the menu, but what I decided to have was the beef burrito plate (US$7.10).

When I placed my order, I was asked if I wanted shredded beef or ground beef.  Normally, I would have said shredded beef, but instead, I ordered the burrito with ground beef.  The plate comes with yellow rice, refried beans and salsa, but since there were beans in the burrito, I asked to substitute the refried beans with some tossed salad.  No problem!

The huge burrito was filled with lots of ground beef, cheese and refried beans, then topped with some sauce and cheese.  I must say that the burrito was delicious and packed with flavor.  The filling was well seasoned, although, I think the burrito was just a little bit on the salty side.  The rice was nice and subtly flavored, while the salsa wasn't really spicy enough.

If I was in the area, I would definitely eat here again.  Although it was a little pricey, the food was fresh and tasty, and service was excellent.  Next time, though, I think I'll try the "crazy" burrito that was on the menu.

Torito's Mexican Food
International Marketplace
2330 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  (808)922-4057

Gulick Delicatessen

It's not often that I find myself having lunch at a local delicatessen or an okazuya.  My main reason for not visiting okazuyas more often are the operating hours.  Usually these shops open early and close early, most often times opening at the crack of dawn and closing shortly after lunchtime -- or they close once the food runs out.  Today, I was fortunate to be in the vicinity of Gulick Delicatessen.

Gulick Delicatessen is a small shop on Gulick Avenue near School Street.  If that sign hanging above the sidewalk was gone, you would probably not guess that the shop was there.  The building was rebuilt a while back, and if you had seen the old shop, it would have been much harder to find.  It was a small wooden structure, much like the homes that surround it.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with the local usage of the word "delicatessen", it's the same as an okazuya.  And what is an okazuya?  It's a type of shop that serves many different types of side dishes.  Musubi (rice balls), fried chicken, tempura, chow funn and shoyu hot dogs are just some of the more common dishes these places serve.  The items are all reasonably priced, so it's a good option for all of us who like to have a variety of things to choose from.

When I got to the shop at about 11:45 am, there were quite a few people there waiting to order their food.  However, at Gulick, unlike at many other okazuyas that I've been to, there are many people behind the counter to help you so the wait isn't very long.

The very first thing you do, is step up to the counter and take a look at all of the food on display.  Then, as your stomach starts growling, you make your selections while the counter help piles your selections into a take-out styrofoam container.  Finally, it's time to eat!  It's fast and it's simple, but the best part is getting to choose your dishes.

Today, I chose the following (left to right, starting in front) -- fried chicken thigh (US$1.35), corned beef hash patty (US$1.35), vegetable tempura (US$.75), and nori musubi (US$.75).  In total, this plate come out to US$4.20.

The chicken thigh was fried to a perfect golden brown.  Inside, the meat was tender and juicy, just the way I like it.  The corned beef hash patty was huge, much larger than any I've had at an okazuya before.  The only thing I didn't like about this was that it was a bit sweet.  I wonder why?  The vegetable tempura was nice and crunchy. The added benefit was that it had just come out from the deep fryer and it was well-drained, which meant that it wasn't oily or greasy.

Over the years, I've sample most of the dishes on offer here, and though there have been a few missteps, you can count on most of it to be quite good.  The food is priced similar to many other okazuyas, ranging from a little over US$.50 to US$4.00, but what makes this place worth visiting is the counter help.  They are quick, helpful and efficient...and I've never had to wait for more than a couple of minutes for assistance.  That really means a lot, especially since parking is so scarce in this mostly residential neighborhood.

Gulick Delicatessen
1512 Gulick Avenue
Telephone:  (808)847-1461

The Mandarin Restaurant

A couple of months ago, before, my trip to Singapore, I paid a visit to Glowing Dragon Seafood Restaurant.  A couple of readers, Ryan and Robyn, commented on it, and recommended that I try the Mandarin. 

Tonight, a couple of friends called and asked what I was doing for dinner.  I was getting ready to leave the office, and because I didn't really want to drive too far, I thought of eating at Café Imperial.  Since the Mandarin was located in the same building, I suggested that we go there. 

(Sorry for the dark picture.)

The Mandarin is one of four or five restaurants located on the ground level of the Imperial Plaza.  Not exactly a night time hot spot, but it's a nice neighborhood sort of place to go and eat. 

Entering the restaurant, there is a small seating area on the left which runs from the front entrance back to the kitchen area.  On the right, and a couple of steps up, there is another dining area and there's also a small alcove in back as well.  We sat near the entrance.

The Mandarin, according to the signage and the menu, serves Northern Chinese Cuisine.  Now, I'm not too familiar with Northern Chinese food, but from what I do know, it's normally oily and flavored with lots of garlic and vinegar.  With that, we decided to look over the menu and choose a dish each.

The first dish we selected was the Princess prawns (US$10.50).

The prawns were dipped in batter and deep fried until golden brown.  They were served topped with the "special" hot pepper sauce.  The sauce seemed to be a type of yellow bean sauce which was accented with fresh red chillies and lots of garlic.  There were also some button mushrooms, bamboo shoots and green onions in there as well.  My reaction to this dish was one of surprise.  I didn't really expect the prawns to be batter-dipped and deep fried.  I was hoping that they would have been wok fried with the spicy sauce.  While, I found the dish to be of average spiciness, I did find that it was a bit salty.

The second dish to arrive, and the one that I chose, was the plum sauce chicken (US$7.95).

According to the menu, this was supposed to have been "chicken cubes sautéed with green peppers in a delicate plum sauce."  For one thing, I didn't see any green peppers in this dish.  There were a lot of bamboo shoots and green onions in there though.  Another thing was that I didn't find the sauce to be delicate at all.  It was thick, sweet and spicy, in an "in-your-face" sort of way.  The spiciness, which was just right for me, came from dried chillies and chilli oil.  The one thing I didn't like about this dish was that it was much too oily.  I would have liked this dish a lot more if it were prepared without the chilli oil, and instead, with a few more dried chillies for spiciness.

The last dish that we ordered was from the "Special Fish Menu" tucked into one of the corners of the menu.  It was the braised garlic fish (US$9.95).

The fish filet seemed to be dipped in flour and pan fried before being covered with sauce.  The yellow bean based sauce was thick and full of garlic, chopped carrots, green onions, and red chillies.  The fish was done just right and it was still slightly crispy even under all that sauce.  The sauce was a little spicy and full of garlic-y flavor.  But once again, this dish was a bit salty.  However, I did find that there was just the right amount of spiciness in this dish.

One of my readers, Therese Dickerson, made mention of kim chee being served at another Northern Chinese restaurant in her comment to me.  Well, at the Mandarin, they also gave a complimentary plate of cabbage kim chee.  I just forgot to post the picture.  Here it is:

The kim chee was just OK.  In my opinion, it wasn't spicy enough and my preference is actually for won bok (Chinese cabbage) kim chee or cucumber kim chee.

After dinner, we discussed the meal.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding either.  I think we all agreed that all of the dishes were a bit salty, but I think that could easily be remedied on a subsequent visit.  The other thing, was the copious amount of sauce ladled over each dish.  I'm sure that the sauce plays an important part in the presentation and flavor of each individual dish, but I would definitely ask for a reduced amount of sauce the next time around.

The Mandarin Restaurant
725 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone: (808)593-1188

Shiro's Hula Hula Drive In

UPDATE:  October 2005
Shiro's Hula Hula Drive In has closed. 

Before visiting Singapore a couple of months ago, I went to eat at Kalani Korean Bar-B-Q with a friend.  As we were exiting the parking lot, I noticed a Shiro's Hula Hula Drive In there.  This past weekend, we stopped by for lunch.

If I remember correctly, this Shiro's location used to be on the other side of Dillingham Boulevard.  It relocated here when this strip mall was developed a number of years ago.

On the right side of the entrance to the restaurant, there is a take-out window and counter.  Inside, the restaurant is spacious and sparsely decorated.  A couple of things that stand out here are the yellow sheets of paper plastered onto the walls and the exclusive use of diner-style booths for seating.  On those yellow sheets of paper are many witty sayings, most written by Shiro himself.

My favorite, though, comes from the cover of the menu itself, "The place with a song in its heart and dedicated to the proposition that the hard working people must be taken care of with invigorating, nourishing, soulsifying food that is not too skimpy, plenty tasty and geared to the pocketbook."

Since it was late, about an hour before the restaurant was to close, when we arrived we found it to be quite empty.  I wonder if it's like this all the time?  Oh well, at least we got to choose where we wanted to sit.  Since my friend paid for lunch the last time, it was only fair for me to return the favor.  He ordered the country fried noodles with yakitori chicken (US$7.30).

I was told that the noodles were a little bit on the oily side and quite flavorless.  It's too bad because this dish actually looked quite good.  And the yakitori?  A bit sweet.  Oh well, just sprinkle some shoyu on those noodles and dust it with some black pepper. 

Since Shiro's is known for saimin, there are 60 different offerings on the menu, I decided to have one.  The one I chose was the Dodonpa (US$7.70).

The menu proclaims this to be "The Ultimate King of Saimins, Bombarded with 10 Garnishes", but was it?  The Dodonpa, is one of Shiro's original recipes and dates back a couple of decades, explained the waitress.  The 10 garnishes that this saimin contained were shrimp tempura, roast beef, char siu, wun tun, Chinese roast pork, luncheon meat, imitation crab, mushrooms, eggroll and vegetables!

As you can see in the photo above, the bowl is huge and is filled almost to the rim.  The only thing that was missing from the bowl, was the eggroll.  Shucks.  The shrimp tempura, seen below, was served on the side with tartar sauce.

So how was it you ask?  The broth itself was very "meaty" tasting, probably from the huge slab of roast beef that was in there.  The wun tun, was just OK.  I found the skin to be too thick and quite chewy -- disappointing.  The char siu and the Chinese roast pork were tasty, but just a bit too fatty for me, so I didn't eat to much of it.  And the shrimp tempura was a disappointment as well.  The piece of shrimp was first butterflied, then coated in batter and deep-fried.  The batter was really thick and "flour-y".  This made the tempura, heavy and oily.  Not good.

Would I come back here again?  While the service was prompt and efficient, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to the eggroll that was supposed to be part of my saimin.  And although the saimin broth was tasty, the saimin's individual ingredients didn't seem to be of the best quality.  So to answer the question, I'd honestly have to say probably not -- especially since Palace Saimin, my favorite saimin stand, is nearby.

Shiro's Hula Hula Drive In
City Square
1199 Dillingham Boulevard Suite
Telephone:  (808)842-1740

Mediterranean Garden Café

Looking for somewhere new to eat at for lunch, I walked a little further away from the office than normal.  My intent was to visit somewhere that I haven't been to before.  While walking down Alakea Street, in the direction of Mr. Frypan, I suddenly remembered the Arcade Building.  With one entrance on South King Street and another on Merchant Street, the Arcade Building has a little row of shops and restaurants on the ground floor, many of which I haven't been to in years. 

Upon entering the little row of shops, the first one that really stood out was the Mediterranean Garden Café.  Guess why?  Perhaps it was the awning that was covered with the heads of horses....  I found it rather unusual, especially since I figured it was a Greek restaurant.

Stepping into the shop, the menu was located right above the counter near the front door.  As I reviewed the menu, people were walking in and out of the shop to place their orders.  The shop seemed to be busy, and the food seemed to be prepared quickly.

Following the routine of the others, I made my way into the shop and placed my order at the counter which was flanked by a stainless steel refrigerator and a drink cooler.  I then sat at one of the four tables for two and waited. 

A couple minutes later, my order was ready.  I was called over to the counter to  pick up my food and I returned to my table by the door.  Today, I had the gyro sandwich with feta cheese (US$7.12 with feta cheese, US$6.99 without feta cheese).   

Served open faced on a piece of pita bread, the sandwich consisted of a mountain of chopped iceberg lettuce, a couple of sliced tomatoes, some diced cucumbers, and a lot of sliced rotisserie-cooked (I think) beef and lamb.  It was all topped with some dressing (it tasted like the traditional tzatziki sauce, I'll have to ask next time), and crumbled feta cheese.

My first impression was that the sandwich was huge -- I really didn't think that I could finish it all (I couldn't).  The strips of marinated beef and lamb, were tasty and well seasoned, but just a little too salty for me.  The crumbled feta cheese added just the right amount of "tangy" flavor to this dish and the dressing made a nice accent, even if there was too much of it on the sandwich (in my opinion). 

Although a little more expensive than my usual lunchtime fare, this was a welcome change for me.  And even though the food was a little saltier than I was used to, I am sure to be back to try some of the other Greek dishes on the menu. 

Mediterranean Garden Café
The Arcade Building
212 Merchant Street Suite 6
Telephone:  (808)533-1677

Imari

Lately, I've been indulging in a unusually large number of Japanese foods -- ramen, sushi, curry rice and now, bentos.  Imari has an excellent selection of bentos on it's menu and it's probably one of the best Japanese-style bento-ya around.

Normally, if you want to eat a bento in the evening, your choices are limited to stores specializing in Japanese foods/goods, such as Daiei, Shirokiya or Marukai.  Most bento shops, or okazuyas as they are called in Hawaii, are open during the early morning to early afternoon hours, closing long before I even have the chance to think of leaving my office. What I really like about Imari is that they are open late enough for me to stop by after work.  In fact, I believe they're open until 9:00 pm daily.

Inside, the shop is homey and filled with knicknacks.  You'll find them virtually everywhere throughout the shop.  To the left of the entrance is a notice board offering Japanese language services, apartment rentals, and deals on used appliances and furnishings -- all posted by the shop's customers.  To the right of the entrance, there are a couple of small tables, in case you want to eat in.  Most often times, people order their bentos to go.  This evening, there are few people inside the shop when I arrived.

Here's the bento that I brought home with me.  Neatly secured with a couple of rubber bands, a packet of tonkatsu sauce was tucked into one end, and a napkin and a pair of chopsticks was tucked into another.

This was the mixed fry bento (US$5.95).  Three pieces karaage fried chicken, one piece pork cutlet (tonkatsu), and one crab cream croquette.  Also included (back from left to right)was some takuwan (pickled daikon), potato salad,; vegetable (sorry couldn't figure out what kind), kinpira gobo (seasoned, sliced burdock root) with carrots, renkon (lotus root) and konnyaku (devil's tongue jelly), hijiki (prepared seaweed), and underneath it all, a lone umeboshi (pickled plum).

The chicken, tonkatsu and croquette were freshly fried and still warm by the time I got home.  The chicken was bite-sized and nicely seasoned.  Although it was a little oily, it was still delicious.  The tonkatsu was crisp and crunchy, and I wished there was more.  It was so good.  And the croquette?  Outside it was crunchy, and inside it was creamy and smooth, with lots of imitation (?) crab chunks.  Delicious.

The size of the bento was just right for dinner.  The combination of the included items provided me with a nice sampling of what Imari has on offer.  The flavor and the freshness of the food was excellent.  The only downside to this whole experience was the wait time.  Since every bento is prepared to order, expect to wait at least 5 minutes, or longer if there are people ahead of you, for your bento to be ready.  Tonight, the wait for me, was just under 20 minutes.  In my opinion, the quality of the food justifies the wait.  Next time, however, I'll make sure to call ahead so that my bento is ready by the time I arrive.

Imari
Samsung Plaza
661 Keeaumoku Street Suite 102
Telephone:  808.941.8866

Maki's Sushi Café

FYI...The name of this post was corrected from Bishop Street Café to Maki's Sushi Café.  Since the name on the front plate glass window shows Bishop Street Café, I naturally assumed that was the name of the shop.  Apparently, the shop changed names, and ownership, but for some strange reason the signage was not changed.  My apologies for the confusion.

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A while back a few friends had mentioned this little shop downstairs from where they worked.  They were kind of surprised to discover that Maki's Sushi Café, formerly known as Bishop Street Café, served an interesting combination of foods -- panini, salads, pastas, udons and sobas, and donburi.

The menu items seemed to have little to do with one another, but the fact that there was a line to enter this shop, made it more intruiguing.  So based upon their recommendations/curiosity, I decided to pay Maki's Sushi Café a visit.

The long narrow space is evenly divided between counter and walkway -- there is no seating inside the shop.  If it's any consolation, you can have a seat outdoors.  The menu board is conveniently located at the front entrance, so that as you step up to the counter, you can review what's on the menu and place your order.

The serving area is layed out cafeteria-style with pre-cooked food served from warming trays by the cheerful and helpful staff.  Today, I decided to order the chicken katsu curry don (US$5.99).

A nice sized piece of chicken katsu was served atop a bowl of chicken curry and rice.  The curry had pieces of onions, carrots, potatoes, and chicken in it.  The curry was mildly spicy and just a little sweet, which is typical of traditional Japanese-style curry in my opinion.  It was all served with a bowl of miso soup and some tsukemono (pickled vegetables) on the side.

The chicken was moist, well fried and not at all greasy.  The curry was delicious and filling.  It was almost as if I had cooked this at home.  What I was most surprised about, though, was the curry sauce.  Normally, when eating at Japanese curry restaurants like CoCo Ichibanya Curry House, or even at places like Mr. Frypan, the curry sauce is served plain, with no added ingredients.  Here, you have the added bonus of both chicken and vegetables included in the sauce.  How's that?

Here's a better look at the chicken katsu curry don.

Maki's Sushi Café is destined to become a frequent lunch spot for me, not only for the value that it offers, but also for the service and quality of the food.  My only suggestion, please change the signage on the glass window out front.

Maki's Sushi Café
Dillingham Transportation Building
725 Bishop Street, Ground Floor
Telephone:  808.537.6951

Grand Café & Bakery

After returning to Hawaii from my trip to Singapore, I was on my way to the post office to collect my mail.  I noticed a couple men standing outside the old Wing Coffee Building, and I saw that it had been converted to a restaurant.  Looking in through the window, it seemed to have drawn quite a nice sized crowd, so I made a mental note to stop by here one day for lunch. 

Grand Café and Bakery has been open for a little over a month or so, and judging by the crowds, they've been doing some brisk business.  When I arrived with a friend, we were told the wait would be about 10 minutes for a table (actual wait time was 15 minutes).

While waiting, I decided to take a look at the baked goods in the chiller up front.  There were cakes, danish pastries, cream puffs and other goodies....  I spotted one that I wanted to try, and decided that if I had enough time left over, I would order some dessert (I didn't have time).

The friend that came along had the meatloaf (US$7.75).

The individual bacon-wrapped meatloaf was served with a red wine reduction and was made using ground beef, pork and veal (!).  I was told that it was very delicious, though the portion was sized a bit small.

I had the Grand Café Reuben grill (US$7.75).  I had really wanted to have the chips (Utz potato chips), but unfortunately, they were already sold out.  Instead, I had to settle for the cole slaw.

The Reuben sandwich was filled with lots of meaty corned beef, a bit of sauerkraut and Russian dressing.  It was all topped with some nicely melted Swiss cheese.  The rye bread was nicely toasted and had a wonderful flavor without being too buttery.  The corned beef, for the most part, was lean.  In fact, a great thing was done with this sandwich.  When I opened it up to have a look, the lean slices of corned beef were on top, with the fattier pieces below.  It made it easy for me to remove some of the fatty pieces of corned beef for a slightly "healthier" sandwich.  The cole slaw here was great.  Not being a cole slaw fan, this was extremely fresh tasting and contained very little mayonaisse or vinegar.  It was actually refreshing.

Since it took a while for us to be seated, for us to place our order, and for our food to actually arrive, I was out of time and could not order the dessert that I was hoping to.  Instead, I took it home with me so that I could have it after dinner.

What did I get?  The chocolate cake (US$4.00).  When I inquired at the counter, I was asked if I was going to eat this alone.  "Of course," I replied.  The gentleman at the counter looked shocked.  He explained that most people "share" the desserts, Well, he obviously didn't know me!  He then offered that the chocolate cake was made with pure chocolate, not cocoa powder.  I was immediately impressed, and happy, that I had made such a wise choice.

After dinner, I attempted to eat this huge slice of chocolate cake.  It was three layers high, with an equal amount of chocolatey frosting.  The cake was moist and dense, and because it was made with real chocolate, it was very chocolate-y, but not at all sweet.  It was by far, the best chocolate cake that I've ever tasted.

According to some information on the menu, the Grand Café and Bakery was originally founded back in 1923.  Many of the recipes used in preparing the food date back to this era.  The food here is excellent, and a pretty good value considering the quality of the food, the atmosphere and the service.  This is definitely a place that I'd continue to visit for years to come.

Grand Café & Bakery
31 North Pauahi Street
Telephone:  808.531.0001

Mitsu-Ken Okazu and Catering

Yesterday, I met a group of people from my office to perform a company-sponsored community service project.  Adopt-A-Highway...that's what it's called.  Basically, companies will "adopt" a section of a highway and clean the shoulder of debris every few months.  Our company's section is along Pali Highway headed North towards the Pali Lookout exit (I believe it's a one mile section in each direction.)

We all met at a church along the Pali and split into groups of 6 -- one flag person and five trash collectors per team.  There was such an overwhelming turnout that some people who wanted to help, just couldn't.  They were told to stay back.  Those of us who were going to be collecting trash, donned our bright orange and green t-shirts and set off to work.

After a couple of hours of cleaning the roadway, and gathering 12 bags of trash in the process, our team headed back to the "basecamp".  Drinks and a bento were provided by the company as a reward for a hard morning's work (it really wasn't too hard).

The bento came from Mitsu-Ken in Kalihi.  Here's a picture of the shop, I took it a couple days ago.

Mitsu-Ken is a typical okazuya-type shop.  It opens early, and closes early and it offers a wide selection of food items.  This bento contained three pieces of Mitsu-Ken's famous garlic chicken, one piece of shoyu hot dog and a rolled egg omelette all on some white rice that's been topped with furikake.

The chicken is the best part of this bento.  It's first deep-fried, then coated with some shoyu-garlic sauce.  The sauce is a bit sweet, and a bit salty with just a hint of garlic to it.  Unfortunately, the bentos were purchased earlier in the morning, so the chicken wasn't as crunchy as usual, but it was still tasty and surprisingly, not too oily.  Guess they drain the chicken well.  The rolled egg omelette was filled with chopped kamaboko (fish cake) and a few green onions, and the shoyu hot dog?  Well, it tasted like shoyu hot dog! 

The food here is delicious and is a good value (especially today because it was free).  The only reason for my not visiting this place more often is the line that starts to form outside the shop at 5:30 am.  Mitsu-Ken, in my opinion, is one of the better okazuyas in the state.

Mitsu-Ken Okazu and Catering
1223 North School Street
Telephone:  808.848.5573

Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant

I've been blogging about the dining scene in Kaimuki quite a bit lately as I've been venturing a little further from home for dinner.  I have lots of friends that live out that way, and dinners with them have been infrequent at best.  Tonight was the first time that I ate at Happy Days for dinner.  The one other time that I was here, was several months ago for a brunch full of good conversation and average dim sum.

Happy Days is on the corner, right next door to Maguro-Ya, and is owned by the same person that owns Good Luck Chinese Restaurant.  Inside, it wasn't too crowded in the general dining area, but there were 3 large parties going on in the semi-private areas off to the side.

I had the taste for noodles tonight, so I ordered the crispy gau gee (pillow-shaped deep-fried won ton) with cake noodles (US$6.95).

It's been a while since I've eaten cake noodles, and to tell you the truth, I really haven't noticed them at too many Chinese restaurants outside of Hawaii.  The noodles are cut into small "square" pieces, then fried.  The noodles are served with a thick gravy and are topped with pieces of chicken, assorted vegetables and four pieces of crispy gau gee. 

The cake noodles used here are a little different from the ones that I am used to eating, but they were nice and crunchy.  I asked for less gravy, but there was still a lot of gravy on the plate. 

(Close up of the noodles.)

Oh well, I guess they think less gravy, is less than the normal amount which usually fills the plate to the rim!  There was a nice variety of vegetables in this dish such as Shanghai bok choy, straw mushrooms, carrots and choy sum.  And the gau gee was very nicely deep-fried, surprisingly not too oily and they were very meaty.  Maybe next time, I'll ask for the gravy to be served on the side.  I like it when the noodles stay crunchy until the last bite.

Dinner for the friend I met was the beef brisket on rice (US$6.95).

I didn't have this, but I was told it was quite good.  There were a few pieces of beef tendons here and I could smell the wonderful aroma of star anise rising from the plate.  It actually smelled very good.

I enjoyed the food and the company, and I'm almost certain that I'd come back again if I were in the neighborhood.  And though the food was average, or a little better, this is definitely not a restaurant that I would drive out of my way to visit.

Happy Days Chinese Seafood Restaurant
3553 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.738.8866

Ramen Nakamura

Last weekend, Macy*s was having a 24-Hour Sale.  I got a lot of clothes at a great price at the Ala Moana store.  Since it was still early, I decided to visit the Macy*s location in Waikiki.  After parking my car, and browsing at the Niketown store, I got a bit hungry. 

There were two ramen shops in the vicinity, Tenkaippin and Ramen Nakamura.  My first thought was to visit Tenkaippin, however, when I got to the shop, it was completely full.  Instead, I crossed the street and stopped here.

Ramen Nakamura was also crowded, but I was able to get a seat near the kitchen.

After looking over the menu, I decided on the following dishes - fried noodles ($7.90).

The noodles were stir-fried, or wok-fried, with chicken, bell peppers, cabbage and carrots.  It was served topped with some furikake (prepared seaweed sprinkles) and a little benishoga (red pickled ginger).

(I'm not going to comment about the fried noodles as I ended up taking them home and eating them for lunch the next day.)

Ramen and small fried rice combination (US$10.70).  For the ramen, you get a choice of either miso, shoyu, shio (salt based) or hakata (whitish-colored broth made from boiled pork bones).  I chose shoyu.

The ramen was served with some mung bean sprouts, a piece of chashu (roasted pork), some menma (pickled bamboo shoots) and some fried garlic slices.  The fried garlic added some wonderful flavor to the soup.  In fact, I found myself wanting to ask for more (I didn't).  The piece of chashu was tender, though a little fatty, and the noodles were perfectly cooked.

Here is the small fried rice.

The portion of fried rice was just right.  It was a bit standard, but I liked the fact that it came with some benishoga as well.  It added just the right amount of "kick" to the rice.

The service here was great.  I didn't wait more than five minutes for my bowl of ramen to arrive at the counter.  Tastewise, the ramen was slightly better than average.  The noodles were "chewy" rather than the local "soft" style and the broth was delicious, especially with the fried garlic in it.  This is definitely one place that I'd visit again.

Ramen Nakamura
2141 Kalakaua Avenue Suite 1
Telephone:  808.922.7960

Yama's Fish Market

This was today's lunch courtesy of Yama's Fish Market.  I didn't actually go there to eat, but the plate lunch was delivered for a luncheon that we had.  I ordered a plate with kalua pig, lomi salmon, poke, and haupia.  The plate is served with two scoops white rice, and I had a bowl of poi on the side. 

Here are the dishes individually with a brief description.

Poi.

Poi is made by first steaming taro and then pounding it until it reaches a nice smooth paste.  It's then mixed with a little water before being served.  Poi is usually a bit thick and starchy, and if you ask me, it's almost flavorless.  This is a staple in the Native Hawaiian diet.

Poke.

Cubed, raw fish mixed with Maui onions, limu kohu (seaweed) and green onions and marinated in a mixture of shoyu and sesame oil.  You can also find rock salt, chili pepper or inamona (roasted kukui nuts) added to this as well.

Lomi salmon.

Cubes of salted salmon are tossed with chopped tomatoes, green onions and chopped Maui onions.  The longer this dish sits before serving, the saltier it gets and the more liquid is released from the tomatoes.

Kalua pig.

Traditionally, a whole pig is seasoned, then steamed in an underground pit called an imu.  The meat is then shredded and served.  The meat is comparable to pulled pork in texture, but with a smokey, and somewhat salty flavor.

Haupia.

Coconut flavored pudding/custard.  This is made by combining coconut milk with a little sugar, then cooking it over low heat with some water and cornstarch until it's thickened.  It's then refrigerated so that it becomes firm enough to cut and serve.

The poi was fresh, but there really wasn't very much of it in the bowl.  I could have probably eaten 3 bowls, at least.  I didn't particularly care for the lomi salmon as there wasn't very much salmon in it.  The poke was just OK (flavorwise), and the kalua pig, was extremely salty.  In fact, it was so salty that I could even finish a third of it. 

This plate lunch was not cheap (US$8.10 + US$1.30 for poi), but when compared to other Hawaiian food restaurants, it is probably in the middle pricewise.  The quality of the food, however, left much to be desired.  I probably won't be ordering food for lunch from here again anytime soon.

Yama's Fish Market
2332 Young Street
Telephone:  808.941.9994

Like Like Drive Inn

This post is for Moira over there in the UK who told me to "Quit posting photos of loco moco!" a while back when I posted about the loco moco at  Byron's Drive-In.

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Since I was having a hard time re-adjusting to life in Hawaii, I got hungry at midnight.  There aren't too many places open at that time of the night, and I really didn't feel like driving too far, so I ended up at Like Like Drive Inn.  Besides, I was doing this for Moira.  *smile*

Like Like Drive Inn has long been a favorite of many, especially those seeking late night eats.  It's one of the few coffee shop/restaurants in the Honolulu area that are open 24 hours.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't get to sit in the main dining area, but I did sit with a few friends off to the side.  Here's a picture of the interior that shows the counter set up.

So what did I order?  Do you really have to ask?  I ordered the loco moco (US$7.20), of course.

A large saimin bowl is filled with white rice, then topped by a huge hamburger patty.  It's all covered in brown gravy and served with two over easy eggs on top.  By the way, if you're on a low fat, low cholesterol diet, this is not what you should be ordering!

The loco moco here was just OK.  The rice, I felt, was a little under-cooked.  The hamburger patty was good, but the gravy is where it really fell apart.  There was no real flavor to the gravy at all, just a slight buttery taste.  One of my friends had the hamburger steak and another one had the hot turkey sandwich, and both made similar comments about the gravy as well.  It's a shame because this loco moco was quite costly compared to most other places.

Besides the steep cost for the food, Like Like doesn't offer free refills on coffee like most other places.  Better food, and better value can be held elsewhere.

Like Like Drive Inn
745 Keeaumoku Street
Telephone:  808.941.2515

Kalani Korean Bar-B-Q

A friend brought me here for my last meal before leaving for Singapore.  My intention was to actually go to Sugoi, but it was closed for some reason.  This shop was located a couple doors down and I'm glad we came here.  The food was cheap and delicious, and the service was excellent.  No more words for me, please just enjoy the photos.

It was crowded when we stepped inside.  We had to take the last table right in front of the door.

Ban chan (side dishes).

I had the bi bim bap (mixed rice, US$4.95).

I'm hungry!  I'm ready to eat now....

My friend had the barbecue chicken and meat jun combination plate (US$4.95).

Doesn't that look good?

I'll be blogging from Singapore in a couple of days, that is, if the hotel's broadband connection is working.  If not, I'll be back in Hawaii at the beginning of March.

Kalani Korean Bar-B-Q
City Square
1286 Kalani Street Suite 104
Telephone:  808.843.2277

Char Hung Sut

My sincere apologies for not updating yesterday's post and for posting this without any text.  Tomorrow will be my last day at work before my upcoming trip to Southeast Asia, therefore, I should have time tomorrow night to update both posts. 

I thought I'd present the photos for your enjoyment.  Thank you for your understanding.

By the way, this one's for Clinton over there in California.  A displaced local who misses the ma tai soo from Char Hung Sut.

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It's been a while since I've been to Char Hung Sut.  I guess it's because I never really leave home early enough to get here before going into the office.  Today, I had a short break at about 9:00 am, and since it wasn't raining, I thought a short walk would do me good. 

Located in Chinatown across the street from Mei Sum Dim Sum, Char Hung Sut serves local-style dim sum.  Sneaking in one of the doors off to the side, you can see the folks here hard at work.  Looked to me like they were making some ma tai soo.

After walking through the less used entrance, I stood in line behind a few people waiting to order their food and others waiting for their orders to be filled.  If I had come at about 6:00 am, there would have been about 5 times as many people crowding this little shop.  That's how popular this place is.

Since I had agreed to pick up some food for a co-worker as well, I decided to get two of each of our favorites.  I ordered the following (clockwise from left) -- manapua (US$.85 each), pepeiao (US$.50 each), pork hash (US$.50 each) and the famous ma tai soo (US$.50 each).

The first thing I ate was the ma tai soo. 

I'm not really sure what is in it, but it seemed to be pork and water chestnuts (?) among other things.  The filling is a little crunchy, so I'm only guessing here.  The outer pastry is baked, and can be a bit flakey, but it's just a little "doughy" near the middle where the filling is and on the bottom of the pastry itself.  Nice and hot, this was delicious!  This is probably my favorite dim sum item from here.

This is the manapua.   

Steamed and filled with shredded pork, this is nothing like what you'd get in any other dim sum house around the country.  Manapua is a Hawaii original.  I'm not really certain of the origin of the word, but it's been speculated that it was taken from the Hawaiian words, mea (thing), 'ono (delicious), and pua'a (pig).  Not sure if this is quite the case, but I'll go with that explanation for now.

The first thing you'll notice about the manapua is the size.  Unlike traditional char siu bao, manapua are huge.  I would say that it's about 3-4 times larger than the char siu bao that is served in traditional dim sum houses.  The "bun" here is also different.  Soft, fluffy and a little chewy, this is best eaten hot.  The pork filling is lean and flavorful.

Here's the pepeiao.

Pepiao (Hawaiian for ear, or the name used for "wood ear fungus") is steamed and is filled with pork.  It got it's name because of it's ear like shape, although to me, it looks more like a pig's snout. 

Pork hash (not shown individually) is the same as siu mai.  It's steamed and has a filling of ground pork and other ingredients.  Both of these items are as good as you're going to get anywhere else in the state.

Char Hung Sut is frequently at the top of most people's lists for "best" manapua...I can't argue there.  This place has been open for more than 50 years, and the number of people that crowd this small shop every morning, are a testament to the great food and great value that it offers.

Char Hung Sut
64 North Pauahi Street
Telephone:  808.538.3355

Byron's Drive-In

I got home late from work tonight and I was working on the previous post for more than an hour!  I'm too tired to write this up, so here are the pictures.  Story to follow.

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About a week ago, actually I can't really remember already, I had to pick some friends up at the airport.  They were hungry, and rather than drive around looking for someplace to eat at, we decided that we would eat at the first place that we came across that was still open or at the first place that we could think about that was still open.  Well, we came across Byron's Drive-In near the airport entrance/exit on Nimitz.  That settled that.

Byron's Drive-In...hmmmm.  Even though I lived nearby, I never really came to eat here.  If I had to get some late night munching sessions in, I normally went to eat out in the general direction of "town."  Byron's is open 24 hours and it does draw a decent crowd at most times during the day.  What actually brought me here was the bright lights and the need to get something to eat...fast.

There were a lot of items on the menu and the kitchen area was fairly clean.  The most surprising thing was how lit up the place was.

I ordered the loco moco.  I'll post the price here when I can locate my notes.

The bonus here was that I actually got two eggs cooked over easy.  The yolks broke when I tried to "gently" lift them up and out of the way so that I could take a photo of what was below.  There was a ton of rice, topped with a couple of homemade hamburger patties and a scoop of macaroni salad there in the back corner.  All of it was covered in gravy.

For those of you who don't know, the loco moco is "local" comfort food.  Rice, eggs, hamburger and gravy.  No real science, but the thing that really makes this dish is the gravy.  It should be thick, flavorful and plentiful.  Well, there certainly was a lot of gravy here, but it was lumpy and cold...and, it didn't really taste good, in my opinion.  It had a "greasy-buttery" sort of flavor.  If it weren't for the gravy, I think this would have been a lot better.  The hamburger patties, were a little better than average and the macaroni salad...just OK.

Given Byron's extensive menu, it's location (near the airport) and it's hours of operation (24/7), it may make sense for someone in the area to stop by and check this place out.  Although the gravy for the loco moco was not up to par, in my opinion, there are some other things that I've had here that were quite good (the shrimp burger) and the prices are quite reasonable.

Byron's Drive-In
3297 North Nimitz Highway
Telephone:  808.836.0541

Glowing Dragon Seafood Restaurant

About 4 years ago, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants, Wong-N-Wong, became Glowing Dragon Seafood Restaurant.  Don't tell me how or why it happened, but I was a little disappointed.  In the beginning I refused to eat here, not really sure of how the food would be.  A couple years later, while looking for a new place to eat at, I relented and came here.  I've been coming here infrequently ever since.

Since this was going to be my final Chinese meal before leaving on my trip to Singapore, I decided to call a couple of friends to join me for a late lunch.  It was about 2:00 pm on a Sunday, and the place was near empty.

The restaurant's interior is similar to so many Chinese restaurants that we have here in Hawaii -- clean, brightly lit and a bit sterile, if you ask me.  But then again, you didn't ask, did you?

Since there were three of us, we decided to choose one dish each.    The first dish that we chose was the deep-fried silver fish with salt and pepper (US$8.95).

Tiny fish were batter coated and deep-fried until they were crisp and crunchy.  Tossed with salt, pepper, crunchy bits of garlic, and fresh cut red chillies and green onions, this is probably my favorite dish here.  Some nights, I can come here and have this with just a bowl of jook and some hot tea.  That's how good it is.  It's neither too spicy or too salty.  Perfect. 

The next dish ordered was the braised tofu with mixed vegetables (US$7.95).

When this arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a lot of tofu in this dish.  I don't particularly care for the mushrooms, but the this dish also had some green onions and some baby bok choi which made this dish very nice.  I would have preferred a more flavorful and less salty gravy, so while I enjoyed this, I wasn't completely convinced.

The last dish chosen was the beef with ginger and onion (US$8.95).

This is one of those dishes that I normally order at Chinese restaurants.  I've had this many times before at this restaurant and at many others.  Sometimes it's good and other times...well, let's just leave it at that.  Out of the three dishes that we ordered, this was my least favorite.  The beef was smooth, tender and nicely seasoned.  There was also a lot green onions and ginger here.  However, the main reason why I didn't like this dish was because the ginger was too fibrous.  The ginger was too old.  I like to eat the bits of ginger and green onion with my rice.  I was disappointed.

The good thing about the Glowing Dragon is that for every two dishes ordered, you got one for free.  It kind of made up for the beef with ginger and onions that I didn't like.  The price was a little high for the individual dishes, but I guess two good dishes and one average one for about US$20.00 including rice, is somewhat of a bargain.  Imagine if I had gotten three dishes that I had really liked.

Glowing Dragon Seafood Restaurant
1023 Maunakea Street
Telephone:  808.521.4492

Wailana Coffee House

Looking for some late night eats?  Well, I often get hungry in the middle of the night and don't feel like cooking, but I can't normally think of a place that's open.  And unlike other cities, like Las Vegas, Los Angeles or New York City, where you can easily find a decent 24-hour restaurant or coffeeshop, Hawaii is somewhat limited in it's late night dining options.  This past weekend, I developed a craving for pancakes at midnight.  I tried Liliha Bakery, but the wait was too long.  Instead, I went to Wailana Coffee House.

This place has been around for as long as I can remember, and I used to be a regular here in the mid-80s.  The restaurant is spacious and reminds me of any number of coffee shops or diners that I have eaten in, or will eat in, at some point in my life.

Since I was craving pancakes, I decided on having the jamboree breakfast (US$5.45).  This includes two eggs cooked to your liking, two slices of bacon, all-you-can-eat pancakes and a bottomless cup of coffee.  Isn't that a bargain?

The first serving of three pancakes arrives.  I add just a little butter and top them with some boysenberry syrup.  The pancakes are light and fluffy and just a bit crispy around the edges.  Just the way I like it.

I ordered my two eggs scrambled and instead of bacon...you guessed it!  Spam®!  For some reason, I've been craving Spam® lately.  I can go for months without eating it, then suddenly, I'll have to eat it.  In just a matter of days, I've already managed to fit this into my diet twice.  Besides, Spam® is considered standard breakfast fare for us here in Hawaii.  We eat Spam® as often as those in the states eat bacon, which is why I asked for the substitution.  Besides, breakfast would be incomplete without it.

This is better than your average breakfast, especially since you get as many delicious pancakes as you can wolf down.  So I normally try to come here when I'm hungry.  You can eat and eat until your heart's content.  Wailana Coffee House serves more than just breakfast fare though.  They have a full menu, including some delicious fried chicken, burgers and omelettes.  And the best part about it all, is that I can have my breakfast any time of day that I choose.

Wailana Coffee House
1860 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.955.1764

Queen's Deli

The other day, a friend told me about Queen's Deli and the tasty sandwiches that serve.  I told him to call me the next time he was going to have lunch here so I could go with him.  Well, he called and I went...and am I glad I did.

Queen's Deli is not too far from the office, in fact, there are a lot of restaurants in the immediate vicinity of this place.  When I arrived it was packed.  I would have to say that there were about 15 people inside the small shop itself.

While I waited to place my order, lots of people came and went.  A lot of them must have been regulars as their food was ready when they arrived.  A few  people inspected their lunches before leaving just to be sure that they were leaving with what they ordered.  I guess it's easy to get confused when there are so many orders and so many people.

Near the front counter, a board lists the day's specials.

On the left side of the front counter, they have a display with all the different types of breads that are on offer with your sandwich. I really like having a choice.  This is a huge plus!  There were some breads that were no longer available -- the honey wheat and the onion were both sold out by the time I arrived at 12:30 pm.

Since this was my first time here, I asked my friend if he would mind trading half of his sandwich for half of mine so that I could sample more than one type.  He said he didn't mind one bit.  I ordered one of the day's specials, the barbecue chicken sandwich (US$5.75), he ordered the mahi club (US$5.75), our bread choice?  The Kaka'ako because it looked yummy.

OK...we waited, and waited, and waited...in total, the wait was about 25 minutes!  That's how busy this place is!

When the sandwich arrived, I was really surprised.  It was served warm and the bread was toasted.  The sandwich was quite large and even the two halves were a bit too much for me.  Besides, the sandwich, you get your choice of two salads.  I chose the pesto pasta and the tossed salad with no dressing.

In front, you can see the pasta pesto salad on the left.  It was delicious.  I'm glad I chose this.  On the right, is the mahi club.  A nice piece of mahi mahi is topped with cheese and baked (or fried, not sure which).  There's also lettuce, tomato and bacon in this sandwich.  The combination of flavors was wonderful.  The crisp bacon and the mahi mahi went surprisingly well together.  I like the addition of the cheese which made this even better.

In the back, you can see the tossed greens on the left.  It was a good salad because of the combination of lettuces, radicchio, carrots, and other leafy greens.  Topped with melted cheese and shoved into the Kaka'ako bread with some lettuce and tomato, the barbecue chicken sandwich was so good!  The barbecue sauce was a bit sweet, a bit smokey, and a bit spicy.  In my opinion, it was perfect. 

I'm definitely going to come here again.  But next time, I'll call in my order in advance.  Since this was my first time here, I didn't expect to wait so long for just a sandwich, but I'd have to say it was worth the wait.  After looking over the menu, I'm thinking of trying the tuna melt on marble rye, the taro burger and the cobb salad.  This is quite a bargain for lunch especially since you get a choice of two salads (or a salad and chips) AND a 16 ounce (?) drink all for the US$5.75.  How can you beat that?  You can't, especially since these sandwiches are some of the tastiest around.

Queen's Deli
801 Alakea Street Suite 110
Telephone:  808.521.6288

Pochon Chicken and Shrimp

This small stretch of real estate near the office is a hot bed for restaurants.  In the past eight years that I've been working downtown, there has been a high turnover of restaurants in this particular spot.  When I first started working here, this space was occupied by Sand Castle Cafe.  Then came Gordy's, which served local-style Korean food.  After that, was the recently departed Zen Restaurant and Catering.  This new kid on the block is Pochon Chicken & Shrimp.

With it's bright logo and it's pictured menu on the outside of the building, it's easy to see what the strategy is.  Get people to see the food, so they'll stop by and order some.  And that's exactly what I did.  I ended up ordering the regular spicy chicken plate (US$6.89).

My plate came with ten pieces of spicy chicken wing pieces on a bed of shredded cabbage, two scoops white rice, and some macaroni salad.  The pieces of chicken were extra crisp and crunchy.  The chicken was spicy -- not too spicy, but just right.  To me, the chicken was perfect.  The macaroni salad, though, was another story.  I didn't enjoy it at all.  The macaroni was a bit rubbery and the salad as a whole was "dry" and flavorless.  It spoiled what could have been an extremely enjoyable lunch.

At US$6.89, this was expensive as far as lunch was concerned, but I could honestly say that I would come here again.  The chicken was spicy and delicious, and I came here for the chicken and not the macaroni salad anyway...right?  Hopefully, I can try some of the shrimp next time.  A friend of mine had it the next day and said it was great!

Pochon Chicken & Shrimp
1148 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.585.0678

Krung Thai Restaurant

Lately, I've been buying lunch more frequently than my "once a week" guideline that I set for myself about 6 months ago.  This is because I've been taking a lot more work home to finish and with my not wanting to deal with having to pack lunch daily.  Oh well, so much for saving money and eating healthier.

A friend who was also working on Martin Luther King Day, happened to call and ask what I was doing for lunch.  When I said nothing, he asked if I wanted to join him for lunch.  When I agreed, he said to meet him at Krung Thai.

Krung Thai is located close enough to the office so that I can walk there in about 5 minutes.  Inside Krung Thai, there are about 8 tables, a few of which are occupied when I arrive.

If the weather is nice, and you feel like eating outside, Krung Thai is one of the only downtown restaurants that I know of that offers outdoor dining.  It's quiet and peaceful, but since it's hot and humid today, I decided on eating inside.

Taking a look a the menu, I find that the prices are based upon the number of dishes chosen.  The food is pre-cooked and is sitting in warmers at the counter, kind of like a cafeteria.  The advantage to this is that you can see what you're getting, making a choice easier.  The disadvantage?  You don't know how long the food has been sitting in those warmers.

Since I wasn't too hungry, I opted for the one choice plate.  My choice was the chicken eggplant curry with white rice (US$4.71).

This was a green curry with lots of eggplant and chicken thigh pieces.  The curry was quite spicy, which was nice, but the eggplant was a bit "mushy" and way too soft.  I guess this had been sitting a while.  And although the flavor of the curry was nice, I couldn't taste all the flavors that I normally associate with a good green curry.  This was probably due to the lack of gravy that accompanied my serving of curry.  Next time, I'd ask for the curry to be served separately in a bowl rather than on the rice.

My friend on the other hand, was very hungry.  He had the two choice plate with the beef kapaw and pork longbean (US$5.72).  He had a combination of white rice and noodles at no extra charge.

The pork longbean actually looked quite good, while I wasn't so impressed with how the beef kapaw looked.  According to my friend, the pork longbean is one of the more popular dishes at Krung Thai.  He seemed to enjoy his lunch quite a bit.

If you're looking for "home-style" Thai food, then Krung Thai may just be for you.  Although the food is a little better than average, I have reservations about recommending this place.  The main reason for this, is that in my case, the food may have been sitting for too long in the warmers prior to being served.  I would prefer waiting while the food is being prepared, rather than having the food sit out for an indefinite amount of time prior to serving.  Since I visited on a holiday, this may have made a difference.  If I do come back at a later time, this post will be updated.

Krung Thai Restaurant
1028 Nuuanu Avenue
Telephone:  808.599.4803

Big Island Steak House

UPDATE:  May 2005
Big Island Steak House has closed.

To celebrate an outstanding sales week that our office had in the beginning of December, my manager took a few of us out for lunch at Big Island Steak House.

Located at the Aloha Tower Marketplace, it was a 15 minute walk from the office.  It was nice and sunny and by the time we got here, I was hot...and hungry. This was my first time here and I was surprised at how interesting the interior of the place was.  There was a small gazebo-like structure right inside the restaurant.

And there were lots of things hanging from the ceiling, including this "whale" from the old Charley's Fishing Supply location.

Since I'm trying really hard to stay away from fried foods and because I didn't want to fall asleep at my desk after lunch, I decided to take it easy and have a salad.  The one that seemed most interesting was the Oriental chicken salad (US$9.95).

The salad consisted of a bed of lettuce that had been tossed with some honey-lime dressing and topped with some shredded carrots, some tomato wedges, strips of grilled chicken breast and some slivers of crispy fried won ton skin.  To finish, there was supposed to be some Thai peanut sauce on this somewhere.

After eating a few bites of this salad, I realized that I didn't taste peanut sauce on it at all.  I asked for some additional peanut sauce on the side as was given something that didn't look or taste like peanut sauce at all.  I'm not going to insult you by showing you a photo of what I got.  The salad dressing was sweet and there was too much of it here.  It made the salad soggy.  The tomatoes were a bit mushy, with the only saving grace being the chicken.  It was nicely grilled with lots of charred bits, which I like.

I was a bit disappointed with my lunch.  For the money, I expected a salad that would be fresh and full of flavor.  Instead, the vegetables were second rate and in my opinion, not worth the money.  My friends had the prime rib sandwich (good), the tomato and onion salad (not so good), and the crab sandwich (OK).  Judging by our combined experiences, I probably would not come here again.

As we were leaving, I managed this last shot.

What a gorgeous day it was.

Big Island Steak House
Aloha Tower Marketplace
One Aloha Tower Drive Suite 106
Telephone:  808.537.4446

Choon Chun Chicken B.B.Q.

Several months ago, a new restaurant opened up right near my apartment.  The name seemed quite unusual, and since I didn't know what kind of food it served, it intrigued me even more.  Tonight a couple of friends asked if I wanted to go out for dinner.  I told them that I would join them if they would agree to accompany me here.  So here I am at Choon Chun Chicken B.B.Q.

It's about mile away from the apartment, so my friends agreed to meet me here.  When we arrived, it was half full.  A large number of people occupied the two tables in the middle of the room, three women were at a table in the far corner, a couple was on the table next to theirs and a couple of ajumas (aunties) were on the table next to ours.

The plasma TV was showing Korean programs which were quite hilarious.  Glancing over at the table next to ours, I saw a pan full of food.  I asked the waitress what the ajumas had ordered and told her that I wanted the same.  In no time, she brought a portable gas grill to the table, and while they were preparing the food in the kitchen, she started bringing out the ban chan (Korean side dishes).

First, came the Chinese cabbage kim chee. 

The kim chee was quite spicy and not too sour.  This was actually some of the best kim chee that I had tasted in a while.

Next to arrive was the zucchini. 

The zucchini was very soft and mushy.  I couldn't tell what it was coated in, but I really didn't care for the texture of the zucchini.

The zucchini was followed by some odeng (fish cake). 

The odeng was a bit chewy and just mildly spicy.

And then came some daikon radish. 

This daikon wasn't seasoned at all, and it was crunchy and refreshing.

Last to arrive, was the Korean pancake. 

There were some green onions, some round onions and some green chillies in this.  It was quite good.

Soon after, our pan full of meat and veggies arrived.  This was the medium-sized spicy kimchee chicken stir fry (medium, US$19.95; large, US$32.95).

In the pan was Chinese cabbage kim chee, round onions, sliced sweet potato, sliced carrots, sliced cabbage, pieces of boneless/skinless chicken thigh, sliced green onions, sesame leaves, sliced red and green chillies, some duk (tteok, rice cake) and some chilli paste. 

The waitress then quickly left the table while everything started to cook.  About five minutes later, she returned and started vigorously tossing everything inside the pan.

After that, she left the table only to return another couple of times to do the same.  About 3 tosses and 20 minutes later, she declared our food ready to eat.

She then brought us a basket of fresh red leaf lettuce to use to wrap the ingredients while eating.

The kimchee chicken stir fry was quite spicy.  In fact, it was a little bit too spicy for me.  Using the lettuce as a "wrapper", I was able to take away enough of the heat so that I could enjoy this without gulping down a gallon of water.  Besides, the lettuce added a nice crunch to the cooked chicken and vegetables. 

By the time we were done, we had decided to come here again to try some of the other menu offerings.  The food was good, though just a bit spicy.  If you like spicy food, then you're sure to like this.  The portion size was just right for the three of us and at about US$6.00 each, I considered this a great bargain. 

Choon Chun Chicken B.B.Q.
1269 South King Street
Telephone:  808.593.4499

Keo's Thai Cuisine

Back in the late 70s, Thai food was probably unknown to many people here in Hawaii.  One of the people that contibuted towards Thai cuisine's growing popularity in the state is Keo Sananikone.  He could also be considered one of Hawaii's first "celebrity" chefs.  Keo first started with Mekong in the late 70s, then came the first Keo's restaurant a few years after that.  Several years ago, Keo's moved to its current location.

I've been eating at Keo's restaurants since the late 80s, but I had never been to his flagship restaurant since it moved to this corner of Kuhio Avenue.   

When I arrived, I saw how huge the restaurant was and found out that it was packed.  It was 8:00 pm and without a reservation, I was told that it would be a 30-45 minute wait to be seated! The restaurant was dimly lit and there were lots floral arrangements and a few ornamental Thai statues around.

Here's another shot of the interior...

Since I was dining with a couple of friends, we decided to start with some appetizers. First, was the beef sa-teh (US$7.95).

Four sticks of beef sa-teh arrived covered in peanut sauce and topped with chopped cilantro (Chinese parsley).  For nearly US$2.00 a stick, we decided that there wasn't enough meat there, though what was there, was actually quite nice.  The peanut sauce was not as good though.  I could probably make better peanut sauce at home.  The cucumbers that were served with the sa-teh, were refreshing.

Next came the combination appetizer platter (appetizer combination A) with mee krob (vegetarian crispy noodles) and poh piah (spring rolls) (US$8.95).

Unlike the mee krob that I had previously eaten at Mekong I, this one had a bit too much dressing on it.  By the time we had eaten to the bottom, the crispy noodles were a bit soggy.  The dressing on this dish was also a lot sweeter than I was used to.  I was a bit disappointed. 

The poh piah on the other hand were nice, crunchy and flavorful.  Served with some lettuce and fresh mint for wrapping, and a slightly sweet dipping sauce, the poh piah were just a bit too small to do any thing better than tempt my tastebuds.  I wish I could have been served a few more of these.

We followed that with the Evil Jungle Prince.  It is prepared with seafood (US$14.95), with shrimp (US$13.95), with chicken (US$12.95) or with vegetables and tofu (US$10.95).  We chose to order this dish with vegetables and tofu.

According to the menu, this is "Keo's most famous dish combining fresh basil, coconut milk and red chili".  Ordered a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10, the spicing was just about right.  We probably could have ordered this a bit spicier.  There was a nice balance of flavor to this dish, with neither ingredient over powering the other.  I can see why this is Keo's most famous dish.

To finish out the meal, we ordered the gaeng keo wan gai (green curry with chicken, US$12.95).  This dish was also ordered spicy (a 7 out of 10).

The curry itself was quite mild, but had a wonderful aroma.  There was a bit too much coconut milk in this for my taste and not enough heat.  The fresh-cut red chillies, while adding a bit more spice to this dish, were not hot enough to make too much of a difference.  The chicken was tender and there was a lot of eggplant in this dish.  But I often wonder why I can never find Thai eggplants or makheau phuang in the green curries that I eat here in Hawaii.

While this was an enjoyable meal, it was a bit pricy considering the portion size.  While I throughly enjoyed both the Evil Jungle Prince and the poh piah, the rest of the dishes that I sampled were a bit average.  This is still one of the only restaurants where I can get decent mee krob, and I'll still come here and eat every now and then, but there are many other Thai restaurants that serve food of the same quality for a much more reasonable price.

Keo's Thai Cuisine
2028 Kuhio Avenue
Telephone:  808.951.9355

Bronson's at Executive Centre

My apologies.  I got home late from work, then had trouble connecting to typepad to complete this post.  Since the pictures were already uploaded, I'll let you enjoy them.  The full post/review will be uploaded tomorrow evening.  I apologize for the inconvenience.

1/6/05:  My apologies folks.  I'm a little under the weather and will refrain from updating this weblog until at least this weekend.  Thank you for understanding.

1/8/05:  Thank you everyone for your well wishes and although I still have a nasty cough, at least the 103° F fever is gone.  So on with the show...

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About a week ago, a couple of friends and I decided to go out for a celebratory lunch.  It was actually to celebrate an upgrade in my job and a nice-sized, AND a much appreciated increase in salary.  We decided to do the "power" lunch thing at Bronson's.

Located in downtown Honolulu, in the lobby of the Executive Centre Hotel and Condominium, Bronson's serves a decent lunch and is almost always full of downtown "suits", office workers, and people like me.  I've been here quite a few times over the years, and have tried many of their dishes including their salads, hot entrées and sandwiches. 

Today, I decided to have something listed on the menu under "Bronson's Signatures".  Akin to a house specialty, these dishes should be the most popular menu items.  The one I chose was the "Chinatown Bake" (US$8.95).  It comes with a soup or salad starter.  I chose the soup, which was chicken noodle.

The soup was pretty standard, with lots of nice egg noodles, carrots, celery and bits of chicken.  The soup was nice and hot.  Great for a cool day...

Next came the entrée, the "Chinatown Bake".  The menu had it listed as follows:  mahi mahi (dolphin fish), oriental vegetables, lup chong (Chinese sausage), "Asia Island", lobster broth and steamed rice.

When this arrived, it was in a shallow bowl covered in aluminum foil.  On the bottom were wilted greens - watercress and Shanghai cabbage.  Atop that sat some shredded carrots, some sliced lup cheong, and four pieces of mahi mahi that seemed to have been breaded and fried.  On top of the mahi mahi was the lobster broth, some black sesame seeds and julienned green onions. 

Surprisingly, the flavors and textures of the ingredients combined well in this dish.  The sweetness of both the lup cheong and the lobster broth, complimented the slight bitterness of the greens.  The fish was moist and flavorful and offered a contrast to the chewiness of the lup cheong and the crunchiness of the vegetables.  The portion was also sized just right.  I was neither stuffed, nor was I left hungry.  Although if there were more, I certainly wouldn't turn it down.

Bronson's offers great service and good value, it's no wonder that Bronson's is popular with the downtown lunch crowd.  The food, which is often very good, makes Bronson's worth coming back to time and again.

Bronson's at the Executive Centre
1088 Bishop Street Lobby Level
Telephon:  808.539.3115

The Pyramids

I have driven by the Pyramids many times and each time I tell myself I'm going to stop.  Well, stop I did.

It was the Friday before New Years' Day and I had the day off.  Lucky Me.  That meant that I could visit the Pyramids for their all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for US$9.95. 

Even though I arrived for a late lunch, at 1:15 pm, the place was crowded.  All of the tables in the front half of the restaurant were occupied.

I was lucky.  I got to sit right next to the buffet.  There were quite a number of items on today's buffet.  From what I understand, Egyptian food is much like other foods from areas around the Mediterranean, such as Greek, so it was no surprise that most of the foods on today's buffet reeked of familiarity.  Here's the rundown:

-beef & lamb shawerma
-chicken shawerma
-bamia
-basamati rice
-falafel
-french fries
-Greek salad
-hommos
-tabouleh
-potato salad
-pita bread
-yogurt sauce
-rice pudding

And here's my first plate...

(Clockwise from the bottom right:  basamati rice, hommos, pita bread, beef & lamb shawerma, potato salad, Greek salad and falafel.)

The hommos, is a dip made from garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.  While it was nice, it didn't have enough flavor for me.  Something was lacking, but I really couldn't put my finger on it.

The beef and lamb shawerma are marinated and cooked on a spit.  Once the meat has been cooked, it is thinly sliced.  These strips of beef and lamb were perfectly seasoned and quite juicy.  Taking the strips of meat from the bottom of the pan helped, they were a lot more juicy than those on top.

The Greek salad was crumbled feta cheese, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and a few kalamata olives on a bed of romaine lettuce.  Tossed with some of the house dressing this was light and refreshing.  The amount of dressing that the salad was tossed in was just right. 

Next to the shawerma and the Greek salad, the falafel was the next best item here.  It was crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside.

Didn't realize it was so green on the inside until I took this picture.  Falafel can be made with either fava beans or with chickpeas, and these were made with fava beans which is why they are so green (thanks Jonny for the info!).  It was quite tasty and they actually looked like small meatballs.  I ended up eating about a half dozen of these before I even realized it.

For dessert, there was only one item on the buffet, homemade rice pudding.

It was smooth and creamy with just the right balance of sweet spiciness.  The cinnamon and nutmeg really helped make this delicious.  I also liked the fact that there were quite a few nuts sprinkled on top.  The crunchiness of the nuts provided a great contrast to the smoothness of this dessert.

When I was done eating, the waitress presented me with a little box.

Inside, held the bill for my lunch.  Interesting touch.

After years of driving by, I finally got to try the food here.  I must say that I was quite pleased with the dishes that I had.  I'm actually thinking of returning during dinner time so I can watch the belly dancers while sampling dishes from the à la carte menu. 

The Pyramids
758-B Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.2900

Sumo Ramen & Curry

A couple of weeks ago, I was at Market City Shopping Center having dinner at Gina's B-B-Q, as I was leaving, I noticed Sumo Ramen & Curry.  The shop had not yet opened, but I made a mental note to come back and try it after it had opened. 

A few days ago, one of my co-workers told me that she had eaten at Sumo Ramen & Curry and that the food was pretty good and quite reasonably priced, so I decided that I would drop by.

Upon entering there is a long entryway which leads to an open seating area in the back.  The shop was well lit and had some nice pastel-colored tiles on the counters, on the walls and on the tables as well.

There were two guys cooking and two girls serving food.  After glancing over the menu, I decided to have the Spam® katsu curry combo (US$6.95).  Included in the combo was Spam® katsu curry, a mini charsiu ramen and four pieces of gyoza.

First to arrive was the Spam® katsu curry.

Two pieces of Spam® luncheon meat had been coated in panko flakes (Japanese-style bread crumbs) and deep fried.  The Spam® "katsu" was served on white rice with some fukujinzuke (pickled vegetables) and curry sauce on the side.  The Spam® katsu was something different and not all that bad.  The curry sauce on the other hand was a bit too sweet for me.  I added some shichimi togarashi to the dish, but it didn't really help.  If you like your curry on the sweet side, then this is definitely the curry for you.

Next to arrive, was the mini charsiu ramen.

As the waitress put the bowl on the table, I could smell the bonito in the broth (dashi).  Thinking that this bowl of ramen would have some great flavor, I quickly had a taste.  Boy, was I mistaken.  The broth, while smelling really good and strong, tasted quite bland.  I added some shoyu and shichimi togarashi to the bowl to give it a bit more flavor and kick.  The charsiu was also a bit of a disappointment.  It was tough and dry, not melt-in-the-mouth tender like it should be.

Last to arrive was the gyoza.

The gyoza was very nicely steam-fried.  The bottom was just crisp enough to give this some crunch.  It had just the right amount of filling and the gyoza skin was just the right thickness.  This was not the best gyoza that I've had, but it was decent. 

Sumo Ramen certainly gives a lot of food for the money, making this a good value if you're hungry.  The Spam® katsu curry, gets high marks for its concept alone and is sure to appeal to locals looking for something new and different ways to try Spam®.  Taste-wise, although the gyoza was OK, the curry sauce and the ramen's dashi, were both just average.

Sumo Ramen & Curry
Market City Shopping Center
2919 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 104
Telephone:  808.737.1868

La Lieto Pasto's

A few times recently I had passed by La Lieto Pasto's wondering how the food was.  After all, this was formerly Auntie Pasto's which used to be one of my favorite Italian restaurants.  In the Sunday newpaper's Dining Out section, La Lieto Pasto's advertised a $7.00 before 7:00 pm pasta special.  Seemed like a good reason to give this place a try.

Once inside the restaurant, I discovered that nothing had really changed about the ambiance or decor.  Dim lighting, the stained glass panels depicting food items used in Italian cooking, the red and white checked vinyl tableclothes.  All still here.  The dining room was fairly empty...was this a telling sign?

Most times when I go out to eat, I bring one or more "guinea pigs" along to help me try the dishes.  Besides, my friends don't mind joining me...as long as they don't have to pay.  Since I was a bit hungry, we decided to start with the antipasto platter (US$8.95).

This one had a few slices of salami, as well as a few slices of fresh mozarella cheese.  There were also slices of cucumber, wedges of tomato, a few jalapeno peppers and pimentos, and lots of beans - garbanzo beans, green beans, and kidney beans - all sitting on a bed of iceberg lettuce.  Rounding out the salad was some sliced red onion and the house dressing.  Upon first tasting, this didn't seem to have any dressing on it.  Digging further into the salad, I realized that the dressing was really sweet, almost like a honey mustard dressing!  To confirm this, I asked for some extra dressing and sure enough when it arrived, it was a mustard yellow color and super sweet.  Disappointing. 

Tonight's "guinea pig" decided to have the chicken cacciatore (regular price US$8.50) which was one of the pasta dishes available for $7.00.

Pieces of boneless chicken were sautéed with mushrooms, peppers, onions and olives, then tossed with pasta in a white wine and tomato sauce.  According to said taste tester, "this was too sour".

I ordered the carbonara (regular price US$8.95), this was also one of the pastas available for $7.00.

Traditionally, spaghetti alla carbonara is made using pancetta (salt-cured, unsmoked Italian bacon) that has been sautéed in a little olive oil, then adding some eggs, maybe a couple of tablespoons of cream and some freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.  Instead of pancetta, this carbonara used American-style bacon, and added mushrooms and olives as well as lots of cream and parmesian cheese.  There was way too much cream in this dish if you ask me.  After eating about one-third of the dish, I felt nauseated by all the cream causing me to abandon all hopes of finishing it.

Even though the prices here can be considered a bargain, in my opinion, the food wasn't even worth the price we paid.  The salad's sickly sweet dressing, the overly creamy carbonara sauce and the sour white wine/tomato sauce won't have us coming back any time soon.  I was utterly disappointed.

La Lieto Pasto's
559 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.739.2426

Ala Moana Poi Bowl

I went to the mall tonight to do a little shopping and after walking around for a while, I stopped by the Makai Market Food Court to get something to eat before continuing.  I decided to eat at the Ala Moana Poi Bowl.

It's been a while since I've eaten here, but judging by the lines, either everyone was hungry for Hawaiian and local-style food, or the food must still be good. 

In any case, it's your typical mall dining experience.  Tons of tables, packed with ravenous shoppers taking a short break before continuing on with their Christmas shopping.  Since the line here was quite long, there were quite a few workers behind the counter furiously taking and preparing orders, assembly-line style.

I decided on the lau lau/kalua pig combination plate with tossed salad (US$7.02).

The lau lau (top left) consists of luau (taro) leaves that are wrapped around some chunks of beef, pork or chicken then steamed inside a ti leaf until the luau leaves are tender and the meat inside is cooked.  I believe this lau lau contained beef.  There was also a very tiny piece of salted butterfish inside to give this added flavor.  The lau lau was pretty standard.  Not bad at all.

The kalua pig (bottom left) is basically seasoned shredded pork.  Traditionally this is cooked by placing a whole pig inside an underground pit called an imu to be cooked/steamed with hot lava rocks to generate the heat.  Nowadays, to achieve the same effect, you can take a pork butt, season it with Hawaiian salt (rock salt) and liquid smoke then drop it in a crock pot for about 6-8 hours or until the meat is fork tender.  This kalua pig lacked that smokey flavor that I really like, but it was tender with just the right amount of saltiness.

If you're looking for some decent Hawaiian food, at a pretty good price, stop by the Ala Moana Poi Bowl.  In addition to the Hawaiian food items, they also offer beef stew, local-style beef curry, hamburger steak and other local food choices.

Ala Moana Poi Bowl
Ala Moana Shopping Center Makai Market
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard Space 1160E
Telephone:  808.949.8444

Restaurant Yamagen

There are a lot of hole-in-the-wall restaurants here in Hawaii.  Many are undiscovered gems that do their best to remain hidden.  One of these places is Restaurant Yamagen.  Located in a non-descript brown box, you wouldn't know you were here, until you actually were here.  From the road, this looks like someone's residence.

The sign is small and can barely be seen when it's dark.  In fact, I never knew this was a restaurant until just recently.  Stepping inside makes me feel like I'm back in Japan, slurping ramen in a small shop in some dark alleyway.  Full of dark wood, dim lighting and a few Japanese decorative objects like this...

(I can't really recall the name of this contraption.  If any of you can, please help me before I go crazy!)

You can choose to sit at this table, which is actually one of only 4 tables available inside the restaurant or you can sit on one of the four stools located at the counter along the wall. 

Soon after I sat down at the third table in from the door, a couple came in and sat at the last remaining table, then two more couples walked in and sat down on the stools at the counter.  The place was already full and there were people still trying to walk through the doors.  Luckily, they have some outdoor seating as well in a converted carport.

The menu here has quite a number of choices - soba or udon, ramen and donburi.  Short, sweet and to the point.  Tonight, I decided on a Japanese classic, oyako donburi (chicken and egg rice bowl, US$6.50).

To start, the waitress brought me a bowl of wakame soup (clear seaweed soup) and some tsukemono (pickled vegetables).

The soup was steaming hot.  The dashi (stock) had a hint of bonito and was slightly salty.  Inside the bowl were pieces of seaweed and green onions.  There was something else in the bowl, that I thought were either thin ribbons of egg or slivers of tofu, but it was neither.  I'll have to ask next time I go there. 

The tsukemono was actually hakusai zuke (Chinese cabbage pickles) and had just the right amount of salty, vinegar-y flavor.  This one was also interesting in that I noticed a lot of ginger in it as well.

After tempting my taste buds with the complimentary starters, I received my okayo donburi.

After sprinkling on some shichimi togarashi (a mix of ground chili, sesame seeds and other spices), I was ready to eat.  Tender pieces of boneless chicken thigh were simmered with egg, onions and green onions until set.  It was then topped with some kizami nori (dried seaweed strips). In my opinion, the egg was cooked a little bit too long.  I like it to be a bit "runny-er".  The flavor, though, was better than average with just the hint of sweetness and a fair amount of shoyu-flavored saltiness.

Yamagen is one of those places that you are bound to love.  The food is excellent, the prices are reasonable and the portions are more than adequate. 

Restaurant Yamagen
2210 South King Street
Telephone:  808.947.2125

Elim Bakery & Juice

Hungry for some Korean food, and not wanting to drive too far, I decided on going to Elim Bakery & Juice.  In my opinion, the name of the shop is a bit of a misnomer.  For the most part, in all the years that I've been coming here, I don't recall seeing any bakery items on the menu or inside the shop, and there have only been a limited amount of juices on the menu.  Nevertheless, I think that Elim does serve some pretty good homestyle Korean food.

(Sorry for the bad picture.)

On my way there, I got a call from a friend who asked where I was headed.  When I mentioned Elim, he asked to join me for dinner.  Why not?  I enjoy company during dinner, that way I can have a variety of dishes to eat.

When I got there, I saw only 2 small tables available in the corner of the shop.  Since this is only a small shop, it can get crowded quickly and for some reason, this place is quite popular.

Since there were two of us eating, I decided to start with the fried combo (US$6.95).

This was a plate of deep-fried goodies - squid rings, shrimp and sweet potato.  When the plate arrived, it looked like Japanese-style tempura.  The batter was light and crisp, but just a little oily.  Apart from the slight oiliness, I would say that this was a little better than average.  I only wished that they wouldn't have rushed this out of the kitchen and that they would have drained this better.

Along with the fried combo, we were served pickled daikon radish...

and won bok (Chinese cabbage) kim chee...

For dinner, I ordered the jaeyook dup bap (US$6.95).

Marinated slices of belly pork were cooked with round onions, green onions, zucchini, and cabbage in a ko chu jang-based (hot bean paste) spicy sauce then topped with some white sesame seeds.  The flavor was both sweet and spicy at the same time.  This wasn't as spicy as I would have liked though, and the pork was a little too fatty for me.  I should have gone with my gut feeling and ordered the ojinga dup bap (squid).

Having never been here before, my friend didn't listen to my advice and decided to play it safe (when in doubt, order something in English right?).  This is the beef katsu (US$6.95) that was ordered.

In my opinion, this looked just like a nice beef cutlet.  It was served with some shredded cabbage and corn on the side.

Although I was a bit disappointed with the dish that I ordered tonight, I have had other dishes on the menu, such as the choll pokee, the duk pokee and the sesame leaves and dough flakes soup, all of which were very good.  If it hadn't been so cold, I probably would have opted for the soy milk & noodle soup, which I was told was quite delicious. 

Having tried quite a number of dishes on the menu, I can wholeheartedly recommend Elim Bakery & Juice to friends looking for some good home-style Korean food.

Elim Bakery & Juice
Sam Sung Plaza
655 Keeaumoku Street Suite 104
Telephone:  808.955.3546

Sandwich Islands Deli

Friends of mine have been telling me about the lunch time eats at this place for a while now. Since it's a bit far from my office and because most of the food is gone by the time I go to lunch (usually at about 1:30 pm), I never made it here...until now. 

A friend wanted to meet for an early lunch (11:30 am) and suggested that we meet here at Sandwich Islands Deli.  This shop serves sandwiches, salads and hot entreés for the downtown lunch crowd.

I'm told that normally, if you arrive after 12:30 pm or so, there is hardly anything selection of hot entrees.  I guess that says something about the popularity of this place.  When we arrived a little after 11:30 am, the place was already starting to attract a crowd.

This place is just a counter, a drink machine and a few employees serving the food.  No seating is provided inside this small sized shop, however, they do offer outdoor seating in the courtyard...and lots of it.

It was a nice day so I didn't mind sitting outside.  Only a few of the tables were occupied.  I guess most people buy their lunch and eat in the comfort of their air conditioned offices. 

For today's lunch, I ordered a one choice plate lunch (US$4.75).  You have your choice of about 10 or so entreés which can change daily, I chose the baked mahi mahi.  Each plate comes with your choice of rice (white or brown) and salad (tossed or macaroni).  Since I've been trying to eat a little healthier, I chose the brown rice and tossed salad with no dressing.

The mahi mahi was coated with some type of sauce (sorry, I couldn't make out what it was) before being baked.  The moist, flakey pieces of fish were then topped with green onions and croutons (!).  The croutons were a first.  Creativity aside, the cruchiness of the croutons proved to be the perfect compliment for the fish, which was fresh and delicious. 

My friend also ordered a one choice plate lunch.  His choice?  The hamburger steak.

The hamburger steak was homemade.  Thick and juicy, the hamburger steak was  smothered in brown gravy and topped with some sautéed onions.  This sure looked good. 

The food here was tasty, the portions were huge, and by my standards, lunch here was a great value.  The staff was friendly and provided efficient service.  I also liked the fact that there was lots of outdoor seating.  That's always a plus, especially when the weather's nice.  Am I coming here again?  I'll be back tomorrow to try that yummy looking hamburger steak!

Sandwich Islands Deli
345 Queen Street
Telephone:  808.521.8820

Assaggio Ristorante Italiano

Ask me to name my favorite Italian restaurant, and I'd probably tell you that it was Assaggio.  Located at the Ala Moana Shopping Center, Assaggio is probably the Italian restaurant that I have visited the most in recent years. 

Several days ago, I stopped in after a long day of shopping for an early dinner.  Although this is a mid-priced restaurant, the food served here is first rate.  Besides the convenient location, this place is casual and romantic.  (Sorry, no pictures of the interior are available.)

I decided on starting with a salad (insalate).  Of the all salads that were on the menu, I chose the calamari vinaigrette (US$5.90)

Fresh calamari rings atop a bed of romaine lettuce, along with tomato wedges and marinated peppers, carrots and olives, this salad was really delicious.  The dressing was tasty with just the right amount of tanginess to it.  The calamari rings were fresh and perfectly cooked.  They had just the right amount of tender chewiness to them.

I followed the delicious salad with a half order of my favorite dish of all, the linguine chicken anchovy olio (US$15.90, full order US$17.90).

Five succulent pieces of boneless chicken thighs were seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic, then pan-fried until the skin was nice and crunchy.  It was served along with a plateful of linguine that had been topped with tons of crispy bits of chopped garlic and anchovies that had been sautéed in olive oil.  The saltiness of the anchovies and the sweetness of the garlic prove to be a match made in heaven. 

For a mid-priced restaurant, Assaggio offers value and more.  The food is superb and the service here is always prompt and efficient.  Whenever I'm in the mood for some good Italian food, this is the place that I always come to.  Highly recommended.

Assaggio Ristorante Italiano
Ala Moana Shopping Center
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard Space 1259
Telephone:  808.942.3446

Side Street Inn

Tonight, was University of Hawai'i football night, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to stay in, or go out to watch the game.  A friend called to ask if I wanted to go have a drink and pupus (appetizers) at Side Street Inn.  How could I possibly refuse?

(Sorry for the bad photo.  I wasn't able to take a nice outdoor shot with my U40, so I'll be back and this photo will be replaced.)

Located in a mostly industrial area near Ala Moana Shopping Center, Side Street Inn is more bar than restaurant, but the food is good which is why it's always full of people.  Sure enough, when we arrived, the place was packed.  This place draws all types of people, from sports fans, to drinking buddies, to hard core eaters and karaoke singers. 

Luckily for us, we didn't have to wait too long for a table.  We waited for about 5 minutes or so (I've waited much longer before), and once we were seated, our order was taken and the food arrived shortly thereafter.  Prompt, efficient service is routinely provided here, which is another reason to stop by.

By the way, food wasn't the only thing on our minds tonight...right?  After all, we came to watch the game too!  (Final score, UH 41, Michigan State 38)

The first dish to arrive was the fried rice (US$9.00).

This was done local-style using cooked Japanese rice.  The rice was seasoned with a bit of shoyu (soy sauce) and fried with bits of linguica (Portuguese sausage), char siu (Chinese barbecued pork), green peas and carrots, then topped with lots of green onions.  The fried rice was quite good although just a bit oily.

Next we ordered were the wing zings (US$9.25).

10 pieces of crispy fried chicken wing parts, these were light and crunchy.  They were served with some ranch dressing, and quite surprisingly, these were not oily at all.  They were a bit spicy (good), but just a little too salty for me.  Otherwise, I don't think I've had better chicken wings than this before.

Last to arrive, was a "skinny" (half) order of the pan fried island pork chops (US$8.75, full order US$17.00).

This is probably Side Street Inn's best selling menu item.  What we got was two crispy fried pork chops that were pan fried to a nice golden brown.  They were then cut into bite-sized pieces for easy eating.  Lightly seasoned, the pork chops were great.  The only downside?  These pork chops were a bit fatty.

Looking for some local style comfort food, come to Side Street Inn.  Although a bit on the pricey side, the food ranges from very good to excellent.  The portions here are huge, making this a comparatively good value.

Side Street Inn
1225 Hopaka Street
Telephone:  808.591.0253 or 808.596.8282

Golden River Restaurant

Today, I stopped by one of my favorite restaurants in hopes of having a nice meal.  Imagine my shock when I arrived and found that it under new management.  I guess it's been a while since I've been here....

The restaurant is now called Golden River and you can read about one of my visits to it's previous incarnation, Ha Bien, here...and I was so looking forward to eating mee pok today.

The new owners had kept much of the decor the same, plain and simple...and with lots of plastic plants all around the room.

In chatting with the new staff, I found that the cooks had remained the same and that the menu had not changed one bit, except for the prices (lower).  The only problem was that mee pok was never on the menu!  After a few minutes of trying to explain what it was I wanted, the waiter went into the kitchen to check with the cook to see if he knew what I was talking about.  Three minutes later, and my order for mi to kho (mee pok) was placed!  Now...was it going to be the same?

In addition to the mi to kho, I ordered tieu chau bahn chien hop ga (US$4.25).  I was told that it was similar to chai tow kway (carrot cake).  When it arrived at the table, I was pleasantly surprised.

This dish was nicely fried.  There were lots of crispy bits of egg and just the right amount of tenderness to pieces of yam.  There was also a lot of green onions in this.  I didn't know that the Vietnamese ate things like this.  It was served with a dipping sauce that tasted of soy sauce and was a bit sweet and a bit spicy...

They didn't have the sweet black sauce to go along with this, instead, I used some sriracha chilli sauce.

Next up, was the mi to kho (mee pok, US$5.00).

I had this "dry' style with the shrimp flavored soup served on the side.  In the bowl, there were lots of flat egg noodles topped with lettuce, onions, minced pork, thinly sliced boiled pork, shrimp, squid, green onions and cilantro (Chinese parsley).  There was also one shrimp cracker (looks like bahn tom to me).  Maybe someone can clarify.

This was different than the mee pok that I had previously enjoyed for a few reasons.  First, was the soup.  This one was super salty, where the other had a very strong shrimp flavor to it and hardly any saltiness.  Second, this was missing the fish balls and liver.  Third, this one had minced pork and sliced onions in the bowl.  And last, the shrimp cracker seemed a bit more dense and not as light an crisp as it was before.  Otherwise, it was just OK.

To drink, was a nice cup of café sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, US$1.85).

Would I come back here?  Maybe to have the tieu chau bahn chien hop ga again or to try the pho, but I wouldn't come back here to have the mi to kho (mee pok).  Time for me to look for another place that serves this, or to learn to make it myself.

Golden River Restaurant
198 North King Street
Telephone:  808.531.1185

W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers

Everyone knows that I like burgers.  I especially like barbecue burgers, or teriyaki burgers (or teri burgers) as we sometimes call them.  Today, I decided to go to the place that I think serves the best B.B.Q. burgers, W & M Bar-B-Q Burger.  If you're wondering just how good this place is, it's been in business since the early 1950's and in it's current location since the 80's!

Driving down, or up, Waialae Avenue, it's located near City Mill.  You may even be able to make out their sign when you're driving by...if you have good eyesight!

Actually, the sign is very small.  If you don't know where to turn, you may just miss the entrance to the small parking lot.  All of the spaces in the parking lot were full (there are 6 or 7 spaces), but I was lucky that someone was leaving as I was entering.  It was lunch time so it was crowded, but then again, every time I've been here, it's been crowded. 

I ordered the B.B.Q. Royal (US$2.95) and an order of french fries (US$1.65) and since there's no seating anywhere, this meal was to go.  While I was waiting for my food, like all these others, I took a quick peek at the food preparation. 

There was one woman who manned the grill.  She would dip a burger into the B.B.Q. sauce, then place it on the grill.  When it was time to flip the burger over, she would dip it into the B.B.Q. sauce again before putting it back on the grill.  The cheese was also dipped into the B.B.Q. sauce before being placed on the burger which was still on the grill.  Maybe this was being done to give the burger more B.B.Q flavor, but it certainly helped the cheese to begin melting.

A second woman was assembling all the burgers.  She had to work quickly as there was only a limited amount of counter space and lots of hungry customers!

About 10 minutes later, my name was called and I was off with my lunch.  Since it was a nice day, I decided to have lunch near the beach.  And here it is....

The B.B.Q. Royal is topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese (I opted for no onions).  The burgers are dressed with your choice of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and mustard (I opted for no mustard). 

The flame-broiled burger was delicious and juicy.  The B.B.Q. sauce was nice and sweet.  I'm glad I ate this right away, otherwise, more of the bun would have been soaked by all that sauce.  The repeated "dipping" of the patty in the barbecue sauce is why this burger had so much flavor.

The french fries were crisp and crunchy on the outside, and moist on the inside.  These were just lightly salted (I should have asked for unsalted) and not too greasy.  They must have been drained quite well.  Even the paper bag that this was given to me in was free of grease spots.

W & M only serves B.B.Q. burgers and B.B.Q. steak (teriyaki steak) sandwiches, so if you're in the mood for one, your best would be to come here.  And oh, look closely for the sign, you don't want to miss it!

W & M Bar-B-Q Burgers
3104 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.734.3350

Diem Café

It's been a while since I've done a post on my Friday lunches out, but I actually haven't been going to work for the last couple of Fridays since I have so many days of vacation left to take.  This Friday is another one of my "off" days, so I thought I post today's lunch.

A friend called and asked what I was doing for lunch.  The call was a good thing too because I honestly had no idea what I was going to eat.  It was definitely getting late!  Why it was already after two.  Diem Café was suggested for its close proximity to both our offices, and because my friend wanted to eat Vietnamese food.

Inside the shop, you order from a small window right inside the doorway.

You pay for your food, help yourself to drinks from the self service machine (if you bought any) and have a seat in the small dining are.  The food is normally ready within 3-5 minutes, unless of course you come during the lunch rush (the wait time during the lunch rush is normally doubled). 

Today, I ordered the special stuffed eggplant combination plate (US$5.50), but instead of the chicken salad that's normally served with it, I decided to have the golden rolls.

The first thing I bit into was one of the golden rolls.  These crispy deep-fried spring rolls were nice and crunchy.  Stuffed full with rice vermicelli, pork, shrimp and a few other ingredients, they came served with some fish sauce on the side for dipping.  And while a little oily, what would you expect for something deep-fried, these were quite tasty.

The stuffed eggplant was next.  It was stuffed with ground pork, shrimp, black fungus, and rice vermicelli, among other things.  It arrived at the table steaming hot.  The eggplant was still nice and firm, and the stuffing was quite flavorful.  Eaten with chilli, this was great.  I think I made a good choice today....especially as I haven't eaten this here before.

It's been a while since I've been to Diem Café, but many of the dishes that I've tried here are good for a quick lunch.  The food is tasty, and the service is quick and efficient.  And...although this is not the best Vietnamese food that I've had, the price makes this a great value.  Recommended.

Diem Café
Queen's Plaza
801 Alakea Street Suite 114
Telephone:  808.521.2221

Diego's Taco Shop

I don't normally eat Mexican food, not even at fast food places.  But a couple of weekends ago, I was on my way to meet a friend for lunch and saw that a new taco shop was opening up.  Well, I'll do anything to try something new and different.  Besides, I liked the name of this place.

So, while driving by about a week ago, I noticed that Diego's was finally open.  When I decided to stop by this past Sunday afternoon, I found that they were closed and made it a point to try again sometime during the week since it is so near to the apartment.  Here I am....

Inside, the space was clean, and in my opinion, just the right size for a small shop.  There were about 7 tables that could seat 2 people each and almost every table was occupied when I walked in with a friend.

I decided on having a combination plate.  It was #4 on the menu board, carne asada (marinated steak) burrito and two rolled tacos (US$7.85).  The combination plate is served with rice and refried beans, and a medium sized soft drink of your choice.

When the plate arrived, I looked at the huge burrito.  Wow!  Upon cutting it open, I found that inside it was stuffed with meat!  No skimping here.

The filling was delicious.  A bit spicy, the seasoning was excellent.  This was not like your average Taco Bell® burrito.  Inside this taco, there were no veggies (tomatoes, onions or lettuce), no refried beans, and no cheese.  Just meat, and really, a whole lot of it...well, that and just a tiny bit of sour cream and cilantro (Chinese parsley).  The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed a bit oily and a bit fatty, but otherwise, it was good.  The refried beans and rice were standard.  Nothing special about those.

The two rolled tacos, were deep fried and super crunchy. Filled with ground beef and topped with lettuce and some kind of dressing, the rolled tacos were actually quite good.  I was surprised that this wasn't as oily as I thought it was going to be.

My invited guest, and this week's guinea pig, decided on a combination plate as well.  It was #1 on the menu board, the two taco combo (US$5.50).  This plate consisted of two soft tacos with your choice of filling (excluding fish), rice, refried beans and a medium sized soft drink of your choice.

There was one taco with beef and one with chicken.  I was told that this was good, much better than fast food.  We both felt, however, that there should have been some veggies, lettuce and tomatoes at least, included here.

Since I don't normally eat Mexican food, I was happy that this was good and inexpensive, especially for something that seemed to be "homemade".  Even though there were a few shortcomings, such as a lack of veggies on the tacos and the slightly oily carne asada, Diego's is still worthy of a return visit.

Diego's Taco Shop
2239 South King Street
Telephone:  808.944.2942

Ba-Le Sandwiches & Bakery

20 years ago, the first Ba-Le Sandwich Shop & Bakery was opened by a Vietnamese immigrant who had just relocated to Hawaii from San Jose, California.  Located in downtown Honolulu, this shop was originally opened to cater to the local Vietnamese community.

Today, this "fast food" bahn mi (Vietnamese sandwich) shop has grown to over 20 locations throughout the State of Hawaii and has brought Vietnamese food to the masses.  Last night, I visited the location at Daiei Kaheka.  This shop is located right outside the entrance to Daiei and inside the Yummy's Korean BBQ.

There are several different types of bahn mi on the menu as well as a few other Vietnamese dishes such as curry and pho.  I decided to have the lemongrass chicken bahn mi (US$3.75).

This sandwich is served on a French loaf that is baked daily at Ba-Le's main bakery in Kalihi.  Many say that this is the best French bread that you can find in the Islands, and I agree.  In fact, Ba-Le supplies French loaves/sandwiches to large hotel chains (Hilton and Sheraton) and to major airlines (Japan Airlines, United, China Airlines, etc.), AND (if that weren't enough) makes fresh pizza dough for one of the state's larger pizza chains (Papa Johns).  Impressed?

The sandwich is delivered warm and toasty.  The bread was crisp and crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.  The lemongrass chicken was spicy and delicious.  This bahn mi had just the right about of pickled carrots and daikon.  It was finished off with a bit of cucumber and cilantro (Chinese parsley).  Tasty, warm and delicious, after eating this, I was content.

If you're looking for a quick bite, that is fresh and tasty, AND a good value, the bahn mi at Ba-Le is sure to please.

Ba-Le Sandwiches & Bakery
Located at Daiei Kaheka
801 Kaheka Street
Telephone:  808.942.4446 

Green Door Café

A couple of days ago, a friend told me about a new place that opened up a few months ago.  I was interested in trying the food here because she said that it served Malay and Nonya style cuisine.  Now this was a first, and was I excited.  I called a friend and we headed down to the Green Door Café for dinner.



Located in Chinatown, the Green Door Café is a really small shop.  In fact, the kitchen takes up half the space.  The other half consists of 4 small tables and fold up chairs.



The menu is written in Chinese on a white board on the wall, while the English menu is on a white board near the register.

I brought a Singaporean friend along so that he could tell me if the food was authentic or not.  Well, after looking over the menu, we found that there wasn't anything that was either uniquely Malay or Nonya, except perhaps the roti canai (flat bread).  We tried to make the best of it and decided on the pan fried pomfret (US$8.50), the sambal kang kong (ong choi stir-fried with sambal belacan and chilli, US$6.50), and the owner, recommened her Hokkien mee (Hokkien style seafood noodles, US$7.75).

After taking our order, the owner/waitress/cook, headed to the kitchen to begin preparing our food.



First to arrive was the pan fried pomfret.



I was a little surprised because the pomfret was cut into five pieces (normally, the fish is served whole).  Therefore, we assumed, judging by the serving size, we were served half a pomfret. Another thing that surprised me was that the food arrived at the table in a styrofoam take out container!  Now, for the price I was paying, I would have liked to see this dish presented properly.  The fish could have at least been served on a proper plate! The fish itself was very light and crispy.  Not too salty, the fish was quite good.

The Hokkien mee was the next to arrive....in a styrofoam container as well.

We took a look at it and decided that perhaps this was not a wise choice.  For one thing, Hokkien mee is made with a different type of noodle all together.  In fact, the noodles used to make this dish looked like the same type of noodle that you'd find in pad thai.  The next thing we noticed about this dish was that it had chicken in it.  Traditionally, Hokkien mee has only seafood in it (maybe just a little pork), usually prawns and squid.  After tasting this, my friend told me that this was really not so good and I agreed.  It was sweet, salty, spicy, thick and sticky.  An utter disappointment.

For those of you who have not had Hokkien mee before, this is what it's supposed to look like...

By the way, this Hokkien mee was from a hawker center in Singapore.  Cost?  S$3.00 (US$1.80 at current exchange rates)!

We were expecting the sambal kang kong to arrive at the table shortly after the Hokkien mee did.  However, the owner stood around chatting with friends, while we waited.  After 10 minutes, we gave up and decided that the dish was not going to make it to our table.

Perhaps we had made the wrong choices from the menu, but given the quality of the food and the level of service that we received, I don't think that either one of us will be back anytime soon.

Green Door Café
1145 Maunakea Street, entrace on Pauahi Street
Telephone:  808.533.0606

Bali Indonesia Restaurant

UPDATE:  November 2005
Bali Indonesia Restaurant has closed.
Kapiolani Asian Cuisine now occupies this space.

Over the weekend not too long ago, I went to have lunch at Bali Indonesia Restaurant.

I previously had dinner here, and it was OK, with some dishes being much better than others.  Not the best Indonesian food that I've had, but since this is the only game in town, it was good enough to satisfy a need.  Besides, with the price of an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at US$6.95, how could I resist.

On display outside the restaurant are two becaks (bicycle "rickshaws" which I believe are still banned in Indonesia).  I'll be needing someone to give me a ride in one of them after I finish eating.

Once inside, you're greeted ever so graciously by a wooden statuette.

Since it's quite empty, I think there were a couple of Indian men sitting at one table in back, I pretty much have a run of the place.

The interior is plain and dimly lit.  The tables and chairs are teak and are covered with white tablecloths and plastic sheets.

There were a number of items available on the buffet.  In addition to nasi putih (steamed rice), there are about 10 items offered, which change on a daily basis. 

To keep prices low, food is served on styrofoam plates and in styrofoam bowls.  Your utensils?  Plastic forks and knives, and wooden chopsticks.  Today, some of the menu items included sayur asam (hot and sour soup), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice), gado gado (Indonesian mixed salad), ayam goreng kuning (Indonesian style fried chicken) and beef rendang (spicy beef with coconut).  The beef rendang was possibly the best item on today's buffet.

The beef was very lean and tender.  It was only mildly spicy and had the faintest hint of coconut.  I actually would have liked this to be a lot spicier.  There was also a bit more gravy than I was used to.  Most times when I've had beef rendang, it's been much drier, but all in all, this was a fairly authentic rendition of a classic Indonesian dish.

Here's the plate of food that I started with (clockwise from top left):  bakmi goreng (Indonesian fried egg noodle with meat and vegetables), fried eggplant, deep fried fish cake(?), nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) and beef rendang.

Dessert was young coconut and jackfruit in iced coconut milk (es teler).

It was a wonderfully refreshing end to a decent meal.  If you've never had Indonesian food before, this is a great place to start.  For those of you who have had Indonesian food before, you may find this to be somewhat of a disappointment.

Bali Indonesia Restaurant
1901 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 110
Telephone:  808.949.2254

Soon's Kal-bi Drive In

Yesterday, I made the drive out to 99 Ranch Market to pick up some food for the upcoming week.  On the way home, I decided to stop by at Soon's Kal-bi Drive-In for dinner.

It's been years since I've been here, but everything seems to be as I remembered, except the food pictures lining the glass enclosure where orders are taken and picked up. 

There's a bench in front of the counter, which is where I sit while waiting for my number to be called.  I ordered the Soon's Special Combination Plate (US$8.25).

This plate come with 2 scoops white rice, 2 pieces kalbi, one piece BBQ chicken, some meat jhun and one fried mandoo.  There is also a small amount of vegetables in the little foil "container" in front.  Inside the "container" we have bean sprouts, cabbage and kim chee.

The kalbi is exactly as I remembered.  The marinade is delicious and suits the local palate.  If you're used to eating traditional-style kalbi, you may not enjoy this.  Tasting more like a Japanese-style teriyaki sauce, the kalbi is quite sweet.  That said, the meat is tender and practically melts in my mouth. 

The BBQ chicken is a little different.  A whole chicken thigh is cut away from the bone (and the bone is left attached), then grilled with the skin on.  I'm sure the marinade used is not the same as the one that's used for the kalbi as this one's not quite as sweet.  This one had lots of charred bits...which is how I like my BBQ chicken done.

The meat jhun, is beef that has been thinly sliced and then marinated before being dipped in egg batter and fried.  This one is quite good, although like the kalbi, it was a bit sweet.  There was just enough of the egg coating on this to make it slightly crunchy around the edges.  Perfectly cooked.

And the lone mandoo, was over-stuffed and deep fried.  A winner.

Unlike other local Korean "fast food" restaurants, such as Yummy's or Gina's BBQ, Soon's does not give a lot of vegetables and that has always been a disappointment to me.  That said, the price is quite steep for the amount of food given.  Although good, there is definitely better value elsewhere.

Soon's Kal-Bi Drive-In
Salt Lake Shopping Center
898 Ala Lilikoi Street
Telephone:  808.836.7665

Yotteko-ya

It was raining again last night, and I didn't feel in the mood to stay at home and cook.  Since there were so many ramen shops that I have been looking forward to trying, I decided to visit the next place on my list, Yotteko-ya.

Described as a Kyoto-style ramen shop, this place is fairly new to the island, opening within the last couple of months or so.  I had noticed this shop on my previous visits to the McCully Shopping Center and since I had never tried Kyoto-style ramen before, I made a note to come and visit.

Making my way inside via the shop's sliding door, I found it to be brightly lit and full of seating.  Just a couple of tables were occupied when I stopped by at about 8:30 pm.

There was an interesting graphic on the wall with lots of Japanese writing on it which I couldn't read.  This same graphic was also printed on smaller sheets of paper and placed under the plastic "table cloths".

Printed on the front cover of the menu is the following:

"Our homemade soup is simmered for over 10 hours with the choicest pork, the freshest chickens and 10 different vegetables and spices.  This meticulous process produces a uniquely thick collagen rich stock that will actually help prevent aging of the skin and joints.

So, please enjoy our soup to the last drop and look younger!"

Now, I'm not so sure about the claims of looking younger by having a bowl of ramen, but I was willing to try a bowl...for research, of course.  After looking over the menu, I decided on one of the combo sets, Set A (US$8.95).  This set came with a bowl of tonshio ramen (ramen in a Hawaiian salt based soup), 3 pieces gyoza, and a bowl of white rice!  If you're on Atkins, stay away!

First the ramen arrived.  It was garnished with homemade chashu, green onions, black fungus, and toasted white sesame seeds.  There was a slight film that had formed on the surface of the broth.  There was no doubt that this was caused by all of the animal proteins floating around in the broth.    Upon taking the first sip, I was overwhelmed by the flavor.  It was interesting and indescribable.  I had never tasted ramen like this before.  The broth was thick and rich, and although it was salt based, it wasn't salty at all.  Amazing.  The chashu had a wonderful flavor and was melt in the mouth tender.  I don't think I could have made a better choice.

Next up were the gyoza.  The gyoza skin was perfectly thin and the filling meaty.  The gyoza were cooked just the way I like 'em, slightly crunchy on the bottom, smooth and slightly chewy on top.  Yummy.

Am I happy that I came here?  Definitely.  Would I come here again?  Absolutely.  The next time I'm here, I'm planning on trying the house specialty, the kakuni ramen.  If you like a good ramen that has a distinctive flavor, this is one place you won't want to miss.

Yotteko-ya
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard Suite 214
Telephone:  808.946.2900

Art's Hideaway

Last week I was fortunate enough to eat out twice.  The first time was on Monday, and then again on my regular eat out day, Friday.  A friend of mine in the office decided to pick up lunch at Art's Hideaway.

Normally, I have the burger with french fries, but this time, I was encouraged to have the steak with garlic mashed potatoes.  I thought it would be a bit too much for lunch, and it was....

The steak was cooked to order, and for a well done steak, this one was still a bit moist and tender.  There wasn't too much fat on this piece of New York steak, and it had just the right amount of flavor.  Not too salty, with just the right amount of garlic and pepper.  This steak was just as good as any steak that I would put on the grill at home.  The salad was comprised of fresh mixed greens, and I ate them without the dressing.  The garlic mashed potatoes were fine, but nothing spectacular. 

After eating the steak, the garlic mashed potatoes, the sautéed mushrooms and the tossed salad, I was stuffed.  I seriously needed a nap!  While the steak was good, I think I'll order the burger the next time.  The food at Art's is quite good, and just like homemade.  Maybe that's why I keep on coming back.

Art's Hideaway
1110 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.531.1775

Taishoken

Lately, I've been noticing an influx of Japanese ramen shops opening up around town.  I for one, love to eat ramen, and the weather, which has been rainy and quite dreary, makes it a perfect time to eat ramen.  Since I live in town, and because I'm at the mall quite often, I've been driving past Taishoken for quite sometime now.

Taishoken, according to this post at World Ramen.net, is famous for its tsukemen (morisoba).  I won't go into more details about the history of this dish, but from what I've read, it's supposed to be quite delicious.

Walking through the door, you'll notice a room enclosed in glass on the left.

This is where the ramen noodles and gyoza skins are made fresh daily. 

The dining area was not too crowded when I entered.  Just a couple at the counter area and a few people scattered amongst 2 tables. 

Since the tsukemen is a specialty of this ramen shop, I decided to have the regular miso tsukemen with mini char siu rice combo (US$8.30).

With this type of ramen the noodles are served separately from the broth.  To eat, you'd dip the cold noodles into the hot broth.  This made it a challenge to eat, but it was also quite fun.  I'd never had to eat ramen this way before.  The noodles were very fresh.  Slightly chewy and a bit "springy", they tasted great with the miso flavored broth. 

Inside the bowl of broth, there were bits of pork, kamaboko (fish cake), nori (dried seaweed) and menma (pickled bamboo shoots).  The broth was then garnished with lots of white sesame seeds and green onions.  The broth, while flavorful, tasty and a bit spicy (from some chili that was floating around as well), was a bit too concentrated for me to sip on it's own.  Much of it was left after the noodles were gone.

The char siu rice was wonderful.  The homemade char siu, or barbecued pork, was lean and tender.  Unlike the char siu that is served at Chinese restaurants, this one was mildly flavored and tasted more of shoyu.  This was also topped with a healthy sprinkling of white sesame seeds and green onions.  Delicious!

Since I was dining between the hours of 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm, I was also given 3 pieces of fresh, homemade gyoza at no addtional charge!  What a surprise.

The gyoza was cooked in the traditional method and took a bit longer to arrive at the table.  The skin was perfectly smooth and thin, the filling meaty and delicious.  My only wish was that it was fried a little longer before being "steamed".  I normally like it when the bottom of the gyoza is crisp and crunchy.  Otherwise, this was much better than most.

All in all, this was quite an interesting meal.  The tsukemen was interesting enough, and tasty enough, for me to want to have this again.  The regular sized portion was served with a lot of noodles which went perfectly with the flavorful broth.  The mini char siu rice was great and the gyoza was a nice way to round out the meal. 

Taishoken
903 Keeaumoku Street Suite C101A
Telephone:  808.955.8860

Mekong I

Last week, I was on a mission to eat some good Thai food.  My craving for Thai food grew after having the haw mok pla from Yum Yum Thai last week.  So I decided that I would have some Thai food for dinner as well.  After some careful consideration, I decided to have dinner at Mekong I and invited a friend.

Open since the late 70's, this is could possibly have been the first Thai restaurant in the state.  I haven't been here since the mid-80's and found this to be a "reintroduction" to some great Thai food.  Stepping into the restaurant, I remembered the crowds and they were still here even after all these years.  There were no glaring lights here, but a soft glow, kinda romantic in a cozy kinda way.

**NOTE**
These pictures were taken in very dim lighting and without a flash.  I didn't want to disturb the other diners in the restaurant.  My apologies.

Sitting down to review the menu, we decided to start with the mee krob (vegetarian crispy noodles, US$5.95).

The crispy fried noodles were tossed with some bean sprouts, julienned carrots and a few other goodies like cilantro (Chinese parsley) and green onions.  The "dressing" on this dish was slightly sweet and a bit tangy, with flavors of fish sauce and tamarind being quite apparent.  I liked this because there was just the slightest hint of dressing.  Because of this, the noodles remained crispy the entire time that we had it on the table.

The first dish that we ordered was the beef with fresh sweet basil (US$7.95).

Slices of lean beef were sautéed with lots of fresh sweet basil, young bamboo shoots, fresh cut chillies and other spices.  Not knowing what to expect, we ordered this dish "medium-hot".  When the dish arrived, you could smell the aroma of the basil and kaffir lime leaves.  The dish was spicy, but not mouth numbingly so.  In fact, I think I could have ordered this "hot" and survived.  The flavors in this dish were just wonderful.  A great choice!

For the last dish, I was about to order a curry dish, but at the last possible moment, I decided on having something different for a change.  I instead ordered the eggplant with tofu (US$7.95).

This dish was also ordered "medium-hot", but wasn't as spicy as the previous dish.  The eggplant were cooked just right, still firm, and with just a bit of bite.  The sauce was flavorful, but not overpowering.  My only wish was that there were more tofu in this dish.  That would have made a big difference for me.

We each had a serving of sticky rice (US$1.50 per serving) to complete the meal.  Unfortunately, it was not served in the traditional manner, steamed in a woven basket, but in a stainless steel bowl.

All in all, the food here was just as I had remembered it.  Tasty and well executed.  How close this is to authentic, I really don't know.  Will I come here again?  Definitely.  Will I wait another 20 years to do so?  Highly unlikely.

Mekong I
1295 South Beretania Street
Telephone:  808.591.8841

Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express

Update:  April 2005
Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express has closed.

Normally, I bring lunch from home during the week, saving my dining out days for Fridays.  Well, today, a friend of mine who used to work with me invited me out to lunch.  Since I haven't seen her in a while, I said OK.  So here I am, buying my lunch from Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express.

Teddy's is a small shop and is located about 5 minutes away from the office.  The bright yellow space, calls to mind a 50's diner theme.  The shop has a limited amount of seating, 4 stools near the window and 3 along the side wall, so we order ours to go.

The menu is quite short, which in my opinion is good.  When you focus on a specific product, and not try to offer something for everyone, you're bound to be good at it.  (Think In-N-Out Burger.)

I decided on the #1 Big Combo (US$6.75) with cheese (additional, US$.40).  The combo consists of a 5 ounce burger topped with super sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles, an order of thick cut fries and a 16 ounce drink.

When the burger arrived, it was hot and freshly prepared.  The cheese had just started to melt by the time I was ready to bite into the burger.  The super sauce is what made this burger delicious.  To me, it tasted like a combination of mustard and mayonaisse and also other flavors, that I couldn't put my finger on.  The burger was nice and juicy, although still a bit pink in some places, even though I had ordered it well done.  The fries were cut thick, and done just right.  Hot and fresh, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside.  And, I was able to order them no salt!

In my opinion, Teddy's has one of the better burgers in the state.  Although this one wasn't cooked to order like it should have been, it won't stop me from coming here again.  While it's certainly not cheap, it is better than most "fast food" burgers, which makes this a pretty good value.

Teddy's Bigger Burgers Express
801 Alakea Street
Telephone:  808.599.8770

Yum Yum Thai

FYI:  For those of you who visit Yum Yum Thai, the store has expanded to the adjacent shop.  There are now a couple of tables so that you can eat in and the shop seems to have a better selection of food items.  In the old shop, they are now serving shaved ice.

Yesterday was Friday and that means I get to buy lunch.  It's been a while since I've had Thai food, and so I decided buy lunch at Yum Yum Thai.

Yum Yum Thai is only a block away from the office and is your average hole-in-the-wall take-out restaurant.  The food is laid out cafeteria-style, and is served in styrofoam containers.  There is no seating here, yet this place is super popular because of the huge portions, the tasty food, and the excellent value.

When I get here at about 2:00 pm, there were a couple of people being served. 

Since almost everything was sold out and since I was pressed for time, I decided to have the haw mok pla (steamed curry fish in banana cup, US$3.00).  I had never had this before, but was told that it was really delicious...and super spicy!

The fish was seasoned with red curry paste, coconut milk, thinly sliced kaffir lime leaves and other spices, placed over a bed of onions, then wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf "cup".  This was wonderfully spicy, but at the same time, the coconut milk added just a touch of sweetness.  The fish was flakey and perfectly cooked.  I had this with a side of brown rice and it was a simple, but delicious lunch.

I've been coming to Yum Yum Thai ever since I started working in downtown more than eight years ago and it's remained one of my steady favorites.  Stop in and try the food here, you'll be glad you did.

Yum Yum Thai
1106 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.524.3790

Bac Nam

Inspired by noodlepie's posts of Vietnamese life and food on his blog, I became determined to find a local Vietnamese restaurant which would serve me a bowl of noodles called bun rieu.  Starting with noodlepie's first post on this dish in scoffin' street broth, again in alley cat cooks and then yet again, just a couple weeks back in bumper bowl of bun rieu, each time I saw the dish and read noodlepie's posts, I started to want this dish more and more.

Bac Nam has been open for just a few months, and each time I pass by, I tell myself that this is somewhere that I would eat at soon.

Well, tonight was the night.  Since I was in the mood for some Vietnamese food, and since this place was just a few minutes away from my apartment, I decided to drop in.  Inside, the restaurant was clean and very brightly lit. 

After I had walked in, I was seated in the uncrowded room and provided with a menu.  After a quick glance at the appetizers and salads, I decided to order the bo tai chanh (lemon beef salad, US$7.50), while continuing to look over the rest of the menu.

When the salad arrived, there was a lot of beef combined with lettuce, cucumber, daikon , carrot, celery, onions and shredded lotus root.  It was tossed in lemon juice and other spices, then topped with fried peanuts and crispy fried shallots and served with some nuoc mam (fish sauce) on the side.  The beef was still a bit pink and chewy, which lead me to believe that the beef was marinted then cooked quickly, perhaps dipped in a pot of boiling water or lightly stir-fried, before being served.  The salad was wonderfully refreshing and very tasty.

While reading the menu, I came across menu item number 69, rice vermicelli in crab chowder, bun rieu cua (US$6.95)!  Exactly what I wanted to try.  Here is how it arrived, piping hot at my table!

It was served with mint, mung bean sprouts (blanched), and a lemon wedge.

Looking into the bowl, I found lots of ground crab meat, shrimp, a few slivers of luncheon meat (?), tomatoes, onions, cilantro (Chinese parsley) and little whisps of egg.  There was no sign of any blood jelly, mam tom shrimp paste, or tofu here, but after adding the bean sprouts, mint leaves, and a squeeze of lemon to the bowl, I was ready to dive in.  How was it?  It was wonderful! The broth was light and refreshing, with the distinct, but subtle flavor of crab.  It was mild and not at all spicy.  I was tempted to add some chilli to the bowl, but restrained myself, and decided to enjoy it as it had arrived. 

FYI...I had asked a Vietnamese friend of mine about the blood jelly and she said that most Vietnamese restaurants in Hawaii won't serve it to non-Vietnamese people unless asked!

Bac Nam has become a new favorite and is one of the better Vietnamese restaurants that I have eaten at.  I'll be stopping in to try more of the menu, in particular, the pho dac biet (special combination pho with rare beef, brisket, tendons and beef balls), the bun chao tom (rice vermicelli with pounded shrimp) and the com ga xao sa ot (rice with spicy lemon grass chicken).  Although I'm glad that I stopped by tonight, my only wish is that I had come here sooner.

Bac Nam
1117 South King Street
Telephone:  808.597.8201

Kit n' Kitchen

A friend of mine told me about Kit n' Kitchen a few months ago, but I never got around to visiting this place.  Well, this past weekend I didn't have any choice.  Said friend, invited me to lunch and brought me here.

Kit n' Kitchen is located near the University of Hawaii and was described to me as a "Chinese-Italian" restaurant.  I had never tried Chinese-Italian food before, but I was interested.  Once inside a few of the many tables were occupied.  In fact, as I was walking in, a woman was walking out and told me that I would definitely enjoy the food!  How's that for advertising?

After glancing at the menu, we decided to start with an appetizer, the meat en croute (US$3.95).

On the menu, it's described as "our classic meat sauce baked over crunchy toast".  The toast was crunchy and the bread was very light and airy.  There was just enough meat to give the bread some weight, however, to my tastebuds, the meat sauce was quite bland.  I guess I'm used to the rich, "tomato-y" flavors of traditional Italian cooking.

For the main meal, we decided on having a dish each and sharing.  We first chose the roast garlic chicken on rice (US$6.95).

This was pieces of chicken topped with a tomato-based sauce and crunchy bits of garlic.  The sauce was much better than that on the toast, however, I found it a bit too sweet for my tastes.  The chicken was nicely flavored, but I found that there was too much sauce on this dish.  The crunchy bits of garlic added an interesting texture to this dish...

We also ordered the black pepper pork chop on rice (US$7.50).

This was a typical Chinese-inspired dish.  Here the pork chop was pre-sliced, placed on jasmine rice, and topped with black pepper sauce and cheese (!).  While most of the pork chop was tender and juicy, there were a few pieces that were hard and gristly.  There was also quite a bit of fat here.  For me, this rendered about a third of the dish inedible.  The sauce here was very thick and only mildly spicy.  There was actually so much sauce on this that the rice became "mushy".  I normally don't like this type of food to have too much gravy or sauce, so for me, this was overkill.  The cheese, by the way, did little to enhance, or detract, from the overall flavor of the dish.

While I didn't throughly enjoy what I had here today, it wasn't half bad.  There were actually quite a few items on the menu that I found appealing and that I would be willing to try.  I'm looking forward to sampling more of the dishes on the menu, and I'll remember to ask them to "go easy on the sauce" the next time.

Kit n' Kitchen
1010 University Avenue
Telephone:  808.942.7622

Kapiolani Coffee Shop at Kam Bowl

Who would have ever thought of eating at a bowling alley?  Not me, that's for sure.  I've been told many, many times that the oxtail soup here was the best around.  So I decided that I needed to find out for myself just how good the oxtail soup was.

The restaurant inside Kam Bowl is actually Kapiolani Coffee Shop.  A few of the tables are occupied when I get here at about 2:00 pm and there are people here eating the oxtail soup, even if it's almost 90°F outside!

After I'm seated, I placed my order for the oxtail soup (US$9.95) and waited.  Three minutes later, the steaming bowl of oxtail soup arrived along with two scoops rice. 

The bowl was filled with clear, beefy broth, meaty oxtails, tender peanuts and garnished with lots of cilantro (Chinese parsley) and green onions.  The soup was perfectly seasoned and the meat was just falling off the bones.  I could taste the subtle flavors of ginger and star anise.  My only wish was that they had trimmed more of the fat off of the oxtails prior to cooking.  There was a little more fat here than I would have preferred.  Other then that, this was just about perfect.

Add some freshly grated ginger and shoyu to your bowl, sit back and enjoy!  You've got quite a nice sized meal here.  Now, I couldn't tell you if this was the best bowl of oxtail soup that I had ever eaten, but it sure was good.  And although it was a little pricey, it was worth it.  Especially since I didn't have to spend hours cooking it. 

Kapiolani Coffee Shop at Kam Bowl
1520 North School Street
Telephone:  808.845.3687

Kaka'ako Kitchen

A couple of nights ago, I went to Borders.  After I had purchased my books, I decided to go eat at Kaka'ako Kitchen. 

I stopped coming here a couple of years ago, not for the bad food, but for the poor service that I received.  I did like the food, however, so I decided that I'd give this place another shot.  As usual, there were quite a few people inside waiting to order.

Kaka'ako Kitchen is located at the Ward Centre right next door to the Nordstrom shoe store.  It has lots of outdoor seating which is actually quite nice when the weather is good.

Tonight, I decided on the crispy fried sweet chili chicken (US$7.75).

This plate comes with two scoops rice (white or brown) and tossed salad.  The chicken was cripsy and well fried.  It was topped with sesame seeds and green onions.  Tonight, the sauce was quite bad.  Too much shoyu, not enough sweet chili sauce.  It made the dish too salty and a bitter tasting especially since the pieces of chicken were drowning in sauce.

For dessert, I had Lisa's bread pudding (US$3.50).

Served warm, this cinnamon-y bread pudding is one of the best that I've had.  Moist and flavorful, the added bonus is the vanilla bean sauce, which just takes this to another dimension.  At US$3.50 it's not cheap, but well worth the money.

Tonight's meal was a bit hit and miss taste-wise.  The crispy fried sweet chili chicken was a disappointment while the bread pudding was the obvious winner here.  The service was much better this time, so I'm glad I gave this place another try.

Kaka'ako Kitchen
Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.596.7488

Tempei

A girl at the office mentioned that I should try having dinner at Tempei.  In fact, she highly recommended that I go there for dinner during the week because they have these incredible "Early Bird Specials".  So about a week ago, I decided to skip lunch and have an early dinner.  I arrived at Tempei at about 5:30 pm.

The restaurant was a bit empty, but as soon as I was seated and placed my order for the "Early Bird Special", a bunch of people walked in wondering if they were too late to order the special as well (they were not).  For US$10.95, this teishoku (set menu) dinner came with the following:

One trip to the salad bar.   

This little "cart" was loaded with a lot of different choices. 

Since I normally don't like to load up on salad, in case there's a lot to eat at dinner, I decided to sample just a few of the twelve or so offerings.  I chose the sweet steamed kabocha pumpkin, spinach salad, tofu and tuna/spaghetti salad.  They were all quite delicious and a great start to my dinner.

Next was a bowl of miso soup.

This one had lots of tofu, carrots, onions, green onions, and shiitake mushrooms.  It was the first time that I've had miso soup prepared this way, and it was so delicious and full of flavor.

Here was the rest of my teishoku meal, presented so nicely on a lacquered tray.

Three pieces sashimi (raw fish).

I believe this was maguro (fatty tuna).  The fish was extremely fresh.  My only wish?  That I had more.

Shrimp and vegetable tempura. 

There were three pieces shrimp tempura and one piece each of zucchini, Okinawan sweet potato and eggplant tempura.  These were light and crunchy, with no hint of oil at all.  Amazing!

A couple of pieces of rolled konbu (kelp).

These were a bit sweet and extremely tender.  (The menu said dashimaki tamago, but I didn't see any rolled egg omelet on the plate.  This must have been a substitution.)

And finally, two pieces of misoyaki butterfish. 

The fish was a little undercooked for me.  I would have liked a bit of crispiness on the skin and a little more "carmelization" of the miso.  In my opinion, this was also just a little bit too sweet.  It would have been a lot better if a little less sugar had been used.

All in all, this was quite a good value for the money.  For the most part, I left feeling completely satisfied.  Though the misoyaki butterfish was a bit sweet, its flavor did not detract too much from the overall meal.  I'm hoping to come back soon to try more of the food that is offered here.

Tempei
Sam Sung Plaza
655 Keeaumoku Street Suite 108
Telephone:  808.941.8773

Bamboo House

Thumbing through the recent Dining Out section of my Sunday newspaper, I ran into a tiny ad for a Chinese restaurant called Bamboo House.  Having never heard of this place before, I decided on going there for dinner.  I called a couple of friends and off we went.

Once there, we found the place packed.  We waited a few minutes for a table to open up before going inside.  As we were being seated, a woman introduced herself as the owner and asked how we heard about the place because we didn't look familiar.  Seems as though this restaurant has only been open for about 6 months and most of the patrons are her friends.

After placing our order, the owner of the shop brought us a dish at no charge.  Now how often does this happen?  We were told that this dish was called parchment chicken.  (On the menu, the price is US$4.95).

Wrapped in the aluminum foil "parcel" was a nice sized piece of boneless chicken meat.  The chicken was tender and juicy.  Tasted a bit of wine (we were told it was saké) and ginger.  Yummy!

To start, we ordered the seafood with fish mau soup (US$4.95).

This soup was full of fish maw and pieces of shrimp.  The soup was smooth and silky and had such a wonderfully light flavor.  The fish maw was cooked perfectly and retained all of its wonderful texture.

Next to arrive was the kung bao beef  (US$5.95).

There was a lot of tender beef in this dish, as well as lots of bell pepper, peanuts, carrots and bamboo shoots.  Normally, kung bao beef should be hot and spicy.  Sadly, this dish lacked the chillies and any hint of spiciness.  As you can tell by the photo, this dish was quite oily.  Perhaps the next time, I'll ask for less oil and more chillies to be used in the preparation of this dish.

Following the kung bao beef was the mayonaisse prawns with honey walnuts (US$6.95).

There were quite a few prawns (shrimps) on the plate, though they were a bit on the small side.  The prawns were nicely deep-fried and crunchy.  Coated with just the right amount of mayonaisse this was perfect.  Topped with honey-glazed walnuts made this one of the better dishes of the night. 

The final dish to arrive was the braised tofu with assorted seafood and meat (US$5.95).

The tofu is served with lots of vegetables, choi sum, carrots, celery and mushrooms, as well as with shrimp, squid and boneless chicken.  The sauce is light and not at all over powering.  This dish was perhaps my favorite.  Very subtle flavors made this dish delicious without being too bland.

We certainly ate quite a bit and even though there were a few small misses here and there, for the most part it was delicious and well worth the money.  This will probably become one of the Chinese restaurants that I come back to time and again.

Bamboo House
740 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.732.2229

Irifune

This past Saturday a friend asked if I was free for lunch.  "Sure", I said, "where do you want to go?"  He replied that he wanted to go to Irifune.  I hadn't been there in years, and remembered the delicious garlic ahi (tuna), so I happily went along.

Irifune has been in business since 1974 and has developed quite a following.  If you happen to pass by around dinner time, it's likely that there will be a few people waiting outside for a table.  Filled with too many objects to count, I think part of the reason for wanting to visit, is the quirky, yet relaxed ambiance.

Here's a kind of wall of fame.  If you're a regular, I'm sure your picture is here somewhere!  Can you see yours?

With our lunch, we are served a bowl of miso soup.  This one has tofu, mung bean sprouts and green onions in it.  Delicious.

To start, we ordered the homemade gyoza (US$4.00).

The menu described this as "homemade dumplings stuffed with tofu and cheese".  Tofu and cheese?!  The gyoza was actually filled with tofu and cream cheese, a very unlikely, but very delicious combination.  The gyoza was probably deep-fried, and not fried in the traditional method, which is steam frying.  It was light and crunchy and surprisingly, not oily.

With our appetizer out of the way, we proceeded with lunch, which was the mixed plate (US$6.50).

The mixed plate consisted of (clockwise from left):  garlic ahi, tossed salad, teriyaki chicken and vegetable tempura.  Included also was a bowl of white rice.

The garlic ahi was just as I remembered it.  It was pan-fried (?) and wonderfully garlic-y, with just a slight bit of spiciness to it.  The fish was soft and flakey, perfectly cooked.

The teriyaki chicken, was a little bit better than average, although a bit more ginger could have been used to flavor the sauce. 

The vegetable tempura was also great!  A wonderful mix of vegetables (carrots, zucchini, onions, long beans, etc.) held together by a wonderfully light and crisp batter.  The homemade dipping sauce gave this just the right amount of zip!

After lunch was over, I kept asking myself why I didn't come here more often.  Considering the quality of the food and the size of the portion, this seemed to be quite a bargain for lunch.  I guess this is one place I'm going to start visting a lot more frequently.

Irifune
563 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.1141

Chiang Mai

I have to admit that I really like Thai food and since I've been hearing raves about this place for years, I decided that I would stop in for dinner at Chiang Mai.

Tonight, I brought along a couple of friends so that I (we) could sample more than just one dish.  We decided to select one dish each that we wanted to try from the menu.  The first dish, was the nam tok (BBQ beef salad, US$8.50).

(Sorry for the blurry picture.  My camera wasn't focused properly.)

There was quite a lot of tender beef in this salad, which is a good thing.  Besides the beef, the salad was seasoned with lots of cilantro, mint, onions and chillies.  I would have thought that with an abundance of herbs this salad would have been delicious.  I was disappointed as the salad had practically no flavor to it at all.

The second dish we ordered was the pak bung fai deng gai (ong choi with chicken, US$8.50).

I don't normally order this type of dish from any Thai restaurant, but my friend suggested that we eat our veggies.  When this arrived at the table, it seemed to be more of a Chinese-style dish than a Thai one.  The wok-fried ung choi and chicken was supposedly sauteéd in a yellow bean sauce, but the sauce did little to impart flavor on this otherwise bland dish.

The last dish ordered is the kaeng kiew wan neua (Thai green curry with beef, US$8.50).

Green curry is perhaps the one dish that I use to measure the quality of a Thai restaurant.  The subtle and complex flavors of this curry are hard to obtain in just the right balance.  That said, this dish was a little better than the last two, but not good enough.  There was a lot of beef in this curry, but it was a bit chewy, probably from overcooking.  There was not a whole lot of spiciness to this dish even though I had ordered it medium-hot.  And lastly, there was a bit too much coconut milk in the curry, giving it too much  sweetness.

With just the curry to hold the meal up, and not by much, this was an utter disappointment.  Perhaps it's because I have high expectations of any Thai restaurant that I visit.  Or perhaps it's because I don't expect a "Westernized" presentation of Thai food.  Would I come here again?  Probably not.

Chiang Mai
2239 South King Street
Telephone:  808.941.1151

Mr. Frypan

UPDATE:  July 2005
Mr. Frypan has closed.

So far I've kept to my routine of going out to buy lunches only on Fridays (on Mondays through Thursdays, I bring lunch from home).  This is a good thing and a bad thing.  It's good because I can control what I eat for most of the week (and eat healthier), but it's bad because I don't get to eat at many of my favorite places as often.  So today's choice was Mr. Frypan.

This is a small restaurant about 5 blocks from the office.  They have pre-made Japanese-style curry and croquettes, as well as a few other side items.  A favorite of many, this place is usually crowded, but when I arrive at about 1:30 pm, there are just a few people in line.

Today, I decided to order the special, hamburger katsu curry rice (US$4.09, regular $4.79).

Besides, the curry rice (which has 2 chunks of beef in it), I got one hamburger katsu and some fukujinzuke (pickled vegetables).  The curry here is not as smooth as the curry you get at CoCo Ichibanya, but good nonetheless.  This curry is typical for a Japanese-style curry, which is normally a bit sweet and only mildly spicy. 

The hamburger katsu is ground beef and vegetables that have been formed into a croquette.  It's coated in panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs) and deep-fried.  This croquette was nice, crunchy and not at all oily (especially since it was deep fried).  It was delicious and went quite well with the curry.

I also ordered one shrimp tempura (sorry didn't get the price of this) and one fishcake (US$.79) on the side.

The fishcake was especially good today!  Both the shrimp tempura and the fishcake were crispy and made great additions to the curry.

I'm actually very glad that I made Mr. Frypan's my choice for lunch today.   The food is fresh, delicious and an excellent value.  They have a few different curry choices and a lot of sides that you can add on.  If you like Japanese-style curry or croquettes, this is one place you won't want to miss.

Mr Frypan
801 Alakea Street Suite 124
Telephone:  808.521.1831

Super Pho

Several weeks ago I was my way to the mall and I noticed Super Pho, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Kaimuki.  I made a mental note to myself to come back here, which I did last night.

Inside the brightly lit space, there are maybe 15 or so tables, most of which were occupied.  I certainly took that to be a good sign and decided that I had made a good choice by coming here.  Looking over the menu, I decided that there were a couple of things that I wanted to try.

The first dish I chose was the pan-fried crispy noodle with seafood (US$8.95).

The noodles arrived and looked wonderful.  After I started eating this, I realized that looks weren't everything.  The noodles themselves were light and crispy.  There was a lot of fresh vegetables, but hardly any seafood!  I counted one shrimp, three pieces of squid and one lone fishball!  Couldn't they possibly give me more seafood?  The sauce was tomato based and very sweet and there was too much black pepper sprinkled all over this!  I was utterly disappointed.

I also decided to have a bowl of pho.  Tonight, I ordered the pho nam (beef noodle soup with well-done flank, US$5.99).

It was accompanied by the usual plate of garnishes:  hung que (Thai basil), ngo gai (sawleaf herb), mung bean sprouts, lemon and fresh cut chillies.

The bowl arrived at the table steaming hot.  One taste of the soup, though, and I felt a little disappointed.  The soup was full of beefy flavor, but it was just a little too sweet.  At the same time it was missing the subtle, underlying flavors (star anise, cinnamon, cloves) normally found in good pho.  There was not much beef in this bowl of soup.  I think I may have counted 5 or 6 pieces tops.  And although the beef was well cooked and melt-in-your-mouth tender, it was quite fatty.  A definite no-no in my book.

What I thought was going to be a wonderful dining experience actually turned into a big disappointment.  This is probably not somewhere that I would visit again.

Super Pho
3538 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.735.9989

Jurison's Inn

Today, I decided to take a trip out to the Waikele Premium Outlets.  Its the only outlet mall that we have here in Hawaii and has a pretty good selection of shops.  Since it's a little out of the way, I brought a friend along who doesn't normally drive out this way.  Needing some fuel before the shopping frenzy, we decided to have lunch at Jurison's Inn.

It was a little late for lunch, about 2:00 pm, so the shop wasn't crowded at all, which was actually very good because I was hungry!

I decided to have the crispy garlic chicken and mahi mahi combination plate (US$6.15).

The pieces of chicken were cut into bite-sized pieces and friend until golden brown and crispy.  They had a slight hint of garlic and were quite tasty.  The sauce towards the back of the plate was used for dipping and added a bit of spicy flavor.  The mahi mahi was breaded and deep-fried, pretty standard fare if you ask me.  I liked the fact that this wasn't coated in tons of batter.  As an added bonus, the food here was not greasy.  To round out the plate were two scoops of rice, one scoop of macaroni salad (good!), some sukju namul (mung bean sprouts) and some whole kernel corn.

My friend had the hibachi tofu and teri-chicken combination plate (US$6.15).

For this plate, the tofu (bean curd) "steaks" were marinated then grilled on a hibachi (well, maybe it was on the grill in the back) for that smokey, slightly charred effect.  It was served topped with a little sauce (don't know what kind it was though).  The teri-chicken (short for teriyaki) was quite good, although not as good as the tofu.  The plate was served with the same sides as listed above.

After this meal, I was ready to shop. The food was delicious and well worth the price.  In fact, considering the size of the portions, it could practically be considered a bargain.  I guess that's why everytime I visit Waikele, I end up eating here.

Jurison's Inn
Waikele Premium Outlets
94-799 Lumiaina Street Space 2H
Telephone:  808.676.1171

Ezogiku Noodle Café

Being a frequent shopper at Daiei, I often find myself eating at the little food stalls located outside the store.  Tonight was no exception.  Since it was late (after 8:00 pm), I decided that I would eat at Ezogiku Noodle Café.

Ezogiku made its way to Hawaii via Japan about 30 years ago.  They still use the original recipes to prepare all of the food here, which is actually quite good (especially the Sapporo-style ramen).  This place can also be pretty reasonable if you decide to eat one of the three late night specials which are posted on a faded board outside.

Tonight, I have special A, chuka ramen and mini fried rice combo (US$4.89).

Chuka ramen (or Chinese noodles) is a bowl of wheat noodles in a light broth flavored with shoyu (soy sauce).  It's garnished with a slice of simmered pork, shinachiku (bamboo shoot pickles), kamaboko (fish cake), green onions and nori (dried prepared seaweed).

The ramen is delicious, although a tiny bit salty for my taste (perhaps there was a bit of MSG in there).  The noodles were firm and the pork had just the right amount of flavor (and fat).  The fried rice was typical of Japanese-style fried rice and was just flavorful enough to be enjoyable.

Ezogiku has become a steady favorite of mine especially when I need something quick, inexpensive and tasty to eat (and late at night).  Stop by sometime for some great tasting ramen.  In my opinion, this is some of the best ramen around.

Ezogiku Noodle Café
Located at Daiei Kaheka
801 Kaheka Street
Telephone:  808.942.5363

Zippy's

Ask anyone in Hawaii about a "local" style fast food restaurant, and you can easily bet that Zippy's will be one of the names out of their mouths.  What started almost 40 years ago as a single drive-in restaurant has grown to 23 locations, a successful catering business, a successful mail order business, bakeries, okazuyas and the best benefit chili around.

(I had no photo of a Zippy's Restaurant.  This one is from a news article available on the internet.  I'll update this website once I have a photo of my own to publish.) Photo by Ayumi Nakanishi, Honolulu Star-Bulletin

So today's meal is a small chili with rice...

Perfectly seasoned, meaty and just mildly spicy, Zippy's chili is one of the best around.  Sold by schools and other groups as fund-raisers, Zippy's Benefit Chili is sold in enormous volumes (approximately 75 tons a month!).  I would almost guarantee that this is Zippy's top seller.  You can also get vegetarian chili (good) and chili with no beans (what's chili without the beans?).

I also chose another Zippy's classic, the Zip Pac.

It's a bento that includes (from top to bottom):  teriyaki beef, Spam®, deep fried mahi mahi (tartar sauce on the side) and fried chicken thigh.  The teriyaki beef is pretty standard.  The Spam®?  Seeing from my other bento posts, you know this is a local favorite.  The mahi mahi is deep fried and super crunchy.  Moist and flakey with just the right amount of batter.  And the chicken...well, it's another one of Zippy's most favored menu items.  Crisp and golden brown on the outside, moist and juicy on the inside.  The chicken is absolutely delicious and a must try!

Zippy's Restaurants are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.  So if you get those late night hunger pangs, head on over to Zippy's, Hawaii's answer to quick, convenient and delicious fast food. 

Zippy's Restaurants
McCully Location
1725 South King Street
Telephone:  808.973.0877

In-N-Out Burger - Las Vegas, Nevada

OK.  Let me start this post by saying that I'm a burger fanatic.  If I said I wasn't, I would be lying.  I've tried burgers from so many places over the years, but haven't really found another quite like the ones at In-N-Out.

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting an In-N-Out Burger that is located in Las Vegas, Nevada near UNLV (University of Nevada - Las Vegas).  I was in Texas on a business trip and took a detour on the way home.  Why would I even bother to stop in Las Vegas if it were not for the amazing nightlife (i.e. casinos, nightclubs, etc.) and for In-N-Out Burger?

In-N-Out has been making burgers since 1948 and has locations throughout Arizona, California and Nevada.  They have had the same simple menu for years...no chicken sandwiches, salads or onion rings here, just good old fashioned burgers and fries.  In fact, this is the first time that I've seen a combo meal on the menu!

(Check out the prices!  Did I mention that this place was a bargain?)

Food is prepared fresh AFTER your order is placed.  No warmers used here...EVER!  The fries are not frozen and are fresh cut using a hand operated device (near the sink).

Today, I ordered the number 1:  Double-double burger®, fresh cut french fries and medium drink (US$4.80).

The double-double® is made up of two 100% beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, spread (a special sauce), and onions (optional) which are all piled high on a toasted, fresh baked bun.  This has got to be the best fast food burger that I have ever tasted!  It's juicy and flavorful.

The fries, which are handcut, are simply amazing.  Fried in 100% vegetable oil, the french fries are so light and crisp.  No greasy taste here...and they're served un-salted!

If you're ever in Arizona, California or Nevada, and if you want the best fast food burger around, pay a visit to In-N-Out.  You'll be happy you did.

In-N-Out Burger
7905 South Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, Nevada
Telephone:  800.786.1000

Annam Hale

It's been a while since I've been to Annam, in fact, the last time I visited this restaurant, it near Ala Moana Shopping Center.  This was more than a couple of years ago.  Now since they've moved to Ward Avenue, the name's changed (they added the word "hale", Hawaiian for house), and they have a lot bigger space, but is the food the same?

When I arrived, the place was empty.  I don't know if this had to do with the time of day or not.  But restaurants in this spot generally don't last very long.  In fact, in the last 10 years or so, there was first a Jumbo's, then Burger King, then MOS Burger, a Korean restaurant, and now Annam Hale (let me know if I've forgotten anything).

Since I dragged a friend along, I started dinner with a salad, bo tai chanh (lemon beef salad, US$6.95).

The salad is made by quickly sautéing thin slices of beef (there was a lot of beef here) with thinly sliced onions, chopped basil, and mint.  It's garnished with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and crushed peanuts and finally, topped with a "sauce" that tastes faintly of lemon juice and fish sauce.  This was perhaps the winner of the night.  The beef was lean and tender, not over cooked.  The seasoning of the sauce was subtle and not overpowering.  The combination of flavors made me want to keep eating!

The main course for me was the pho tai (rare beef noodle soup, US$5.95)

Since I don't like the meat to arrive at the table with the slightest bit of pink coloring to it, I asked for it to be cooked prior to the bowl coming to the table.  This was a huge bowl of pho!  There was a lot of beef in this bowl (I counted 12 thin, lean slices) and a whole lot of noodles floating around in here.  In addition to the thinly sliced onions and green onions floating around in this bowl of pho, there were bits of cilantro (Chinese parsley) here as well.

The pho came with the usual plate of garnishes:  mung bean sprouts, basil, lemon wedges and fresh cut green chilis.  Though the beef was tender (good!), the soup here was a little disappointing.  There was a strong beef flavor to the soup, but no hint of any herbs/seasoning at all.  I couldn't taste any hint of star anise, or cloves, which usually give this dish a distinctive flavor.  Definitely a disappointment.

My friend ordered the bun cha gio ga nuong (cold rice noodles with grilled chicken and spring rolls, US$6.95).

When the bowl arrived, we looked at it for a moment.  The presentation was wonderful.  Everything was arranged just so at the top of the bowl.  How was it? The grilled chicken was great, with just a hint of spiciness.  The spring roll, however, arrived cold and soggy.  Another disppointment. 

Since there are over a hundred items on the menu (including the vegetarian offerings), I'm tempted to come here again even if the pho and the bun cha gio were a bit disappointing.  The food has changed a little since they've moved, but I think I'm willing to give them another chance.  Who knows, I might just come up with another winner.

Annam Hale
515 Ward Avenue
Telephone:  808.597.8749

MOS Burger

UPDATE:  April 2005
MOS Burger has closed.

For me, Japanese-influenced restaurants are a curious thing.  They often serve unexpected things on the menu, and at MOS Burger, it's no exception.  Located in Waikiki since 1989, I believe this is the only MOS Burger shop remaining in Hawaii (out of 4). 

The inside is clean and spacious and actually a bit crowded today.

Since the last time I was here, years ago, MOS Burger has introduced some new and interesting menu items.  The one that really caught my eye was the yakiniku MOS rice burger (US$3.59).

This rice burger is made up of thinly sliced beef that has been stir-fried with bell peppers and onions (I think) and served on compressed "rice buns" with lettuce.  While the concept was unusual, the taste was actually quite conventional.  The "rice buns" were grilled, much like the Japanese yaki-onigiri (grilled rice ball), but they had soaked up the juices from the grilled beef and had absorbed their flavor without becoming mushy.  The "rice buns" went very well with the grilled beef which had the typical teriyaki beef flavor.  It was a meal in sandwich form.

Just in case the yakiniku MOS rice burger didn't work out, I also ordered the old standby, the teriyaki burger combo (includes french fries, tossed salad and medium sized soft drink, US$5.69).

The teriyaki burger was a standard MOS offering.  In fact, it was the first burger that MOS Burger actually offered.  The teriyaki sauce was delicious and a little bit on the sweet side.  The patty was thin (maybe 2 ounces) and a bit overcooked this time.  The sandwich, though, did have loads of lettuce and lots of mayonaisse.   

And no, all of this was not eaten in one sitting, the yakiniku MOS rice burger was eaten at home.

If you're looking for something unconventional, or a simply great teriyaki burger, pay MOS Burger a visit, you won't be disappointed.  This is, in my opinion, the best fast food hamburger around.

MOS Burger
2184 Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  808.926.9993

Saint Louis Drive-In

In an inconspicuous pink building on Waialae Avenue stands St. Louis Drive-In.  There are no signs telling you that you are here, just the window up front where you place your order and the various pieces of paper on the windows announcing specials like Post-It® notes.

Another place from my youth, I'll always remember St. Louis Drive-In for their teriyaki burgers.  The teriyaki, which is loaded with ginger-y flavor, is one of the best.  Since I've been on a quest for bentos lately, I decided to have the KCCN bento.

Named in honor of one of the local radio stations, KCCN (FM 100.3), the bento has the following (clockwise from top left):  luncheon meat, 4 pieces hot fried chicken, 2 pieces fried scallops (with tartar sauce), egg omelet, and teriyaki beef on white rice with furikake and ume.

This bento was just OK.  The deep-fried scallops were nice and crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside.  The teriyaki beef had a wonderful flavor full of ginger, which I liked and is something that is not so easy to find these days.  The main disappointment for me was the hot fried chicken.  The chicken itself seemed undercooked (I would have liked this a bit crunchier) and not hot (spicy) at all.  It seems as though the hot sauce (?) was added as an after thought.  I could have probably ordered a bento with fried chicken, and loaded up on the hot sauce for a similar, if not spicier, flavor.

Oh well, so much for the bento.  Next time I'll just stick to having the teriburger, which is my favorite.

St. Louis Drive-In
3145 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.734.3673

KC Drive Inn

UPDATE:  March 2005
KC Drive Inn has closed.

Several weeks ago, I heard that the KC Drive Inn might be closing soon and that the property was up for sale.  Now since this could happen at anytime, and without sufficient notice, I decided to make a trip there.

KC Drive Inn has been open since the 1929 and used to be located on corner of Kapiolani and Kalakaua where the Hard Rock Cafe now stands.  The restaurant has been in it's currently location since the early 1980's. 

Regarded by most to be the first drive-in restaurant to open in Hawaii, KC Drive Inn is known for the waffle hot dogs and ono ono shakes.  So tonight, I ordered a waffle hot dog with homemade chili (US$3.70).

For those of you who haven't had this, the waffle hot dog is a must try.  The hot dog is actually cooked inside of a crunchy, golden brown waffle.  In fact, if I didn't have this with the homemade chili, I would probably want to spread some butter on this and load up on the maple syrup!  This would actually be great for breakfast.  The chili, while nice and meaty, didn't have the kind of spicy flavor that I normally like.  Next time, I would probably order the waffle hot dog plain with a side of eggs!

In addition to the signature waffle hot dogs, KC Drive Inn also serves saimin, oxtail soup, hamburgers and a wide range of plate lunches.  The food is great and an excellent value.  I guess that's what's kept them in business for more than 70 years. 

KC Drive Inn
1029 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.5581

New Dalisay Café

I haven't done any posts on Filipino food since this blog began, but to be quite honest, I don't eat very much of it.  Why?  Don't know really.  I guess it's because there aren't too many places around that I know of.  Today, we decided to go to New Café Dalisay.

I was unable to take a photo of the restaurant this afternoon because it looked as though there were some "shady" dealings going on in front of and inside of this shop.  As I took out the camera, I got some nasty looks, so I decided that it would be best that I try again another time.  This is not exactly the most friendly neighborhood and to think, it's only a 10 minute walk from the office.  Oh well...I went back to after work and was able to snap this photo.

Judging from the outside, you would never even think to come here to eat.  If you saw the inside, you'd think twice as well.  But you place your orders at the kitchen which looks moderately clean.  The food is often cooked by a middle aged couple, often oblivious to what's going on inside the restaurant and right outside the front door.  We place our order in advance, over the phone, so that it's ready by the time we get there....it's take out (we'll eat at the office, thank you very much)!

This shop has a menu consisting of 10 items at most.  The one item that I always order, and the only one that I've eaten here, is the sari sari (US$6.00).

Sari sari is like a soup filled with squash, eggplant, ung choy (swamp spinach), tomatoes, shrimp and crispy fried pork.  The soup/broth is seasoned with patis (fish sauce).  The soup is a bit salty, but flavorful, tasting both "porky" and mildly fishy at the same time.  The vegetables are cooked until tender and the pork...well, the crispy fried pork, and the fried pork skin, stays crispy even after being in all of that liquid! 

By the way, the portions here are huge!  I had eaten all I could for lunch, and the bowl you're looking at in the picture, is what I was able to take home for dinner.  All in all, this was a very satisfying meal.  Would I recommend the food here?  No doubt.  If you can get past the appearance of the place, then you will definitely be glad you came.

New Dalisay Café - House of Filipino Food
1169 Maunakea Street
Telephone:  808.537.6012

Eggs 'n Things

I spent most of last night trying to get caught up on some office work.  By the time I was done, I realized that it was past 10:30 pm and I still hadn't eaten dinner.  I wondered where I could go to eat...after all, the choices are pretty limited at that hour.  Then I thought about Eggs 'n Things.

Located in Waikiki, this shop is definitely for night owls.  It's closed when most of us are awake, and open when we should be sleeping!  I along with a few others, apparently, felt like eating breakfast food in the middle of the night.

After I was seated, I was handed the menu BOARD.  Yes, the menu is plastered onto a wooden board!  I guess this is so you won't walk out with it.  On one side, the menu is in English, with the other being Japanese.

(The English side.)

After looking over the menu for about 15 minutes, I finally made up my mind to have the sour cream blueberry crepes Suzettes (US$8.00).

(Sorry for the dark picture.)

The menu describes the Crepes Suzettes as "A gourmet's choice, delicate, thin pancakes rolled and filled with special fillings, sprinkled with powdered sugar."...and that's exactly how they arrived. 

I got three of crepes filled with fresh blueberries and sour cream.  The crepe itself was light and fluffy with the edges being slightly crisp and crunchy.  The filling was the perfect compliment to the crepe...but the three of them, proved to be too much for me to finish.  I ended up taking one and a half home for breakfast the next morning.

This is how it looked after I warmed them in the oven.

While definitely not inexpensive, the meal was worth it.  The food was excellent and the portion was more than enough for me.   In fact, most of the people here last night were seen sharing one plate between them. 

The only disappointing thing for me was the service.  Even though there was an abundance of empty tables, I still waited more than 5 minutes for someone to come over and seat me.  Once that was done, I had to wait about another 10 minutes for them to deliver a menu board (it wasn't given to me when I was seated).  After I had placed my order, the food took several minutes to arrive.  All in all, I was here for close to an hour!

Would I come here again?  For the food, absolutely.  For the service, probably not.  Although if you're a night owl, you would be hard pressed to find a meal as good as this as so late an hour.

Eggs 'n Things
1911B Kalakaua Avenue
Telephone:  808.949.0820

Sushi Supreme

UPDATE:  December 2004
Sushi Supreme has closed.
Ninja Sushi now occupies this space.

Several days ago, I went out to lunch with a couple of friends from the office.  We ended up getting lunch from Sushi Supreme.

This is basically a take-out sushi place, however, they do have a few seats upstairs in a small cramped dining area (I think there maybe 12 seats there).  We decided to get our lunch to go and enjoy it outside in the nice warm sun.  I ordered the Creamy Ahi (tuna) Dynamite Roll (US$6.95)

Comparable in price to many other sushi restaurants, the only thing this place lacks is the ambiance.  Otherwise, the food you'll find here is on par with some of the best.  The sushi took a little while to be prepared, but at least it was fresh. 

This sushi is actually eight pieces of uramaki (reverse rolled) California roll sushi (imitation crab, avocado and cucumber).  The topping is made from ahi, mayonaisse, masago (smelt roe), sweet unagi (eel) glaze, Thai chilli sauce and a bit of sesame oil.  It's then baked and topped with sesame seeds.

The combination of flavors in this is just simply amazing.  No, it's definitely not sushi in the traditional sense, but it sure is delicious!  Have another look at this...

Sushi Supreme offers something for everyone from nigiri (hand-pressed) sushi to miso soup and more.  Although I can't eat this for lunch all the time, I do make it a point to come here at least once a month for some of the best lunchtime sushi around.

Sushi Supreme
1150 Bishop Street
Telephone:  808.531.9000

Masu's Massive Plate Lunch

It's the weekend and once again it's plate lunch time.  This time from an old favorite, Masu's Massive Plate Lunches.  Home of the truly "massive" plate lunch, this place has been in business for over 30 years.

Inside the shop, there are quite a number of tables.  Along the far wall, you'll see the "Wall of Fame", which is covered with pictures of "local" celebrities that have stopped in for a bite.  When I arrived yesterday, it was quite empty...

It was probably empty because most of the day's specials were already sold out.  No hamburger steak, no mahi...sheesh!  And I thought I was early...it was only 1:00 pm.  Oh well, I should have known that everything is normally sold out by 11:30 am.  Since I didn't get here early enough for one of the daily specials, I ended up ordering the old stand-by, Masu's Aloha Weekend Special (US$6.80).

In this huge plate lunch I got the following (clockwise from top left):  one lau lau, a scoop of macaroni salad, a huge piece of baked Spam®, two shoyu (soy sauce) hot dogs, kalua pig, and two teriyaki chicken thighs all over two scoops rice!  Now if that isn't massive, I don't know what is!

The lau lau was a bit on the average side flavor-wise, I guess this has to do with the exclusion of that huge chunk of fat that's usually there (a pre-requisite for cooking this) and the salted butterfish.  One thing good about this lau lau is that within the steamed taro leaves lies lots and lots of lean, fork-tender beef.  See for yourself...

The macaroni salad, shoyu hot dogs and baked Spam® are all pretty much standard and are OK.  The kalua pig, which is normally cooked in an imu (pit in the ground filled with hot stones), had a very smoky flavor and was quite delicious.  The teriyaki chicken was nicely flavored, neither too salty or too sweet, and was very tender and juicy.  The meat practically melted in my mouth.

Did I finish it all?  No way!  I ended up taking half the plate home for later.  I also picked up a menu with all of the daily specials listed on it so that I can decide when I'll be here next AND call in my order ahead of time!

Masu's Massive Plate Lunch
1808 Liliha Street
Telephone:  808.524.4260

Cuu Long Nine Dragons River Vietnamese Restaurant

Noodle pie's blog has long been tempting me with lots of tasty looking dishes from Vietnam.  If you'd like, you can visit his weblog by clicking here.  Most of all, though, I've been drooling over the countless noodle dishes and soups that are available there.  His posts on pho have been informative enough that I've recently started on my own trek to find the best pho in Hawaii.

Before deciding on last weekend's dinner at Champa Thai, I spotted Cuu Long a few doors down, and made a note to visit in the upcoming week.

Well, last night, I decided to make the trip back and try out the food here.  Specializing in pho and Vietnamese fondue (hotpot) the menu stated...I decided to start off with an appetizer, the summer rolls (US$3.95).

Filled with pork, shrimp, bean sprouts, mint and rice vermicelli (among other things), these were pretty standard.  In other words, they were fine.  Instead of being served with the usual peanut sauce, though, these were served with something called "bean" sauce.  Don't know what kind of bean it was made up of, but the sauce was quite tasty.

There are about 10 different types of pho being offered here.  I settled on a medium bowl of number 10 on the menu, pho tai bo vien (US$5.50, large US$6.00).

This was described as "noodle soup with eye round steak and meat balls" on the menu.  The bowl arrived steaming hot and garnished with slices of white onions and lots of chopped green onions.  The beef was lean, though it arrived at the table a bit pink.  I took care of that by shoving it to the bottom of the bowl and under the noodles for a couple of minutes.  It came served with all of the usual garnishings...

...sawleaf herb, basil, beansprouts and lemon.  After making all of the necessary additions to the bowl, I was ready to eat.  The soup was bursting with beefy flavor.  The subtle flavor of the herbs further enhanced the rich broth.  The beef was lean and tender.  The beef balls were firm and fresh tasting.  These were also quite lean, lacking the gristle that I've experienced at other places. 

The pho here is outstanding and that definitely puts it ahead of most of the pack.  The soup is delicious, the beef is lean and tender...and well, the price is definitely right.  It's somewhere that I will definitely come to again and won't hesitate to recommend to my friends.

Cuu Long Nine Dragons River Vietnamese Restaurant
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Highway Space B7
Telephone:  808.488.6041

Richie's Drive Inn

I've been going here for many years, so I guess why not...blog about it, that is.  This is Richie's located in the heart of Kalihi.  It's not much to look at, but then we're here to eat right?

It was a typical afternoon and the place was packed.

The people flock to Richie's because of the generous portions, good food and excellent value.  Richie's may also be the only local-style plate lunch joint with a drive-thru window.  Even if the lines are long, there never is much of a wait.  The service is extremely fast (usually under 3 minutes) and efficient.

Today, a friend who's never been here came along to sample the food.  You can't really eat "plate lunches" all that often because they're sometimes artery clogging (loaded with gravy) and/or fattening (served with macaroni salad).  Even if this is the case, I'll have some of the stuff every now and then, especially if it's good.

I ordered the boneless chicken with gravy (US$4.09).

I got three LARGE pieces of boneless chicken that had been breaded and then deep-fried until crispy and golden brown.  Served on your standard "paper" plate with two scoops rice and a scoop of macaroni salad makes this as local as you can get.  Add the gravy all over and you're good to go.  I probably order this more times than anything else on the menu.  It has got to be one of my favorites.

My friend, trying to be more local than I am, had the bento (US$5.05).

This is Hawaii's rendition of the Japanese obento or boxed lunch.  In this particular bento, you'll find (from top clockwise):  teriyaki chicken, teriyaki beef, luncheon meat, kamaboko (fish cake), Spam® and saba (mackerel) all sitting on some white rice and topped with furikake (seasoned seaweed, middle of the picture).  "How did it taste", I asked?  My friend couldn't answer me, he was too busy eating his food. 

Afterwards, he said he was definitely coming back for more...and so do many others.

Richie's Drive Inn
1178 North King Street
Telephone:  808.842.4004 or 808.848.1959

Champa Thai

Located in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center, Champa Thai has been serving food in this location for more than a dozen years. 

I had not been here before, but decided to stop by for dinner last night based on the recommendation of a couple of friends.  Once inside, I looked over the menu and decided to try a few dishes based upon this same recommendation.

For starters, I had the green papaya salad (US$5.75).

When the salad arrived, I discovered that it was literally swimming in sauce.  For me, that was already a strike against this dish.  I normally like a salad to be a bit dry and crisp, and that, this was not.  On the plus side, the papaya was firm and had a nice bite to it.  I was a bit surprised, though, to see that the salad contained large slices of tomato and a huge wedge of cabbage.  I was not used to having either with this dish. 

The salad was definitely a disappointment because I felt that too much nam pla (fish sauce) was used in its preparation detracting from the overall balance of flavor.

Next, I ordered the pla preaw wan (sweet and sour fish, US$8.75).

The menu describes this as deep-fried mahi mahi topped with a sweet sour sauce and mixed vegetables.  There were seven pieces of wonderfully battered and deep-fried fish in this dish.  When this dish arrived at the table, the pieces of fish were still crunchy!  The sweet and sour sauce, had just the right touch of sweetness and tanginess to it.  The vegetables, and a few chunks of pineapple, help round this out.  This was definitely something that I would eat here again.

I also ordered one of the curry dishes to try.  Tonight, I had the gaeng keo wan nua (green curry with beef, US$6.95)

Since I normally don't eat green curries, preferring either yellow or massaman, I was surprised at how light this curry actually was.  It was only mildly spicy (and not at all salty), but surprisingly rich in flavor.  The letdown here was the beef.  It was tough and dry, not anything like what I would have expected.  If the beef had been better, this would have been the star dish of the night. 

To go along with all the dishes was an order of sticky rice (US$1.75).

I was pleasantly surprised to see this arrive in the traditional woven basket! 

Would I make another trip here? Yes, I'd probably be willing to give this place another try.  Although a couple of the dishes were not exactly to my liking, there definitely was some promise in the things that were good.  I was especially impressed with the pla preaw wan, with the sauce having just the right balance and combination of flavors.  The gaeng keo wan nua would probably have been the star dish of the night had it not been for the beef.  Besides, the service was excellent and the prices were more than reasonable.

Champa Thai
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Highway Space C2
Telephone:  808.488.2881

Taiyo Ramen

UPDATE:  October 2005
Taiyo Ramen has relocated. 

Prior to heading out to the mall, I had to make a decision on what to eat for lunch.  I thought of places where I hadn't been to in a while, and the first one that came to my mind was Taiyo Ramen.

Located near Ala Moana Shopping Center, this is like any other typical ramen shop that you might visit except that it is Korean-owned and operated.  Although, I have on ocassion eaten the ramen here, what I normally order, and what I've come for today, is the kim chee fried rice (US$6.75). 

When the dish arrives, I'm confronted with a huge portion of some of the best kim chee fried rice around.  Enough for two (portion wise), the fried rice is at once both hot and spicy.  Served with chunks of pork, lots of kim chee and bits of carrots and onions, my only wish is that a fried egg would have been included with this (like at most other places).

To go along with my kim chee fried rice, is an order of gyoza (potstickers, US$2.99).

The gyoza here is considered by many to be some of the best around, and I'm not going to argue with that.  It's meaty filling is flavorful and loaded with garlic.  So if you love garlic, you're sure to love this homemade gyoza.

If you're in the mood for some great kim chee fried rice, make sure you give this place a try.  You won't be disappointed.  The service is quick and efficient, and given the quantity and quality of the food, this place can be considered a bargain.

Taiyo Ramen
451 Piikoi Street Suite 105
Telephone:  808.589.2123

Donburi-ya DonDon

I've passed by this place many times over the last couple of years, but I have never eaten here.  I always thought it to be a slick version of a Japanese donburi-ya (which it wasn't), which is why I never ventured inside.  Today, my curiousity got the best of me and I decided to have dinner at Donburi-ya DonDon.

The inside of this shop is very small.  A large table on one side of the shop that can seat 10 diners.

And 3 small tables on the opposite side, each seating 4.  The table I sat in was in the farthest corner of the shop.  If you stop by and there is no seating available, you're also able to order from the take out counter and eat inside the Makai Market Food Court where there is tons of seating.

Since I had never been here before, I looked over the menu and quickly spotted something that I was interested in trying, the unatama don (US$6.49).  Normally, the donburi is served with tsukemono (pickled vegetables) and miso soup.  However, I ordered this as part of a value combo that included tsukemono and a bowl of udon (additional US$2.49) instead of the miso soup.

The menu describes this as being "grilled marinated eel, egg, onions and garnishings over rice".  Now how could I resist!  When the dish arrived, I was a bit shocked.  The unagi (eel), instead of being a filet, was chopped up into tiny bits!  Was this to make it easier to eat?  The egg was a little over-cooked for my taste and I felt that the unagi bits were not crispy enough.  When I eat unagi I like it to be grilled until the skin is crispy and most of the fat has melted away, this was just the complete opposite.  It also seemed as though there was a bit too much marinade on the unagi prior to broiling as the dish was a bit on the salty side (probably from the overabundance of soy sauce).

The bowl of udon was a bit better.

There were a lot of udon noodles in the bowl.  The noodles were fresh and firm, not soggy or mushy like they are at some other places that I have tried.  The broth was a bit weak flavorwise, but passable.  There was just a hint of garnish, which was good.  To give it just a little kick I added a bit of shichimi togarashi, which is a ground spice blend made up of cayenne pepper, dried orange peel, poppy seeds, nori (dried seaweed) flakes, and a few other spices.

Thinking that I wanted to eat a bit more (I was wrong), I also ordered a side of pork katsu (cutlet) (US$2.69).

I must say that some praises are due here.  The pork was very lean and tender (probably from tenderizing), with no visible fat!  There was also no greasiness, or oiliness, at all, even though it had been deep-fried.  Normally, the pork used in this is a bit on the fatty side so that the katsu is tender and juicy.  The batter, however, was another story.  I normally like my pork cutlet, or tonkatsu, with just the thinnest layer of batter so that it feels light and crispy when eaten.  This one was coated in a thick batter (probably the same that is used for their tempura) before coating with panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and deep frying.

The food here was a bit hit and miss.  On the one hand, it was a reasonably priced meal with ample-sized portions.  On the other hand, the food, while passable, could have definitely been better.  Would I come here again?  I probably would to try some of the other dishes, but I wouldn't go out of my way to do so.

Donburi-ya DonDon
Ala Moana Shopping Center
Makai Market Food Court
1450 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  (808)944-3618

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Feeling a bit under the weather, and bombarded with work, I haven't been able to post to this blog regularly over the last week.  Last night, I went to the Old Spagetti Factory at the Ward Warehouse for dinner.  This is a family style restaurant that serves mostly spagetti, but a few other Italian-style dishes as well.

When I arrived, it was not crowded...a bit unusual for a Friday night.  I initially requested to sit near the cable car, but unfortunately there were no tables available in that section, so I ended up sitting in the main dining room.

I ordered the chicken parmagiana (US$8.95).  I also asked for the complete meal (additional US$2.25) which comes with your choice of minestrone soup or salad, beverage of your choice and dessert.

I started with the homemade minestrone soup.

Previously when I had ordered the soup as a starter, it was salty.  The explanation was that they were trying out a new vegetable-based stock.  Today, the soup was great.  The saltiness was gone and it was  very tasty.  Full of flavors and made chunky by the inclusion of lot of vegetables, this soup really hit the spot!

Now on to the main dish...

The chicken parmagiana is first seasoned, then lightly coated in bread crumbs and pan-fried.  It's then topped with marinara sauce and mozarella cheese and then baked.  When this arrives at the table, the chicken is still crisp and crunchy.  It's not overwhelmed by either the marinara sauce or the cheese which is great. 

Instead of the usual spaghetti with marinara sauce on the side, I asked for it to be substituted with spaghetti with browned butter and mizithra cheese.  Sinfully delicious, this is one of their signature dishes.  While definitely not good for the arteries, tonight's spaghetti was done just right.  There have been times when the spaghetti has been "swimming" in the browned butter, but not tonight.  The spaghetti had just a light coating of the browned butter, just enough to give it a slightly rich flavor.  Topped off with the mizithra cheese and a bit of chopped parsely make this one of my all time favorites.  If you've never tried mizithra cheese, it is a Greek cheese that is similar in texture and flavor to romano.

If you're looking for homestyle Italian food, at reasonable prices look no futher than the Old Spaghetti Factory.  I guess that's what keeps me coming back time and time again.

The Old Spaghetti Factory
Ward Warehouse
1050 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.591.2513

Chez Sovan Express

There aren't very many interesting new places that have opened up recently, so when this opportunity presented itself, I took a chance.  I spotted Chez Sovan Express one night while walking around after the movies and made a mental note to come here one day soon.

I had never had Cambodian food before, but given the country's close proximity to both Thailand and Vietnam, I was intrigued as to what the food would taste like.  Well, today a few friends called and asked if I wanted to go to lunch.  I suggested this place and they all quickly agreed, as it was on their list of places "to try".

Once there, we made our way inside.  There were a few tables inside the brightly lit space at which you could enjoy your meal.

However, since it was so nice out, we decided to dine on one of the tables outside in the courtyard.  Having never had Cambodian food, the shop's owner was quick to come to our rescue and she recommended a few dishes.

One of the recommended dishes was amok (US$5.99).

This was listed on the menu as "Sovan's signature dish".  Since this dish was prepared with fish, this dish is actually known as amok trei.  This is a piece of white-fleshed fish (I didn't ask what kind) that has been seasoned with coconut, lemongrass, galanga, shallot, and egg.  It is then given a nice dusting of paprika, placed on a bed of collard greens, and wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf.

Only one word to describe this dish...delicious!  The fish was moist and flaky, a bit sweet and just mildly spicy.  This is definitely a dish that I could eat again.

The next dish that we ordered was the cha mee sour (US$3.29, small; US$5.99, large).

Here, rice vermicelli was stir-fried with mixed vegetables and chicken.  It was perfectly seasoned (not salty) and was a good complement to the amok.

We also ordered two of the sach ang (US$1.99 each), one beef and one chicken.

(chicken on top, beef on bottom)

These big and meaty BBQ sticks are reminiscent of satay and were quite tasty.  They are first marinated in spices such as lime, tumeric, galanga and fish sauce (among others), then char-grilled to perfection.  The sach ang were served with both hot chilli sauce and a citrus-y sweet and sour sauce.  This was perhaps my favorite dish here.

The last dish that was ordered was the loc lac (US$7.99).

The menu described this as steak salad.  I was actually very pleasantly surprised to see cubes of steak in this salad rather than thinly sliced beef that is normally used in Thai and Vietnamese beef salads.  The meat is first marinated and then pan-fried.  Served on a bed of romaine lettuce, along with long beans and tomatoes, this salad came with a very nice lime (vinegar?) flavored sauce.  The cubes of steak were very tender and flavorful.  This was a great combination of flavors...perhaps something that I would consider making at home.

Would I come here again?  Definitely!  The food was excellent and the prices were reasonable.  And besides, there are so many more items on the menu that I'd like to try.  I'll be sure to make the trip back real soon!

Chez Sovan Express
Restaurant Row
500 Ala Moana Boulevard
Telephone:  808.599.8812

I ♥ Country Café

Today's lunch was courtesy of a long time favorite, I ♥ Country Café. 

Frequented by body builders, beach goers and everyone in between, this place was probably one of the first in Hawaii that concentrated on making healthy, home-style food.  Many of the dishes served are low in salt, and when possible, little or no oil is used in the cooking.  I've been coming here for many years and nothing about this place has really changed.

While lacking decor or ambiance might detract from a restaurant's appeal, I ♥ Country Café more than makes up for it with a huge expanse of a dining area.  You'd be hard pressed to come here and find no tables available to sit down at...except of course during the lunch/dinner rush!

I ordered one of the house specials:  the demi (half) furikake chicken breast plate lunch (US$6.50).

On a bed of brown rice, and Asian stir-fried veggies (shiitake mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, bean sprouts and carrots), sits a piece of boneless chicken breast that has first been coated with a seasoned egg batter, rolled in nori goma furikake (seaweed and sesame seed sprinkle) and then fried until golden brown.  It's then topped with sauce that's both sweet and spicy.  This has got to be one of my favorites!

I can go on and on about all of the great food served here, including the salads, wraps/sandwiches, plate lunches and vegetarian dishes.  But the food more than speaks for itself.  I guess that's what's kept me coming back for all these years!

I ♥ Country Café
451 Piikoi Street
Telephone:  808.596.8108

Hifumi Restaurant

Tonight, I wanted just a simple dinner, but I didn't feel like cooking.  After the ramen a couple of days ago, I still had a craving for Japanese food.  Since I didn't feel like straying too far from home, I decided to go to Hifumi.

Located at the Chinese Cultural Plaza, Hifumi is only a 5 minute drive away from home.  When I get there, I find only a few of the 20 or so tables occupied. 

Lacking any real decor, or any real ambiance, Hifumi concentrates on serving great food.  Since this place is known for its tempura, and since my intent was to eat something simple, I ordered the ten-don (US$6.95).

What I got was 3 medium-sized shrimp tempura and two pieces of vegetable tempura over a bowl of hot rice.  The shrimp, as well as the vegetables, were deep-fried in a light batter until crunchy and golden brown.  This was simply delicious!  It comes with a bit of dipping sauce on the side, which added a bit of sweetness to both the shrimps and the vegetables.  What I liked about this was that the tempura didn't seem oily or greasy. 

This dish was also served with a small bowl of miso soup, and tsukemono (pickled vegetables) on the side.

To go along with this, I ordered a side order of gyoza (potstickers, US$3.00).

When this arrived, I was surprised to see 5 pieces of pan-fried gyoza.  They appeared to be homemade and tasted quite good.  The gyoza had a perfect skin to filling ratio, and the skin was exactly the right thickness.  The only gripe I have about this is that it arrived oily. 

Despite the oiliness of the gyoza, overall this was a highly enjoyable meal.  The food was delicious and it proved to be a great value.  This is one place that has "earned" many repeat visits for years to come!

Hifumi Restaurant
Chinese Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 113
Telephone:  808.536.3035

Sanoya Rahmen

Last night, I didn't feel like cooking...am I slipping back into my old habits???...probably!  I thought to myself, "Where can I find a good bowl of ramen?".  It was already a little after 8:00 pm and I couldn't think of a thing, so I got in the car and decided to take a drive.

I've actually been driving by this place for months wondering why it's always so crowded.  Tonight, I decided to visit.  There are three things I notice about Sanoya Rahmen when I arrive.  The first thing I notice about this place is that it's very brightly lit...and the second, is that it gets very crowded.  The last, and most important thing that I notice, is that the food is very reasonably priced. 

I take a seat near the kitchen so that I can see all of the yummy food being cooked. 

I decided to have the yasai (mixed vegetable) ramen (US$5.95).

My bowl of piping hot ramen arrived no more than 5 minutes after I placed my order!  Impressive.  Especially since there was only one person in the kitchen and a dining room full of hungry customers! 

The noodles were done just right.  By that I mean, the noodles still had a bit of bite and firmness to them.  The broth was full of flavor, though, just a tad bit oily.  I didn't sense any MSG in the broth, and that's always a good thing.  There was also a ton of vegetables in my bowl:  bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, broccoli and green onions.

Overall, this was a very satisfying bowl of ramen.  I'm looking forward to coming back to sample more of what's on the menu.  Hopefully, I'll be able to come back soon!

*Fact*  It is thought that the Japanese word ramen is derived from the Chinese characters for la and mian (hand-pulled noodles).

Sanoya Rahmen
1785 South King Street
Telephone:  808.947.6065

La Bamba

It's been a while since I last had Mexican food.  In fact, it's been about 4 years!  Why so long?  Well...because there's a lack of good Mexican restaurants here in Hawaii.  Since I felt like eating Mexican food tonight, I decided to visit an old favorite, La Bamba.

I've been visiting La Bamba since the early 90s and the food and atmosphere have not changed at all since the last time I was here.  I tried to come here a few nights ago only to find this place packed, however, I got lucky tonight...there are a few tables available when I arrive at about 7:00 pm.

(Please excuse the photos.  I was unable to "remove" the yellowish cast, which was caused by the lighting inside, from a few of the pictures.)

I was served the requisite chips and homemade salsa to start.  In addition to the homemade salsa, I decide to order a small guacamole (US$4.00) to enjoy with my chips as well.

Many times, guacamole is made with mashed avocados.  I love this one because it's served chunky style.  You get nice big chunks of avocado and tomato, and lots of cilantro (Chinese parsley) too.  This is the best guacamole I've ever tasted.

For dinner, I ordered the carne asada (grilled steak, US$14.95).

The food here is cooked homestyle.  No frills.  The refried beans and fluffy Mexican-style rice are served on the side with a small lettuce and tomato salad, a small portion of guacamole and two flour tortillas.  The steak is lean and tender.  Seasoned perfectly with just the right amount and right combination of spices to make your taste buds smile. 

Overall this was a nice way to end the long weekend.  The food and service, as always, was great!  Now, the only thing I need to do, is make sure I come back...and come back soon!

La Bamba
847 Kapahulu Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.1956

Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company

Just got back a little while ago from having lunch.  I actually gave myself a treat today and went to have a nice steak lunch at Stuart Anderson's at the Ward Warehouse.

They often run specials and a couple of weeks ago there was a coupon in the Sunday paper which allows one to have any entree on the regular lunch menu for US$7.50.  The coupon was set to expire in a couple of days, so I decided that I would go today.

Since it was lunchtime...well, actually since it was LATE lunchtime (2:00 pm), I had no trouble securing a table.  Once inside, it has the feeling of a barn or hunting lodge...sort of that rustic feel. 

After being seated, I was offered a loaf of hot, fresh-baked multigrain bread....

This bread was really delicious and still so warm. 

After looking over the menu I decided to order the teriyaki sliced sirloin (US$7.50, regular price US$9.99).

It's a six ounce cut of sirloin steak that's char-grilled and topped with Stuart Anderson's homemade sesame teriyaki sauce.  It's also served with your choice of rice, french fries or baked potato and deep fried, crunchy zucchini.  Instead of starch, I decide to get more steamed vegetables.

The steak here was tender and juicy, even though I had ordered it well done.  The teriyaki sauce that was drizzled on top was nice and sweet.  The vegetables, squash and zucchini, were steamed perfectly and were still crisp.  And the fried zucchini had just the right amount of crunch without being oily.

To go along with meal, I ordered a side Caesar salad (US$1.50).

This was one huge side salad.  In fact, you could probably split this between 2 or 3 people and still have enough.  Today, the salad is perfect, and for me that means that it was not soaked in salad dressing.  And considering that Caesar salad dressing normally is made with anchovy paste, this one was not salty at all. 

Today's lunch was certainly a great deal.  Wonderfully delicious for a great price!  I need to keep my eyes open for the next coupon special to come around so that I can come back again...and soon!

Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company
Ward Warehouse
1050 Ala Moana Boulevard, Building F
Telephone:  (808)591-9292
Hours:  11:00 am - 10:00 pm (Mon - Thur)
11:00 am - 10:30 pm (Fri - Sat)
12:00 noon - 9:20 pm (Sun)

Bravo Restaurant

A friend's birthday was about 2 weeks ago.  At that time, I invited him out to dinner, but he couldn't make it, so he asked to take a "rain check".  Well, last night he called and asked if I was free and I was.  He decided to cash in his "rain check" and asked if I wanted to go to Bravo's.  I haven't been there in over a year, so I said sure why not.

Bravo's is located at the Pearlridge Shopping Center right below Anna Miller's and across the parking lot from Starbuck's Coffee.  It specializes in Italian food and has received high marks from many local diners.  As I looked over the menu, our server brought some garlic rolls that were hot, buttery, spicy and delicious!

The rolls are so good that I could have probably eaten the entire basket by myself!

I decided to start off with a salad.  I ordered the chopped salad (half, US$6.95; full, US$8.95).

This salad is a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, olives, turkey, salami and gorgonzola cheese.  All of this is tossed with some creamy dressing.  The ingredients for the salad were very fresh.  The one thing I didn't like about this salad was the dressing.  There was simply too much of it!  I normally like my salads on the "dry" side.  This salad, however, was soaked in dressing which formed a small pool at the bottom of the plate.  This made the lettuce and other ingredients feel soggy in my mouth.  Maybe next time, I'll ask to have the dressing on the side.

For my main dish, instead of ordering pasta, which I always have when I come here, I decided to try one of the pizzas.  I order the 8" Wahiawa pizza (US$8.75).  Wahiawa is a town that one passes through on the drive to Oahu's North Shore.  It was once known for it's endless sugarcane and pineapple fields. 

On the menu, the ingredients sounded good:  SPAM®, Canadian bacon, pineapple (I guess that's where the name Wahiawa came from) and green onions.  When the pizza arrived, however, it was not what I expected at all!

Doesn' this look like something a child in the second grade would put together?  What I had expected were chunks of SPAM®, Canadian bacon and pineapple surrounded by melting mozarella cheese with a bit of green onions sprinkled on top.  What I got was a 3 pieces of each ingredient on top of a half cooked pizza with green onions sprinkled on top.  The pizza arrived at the table just slightly warm and the cheese looked barely cooked.  This was an utter disappointment.

All in all, this dinner was a let down for me.  In addition to being a bit pricey, the food was not as good as I had hoped it would be.  The only thing I found worthwhile tonight were the garlic rolls....and they were free!

Bravo Restaurant
Pearlridge Centre
98-115 Kaonohi Street
Telephone:  808.487.5544

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop

Located near the busy intersection of Auahi and Kamake'e stands Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop.

This is the "town" outpost of the legendary North Shore sandwich shop of the same name.  They've been in business for over 20 years, on the North Shore, serving the same huge charbroiled burgers and sandwiches that everyone loves.  In fact, they've become so popular, that in addition to this location in town, they've also set up shop in Los Angeles and Japan!

It's quite crowded when I arrive...

and before I even get my food, the place gets to be like a sardine can!  This place is extremely popular with both the locals and the tourists. 

On my last visit here, they didn't have any avocado...but today, I'm in luck...they have avocado!  I ordered a 1/3 lb. cheeseburger (with cheddar cheese) on a kaiser roll (US$6.00) and add on the avocado (US$1.10). 

The burger is served with lettuce, tomato, mayonaisse, grilled onions (none for me) and a carrot stick at no extra charge.  The burger is charbroiled to perfection and very nicely seasoned.  It's moist and juicy...and it goes so well with the fresh avocado. 

I also get a small order of home-made French fries (US$1.80).

These are of the shoestring variety, and although I normally prefer thick, wedge-type fries, these are actually quite nice.  They're very light and crisp with no added salt! 

Besides burgers, Kua 'Aina serves a wide range of sandwiches such as turkey, roast beef and mahi mahi, but it's the burgers that really put them on the map.  Now that I'm done, I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Kua 'Aina Sandwich Shop
Ward Village Shops
1116 Auahi Street
Telephone:  808.591.9133

Ethel's Grill

Hawaii is full of proverbial "hole-in-the-wall" places and Ethel's Grill is one of them.  Ethel's has been doing business in the same spot for over 25 years.  Located in a mostly industrial section of Kalihi, you'd probably miss it if you didn't know where to look.

When I arrive, I was lucky to find a table available.  In fact, I timed my arrival for approximately 20 minutes ahead of the 2:00 pm closing.  Why?  If I had come earlier, I probably wouldn't have gotten a table without a wait.  Ethel's is small and cramped and often jam-packed with people!

Hanging near the register, you'll find the sheets of paper that make up the handwritten menu as well as the paper signs that announce the daily specials. 

Today, I have the mahi mahi (dorado/dolphinfish, US$6.00). 

A huge piece of egg-dipped mahi mahi is fried and served with 2 scoops of white rice, a wedge of lemon and some tartar sauce.  The fish is fresh and is fried with just the right amount of seasoning (not too salty) and just the right amount of egg. 

The lunch is served with a bowl of miso soup.

It also comes with a bowl of tossed greens served with Ethel's homemade parsley dijon dressing.  The dressing is creamy, tangy, spicy and full of herbs.  An excellent original!

And a plate of tataki sashimi.  Tataki sashimi is raw fish that is cooked on the outside and still raw on the inside (seared).  This one's just slightly seared and served on a bed of radish sprouts and bean sprouts.  A healthy serving a Ethel's "secret" tataki sauce, is then poured on top.  The sauce seems to be a blend of shoyu (soy sauce) and sesame oil, and is full of sliced garlic.  A perfect marriage of tastes and flavors.

Oh, and did I also mention that you get a drink (iced tea or fruit punch) too?  Where else do you think you can get such great value?  The food is fresh and cooked to order...and the portions...well, they're downright huge.  That's what keeps me, and apparently many others, coming back for more.

Ethel's Grill
232 Kalihi Street
Telephone:  808.847.6467

Mililani Bar-B-Q

Tonight, I had to go back to WalMart to return something that I had purchased.  It was the perfect excuse to have dinner at Mililani Bar-B-Q.

Why did I need an excuse to come here?  Well, it is quite a far drive from home to Mililani, almost 20 miles to be exact...so it's not exactly something that can be decided on at the spur of the moment.  Besides, it was getting late, almost 8:15 pm when I left the house and I was hungry.

Luckily for me, they let me in the door to place an order at 8:45 pm.  I quickly took a seat and ordered the bi bim bap (US$6.20).

Couldn't tell you what the name of this dish translates to, but it is a bowl of white rice, topped with vegetables, meat and a fried egg.  This one has watercress, bean sprouts, carrots, lettuce, cucumber, carrots and barbecue beef all topped with a fried egg.  My only wish is that the egg wouldn't have arrived at the table so well fried.  It's actually much better with a nice soft yolk oozing everywhere.

All you need to do, is add some ko chu jang sauce (hot bean paste), mix and eat!

If I didn't know better, I'd say this looked like fried rice.  This also comes with a bowl of Korean miso soup and the usual side dishes.

This was a great meal and well worth the money.  I guess that's why I keep coming back for more....

Mililani Bar-B-Q
Mililani Town Center
95-129 Meheula Parkway Suite D-8
Telephone:  808.623.5211

Sugoi

While out shopping today, I decided to take a little side trip to Sugoi for lunch.

Located in a small strip mall which was once the old Kapalama Gems parking lot, Sugoi has made quite a name for itself in the few years that they've been open.  Specializing in bentos and plate lunches, Sugoi has something for everyone, although speaking from experience, one of their most popular dishes has got to be the karai (spicy) garlic chicken plate (US$5.95). 

Here, pieces of boneless chicken are deep-fried until crunchy and golden brown.  Next they are coated with the spicy garlic sauce and then served with 2 scoops rice and your choice of tossed or macaroni salad.  Since this is deep-fried, and to give my arteries a bit of a rest, I have the tossed salad, with no dressing.

If I could, I would probably eat here more often.  The prices are reasonable, the service is fast and efficient, the food is delicious and the portions are well...sometimes even too much for me to finish!  All of this makes Sugoi a bargain and a great place for lunch.

Sugoi
City Square
1286 Kalani Street Suite 106
Telephone:  808.841.7984

La Pizza Rina

Since I had a somewhat healthy lunch today, I thought I could indulge a bit more during dinner.  So I called a friend and headed on over to La Pizza Rina. 

This is a fairly small place that has room for about 35-40 people.  It's usually very crowded, and tonight, there was just a tiny bit of breathing room.

It's been a while since I've been here, so tonight, I resort to having my favorites!  For starters, it's a large antipasto salad (US$5.95).

This salad is huge!  It's a bed of iceberg lettuce, topped with rolled ham and cheese, salami, pepperoni, pickled celery, onions, cauliflower and carrots, black olives, and slices of tomato and cucumber.  Then, it's drizzled with La Pizza Rina's own homemade Italian-style dressing.  This dressing is actually one of the best Italian dressings that I've ever had!  Full of herbs and spices, but not over powered by either the olive oil or vinegar.  Two thumbs way up!

Next, we both decide to order the lasagne with meat sauce (US$6.50).

What makes this dish special is the meat sauce.  It's thick and chunky and is served topped with some melting mozarella cheese.  After I load it up with some crushed red pepper and grated parmesian cheese...it was gone in no time!

The lasagne also comes with a side order of garlic bread.

Tonight, the bread is a let down.  It doesn't seem to be cooked at all.  I normally like it to be served nice and hot with a crisp and crunchy crust, but this arrives at our table just mildly warm and lacking any sort of crunchiness. 

For the most part dinner tonight was a success.  The bread, while not to my liking, can't really detract from the overall satisfaction that I got from eating this meal!  After having both the lasagne and antipasto salad, I remember why this is one of my favorite places to eat homestyle Italian food.

La Pizza Rina
1425 South King Street
Telephone:  808.941.6634

Ahi Vege

Today was a holiday for us here in Hawaii.  It was Kamehameha Day, and in honor of this great man who united all of the Hawaiian Islands under a single ruler, many people had the day off from work.  Not me!  So as lunchtime came and went, I could not decide on what I wanted to eat.  So off I went...there weren't too many places to eat, and since I'm not really a fast food person, I quickly walked past those places and ran into this one.

Now there was no sign around telling me what the name of this place was, but it looked clean and judging by the pictures of the food on the walls, it looked quite healthy.  As I walked in, I saw a few people sitting at tables having lunch.

As I glanced at their food, the salad one woman was eating looked very good.  When I asked her what it was, she said it was the ahi vege.  So I approached the counter and ordered my own ahi vege salad (US$5.76) to go.

Imagine my surprise when I got back to the office and opened up the styrofoam container to find this!

Doesn't that look delicious?  This salad has a base of crisp iceberg lettuce which is then topped various ingredients.  Clockwise from the right:  tobiko (flying fish roe), julienned carrots, julienned cucumbers, shredded cabbage, kizami nori (dried seaweed strips)...and in the middle, about 4 ounces of fresh, raw ahi cubes!  What's ahi?  It's actually Hawaiian for tuna.  This fish is quite fatty and very popular amongst locals.  It's generally used to make sashimi (sliced raw fish), nigiri (hand-pressed) sushi and the ever popular poke (cubed raw, fresh fish mixed with other ingredients).

The salad came with 2 types of dressings, one which tasted like it had a sesame oil base, and another which had a spicy base that reminded me of ko chu jang (Korean hot bean paste) sauce.  I put a little of each on my salad...

...well, I guess you know what happened next!  How was it?  It was delicious!  Just the right amount for lunch.  I didn't feel hungry afterwards, and was pleasantly surprised how good raw fish could taste on a salad.  I just might make this place a regular lunchtime hangout!

Big City Diner Kaimuki

Tonight, dinner was at Big City Diner in Kaimuki. 

When I arrived at about 8:00 pm, it was fairly crowded as it normally is.

(Sorry for the blurry photo.  I was trying to rush and didn't have time to take another.)

Normally the wait can be anywhere from 15-30 minutes for a table, but since I was meeting a few friends,and since they were already seated when I arrived, I bypassed those in line and took my place at the table....much to the envy of those still waiting!

Now, let me start by saying that I may be a bit prejudiced when writing about this place.  After all, I've been coming here since it first opened almost 6 years ago.  The burgers are tops, but tonight, what brought me here was...

Mamasan's monster meatloaf (US$9.95 with rice, add $1.99 to substitute garlic "smashed" potatoes)!

You get two hefty slices of meatloaf served atop sauteed spinach and smothered in rich mushroom marsala gravy!  This has got to be some of the best meatloaf I have ever tasted.  In fact, this meatloaf is so tasty, it even rivals homemade!  The meatloaf is moist and juicy, the gravy is rich and full of mushrooms, and the garlic "smashed" potatoes are well...in one word...GREAT!

My entree even came with a side salad. 

Now this is no ordinary tossed salad that looks like it came out of a generic bag.  This salad is made with mixed Upcountry greens topped with julienned carrots and beets, and served with the house dijon vinaigrette.

No trip to Big City Diner would be complete with out one of their famous desserts.  Tonight, I opt for the Big Brownie Bubbies® Pie (US$5.50). 

This is every dessert lovers dream!  Who wouldn't love the homemade brownies, Bubbies® vanilla bean ice cream, whipped cream, chopped nuts and caramel sauce?  This was a perfect ending to a great meal!  Now, who's going to roll me out of here?

Big City Diner Kaimuki
3565 Waialae Avenue
Telephone:  808.738.8855

Helena's Hawaiian Food

Hawaiian food is pretty simple and straight forward.  No fancy ingredients, and no special spices.  When I think of Hawaiian food, I think of only 2 places...today, I made a trip to the one that stands out in my mind the most, Helena's Hawaiian Food. 

Why do I remember this place?  Well, it was actually the first place that I had ever eaten Hawaiian food at about 27 or so years ago, and although the shop has moved once since the first time I was here, the food is still the same.  Helen Chock, owner of Helena's, has been in business for almost 60 years and is the owner/chef of first Hawaii restaurant to be honored with the James Beard Foundation's Regional Classics Restaurant Award in 2000.  Mrs. Chock, who's in her late 80s, still works at the restaurant daily...how's that for dedication?

Today, the restaurant is quiet.  There are a few groups of people eating here at 1:30 pm and a few tourists have just happened to walk in, mentioning that they had read about the place in the Zagat Survey.

After I'm seated, the waitress comes over to take my order with a smile and a glass of ice cold water in hand (thank you)!  Gosh...it's hot outside today!  Since I'm eating alone, I can't order too much (otherwise I won't eat it all), so instead of ordering something on the pre-set menu, I order dishes ala carte.

First, I start with a bowl of poi (small bowl, US$1.75). 

Poi is a staple of the Native Hawaiian diet, much like rice is a staple in most Asian diets.  Poi is made by first steaming, baking or boiling the taro corm/tuber and then pounding with water to produce poi.  There is a distinct taste that's very hard to describe, but other than that, there is very little flavor to this at all. 

Second on my list to order is the luau squid (US$2.75).

I know what you're thinking...what is that?  Well, squid luau, is squid that has been cooked with luau (taro) leaves and coconut milk.  That said, this is one of the best that I've ever tasted.  Smooth and creamy, with not too much coconut milk, but just enough to enhance the flavor of the luau leaves.  There were generous portions of melt-in-your-mouth squid to be found in this dish as well!

The last dish that I had is probably one that this place is most famous for, the pipikaula-style short ribs (small order, US$3.50).

Pipikaula is similar to beef jerky.  Traditionally, it's prepared by first rubbing strips of beef with coarse salt and hanging to dry until the outside is dry and the inside is still juicy (normally about 2 days).  Helena's makes the pipikaula-style short ribs in a similar fashion, hanging the pieces of short ribs over the stove in the kitchen to dry.  My guess is that right before serving, the short ribs are quickly pan fried to give it a bit of "crunch".  The outside was crispy, the inside moist and tender, and the meat had just the right amount of fat to make this a winner!  As far as flavor, this had just the right hint of salt, not too much and not too little!  Ahhhh.......

The meal is rounded out by a small serving of raw Maui onions, red alae salt (the red color comes from clay) and haupia (which is a coconut flavored dessert, similar in texture to a really firm pudding).

All in all, this was a simple, yet satisfying meal.  As I left the restaurant, I wondered why I don't come here more often.  Since I couldn't answer that, I guess that means that I will be here more often to enjoy more of this fantastic food!

Helena's Hawaiian Food
1240 North School Street
Telephone:  808.845.8044

Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp

Today was a wonderful day to take a drive to the North Shore.  Why?  Because it was a holiday and I didn't have to go to work...because it was a nice sunny day...and because I had some out of town guests.  So I decided to take them to eat at Giovanni's in Kahuku.  Now this place has no real address.  Well then how exactly do you find it?  Just keep driving down Kamehameha highway, past the Polynesian Cultural Center (if you're coming from the Windward side) until you see the sign.

Ask any local about this place and most will tell you that it serves the best shrimp scampi around!  I do have to agree that it is one of the best, and the added bonus is that it all comes from a grafitti covered truck.

Now this place is not exactly known for it's decor.  A few plastic picnic tables under a couple of tents...definitely not enough space to seat everyone who comes here.  Here's a look at the crowd that's just beginning to form when we arrive at 12:15 pm.

We were lucky that there was only one person in line ahead of us.  As I approached the truck to order, I glanced at the menu...still the same 3 items that I remember!

Well, I was going to order #2, Hot and Spicy shrimp (read below..."super hot, NO REFUNDS!!"), but was told that they only had #1, Shrimp Scampi today (US$11.00).  So that's what I had with hot sauce on the side.  As I waited for a table to become available and for my number to be called (I was #235, when we got there they had just announced #229), the people started to arrive.  In a matter of minutes a whole throng of people appeared!

After a 15 minute wait, they called my number.  As I went to retrieve my plate of shrimp scampi, I overheard the order taker telling customers in line that it would be an approximate wait of 45 minutes!  Now that isn't so bad.  The last time I was here, I had to wait a little over an hour!  And here is what I was waiting for....

What I got was 2 scoops white rice topped with a bit of scampi sauce, a lemon wedge, and half a pound of shrimp scampi served in the shell.  I had 12 pieces of shrimp and it was delicious!  The shrimp was fresh and done just right (not overcooked!) and the sauce was buttery and full of garlic!  Sinful?  You bet, but worth every mouthful!

The only let down was that the side of hot sauce was not hot at all!  It seemed like some generic hot sauce mixed with melted butter.  Hopefully the next time I come here they have the hot and spicy, otherwise, I'll just have to make due with the shrimp scampi which isn't a bad consolation after all.

Giovanni's Aloha Shrimp
Kamehameha Highway, Kahuku

Little Village Noodle House

It was almost 9:00 pm and I still hadn't eaten dinner when the phone rang.  A couple of friends also hadn't eaten and asked if wanted to join them for dinner.  Well, at 9:00 pm who was I to refuse such an invitation, especially since there was nothing interesting to eat at home.  Since it was raining, I suggested that we go somewhere close to home.  For me, that meant Chinatown and Little Village Noodle House.

I've been to this place many times over that last few years.  It bills itself as having "simple and healthy" authentic Chinese cuisine.  Well, the food is simple, and is most often made without too much oil or MSG...so I guess that would qualify as healthy.

Tonight upon arriving, it wasn't too crowded.  Only a couple of the tables in the restaurant were occupied.

As we were seated and given our water and hot tea, we were also treated to some cucumber pickles.  These were a bit spicy and marinated with lots of chilli.

I also found that the menu had changed since my last visit about 2 months ago, but many of my favorites were still still being offered.  We started with the pan fried beef with chili and garlic (US$8.25).

This is actually my favorite dish here!  The beef is pan fried with chili and garlic until crispy.  On the menu, this is labeled as a "spicy" dish, but to be honest, it's just not enough spice (heat) for me.  I wish they would add a bit more spice!  I'm happy to report that this dish, as always, is not oily at all.  They must use very little oil in the actual frying of the dish and that's what makes this dish so good!

We also order, the steamed basa fillet (US$12.95).

I was told that basa is catfish and we're served two really good sized fillets.  The sauce is mildly flavored and not at all salty.  The fish is topped with slivers of ginger and green onions.  This tastes very delicious over hot rice.  This is only the second time that I've eaten this dish here, and I'm wondering why I don't eat it more often.

The last dish we order is a new item on the menu.  It's called clams in lemon grass sauce (US$9.95).

First of all, the clams were very fresh.  This made the dish wonderful.  They were plump and the flavor of the sauce...well, I can't say enough good things about it.  There was some dou miao (snow pea shoots) stir-fried in the along with the lemongrass, wine and chilli...ahhhhhh!

Well, it was nice to have ended up here tonight to try some of the new menu offerings.  I'm looking forward to trying more...and soon!

Little Village Noodle House
1113 Smith Street
Telephone:  808.545.3008

Fairwood Drive Inn

Been to a potluck lunch or dinner lately?  Chances are good that you've had the honey-garlic chicken from Fairwood.  This is the restaurant's top seller and it's delicious!  Fairwood is in a fairly non-descript building not too far from the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

I've been coming to Fairwood for quite some time now and this place is known for it's large portions and reasonable prices.  Tonight, since I was dining alone, I decide to have the honey-garlic chicken with fried rice (US$5.75).

Look at the size of the portion!  The chicken is just simply delicious!  Pieces of chicken are dipped in batter, then deep-fried until they are golden brown.  Next the honey-garlic sauce is added.  Then the dish is topped with some sesame seeds!  The pieces of chicken are crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside...and the sauce, just sweet enough, but not overly sweet!  Ahhhh....this has got to be one of my favorites.  The char siu fried rice that comes with the dish is great!  It's neither too oily or too salty...in fact, it's a perfect match for the sweetness of the chicken!

Fairwood Drive Inn specializes in Chinese take-out food and local style plate lunches.  Next time you're in the neighborhood, try Fairwood, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

Fairwood Drive Inn
815 Keeaumoku Street
Telephone:  808.943.2688

You Hungry?

I'm forever driving past the intersection of Atkinson Drive and Kapiolani Boulevard, but never thought to stop to see what was located on the corner.  Ummm....there's a 7-11 there, but I didn't really think there was anything else to be found there.  Until, of course, a friend told me about this place. 

You Hungry? is a local style plate lunch place that serves food in either Hungry? size or Sorta? Hungry size.  They have quite a bit on the menu, and while most of the items are common to plate lunch places, there are some uncommon choices as well.

Today, I had the cheeseburger with french fries (US$3.50)

It was a nice sized homemade burger served with some nice thick cut french fries.  Everything is cooked to order, so this is real homestyle eating!  I like the fact that this burger is served with lettuce, tomato and onions at no extra charge.  Most places would call this a deluxe and charge an extra 25-50 cents.  If you wanted to, you can even substitute the french fries with tossed salad or tuna macaroni salad at no extra charge as well....  How's that?

Since my friend brought me here, I was obliged to buy him lunch as well....  He decided to have the mahimahi loco moco Hungry? size (US$6.05).

Look at how good that looks!  You get the standard rice (looked like more than 2 scoops to me!), topped with a couple of huge pieces of mahimahi, brown gravy and a couple of fried eggs!  Instead of the standard tuna macaroni salad, which is delicious here, he opted for the tossed greens...so that he wouldn't have too much of an artery clogging experience!

Since this was my first time here, I must say that the food was excellent and a great value as well!  I'll be sure to come back to try the other items on the menu real soon!

You Hungry?
1695 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.949.8707

Café Maharani

It's been a while since I've been out to eat Indian food, so a couple of nights ago, I invited a friend out to dinner.  Café Maharani is one of the few South Indian restaurants here in Honolulu, so that's where I decided to go. 

When we arrive, about 7:15 pm, there is only one table left in the entire place!  After we are seated, more people start to arrive and are told that the wait for a table will be about 30 minutes!

The place is a bit dark with only some ambient lighting to set the mood.  There are a couple of television monitors around playing scenes from Indian movies that are quite entertaining!  After reviewing the menu, we decide to order the following:

vegetable samosas (US$3.99).

These are crispy fried pastry cones filled with cooked, curried vegetables.  They are served with mint sauce and a spicy chutney.  I tried both sauces and I think this tastes best with the spicy chutney.

chicken biryani (US$11.99).

This is really delicious!  Normally the chicken would not be cooked together with the rice, but served separately.  The rice was very flavorful and the balance of flavors was excellent!

eggplant tikka masala (US$8.99).

This dish is made by first deep frying slices of eggplant, then adding it to a sauce made with tomato, onions and other spices.  The last time I had this dish, the slices of eggplant were still very crispy when the dish arrived at our table.  Tonight, the eggplant seemed a bit "mushy" and over-cooked.  It lacked the crispiness that I enjoyed.  I was a bit disappointed.

Now usually when I go to Indian restaurants, I like to have some of their bread.  Previously, I had the paratha (OK), the naan (not so good), and the chapati (better than the naan).  This time, they offered dhosa as a special so I ordered one piece (US$1.99).

Dhosa is a type of thin pancake that is made of fermented rice and Urad lentils and then fried until crispy.  This one was topped with chopped cilantro, which I found a bit unusual.  The dhosa was a bit thicker than what I was used to, and not as crispy as I was used to either.  Sad to say, another disappointment.

Normally, the food is much better than it was tonight.  Perhaps it was because it was very busy (we had to wait more than 30 minutes after ordering for our food to arrive).  We'll just have to wait and see on our next visit.

Café Maharani
2509 South King Street
Telephone:  808.951.7447

Yummy Ice Garden

After years of coming to this place to eat their shave ice, I finally decided to actually try some of the food here.  Yummy Ice Garden is a literal hole in the wall...

There are only 5 tables inside with room for about 14 people...and that's if you squeeze 4 to a table on the slightly larger ones in the back.

The menu, like at other Taiwanese restaurants that I've been to, is written on brightly colored strips of paper that are affixed to the wall...

Since I really had no idea what to order, I chose something on the menu that had a picture next to it, shabu shabu beef on rice (US$4.80).  For those of you who don't really know, shabu shabu style beef is very thinly sliced and most of the time very fatty AND is most often associated with Japanese food!  The word's literal translation is "swish-swish", which refers to the "swishing" action of cooking the thinly sliced beef in a boiling pot of water.  When the food came to the table, the thinly sliced beef was the only thing that remotely resembled the shabu shabu that I was familiar with.

That said, this dish was very tasty.  The gravy was mildly flavored and complimented the beef and vegetables very well.  The beef was very tender and not fatty at all...that was a big surprise!  AND there were so many pieces of beef here...I didn't think there could be so much beef in this dish!

The meal was also served with a bowl of soup (?) that had 2 pieces of cooked daikon  (a type of white radish) in it.  The soup was almost flavorless and was a perfect way to end the meal.   

The portion of food served was just right (I felt full, but not stuffed) and the food?  Did I mention that I was coming back again tomorrow?

UPDATE MAY 20, 2004

As I mentioned above, I did make it back today to have the mochi rice (US$4.50) for lunch.

The flavor of the rice was similar to that of Hainanese-style chicken rice, but not as oily or flavorful.  It was topped with some meat sauce (minced pork) and shredded chicken.  On the side were cooked bean sprouts, salted vegetable and a stewed egg.  This was so good, I could eat this daily!

And how could I forget dessert...today, I had the coconut tapioca with taro (US$1.20).

Just one word to describe it...YUMMY!

Yummy Ice Garden
79 South Pauahi Street
Telephone:  808.533.3142

Sunshine Café

UPDATE:  March 2005
Sunshine Café has closed.

Today for lunch, I decide to try something new.  Not wanting to venture too far from the office, I happened upon Sunshine Café.

This restaurant is located in the heart of downtown Honolulu and in the general vincinity of Hawaii Pacific University.  The university is known for its large population of foreign students from Southeast Asia and Europe and all points in between.  The shops in the area cater to many of these students, so within walking distance, you'll find fast food favorites such as McDonald's, Taco Bell and Subway Sandwiches, but in between, there are many hidden treasures...like this one.

Sunshine Café bills itself as a Taiwanese restaurant so go inside to see what they have to offer.

(Sorry you can't see the menu board, must be the flash.)

Today, I've decide on the beef soup with dumplings (US$4.95)...

and the meat sauce on rice with egg (US$2.25)...

The beef soup had a really beefy flavor.  I could taste the undertones of star anise and a few other spices...overall, the soup was very delicious...and they were very generous with the well stuffed dumplings (I counted 8 in my bowl)!  The soup was also garnished with some chopped spring onions, some baby bak choy and a lone piece of fishcake.

The meat sauce on rice is a standard Taiwanese dish.  Most of the time, though, I find that this is made with minced (ground) pork.  This time, it was actually made with shredded pork and topped with fresh cilantro.  The meat sauce was actually very nice.  The egg, on the other hand, could have used a big more "stewing" as the flavor wasn't as rich.

I was pleasantly surprised with the food, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back again.  Although this wasn't the perfect meal, I will most definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu!

Sunshine Café
1148 Fort Street Mall
Telephone:  808.528.1988

Triple One

I got a call today from a Singaporean friend inviting me to lunch.  Who would be foolish enough to pass up a free lunch?  Not me!  I suggested that we meet up in Chinatown since there are a lot of places to eat there.  Once there, we headed for the food court at the Maunakea Marketplace.  The food court is made up of about 20 stalls or so, and as usual, it was packed.

We quickly walked around and decided to try the last stall on the end, Triple One.  It proclaims to sell, Chinese, Singaporean and Malaysian Food. 

My friend decided to have the Singapore laksa (US$5.00).  After all, isn't this Singapore's signature dish?  There are actually many different types of laksa, but this one seemed to be a variety of laksa lemak.

When the dish arrived, it looked much different than the picture that was on the menu board.  According to my friend, the flavoring of the soup was almost correct, but a little salty.  It was also missing the flavor of the laksa leaf, which I'm told makes this soup special.  The other thing that was wrong?  The noodles.  This version used a very thin rice noodle.  I'm told that the traditional laksa noodle is a bit thicker and much tastier.  Otherwise, the toppings were all there:  tofu, shrimp, fish balls, squid, bean sprouts and spring onions.

I, on the other hand, decided to have the Singapore hay mee (US$5.00). 

Now my understanding was that hay mee is a type of prawn noodle soup.  The stock, or soup, should have a strong prawn flavor for this to be authentic.  Sadly, this one did not.  The presentation of the dish, however, was OK.  There were bean sprouts and some spring onions to garnish, and 8 medium sized shrimp!

All in all, this was a bit of a disappointment.  I was hoping that this would be my introduction to at least a few of the traditional Singaporean dishes...oh well, I guess I'll just have to wait to try the real thing!

Triple One
Maunakea Marketplace Stall 121
Telephone:  808.533.4264

Rainbow Drive-In

After a day of shopping and a few disappointing meals, I decided to head on over to Rainbows.  This is one of Hawaii's premier "drive-in" restaurants and has been since 1961.  This place serves great local-style favorites and has been one of my favorite eating spots since I can remember.

Rainbows is one of the few remaining plate lunch/burger drive-ins from bygone era.  Many others, such as Kenny's Burger House in Kalihi, and Burgerland Drive Inn in Kapahulu, have since closed.  This place still has the classic menu boards and all of the local-style offerings such as teri beef, boneless chicken and beef stew.

Tonight, I had the Bar-B-Q beef sandwich (US$2.50), french fries (US$1.20) and chili rice bowl (US$1.90).

The Bar-B-Q beef sandwich is one of the best around.  The sandwich comes wrapped in the traditional white waxed paper and is piled high with lean Bar-B-Q beef.  The beef is tender (can you say melt in the mouth?) and the flavor is just right.  Where else do you think you can find another sandwich like this?

The chili rice bowl is also another winner...

In my opinion, this chili is better than Zippy's.  Just the right amount of spice and plenty of ground beef...no fillers!  The bowl is actually just the right size to accompany my sandwich!

Next time you're hungry, stop by Rainbows for some awesome local-style grinds.  The food here is delicious and served in generous quantities at a reasonable price. 

Rainbow Drive-In
3308 Kanaina Avenue
Telephone:  808.737.0177

Mei Sum Dim Sum

After last night's dining adventure, I thought I would take another chance today.  I was in the mood for dim sum and this place was recommended by friends.  So I thought why not...and off I went to Mei Sum.

It was raining and I almost gave up since there was no parking to be found.  But after 5 minutes of searching, I did find a spot and proceeded inside.

Judging by the crowd, I was anticipating some really good dim sum.  Little did I know that I would be in for a disappointment.  As the carts came around...

...I made my selections.  There are normally 3 dishes which I consider to be "standards" for any good dim sum restaurant (these for me are must eats).  If these dishes are made badly, then I would be reluctant to recommend the establishment to anyone.  The first dish is the steamed char siu bao.  I selected what's listed on the menu as barbecue pork manapua (US$2.35). 

Now you may be wondering why the locals call it manapua...this is generally agreed to be a local term derived from the Hawaiian words mea 'ono pua'a, or delicious pork thing.  This manapua was filled with fatty pork that was not very tasty.  In fact, it was a bit dry.  The bun, though, was very light and fluffy, which is just how I like it.

The second dish that I ordered was the chicken feet (US$2.35).

The chicken feet seemed to be a little over-cooked.  The sauce itself was a little spicy, but otherwise flavorless and the skin was very dry and tough.

The third dish that I ordered was pei tan chok (preserved egg with shredded pork rice soup, US$4.95).

The soup was actually just OK.  There was a lot of shredded pork and a lot of pieces of preserved egg.  I liked the fact that the preserved egg was very well cooked.  The only problem with this dish was that I had to add some soy sauce to it.  There was very little actual flavor to the soup.

After these 3, I decided to try a few more dishes.  The steamed bean curd roll (US$1.95).

This dish was actually quite good.  There was a generous amount of filling and the sauce was just right.

I also had the barbecue pork pastry (US$2.35).

This one was baked and topped with sesame seeds.  The pastry was very nice and flakey with just the right amount of barbecue pork.  This is something that I would definitely order again!

I also had the deep-fried shrimp gow (US$2.35).

This dish was just OK.  The "skin" was actually a bit thicker than I would like.  However, this one was stuffed with what seemed like two pieces of shrimp!  The shrimp was actually very fresh and plump.

Judging by the taste of all the dishes as a whole, I may possibly decide to return and try other dishes.  Just knowing that I would need to get my fill of my "favorites" beforehand.

Mei Sum Dim Sum
65 North Pauahi Street Suite A
Telephone:  808.531.3268

Kiawe Grill B.B.Q. & Burgers

Last night I was in the mood to have Indian food.  India Bazaar came recommended to me by some vegetarian neighbors that enjoy Indian food.  Unfortunately, when I got there, it was almost closing time.  Not wanting to drive around looking for a place to eat, I ended up across the parking lot at Kiawe Grill.

What really caught my eye, was the sign in the window advertising exotic meat burgers (i.e. ostrich and buffalo)!  So inside I go...

This place has a non-descript interior and the menu board is quite difficult to read.  My friend and I decided to try one dish each, so we ordered one ostrich plate (US$6.95)...

and one Kobe beef plate (US$6.95)...

The actual presentation of the food was quite unexpected.  What I was expecting was a burger and fries, with vegetable dishes on the side.  Instead I got an 8-ounce kiawe-grilled patty on white rice, with a choice of 3 vegetable side dishes.  The vegetables were all self-serve and there were quite a few selections...

(sorry for the blurry picture)

The vegetables were the sort that you could get in any Korean "fast food" establishment, and that was also a bit of a shock.  I enjoyed all of the ones that we sampled except for the chop chae (clear noodles with beef and vegetables).  The noodles were undercooked and almost flavorless. 

The burgers themselves were quite good!  Kiawe wood is used to grill all the meat and burgers served here.  This wood is one of the most frequently used in Hawaii for grilling.  The flavor that it imparts on the food is similar to that of mesquite.  This definitely takes the burger's flavor to the next level.  I also liked the fact that not a lot of salt was used to season the meat (as far as I could tell) although there was a generous amount of pepper and other spices used.

Next time, instead of ordering a plate, I'll order the burger and add on an order of the thick steak-cut fries!  That would have probably made this meal a lot more enjoyable.

Kiawe Grill B.B.Q. & Burgers
2334 South King Street
Telephone:  808.955.5500

Gina's B-B-Q

If you've ever been to Market City Shopping Center, then it's more than likely that you've eaten at Gina's.  This local-style Korean restaurant has been in the same location for a good 10 years or so and they serve an unreal amount of food for a reasonable price. 

Whenever I come here, it's quite crowded and tonight's no exception.

Tonight, I ordered the spicy BBQ chicken and meat jun combination plate lunch (US$6.50).  This is standard Gina's fare.  The "plate" is actually a styrofoam container (take out) which tries very hard to contain the following:  3 scoops of white rice, 4 side dishes of your choice, and the main dish(es).

The spicy BBQ chicken is actually chicken that has been marinated in ko chu jang sauce (hot bean paste) and then grilled.  This is a little sweet and a bit spicy...actually, it's my favorite dish here...though it could be a bit spicier!

The meat jun is made by marinating sliced beef in a teriyaki-style sauce, then frying in a coating of flour and egg.  This is usually served with some dipping sauce (which is in the small plastic container in the picture).  This is a staple in any local Korean restaurant...though I doubt you'd find it at very many places in Korea.

The side dishes that I selected from top to bottom are: bean sprouts, cabbage, and watercress (which are "cured" in salted water) and taegu (hot and sweet shredded codfish).  To round off the of the plate...yes, there's more...add one fried man doo (fried Korean dumpling) and one hobak jun (fried zucchini).

All in all, this was too much for me to eat, so I'm dividing the plate in half, and taking some for lunch tomorrow.  How can you beat that value?  Next time you're hungry...and I mean HUNGRY...stop by Gina's B-B-Q, you won't be sorry!

Gina's B-B-Q
Market City Shopping Center
2919 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.735.7964 

Golden Dynasty Chinese Restaurant

A friend called to invite me out for a bowl of won ton soup, so I said, "Sure, why not!"  We decided to meet a Golden Dynasty.  Now at first glance, you wouldn't think much of this place...

...and believe me, I didn't think much of this place when I first saw it either.  My friend, however, convinced me that the food here was reasonably priced and the servings were huge.  Since then, this has been a place that I've come to enjoy when I'm in the mood for some won ton soup.

First, we ordered the shrimp won ton soup (US$4.25).  This bowl is large enough to feed 2-3 people and tonight, I counted at least 8 won tons!  This bowl also contains a few pieces of lean char siu (Chinese barbeque pork), won bok (Chinese cabbage) and some green onions.

I've never had such a large bowl of won ton soup at such a reasonable cost!

Next, we ordered the egg fu-yung (US$4.50).  This one is plain, with no meat in it...just some bean sprouts, onions...

This dish is nothing to get excited about, but the best thing about this is, that they don't make it with MSG and they don't use too much oil. 

And to finish, we ordered the sea bass with sweet and sour sauce (US$7.50).  This dish is also not so oily considering it's deep fried. 

The sauce is just right...not too sweet and not too sour.  My only regret is the fish fillet.  They do use big pieces of fish, but the batter is just too thick.  I like a nice thin coating of batter before the fish is deep fried.  When this dish arrives at our table, some of the pieces are already soggy.  I attribute this to the amount of batter on the fish itself.

All in all, this ended up being a fairly satisfying meal. 

Golden Dynasty Chinese Restaurant
University Square
2615 South King Street Suite 108
Telephone:  808.955.1067

Mr. Eggroll

Tonight, I didn't feel like cooking...and if you read my blog regularly, do you think that I ever eat at home?  ha, ha, ha!  But seriously, I wanted something good and inexpensive, and something close by...so where did I go?  I stopped by Mr. Eggroll.  It's located at the Ward Warehouse, which is about 5 minutes from home.  This small strip mall, does quite a bit of business on the weekends and parking can sometimes be very hard to come by, so tonight I park a little further away and walk.  This shop is located in what could be considered the "food court" on the ewa (West) end of the mall.

This is one of the local take-away shops, where the food is served in styrofoam containers.  I decide on the two choice combination plate (US$4.99) with mochiko chicken and choi sum in oyster sauce.  It's served with fried rice, steamed rice or noodles (I took a combination of fried rice and noodles) and one crispy gau gee. 

The mochiko chicken is chicken which has been coated in mochiko (sweet mochi rice) flour and then deep fried.  It is crunchy and golden brown, with a slightly sweet taste.  The choi sum is actually part of another dish, but after coming here for so long, I've convinced the owners to just give me the vegetable!  The crispy gau gee is pretty standard fare here in Hawaii.  I would have to say that it is just like a fried won ton, but in a rectangular, pillow-like shape.  I also have an added treat...mushrooms!

If you're hungry and want some good Chinese food at a reasonable price, visit Mr. Eggroll.  You won't be disappointed!

Mr. Eggroll
Ward Warehouse
1050 Ala Moana Boulevard Shop K-4
Telephone:  808.591.1159

Pho Saigon

Inspired by noodlepie's post Fair food at fair prices a couple weeks ago, I decided to go have a similar dish at Pho Saigon.  This is one of those Vietnamese restaurants that I go to time and time again.  The prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get, but it's nowhere near as cheap as can be had in Vietnam.  The decor here is very understated, and considering the time (9:00 pm), there's quite a few people here tonight.

I sit down at one of the few tables that are available and order, bun cha gio bo (US$6.75, cold rice noodle with spring roll & beef)

This is one of my favorite dishes to eat.  And if I could, I would probably eat it about 2 times a week!  That's how good it is. 

The beef here is really lean and tasty.  Not overly salty, sweet or gristly...but a perfect combination to the noodles.  Underneath all these noodles, lies a bed of lettuce, sliced cucumbers, mint leaves, and bean sprouts.  It's topped with a few slivers of carrots and some crushed peanuts and is served with some fish sauce on the side.  I also use chilli and request a bowl of peanut sauce for eating with my spring roll (this peanut sauce is normally served with the summer rolls), which is crunchy and not at all oily. 

I've been to many Vietnamese restaurants in the past, and that said, this must be my favorite of them all!

Pho Saigon
Sam Sung Plaza
655 Keeaumoku Street Suite 101
Telephone:  808.955.1069

Palace Saimin

I remember when I was 7 years old and taking karate lessons.  Every Saturday after practice, my mom would ask what I wanted to eat for lunch...saimin???  You got it!  And not just any saimin...it had to be from Palace.  This place was located right behind the hall where the karate lessons were, and you can bet we were there every Saturday afternoon. 

Many, many years later (too many to count)...and this place is still here, still serving the same great saimin.  What is saimin you ask?  It's the comfort food of Hawaii.  I can't name anyone who doesn't eat it, let alone anyone that doesn't like it.  All it is, really, is a bowl of noodles with soup and garnishes, usually green onions and char siu.  What really makes, or breaks, this dish is the soup...and the soup here at Palace is #1.  I couldn't even tell you what actually goes into this soup, but I do know that what I make at home doesn't compare.

The menu here hasn't changed in at least the last 20 years.  It's still on a board on the wall and still contains only 6 items:  saimin, wun tun soup, wun tun min, udon, wun tun udon and Bar-BQ (sticks).

Tonight is a perfect night for saimin.  It's a bit cool and rainy.  When I arrive, only one of the 8 tables is still available.

I quickly seat myself and order a large wun tun min(US$4.00) and 4 Bar-BQ beef sticks(US$1.50 each) (I'll take 2 home).  When the bowl of wun tun min arrives it's steaming hot!

Wun tun min is a bowl of noodles in soup, with wun tun (or won ton) and garnished with char siu (Chinese barbeque pork) and green onions.  Shortly after the bowl of wun tun min arrives, the Bar-BQ beef sticks are delivered.

The Bar-BQ beef sticks are made with lean, tender pieces of choice beef, marinated in a sweet soy sauce and then grilled over a charcoal grill in the kitchen.  These are the best bar BQ beef sticks that I have ever eaten! 

20 years from now, I hope to still be enjoying saimin and especially the saimin and Bar-BQ beef sticks at Palace!

Palace Saimin
1256 North King Street
Telephone:  808.841.9983

Yakiniku Koryowon (Korea House)

After months of hesitation, I finally convinced myself to go to Yakiniku Koryowon. 

Why did it take so long for me to make the journey here?  Well, I honestly was afraid that I wouldn't like the food...after all, those of us who live in Hawaii don't normally get the "real" Korean experience when we eat out at Korean restaurants.  A lot of places that I know of serve "Westernized" Korean food, so this was going to be a change.  So I wouldn't get caught eating alone, I invited a friend who likes Korean food, and had also wanted to try eating here.

So, what were my first impressions of this place?  Well, it was a much larger than I expected with about 30 tables and a private room in the back, which is where I sat.  Every table had 2 grills and this place was much smokier than I was used to.  They even had fans at the doors to get the smoke out!

Since we really had no idea on what to order, we settled on the Koryowon Special for two(US$34.95).  For this, the menu stated that we got the following:

Kal bi, which is marinated beef.  The kal bi came sizzling hot on a cast iron, "cow" shaped plate.  The kal bi was served over a bed of white onions and was literally so tender that it melted in your mouth!

Grilled yellow corvina.  Now I'm not so sure what type of fish this is as I've never seen it on the menu anywhere except for in Korean restaurants, however, the fish was fried nice and crispy.  Done just right!  The meat was firm and flaky.

Fish fritters.  These are pieces of fish that are dipped in an egg batter then fried.  The fish was fresh and the batter just slightly crispy.  This is normally served with a dipping sauce, but I chose to eat this one plain.

Tofu stew.  This one arrived at the table bubbling hot.  In the pot, there were a few anchovies, white onions, spring onions, tofu, cucumbers, potatoes, and other vegetables.  The soup had just the right amount of spiciness.  My only wish?  That it had more tofu...

After all of that, the dishes kept on coming.  We also were allotted the standard ban chan side dishes and kim chees.  Since I don't know the names for them all, I'll just show you the pictures with a brief description.

kim chee.  This kim chee was different in that it had a few raw oysters in it.

marinated fern shoots.

fried seaweed.

potatoes marinated in soy sauce.

This was a vegetable that is similar to watercress but without the bitterness to it.

shredded white radish.

kim chee raw crab.

vegetable pancake.

soybean sprouts.

kim chee raw clams.

After seeing all of this food, I wondered what they were thinking of when they said it was a dinner for 2.  This amount of food could easily accomodate 3 people.  After eating as much as I could, I was too full to even move!

That said, this was a great dining experience and one worth trying again.  The food was excellent as was the service.  It was a great value.

Yakiniku Koryowon (Korea House)
1625 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.944.1122

Dew Drop Inn

After years of driving by this place, I finally got the courage to "drop in".  To tell you the truth, it was the name of the restaurant, a notoriously "cute" play on words, that actually got me to stop and wonder about this little hole-in-the-wall that serves Northern Chinese Cuisine.  Since my first visit, I've been back a couple of times, and each time, I've had something different.  Most of the dishes that I have tried have been excellent.

The inside of the restaurant feels cramped when it's crowded...and believe me, there have been times when it's been really crowded, but tonight there's a nice crowd, with a few of the tables up for grabs.

What I find really interesting here is the menu.  It's actually a small photo album filled with pictures of the dishes, their names (written in Chinese and English) and the prices.  I didn't think of snapping pictures of the menu and will do so on my next visit here.

Since I'm dining with a couple of friends, we decide to each order a dish and see how it ends up.  We start by ordering the pepper salted pomfret (US$11.95).  Before tonight, I've never eaten pomfret, but I'm told that it is one of the most widely eaten fishes throughout Asia.  This dish doesn't disappoint.  Crispy skin, nice balance of flavor and firm meat (and no strong "fishy" taste), make this fish something that will be cooked in my own kitchen.

To complement the fish, we ordered the stir-fried tofu with mixed vegetables (US$6.75).  I'm a big fan of tofu, and this dish is an excellent balance to the fish.  The pieces of tofu are nicely fried and there are a wide assortment of vegetables in this dish:  choi sum, snow peas, mushrooms, baby corn, cabbage, zucchini, carrots, broccoli and water chestnuts.  The vegetables are crispy and the gravy just superb. 

After perusing the menu, I decide on a noodle dish instead of rice.  At first, I thought of trying the Shanghai noodles, but instead, chose the Singapore-style fried noodles (mai fun, thin rice noodles) with curry sauce (US$6.95).  Now, the reason why I chose this dish?  We were all intrigued.  I was dining with two Singaporeans and they had no idea what this was.  So the dish was ordered more of out curiousity than actually having tried it before!

Let's just say that this dish was the biggest disappointment of the night.  It didn't have much of a curry flavor to it, but that said, everything else about it was just OK.  I guess we had expected it to be much more than it actually was.  This dish, however, contained shrimp, cabbage, shredded chicken, spring onions and carrots.  Nice blend of flavors...but not good enough in my opinion.

If you're passing by, make sure you take the time to "drop in" and try the food at Dew Drop Inn.  Their interpretations of Northern Chinese Cuisine are superb.

Dew Drop Inn
1088 South Beretania
Telephone:  808.526.9522

Panda Cuisine

It's been a while since I had some dim sum...actually, it's been about 2 weeks!  But the last time, the experience was not so enjoyable...  I guess it was because I didn't end up at my favorite dim sum place.  I was encouraged to try somewhere new, and it ended up a disaster.  The service was slow and the dim sum, well...they could take a few lessons from this place.

Panda Cuisine, located in the heart of Honolulu, about a block and a half away from what used to be the world's largest open air shopping center, Ala Moana Center, serves dim sum and lots more!  Their extensive list of dim sum offerings (I was told they offer 60 selections daily), the excellent quality of the food, and the exceptional service from the wait staff, makes it worth the slightly higher price.

On a normal weekend day, you'll find that this place is pretty crowded...I've even had to wait for a table on a couple of occassions...and this place is huge!  They must have at least 50 tables or so!  But today, since I arrive as lunch is winding down (about 1:30 pm), it's quiet and a bit empty....ahhhh!  So nice to be able to relax and enjoy my dim sum.

Since I cannot sample all of my favorites when I'm alone...don't want to look like...well, you know, I asked a couple of friends to join me.  They didn't hesistate in saying "yes".  I would really have to say that this is one of the best dim sum restaurants in the state, and I've tried quite a few!

Forgive me, but I don't know any of the Chinese names for these dim sum items, so the names will be listed in English.

First up, the steamed barbeque pork bun (hehe...I know this is called char siu bao, US$2.95).  There is just enough of the bun, to go with the slightly sweet and very juicy, lean barbeque pork.  This is one of the best around.

Next, I have the braised chicken feet (US$2.95).  This is prepared with a black bean sauce and the meat and tendons are just so tender!

Then, we ordered the steamed bamboo roll with oyster sauce (US$2.95).  This is absolutely one of my favorite dishes here.  I can normally find this at any restaurant that serves dim sum, but this one is good because the sauce is just right...not too salty!

To round out the steamed dishes, we ordered the steamed shrimp tofu (US$2.95)...

and the steamed mochi rice wrapped in lotus leaf (US$2.95).  Now normally, the mochi rice is a little too "wet" for my taste, but today, it's perfect.  Nice and dry with just the right amount of pork and egg!  Now where's the chilli....

We also decide to order a few of the fried dishes as well.  We start here with the fried bean curd (US$2.95).  This dish is made by frying bean curd sheets that have been wrapped around pork and shrimp and are served with some sauce on the side...I don't use the sauce, as I love the flavor just the way it is! 

And finally, the deep-fried shrimp puff (US$2.95).  This one's served with mayonaisse to dip the shrimp into...I like to use the mayonaisse and chilli...  I really enjoy this, but wish the the "skin" were just a bit thinner.  This one's a bit thick.

And now, for a treat, we have the egg custard tarts (US$2.35).  Today, the crust is flakey and the custard a bit on the sweet side...but still very nice nonetheless.

If you ever find yourself hungry for some dim sum, visit Panda Cuisine.  Although the price is a little higher than at other places, I can guarantee that this is some of the best you will ever have.

Panda Cuisine
641 Keeaumoku Street
Telephone:  808.947.1688

CoCo Ichibanya Curry House

Hungry for some Japanese-style curry?  If you're like me, then the answer is resounding yes.  CoCo Ichibanya is an import, direct from Japan!  It is actually one of the larger "fast food chains" there with more than 800 locations throughout Japan. 

Tonight, I visited the location at the McCully Shopping Center and it's usually packed with people.  I was lucky though, as I didn't even have to wait when I arrived!  I got seated right away...that's a good thing because I was really hungry!

If you've never been here, the first thing you'll notice is the menu.  It offers a wide range of toppings for your curry, with each topping being priced between US$.50 - US$2.50.  You also have a choice of mild or regular sauce, and you can also choose the amount of rice you want...from 200g to 1300g!!!

Tonight, I decide to order something I hadn't ordered in a while...chicken katsu curry with cheese(US$6.50).  Wait, did I just say cheese?  Yep, you heard me correctly!  I thought the same thing when a friend of mine first introduced me to it.  Now that I've actually had it, it's become one of my favorites!  You see, Japanese-style curry is not as spicy as either Indian or Thai curry, and contains no coconut milk.  It's actually quite mild and a bit sweet.  The cheese actually compliments this slightly sweet flavor quite well! 

I also had an order of the vegetable croquettes(US$2.00).

And since I try to have my leafy greens daily, I also ordered a corn salad (US$2.25).

Now, before eating...don't forget to add some fukujinzuke (pickled mixed vegetables in soy sauce) to your plate.

This curry is sooooo good and an excellent value!  It comes in almost every combination that you can imagine and it's cooked to order, so you're guaranteed that it's fresh all the time!  CoCo Ichibanya...visit one soon, you'll be glad you did!

CoCo Ichibanya Curry House
McCully Shopping Center
1960 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.949.4590

Good Luck Chinese Restaurant

Tonight was a little cold and windy, so I decided to go out for some soup.  As I head out, I thought that it would be a good night for some jook, or Chinese-style rice porridge.  I had been to this restaurant once before, and since it was close by, I decided to stop in and see how good the jook was.

Good Luck Chinese Restaurant at the Chinese Cultural Plaza serves Hong Kong-style Chinese cuisine, including dim sum. 

Once inside, you'll notice how spacious it really is...

The decor is typical of many restaurants that I've been to in Hong Kong and in Chinatowns across the country.  Notice the rosewood tables and red hanging lanterns?

After looking over the menu, I decide to have the pei tan jook(US$4.50).  This is one of my favorites!  It's made with preserved egg, shredded pork and ginger.  It's then topped with spring onions...

This one has lots of preserved egg, which I really like...and also has a lot of ginger and shredded pork! 

The only thing that's missing is the yau char kwai (deep fried dough sticks)!  Next time I come, I must remember to bring my own.

To go with my pei tan jook, I also order the sliced beef with ginger and spring onions (US$6.95).  The portion is enough for two, so I pack back the remainder for lunch tomorrow!

I normally don't like my food to have too much gravy, but this gravy is good.  Not too salty for my taste buds and not too overpowering.  I like to eat the beef, which is lean, with some chilli...ahhhhhhh, now that's nice!

The food here is quite good, and considering the size of the portions, very reasonably priced.  This makes Good Luck Chinese Restaurant a repeat in my book!

Good Luck Chinese Restaurant
Chinese Cultural Plaza
100 North Beretania Street Suite 1011
Telephone:  808.524.9988

India Café

Know any good Indian restaurants, I was asked.  Sure do!  If you're like me, you like to venture to the small, hole-in-the-wall places that are well off the beaten path.  I discovered this place purely by accident.  One day while searching the web for places that served Indian food, I came across India Café.  Located in the back of a small strip mall, you'd never know it was there...unless you were told where to go and what to look for.

Tonight, we ordered dishes "family-style" so everyone could have a little of everything to try.

We had the lamb masala.  This dish is made by slow cooking cubes of lamb in a type of thick curry sauce until tender.

We also tried the tofu sambal.  This is made by combining tofu, sambal chilli and other spices in a very flavorful dish!  This is one of my favorites.

Next up was the spicy eggplant.  This dish is very spicy and a great compliment to everything else we ordered.

A bit milder, but equally delicious, was the cauliflower stir-fried with red peppers, onions and curry.

We also decided to try one of the seafood offerings on the menu.  This one was the spicy shrimp curry, which wasn't as spicy as it looks.

To round out the meal, we ordered one order of nasi lemak.  This was not made in the typical Malaysian fashion that I was used to, but was made by cooking jasmine rice with coconut milk, star anise, cardamom and a cinnamon stick.  With all of those ingredients, the rice had a nice aroma, but not enough flavor.

We also order a few of the roti paratha.  This is a type of flat bread that is fried until crispy.  My only wish is that they would have "puffed" the bread up a bit more before serving.  Otherwise, this was very delicious.

If you're looking for something different, visit India Café.  It makes for a wonderful introduction to South Indian cuisine at an affordable price.

India Café
Kilohana Square
2851-1 Kihei Place
Telephone:  808.737.4600

Ha Bien

UPDATE:  November 2004
Ha Bien has closed. 
Golden River Restaurant now occupies this space.

I never though about going into a Vietnamese restaurant and being served Teochew food, but that's just what happened.  You see, I really wanted to go into To Chau which is located next door, but the line was just too long! 

So instead I made my way into Ha Bien, which is located at the corner of River and North King.

Looking through the window, I discovered that there were a lot of people eating here...and best of all, there was no line!  If you don't know what to order, then you're out of luck.  The Teochew specials are NOT listed on the menu!

I sat down and ordered a bowl of mee pok (US$5.00).  This dish consists of flat egg noodles (mee pok) and a variety of toppings.  Today's toppings are squid, shrimp, fish ball, lean pork, lettuce, spring onions, crispy-fried onions and a sort of crispy-fried shrimp cracker (they don't always have this cracker, I got lucky today).  I ordered mine dry-style with the soup on the side.

It also has pork liver, which I opt to have left out of my dish, and is served with bean sprouts, cut green chillis and lime on the side.

I added a special type of homemade chilli to this dish.  I was told this type of chilli has oil, ground shrimp, garlic, chilli and other ground seasonings.  It's on the table with everything else.

As I get ready to start eating, I add some cooked bean sprouts, a little of the shrimp stock and a nice helping of chilli to the bowl!  Now doesn't that just look delicious?!

To drink, I have the xam bo luong (US$2.25), which is a drink made with longan, seaweed and white nuts AND a cafe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk, US$1.85).

Having become one of my favorite places to eat on the weekend, I forgot how I actually started coming here!

Ha Bien
198 North King Street
Telephone:  808.531.1185

Sushi King

Hungry for some Japanese food at an incredible price?  Head on over to Sushi King. 

They have a full service sushi bar as well as lots of seats for diners.  You can even have them keep your bottle of saké for you behind the bar.

They've got a midnight special that won't break the bank or your wallet.  The dinners are served with tonjiru-style miso soup that has lots of tasty ingredients...pork, onions, daikon (Japanese white radish), carrots, green onions, potatoes and kuro konnyaku (devil's tongue gelatin).  Check this out!

Tonight I have the chirashi special (US$11.45).  This loosely translates to "scattered sushi".  What I get tonight is a treat!  I've got toro (fatty tuna), hokkigai (surf clam), and seared maguro (tuna) sashimi (sliced raw fish).  I also have ama ebi (sweet shrimp), maguro (tuna) and hirame (flounder) nigiri sushi.  Also included is sushi meshi (which is rice flavored with a combination of rice-wine vinegar, sugar and salt), tamago (which is a slightly sweet, Japanese-style scrambled egg), kaiware (radish sprouts), tobiko (flying fish roe), shredded daikon (Japanese white radish) and shiso (perilla or beefsteak) leaf.

Also popular are the combination platters (US$7.45), these are served with rice, salad that's topped with a miso dressing and your choice of California roll or inari sushi (sushi rice stuffed in a deep-fried tofu pocket).  Tonight we have the shrimp and vegetable tempura with California roll:

There are 2 pieces of shrimp and one piece each of broccoli, potato and zucchini tempura.

As usual, we also have a side order of chicken karaage (deep-fried) (US$4.95)  that's served with lemon.

If you're looking for some delicious Japanese food at a reasonable price (and at a late hour!), look no further than Sushi King.

Sushi King
2700 South King Street
Telephone:  808.947.2836

Kaffee Imperial Tonkatsu House

As dinnertime approached, I developed a sudden craving for chicken katsu.  OK, I knew what I wanted to eat, but where???  It was almost 9:00 pm, and almost everywhere was closed.  I didn't want to go too far from home...then suddenly it hit me.  I decided that I would go to Café Imperial.  This place is in a convenient location in town, but a little off the beaten path.  If you've never been there, you probably wouldn't even know it was there.  It's in the lobby of a commercial/residential building in the heart of Honolulu.  The exterior is quite non-descript and doesn't really give itself away as to what's inside.

Once you step inside, you realize how small it is.  It's an intimate space with about 10 or so tables, with seating for approximately 30-40 people at any given time.  This place is usually crowded during lunchtime, and because they only recently started opening for dinner, it's not really crowded when we arrive.

Tonight, I have the chicken katsu donburi (US$9.95).  This is chicken katsu, or deep fried boneless chicken, cooked in eggs with onions over rice.  It's served with miso soup and tsukemono (pickled and preserved vegetables).

My dining partner opts for the just the chicken katsu(US$9.95). 

This dish is also served with a bowl of rice, miso soup and also includes fresh cabbage and potato salad on the plate.

Both dishes are eaten with tonkatsu sauce.

This is the best chicken katsu that I've ever had!  The chicken is tender and seems to just melt in your mouth.  The food and service is excellent, although the prices are a little high.  Judging by the amount of food we're served, I'd say this is an excellent value.

Kaffee Imperial Tonkatsu House
725 Kapiolani Boulevard
Telephone:  808.593.2626

Million Restaurant

Ever wonder where you can go to eat in the middle of the night?  Your best bet would be a place like Million Restaurant.  It's open for 21 hours a day!  What???...you heard me!  This place serves some of the best Korean food around and also offers yakiniku grills if you'd prefer to grill your own meats and vegetables at your table.

Tonight, our party of three arrived at Million at about 8:00 pm.  Luckily, it wasn't too crowded, which guaranteed fast delivery of our food....we were hungry!  We ended up ordering our standard fare, Outside Beef Skirts (US$18.95).   This is beef that has been cut into bite-sized pieces and comes to your table sizzling hot on a bed of onions and topped with sesame seeds.

The beef, as usual, was very tender and flavorful.  It's served with rice, seaweed soup and seasoned lettuce salad. 

This beef is meant to be dipped into various sauces and wrapped in lettuce with fresh garlic, rice and kim chee.

In addition, like most other Korean restaurants, there are a variety of ban chan (Korean side dishes) that are served with your meal, including:

cabbage kim chee (pickled cabbage)

cucumber kim chee (picked cucumber)

chap chae (cellophane noodles with meat and vegetables)

tagyal chim (steamed egg custard)

kong namul (soybean sprouts)

odeng (fishcake)

yongun jorim (soy-sauce glazed lotus root)

We also had one order of the fried man doo (fried Korean dumplings, US$3.95, 4 pieces).

Let's just say that after all of that, I felt like I needed to be rolled out of the place.  I was stuffed...and stuffed full of great tasting Korean food!  This is one of my favorite places to eat!

If you are in the mood for some great Korean food...or are just looking for something to eat in the middle of the night, stop by Million Restaurant, you won't be disappointed!

Million Restaurant
626 Sheridan Street
Telephone:  808.596.0799

K C Kitchen

About a year ago, a couple of friends had invited me to have lunch with them.  They said it was a little hole in the wall at the Chinese Cultural Center...and boy, they weren't kidding!  K C Kitchen is located at the Chinese Cultural Plaza's Open Market.

This eaterie, is a literal hole in the wall! 

See the brightly colored strips of paper on the wall?  That's the menu!

On a normal Saturday afternoon, the place is packed.  Today, I was lucky.  No waiting.  No crowds.  Just good food!  Taiwanese-style food that is.  As I ordered my lunch, a friend just so happened to be coming in as well and decided to join me.

I ordered the bak chang(US$2.50). 

It is a glutinous rice ball steamed in banana leaves.  This one is prepared Taiwanese-style, with peanuts,  a lean pork and salted duck egg filling, and covered in a type of clear sauce.  It's then topped with fresh Chinese parsley and served with grated ginger and chilli sauce.

I also ordered the minced pork on rice ($US2.50).  This one's served in a small bowl and topped with fresh Chinese parsley and pickled vegetable (this looks like a pickled radish).

My friend had ordered the deep-fried pork chop on rice (US$5.00).  It's served with salted and pickled vegetables and an egg (cooked in soy sauce) piled high on rice topped with minced pork.

And on top of all that, we ended up sharing an order of potstickers (10 pieces, US$5.00).

They were very nicely fried and came to the table with a nice crispy "skin" on the bottom!

Just one word to describe it all...delicious!  The homestyle cooking and friendly service make this a place worth coming back to time and time again.

K C Kitchen
Chinese Cultural Plaza Open Market
100 North Beretania Street
Telephone:  808.538.1151

Café Oriente Cuisine

When I think of Singapore, what's the first dish that comes to my mind?  Chilli crabs?  Laksa?  Guess again!  How's about Hainanese chicken rice? 

Years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a movie called the Chicken Rice Wars (2000).  A modern-day Romeo and Juliet story where the principal characters are the children of feuding chicken rice stall owners.  I wondered why people would be fighting over such a thing.  Then I found out that Hainanese chicken rice is one of the more popular dishes found at hawker centers throughout Singapore and recipes for the rice, can be a very closely guarded secret!

Well, what exactly is Hainanese chicken rice?  It's boiled chicken served with a ginger/chilli sauce and rice.  The rice is what makes this dish so special.  Jasmine rice is cooked with chicken stock and other seasonings to give it that wonderful aroma and special taste.  The only place that I've tried that serves this dish is a place in Chinatown called Café Oriente Cuisine.

I was introduced to this restaurant a while back by a few Singaporean friends who told me that the chicken rice here is pretty authentic.  One taste and I was hooked! Tonight, the restaurant was packed. I ended up getting one of the small tables in the back.  On a Friday night, this place fills up quite quickly...

Since I was hungry, I ended up ordering the Hainanese chicken rice with Hong Kong-style pan fried pork chop (US$6.95) and a bowl of won ton soup (US$3.95).  Today, the chicken rice was wonderful!  This dish is served with some choy sum (Chinese broccoli) on the side.

The bowl of won ton soup was very delicious!  The soup was not too salty and the won ton...mmmmmmmmmm!  In the bowl, I was pleased to find eight won tons!  These are some of the best that I've had yet...they're so plump and full of flavor!!!  YUM!

If you're looking for some good late-night eats...this is the place to go. 

Café Oriente Cuisine
1157 Maunakea Street
Telephone:  808.599.5262

Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine

I apologize in advance for the dark and blurry photos.  I did not bring my camera with me and these pictures were taken with my SonyEricsson T610 camera phone.

Tonight after a leisurely stroll around the park, we decided on having dinner at Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine. 

It's been a while since I've been here, but this place is home to one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes and I haven't found another place that makes it in quite the same way.

We decide to start off with appetizers...two of them to be exact.  The first was bi cuon(pork roll, US$2.00).  It is very much like a spring roll, except that it's not fried.  It's filled with shredded pork, lettuce and mint all wrapped in thin rice paper and served with a sweet chili fish sauce.  The second was goi cuon (shrimp roll, US$2.50).  This dish was also wrapped in thin rice paper, but this one had shrimp, sliced pork, bean sprouts, mint, lettuce, rice vermicelli (noodles) and chives.  This one was served with a sweet, flavorful peanut sauce.

After finishing off the appetizers, we were ready for the main course.  Here I ordered one of my favorite dishes, ga xao gung(stir-fried boneless chicken with ginger and chili, US$8.95).  Though the dish is a bit oily, I can't get enough of the ginger/chili combination.  As soon as the dish arrives at the table, you can smell the ginger.  One bite and you'll agree that there's nothing else like this combination.  If you love ginger, the this is a must try!

In addition to the ga xao gung, we also tried something new, ca xao tofu (stir-fried eggplant with tofu, US$8.95).  This dish was served with a bit of dark colored sauce.  Though a tad bit sweet, the sauce was quite flavorful.  If I had to guess, I would say that it was a combination of fish sauce and sweet soy sauce.  There was also a lot of basil in this dish which actually complimented the sauce AND added to the dish's overall sweetness.  This was a nice balance to the spicyness of the ga xao gung and definitely a dish that I would order again!

To round out our dinner, we also had an order of the "broken" rice.  I've been told that this rice is just plain old jasmine rice which has been "broken" prior to cooking.  The texture is actually quite nice...hmmmm, I wonder if I should start cooking rice this way at home?

After dinner was over, we both decided to over-indulge and ordered dessert.  We ordered the che dua xanh (coconut milk with kombu and lotus seeds, US$2.95) and the sung xa hot lu(coconut milk with agar agar and pomegranate tapioca, US$2.95).  Both desserts were overly sweet, which is something that I've come to expect from Southeast Asian desserts.  The only complaint I had was that with the first dessert, che dua xanh, the lotus seeds were mashed.  I definitely would have preferred them whole.  With the second, sung xa hot lu, the agar agar and the pomegranate tapioca had little or no flavor.

All in all, this meal was greatly satisfying, although a bit pricey.

Mai Lan Fine Vietnamese Cuisine
1224 Keeaumoku Street
Telephone:  808.955.0446

Malee Thai and Vietnam Cuisine

When a friend invited me out to lunch in Chinatown, I suggested that we have Thai food at a stall in the Maunakea Marketplace.  Malee Thai and Vietnam Cuisine is where we headed to.  This stall has authentic, homestyle Thai food that is simply delicious!   

Once inside, you'll normally see a line of people waiting to order.  During peak hours, expect to wait about 20 - 30 minutes for your food to be prepared.  Today, it wasn't as bad as usual...could it be because we got there well after 1:00 pm? 

The food here is cooked fresh to order and is very reasonably priced.  I ordered the pad pet(US$5.00).  This dish is served with jasmine rice and a side order of lettuce and tomato.  It's prepared by stir-frying your choice of beef, chicken or shrimp (I had the beef), with yellow curry paste, coconut milk and fish sauce.   Added to the dish to make it more fragrant is fresh Thai basil and Kaffir lime leaf.  To finish off this dish, eggplant, long beans, onions and red bell pepper are also added.

We also ordered the lad nar(US$5.00).  This dish is a combination of chow funn noodles (kway teo) stir-fried in a mix of black soy sauce and yellow bean sauce.  To this an egg, choy sum (Chinese broccoli) and your choice of chicken, beef or shrimp is added.  The dish is served with a quite a bit of gravy.

To wash all of this delicious food down, I ordered a Thai iced tea (US$1.50).

Cool and refreshing, this hit the spot.

This is by far one of the most reasonably priced Thai food places out there.  The food is authentic and fresh...and very popular!  This is also one of the Thai restaurants that I go to time and time again.

Malee Thai and Vietnam Cuisine
Maunakea Marketplace Stall 112
Telephone:  808.599.4635