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
Ah-h-h-h Reid...you're bringing tears to my eyes! My stomach's growling and I can smell the aroma from here...the cilantro...the fresh grated ginger...even the red chili pepper water on the table!
Granted the price is high but definitely worth the trip there over there. I also would like to comment on KC Drive In's oxtail soup which is good and a little bit cheaper but I hear it's closing down by the end of this year. What a sad day that will be...
Posted by: Clinton | October 18, 2004 at 05:43 AM
Hi Reid - I LOVE oxtails! What an interesting soup. I've never seen an oxtail soup with cilantro, ginger, and a clear broth. I would love to get my hands on a recipe though; it looks delicious. My favorite way of preparing oxtails is in a stew (see http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/000035oxtail_stew.php). We always have to drain the fat, or better yet, let it sit overnight so the fat solidifies at the top and you can easily scoop it out.
Posted by: elise | October 18, 2004 at 08:39 AM
Hi Clinton,
The oxtail soup that I had here is one of the best. I haven't tried the one at KC Drive Inn, but based on your recommendation, I'll try theirs out too. Will let you know how it is. I've been by to KC Drive Inn a couple of times in the last couple of months just to have the waffle hots dogs... Yes, you're right, they really will be missed.
Hi Elise,
Thanks for dropping by. I'll be more than happy to forward a recipe that I have for oxtail soup, if you'd like to try it. I've had oxtail stew once and it was quite nice. I usually don't have the patience to make it myself. If you do try the recipe, please let me know how it turns out. Hope to see you again!
Posted by: Reid | October 18, 2004 at 07:37 PM
This sounds and looks like a chinese recipe - oxtail peanut soup.
Posted by: FatMan Seoul | October 19, 2004 at 12:11 AM
Hi FatMan,
I believe it actually is Chinese inspired, if not an actual Chinese dish. Oxtails are boiled in water with ginger, star anise and dried orange peel. Peanuts, cilantro and green onions are used as garnish. Served local-style with a huge side of freshly grated ginger, chili pepper water, alae salt and two scoops rice. Tastes great!
Posted by: Reid | October 19, 2004 at 01:11 AM
Stop...stop...you're killing me! This may sound kind of gross but my two favorite things on a cow happens to be located at both ends...the tail and the tongue. A little filet mignon and ribeye may persuade me once in a while too!
Posted by: Clinton | October 19, 2004 at 04:01 AM
I adore Oxtail soup. One of my absolute fave soups, but never seen it done this way. I would like to see the recipe you mention. I have no idea how to cook oxtails. Not sure if I can even buy them here. Although I can buy Campbell's Oxtail Soup and I do at least once a month. Just wish I had the cold weather to really appreciate this soak to the bone soup.
Posted by: pieman | October 19, 2004 at 04:41 PM
I'm banned from buying oxtail because I made bold promises of making soup and it sat in the freezer for a year or two.
Just to clear up some confusion, cilantro =chinese parsley= coriander?
Posted by: anthony | October 19, 2004 at 05:41 PM
Hi Clinton,
I've actually never had tongue, but I was tempted to try it at Gyu-kaku, which is a new Japanese yakiniku place that opened up. Will let you know how I like it once I try it. Oxtail is one of my favorites, although I seldom eat it anymore.
Hi pieman,
Here is the recipe that I forwarded to Elise.
Oxtail soup
3-4 pounds oxtails
1 cup shelled and skinned raw peanuts
1 piece dried orange peel
3 pieces star anise
1 3" piece ginger, thinly sliced
alae salt (rock salt) - to taste
Garnish:
cilantro
green onions
grated ginger
Parboil oxtails for approximately 30 minutes, then drain. Rinse under warm water and trim of any excess fat.
Return oxtails to stock pot, add dried orange peel, star anise, and ginger. Add enough water so that it's about 2" above the oxtails. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Simmer for approximately 1 hour, then add peanuts. Be sure to skim any foam/scum that may appear on the surface.
Simmer for an additional 2-3 hours or until oxtails are tender. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate.
I normally like to refrigerate my oxtail soup over night before actually serving because the soup becomes more flavorful after a day in the fridge. It also allows me to remove any additional fat/oil that may rise to the surface of the pot.
To serve, reheat for about 30 minutes on low, or until warmed through. Place 3-4 oxtails in each bowl, with enough broth to cover. Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions and freshly grated ginger.
Serve with alae salt (or rock salt), chili pepper water and rice. Salt is added at the end in case additional flavor is necessary.
If you do try it, let me know how it turns out.
BTW...the flavor of the broth really reminds me of a really good pho. I'm wondering if the Vietnamese season pho this way too.
Hi Anthony,
I don't make oxtail soup anymore because it just takes too much time. Add to that, the fact that I would be left to eat a whole pot by myself, and it's much easier for me to go out and eat it.
That said, yes, cilantro=Chinese parsley=coriander.
Posted by: Reid | October 19, 2004 at 07:33 PM
Reid,
Beef tongue is an acquired delicacy (which is now considered by me way too overpriced just like the oxtail) and also takes a lot of preparation prior to eating. There is a thick outer skin which needs to be pre-boiled and removed and then cooked for several hours after that. The Mexicans here in LA call it "lengua" and prepare it differently as how we prepared it in Hawaii. I cheat and use a pressure cooker which takes me a fourth of the time it takes normally on the stove. My mother taught me to add equal parts water and soy sauce, a little sugar, five spice, and garlic and let saute for several hours until it's real soft and tender. The meat is very glutinous very similar to the oxtail after cooking for a long time. Takes a little time to get used to the sight of the tongue in the pot but after slicing it up, it's just a hunk of meat...
Posted by: Clinton | October 20, 2004 at 05:33 AM
YUM! I always take my mom out for Oxtail soup when we're back in Hawaii. I love that they have the grated ginger in the jars on the tables. I really should learn to make chili water on my own.
Posted by: gabrielle | October 21, 2004 at 11:18 AM
Hi Clinton,
Thanks for the information. I'm not so sure that I would prepare tongue myself, but I rarely see it in the markets these days. I wonder if people even eat it anymore. As for Gyu-kaku, my friend told me that it is served there very thinly sliced and that you have to cook it over the grill yourself.
Hi Gabrielle,
Thanks for visiting! Do you have any favorite places to have the oxtail soup at? Clinton mentioned KC Drive Inn and a friend of mine told me that I should try the one at Plantation Cafe, so those 2 places are now on my list! Yes, the grated ginger is very convenient, especially since I like to add a ton of it to this soup. If you want I can provide you with a recipe for chili pepper water...just send me an e-mail. =)
Posted by: Reid | October 22, 2004 at 12:17 AM
california hotel,LV after 11pm has the best tasting oxtail soup i've ever had. that was also the first place
i ever tasted oxtail soup. I live in hawaii and tried other places but my taste buds still want to go back
to california hotel. besides the fact that the soup over
here runs 10-13 dollars.(crazyness)
Posted by: kay | January 25, 2008 at 08:54 PM
I just came upon this while looking for a recipe. We currently live in Hawaii, and I'll admit the best place I've found for oxtail soup is Ewa Point Chinese. They are a little hole in the wall/mom and pop restaurant, and they treat you like you're the only one that matters in the world. The oxtail soup is to die for. We drive the 1/2 hour w/o traffic just for the soup and wings.
Posted by: Shar Rodriguez | June 01, 2008 at 10:44 AM