Monday, February 11, 2008

giovanni's & romy's

Just wanted to share with you some photos which Satoshi sent to me. It apparently has been 11 years since Osaka had 5 centimeters (close to 2 inches) of snow (and I missed it, darn! no really, darn!)

Since I didn't grow up with snow, I love to see it during the winter months in Japan, flurries to snow storms. Satoshi thinks I'm crazy every time it snows or flurries fall and he sees me jumping up and down.

Now, let's warm up with some food...

I had heard about Giovanni's for awhile now, but never taken the initiative to get out to Kahuku. And then there were posts all over the blogosphere.

So on Friday, I talked my family into driving (I was driving) all the way to Kahuku to try Giovanni's and Romy's shrimp. I convinced my mom that we should try both today because "we're only going this once". (Dad and Grandma didn't know what was going on, but happily went along for the ride. Thank goodness the rain let up just enough for us to make the drive out to Kahuku.)

Giovanni's is known for their scampi, so that is what we got. For US$12 tax included, you get 12 shrimp cooked in its shell with lots of garlic and butter (plus an extra paper plate to share). The garlic and butter flavor really comes through and matches really nicely with the spicy sauce (kind of like Tabasco) that they give.

Then about 2 or 3 minutes from Giovanni's up the road is Romy's, their menu is a bit more extensive than Giovanni's.

We ordered the butter & garlic (#1)(so we could compare it to Giovanni's) and the fried shrimp(#3) (each US$11.75 + tax).

Romy's Butter & Garlic shrimp were huge and had lots of flavor, it matched nicely with the spicy shoyu sauce that they gave. It was different from Giovanni's but good in their own way.

The Fried Shrimp are peeled shrimp and are fried in egg roll wrappers. This is served with a gooey sweet chili sauce. Of all entrees, this was the easiest to eat. Jaden has a recipe on her blog similar to this.

Giovanni's gives a LOT of napkins because eating the shrimp will get messy. (Definitely not somewhere to go on your first date!) We ate our plates from both places at Romy's, they had a little sink to wash your hands after you're finished eating.

Talk about finger licking goodness! Both places are good (messy, but good) with their own flavors and followers. Definitely worth the drive out there.

Giovanni's
83 Kamehameha Highway (from Waikiki---on the left, just past the old Kahuku Sugar Mill)
Kahuku, Oahu
Phone: 808.293.1839

Romy's
56-781 Kamehameha Highway (from Waikiki---on the left, a little past the Turtle Bay Resort)
Kahuku, Oahu
Phone: 808.232.2202

16 comments:

OkiHwn said...

Planned to try and talk my family into going out to try Romy's. Foodnista thinks it's better, with the whole prawns and heads.

K and S said...

If you drive Nate, they'll go :)

Take care.
Kat

Kathy YL Chan said...

Oh man, to think I was at Romy's just six months ago makes Hawaii seem sooo cloooose...yet so far? hehe. I definitely prefer Romy's over Giovanni's...but right now, I'd go for any! haha :)

2kamuela47 said...

Cool! Thanks for sharing. Did you have a chance to get some shave ice at Matsumoto's in Haleiwa?

K and S said...

I guess I would be like you and have anything at that point, Kathy :) (2 more months until tax season is over!)

Nope, we didn't get a chance for shave ice, Laura. :(

Take care you two.
Kat

Anonymous said...

You know I have been waiting and waiting for this post, lol! But you didn't answer the most important question--which one did you like better and could you decipher Romy's spicy shoyu sauce? You know I am big fan of Romy's..but I too would take any right now! Glad you finally got to go!! :D

Pandabonium said...

Yum. Looks great. Lucky for me we have a Hawaiin restaurant just a couple of kilometers from us in Kashima. Really. They serve shrimp scampi, but I don't think it's as good what you are showing here.

I'm funny about the snow like that also, but happy to see go away after I've had a chance to enjoy it a bit.

reid said...

Kat,

I hope you enjoy your visit! For some reason, I prefer the flavor of the shrimp at Giovanni's better than Romy's. As you mentioned, they are both different, but I do think the shrimp/prawns at Romy's are fresher.

Rowena said...

Instead of "Home, Sweet Home", I am thinking "Shrimp, Sweet Shrimp"!

K and S said...

I like them both TM! the spicy shoyu sauce was shoyu plus chili (my mom thinks it isn't homemade).

Pandab, I think I would feel that way about snow too, it would be cool for the first couple of days and then I'd need SUN!

Thanks Reid! My mom liked Giovanni's better too. I think Giovanni's is a classic flavor and Romy's a more local flavor.

Come home soon, Rowena!!

Take care everyone.
Kat

Jann said...

It appears that you are eating really well and at some wonderful places~all this shrimp-it looks delicious!

K and S said...

It was wonderful, Jann :) I hope you get chance to visit soon!

Take care.
Kat

Anonymous said...

Hi, I must say, I like reading all your Hawaii eats. My sister lives on Oahu and tell her about all these places (that you write about) I want her to take me to when I visit her. Thanks for all the reviews. They are really helpful.

K and S said...

I'm so glad you are enjoying these posts, WORC! I hope when you visit you'll get to try some of these places!

Take care.
Kat

Anonymous said...

MMMM we looove those shrimp trucks!! We almost went every day of our honeymoon. We really like Macky's Shrimp. I wonder if they are still there?

K and S said...

if I'm not mistaken, Macky's is still around Hiraganamama :)

Take care.
Kat