home bar & grill and off the wall

It's been almost a year since I've seen D, our family friend. I first wrote about him here and then again last year here.

Since he knew I was in town, he asked if I would like to go check out a relatively new place called "Home Bar & Grill".

Our other family friend, Neil is cooking the food there, which I've written about here. In that time, he had moved to this new establishment.

We got together with some of D's friends and it was 9 of us drinking shots and eating all sorts of food like tater tot nachos, kalbi with fried noodles, toro sashimi...just search for this place and you can see all sorts of photos of the food there, different but very delicious!

I'm actually a wimp when it comes to shots, so mine were sipped (ahem!)...anyway it was a fun time.

As we wrapped up the evening, we planned to get together with D's friend, B, during the week for dinner.

Well, on Tuesday, we met B at Off the Wall in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center.

I'd never been here, but my parents had and they had even ordered their Thanksgiving turkey from them one year.

The food is Okinawa meets Hawaii local-style food.

We tried Shoyu Pork "pasta" I put pasta in quotes because they actually use the Okinawan soba instead of Italian pasta.

We also ordered some edamame hummus, a "naked" spicy ahi poke musubi (a layer of rice topped with some spicy ahi poke), fukuoka style tonkatsu (choy sum wrapped with bacon then wrapped with thinly sliced pork, breaded then deep fried) and some goya champuru.

I also tried an apple saketini (like a martini but made with sake)...super fruity.

They let us try something that wasn't on the menu (I think), an okonomiyaki gyoza...a fried gyoza topped with some okonomiyaki sauce...so delicious!

One interesting thing on their menu was the chocolate filled andagi...so chocolatey and not too sweet.

Another item they let us try that wasn't on the menu, a deconstructed banana foster.

Banana and salted caramel gelato, a caramelized banana and some salty crunch like things on the bottom...good but a little too sweet.

Lots of food, lots of chatter and good fun! Thanks B & D!

Home Bar & Grill
1683 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.942.2235

Off the Wall
Pearl Kai Shopping Center
98-199 Kamehameha Highway
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.486.WALL (9255)
Closed: Mondays