kim chee 7

Got to meet up with friend Gaye

We went to Kim Chee 7

I had their 2 choice lunch combo and chose Meat Jun & BBQ chicken

Gaye had their mandoo kook soo 

Her soup was supposed to have noodles in it but they had run out on this day, so her soup had more veggies in it

Their portions are HUGE

It was nice catching up with her

Thanks for today Gaye

catania ristorante italiano

Met up with friend Gaye and tried Catania Ristorante Italiano

Apparently this restaurant has another shop in town and opened one in Waimalu in 2022

Gaye tried their Chicken Casino: chicken breast, onion, bacon, garlic with a butter white wine sauce

I tried their Chicken Puttanesca after seeing Jalna post: chicken breast, onion, anchovies, capers, black olives and fresh tomatoes with their marinara sauce

Their portions are huge!

The owner’s wife said "better too much than too little!”..so true

Gaye gave us these snacks and a cute jade bracelet

I appreciated her picking me up too

It was nice catching up

Thanks for today Gaye

Catania Ristorante Italiano

98-020 Kamehameha Highway

Aiea, Hawaii

Lunch: closed Mondays & Tuesdays, Wednesdays-Fridays 10:30-14:30, Saturdays & Sundays 11:00-14:30

Dinner: Sundays & Mondays 16:30-20:00, closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays-Saturdays 16:30-20:00

cpk

Met up with Ms V for lunch at CPK

it had been moons since I’ve eaten here

We both ordered the Neapolitan burrata pizza and added spicy pepperoni 

This was loaded with burrata! love!

Ms V should’ve ordered just a pepperoni pizza because she took off all the burrata and basil…ha!

Don’t worry though she brought home half of her pizza as well as all the cheese she took off

She also had dessert, it looked wonderful

Ms V gave us all sorts of things from Daiso (she works there)

I didn’t know they sold T-shirts

oh em gee and this lego like block thingy that she gave me also from Daiso was so hard!

my first try this owl was super wonky, I redid it and it came out nicer.

I also appreciated Ms V taking me home after lunch

Thanks for today Ms V

fooki

Went to try Fooki with Jenny, she was kind to come out all the way out to the West side.

It was our first time

There was an office party in the line before us to get in, luckily we got our order in before them!

BUT the food came out super fast, like, scary too fast!

Lu rou fan…mushy rice, insert unhappy face

The pork & fried tofu were tasty though

The pickles reminded me of my mom’s bread and butter pickles.

Beef scallion noodles, glad this didn’t have soup, was too hot for soup on this day

The noodles were too soft for my liking but I enjoyed the sliced beef, super tender and tasty

Ma la dumplings…super spicy!

oh and a taste of Jenny's wintermelon tea…um, no

She gave us all sorts of goodies, like chocolates from Choco le'a and haupia poi banana bread from Babes Bakery

I appreciated Jenny dropping me off at the rail station after lunch.

It was nice to catch up with her 

If you are interested, here's a link to Jenny's post on Fooki

Thanks for today Jenny

Fooki

98-199 Kamehameha Highway

Aiea, Hawaii

Open daily: 11:00-15:00 (lunch), 16:30-21:00 (dinner)

el charro mexicano

A day or two before flying back to Japan, BFF and I went out for dinner.

El Charro Mexicano, in Aiea, I think this was my first time eating here.

I ordered the Birria Tacos.

These were delicious and meaty, though I wasn’t too sure when or whether to drink the soup? or dip the taco into it?

I loved the decor too.

Anyway, when I bit into my taco, I had a weird feeling that my filling came out or something.

Weirdly, I was telling BFF before that it felt like I didn't have any strength in my teeth and it felt as though I was squishing in mud whenever I ate something on that side.

Well, when I got back to Japan, it was Friday and I arrived early enough, so I contacted my dentist and was able to see him the next day.

As soon as he looked at the area, he said, "oh your tooth is cracked, I'm gonna anethesize you then take off the cracked part. It doesn't look like it hit any nerves, so you should be okay, but if it hurts take aspirin"

"Since it is Obon soon, we'll fix it in two weeks, so in the meantime, I'm gonna cement the area so that you can eat on that side"

The cemented area feels normal now and doesn’t feel like I’m squishing in mud whenever I eat something on that side of my mouth.

Hoping the cement will hold until my appointment and that the crown won't be too costly. 

I hope to go back to El Charro the next time I'm back in Hawaii.

El Charro Mexicano

99-115 Aiea Heights Drive, 3F (next to Aiea Bowl)

Aiea, Hawaii

Phone: 808.488.9727

Closed: Sundays

Hours: 9:30-20:00

this week

Friday started off with this beautiful sunrise.

Bought some items from Nagoya Bakery...egg tart (super flaky crust!) and coconut cross raisin bread (the bread is huge, so I had this for 2 meals, not much coconut but still delicious)

Solo pupu party dinner...Uproll Cafe's sexy salmon salad, Foodland's Kolohe Mix and Underwood's Rose Bubbles.

Saturday, lunch from Taqueria El Ranchero.

I tried their tamales.

Living the sheltered food life that I have, it was my first time to try tamales.

Shredded meat is wrapped in a corn "dough" then steamed in a corn leaf.

I bought one pork and one chicken.

I also brought home a little of their housemade pico de gallo to put on the tamales.

I enjoyed these...the ratio of "dough" to meat was balanced, the pico de gallo added a nice kick.

I'm glad I tried these.

In the afternoon, we met with the Realtor to fill out some paperwork.

Sunday, major heat and humidity!

I think the weather dude said that we've been having high heat and humidity every day of September! ack!

At one point in the afternoon, I couldn't stand the heat and ran up to Aunty Kalei's to get some shave ice.

Tropical Summer (pineapple, coconut, watermelon) plus lemon peel...so good and took our minds off of the heat for a bit.

It was my first time trying this place and I'm glad I did!

I like how Aunty Kalei, puts the shave ice into a styrofoam bowl with a cover for take out...not ecologically friendly, but was super appreciated since I drove up myself and couldn't hold anything on the ride home.

Just before going to Sunday dinner, we purged some of our board games by giving them to the library.

Sunday dinner at Aunty M's...pot roast, salad, 3-bean salad

Dessert was from Flamingo's Express.

They are known for their banana pie, but I was too scared to try it, so I played it safe and bought their apple.

It was so good, flaky crust, lots of apple, not too sweet.

Monday, still hot and humid...gah!

Lunch from La Tour Cafe...pepperoni hand pie.

I had wanted to try their beef curry one, but they had sold out.

This was flaky and delicious...it was just too hot to eat something like this on a hot and humid day though.

Lychee Mango with Lemon Peel shave ice...the day before, Aunty Kalei made a mistake with our order, so she gave us the one she made as a mistake.

She insisted on the making the order right and that she wouldn't take money for it (I did sneak some $$ into her tip jar though).

She also told me, "just keep the shave ice in the freezer and take this out when you are watching your Korean dramas"...sorry, Aunty, but I don't watch K-dramas.

Still, this was perfect with all the krazy heat and humidity we've been having.

Dinner was La Tour's buffalo chicken salad...enough for 2 meals!

Spicy chicken, olives, roasted corn, red onion, bleu cheese dressing...love!

Tuesday, Aunty M1 adopted our dining table. (thank you!)

Thankful for all the meals, conversations this table has seen.

After the movers left with the table, I brought more things to JCCH.

Lunch from Shaloha...shawarma sandwich (grilled chicken, hummus and veggies in a pita).

I like how HUGE these sandwiches are...enough for 2 meals!

Wednesday, doughnuts from Donut King.

Love their chocolate coconut cake donut and tried their blueberry cake donut.

The blueberry was kind of "fake" tasting, but super moist!

I got carded at Tamura's!

It felt WAY nicer than being asked if I qualify for the "senior discount" or being called "ma'am".

Can't wait to try this porter and cola!

Thursday dinner from Hughley's Southern Cuisine.

I tried their 1/2 rack, collards, baked beans and corn bread.

So good! Their corn bread is super buttery! And their ribs are fall off the bone tender.

I'm glad I tried this place and wouldn't mind going back for their brisket.

So that was kind of my week...

My time in Hawaii is winding down, the heat and humidity still haven't stopped, though I do see more "Fall-like" weather (rain).

Hoping it is cooler where you are, have a nice weekend.

Nagoya Bakery
98-042 Kamehameha Highway
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.484.9999
Hours: 8:00-17:00

Aunty Kalei's Shave Ice
2321 Auhuhu Street
Pearl City, Hawaii
Phone: 808.343.8289
Closed Mondays & Fridays
Hours: 13:00-17:00

Flamingo's Express
98-820 Moanalua Road
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.376.8388
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 7:30-20:00, Sundays 7:30-15:00

Hughley's Southern Cuisine
99-080 Kauhale Street
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.380.4200
Closed Mondays
Hours: Tuesdays-Saturdays 11:00-20:00, Sundays 13:00-18:00

update

Friday, checked out Tamura's Fine Wine...they moved from their Kamehameha Highway location to the Old Down to Earth spot near Anna Miller's Pearlridge.

I picked up some of their ahi poke...the price of ahi (tuna) has gone up over the past couple of weeks due to low fishing yields.

The Tamura Special is a little spicy, a little sweet and perfect with some rose.

Also picked up these two sodas made by Maui Brewing Company.

Root Beer...made with cane sugar, local honey and Hawaiian vanilla.

The vanilla sort of overpowers, but I like that this uses local ingredients.

Ginger Beer...made with cane sugar, local honey and Hawaiian ginger.

I enjoyed the kick that this had from the ginger.

I'm glad I got to try these locally made sodas...perfect for the humid and hot days we've had all summer!

Saturday, dinner from The Elephant Shack.

This time around I tried their Goong Nam Prik Pao : shrimp marinated in their homemade sauce, red onions, long beans and jasmine rice.

I got this mild spicy and it was too hot for me...but, I enjoyed how flavorful this dish is and how much shrimp they give in this portion....enough food for 2 meals!

Sunday, we celebrated Aunty M's birthday.

Aunty M1 cooked up a storm (chicken long rice, kalua pig, spicy eggplant, watermelon and salad).

We brought a cake by Ted's Bakery...pineapple mac nut cheesecake.

A slightly spiced cake (I think) topped with whipped cream cheese and pineapples, mac nuts coating the sides of the cake...so good!

The taste and texture reminded me of a cake my mom used to make called Hawaiian Delite Cake...found a recipe online here.

Monday, Labor Day...BFF and I went back to Lanikai Juice in Kapolei.

This time around I tried their pitaya (dragon fruit) smoothie...super refreshing...the heat and humidity have been kind of bad this summer.

Tuesday, I went back to Roast Duck Kitchen.

This time I tried their combo, choice of two items...I chose the Oyster Sauce Chicken, Char Siu on cake noodle.

$13-something...so much food!

They also give you a gau gee...the sauce up top is the oyster sauce (I think).

The chicken is already so flavorful, that you could probably use the sauce for the cake noodle...I ended up not using the sauce at all.

The Char Siu is super tender and flavorful...a little sweet...love!

Wednesday, my folder's elastic thingy went kaput....so I went down to Daiso to pick up these long elastic hair bands...in essence, untied elastic strands...

Glad I was able to McGyver my folder.

Thursday, I had an appointment in town, so afterwards, I went to Manoa to pick up a roast turkey sandwich from Andy's for lunch.

I have been wanting to try this place for a long time, I am glad I finally did and their sandwich is so good!

The roast turkey is tender and moist.

I also added avocado, tomato and cheese.

The sandwich comes with lots of sprouts, lettuce and carrots.

And the bread (which I believe is made in house, was super soft and delicious!)

It was kind of weird figuring out what I needed to do...(order at the counter, then pay at the entrance, then go back to the counter to pick you your order), but everyone was super helpful.

Two doors down is Off the Hook Poke Market, which I've seen on social media.

I got their mini poke bowl...chose white rice and one poke (the Hawaiian Style).

then got all their toppings (tobiko (flying fish roe), green onions, bubu arare (little rice puffs) and furikake)

Next time I'll get their poke on green salad, since they put the cold poke on warm rice...

Their Hawaiian Style poke was spicier than what I envisioned...I'm glad I got to try them!

So that was my week...need to clean for the upcoming Sunday Open house, send us some good mojo...

Hope your week was a good one and have a nice weekend.

Andy's Sandwiches & Smoothies
2904 E Manoa Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.988.6161
Closed Saturdays
Hours: 7:00-17:00 (Mondays-Thursdays), 7:00-16:00 (Fridays), 7:00-14:30 (Sundays)

Off the Hook Poke Market
2908 E Manoa Road
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.800.6865
Closed Sundays
Hours: 11:00-18:00

this week

Friday, met up with V, she had the "last" of her avocados to share.

We had lunch at Ohana Hale Marketplace (OHM).

It is the perfect place to get out of the heat & humidity.

We tried a ginger tumeric smoothie from Miko and the Juice...delicious...lots of citrus in this and the ginger and tumeric are pretty strong in a good way.

And bun cha gio from L & K Pho & Sandwich, a shop which Jalna wrote about here.

I thought the spring rolls were a little sweet.

The lady working there calls everyone "honey" and she gives lots of spring rolls for this dish.

She runs the place by herself so it does take some time for orders to come out...be prepared.

Or like she told the guy before us, "next time you call ahead, so you no need wait, honey"

In the middle of the marketplace are seats and tables to enjoy your food, there is also live entertainment.

I'm glad we got to try this place and look forward to trying other booths.

Saturday, BFF and I went to Royal Kitchen to get our manapua fix.

We prefer the baked type.

I also tried their coconut filled one and lup cheong.

All so good!

Dinner was at Kalapawai Cafe in Kapolei...little did we know that the menu goes kind of "fancy" after 17:00....

I ordered their watermelon salad...not quite what I had envisioned...

My version would have had salad greens (maybe arugula or baby leaf), "cubed" watermelon, feta cheese "sprinkles", the sprinkle of mac nuts and balsamic drizzle...

Afterwards we went next door to Lanikai Juice...where I ordered the Kailua Monkey (banana, peanut butter, organic soy milk, chocolate whey protein, honey)...

next time I'm having "this" for dinner...

Sunday, BFF and I went to Rainbow's for lunch...I had their BBQ Beef Sandwich and a slush.

So so good!

How awesome are these watermelon carvings Satoshi saw at the Ikegami Festival?

Dinner was at Aunty M's where we had Sam's Club pizza...during the year, the fam has been comparing Sam's and Costco's pizzas.

Sam's is the winner because their crust and toppings have a balanced ratio.

Going home, there was a stabbing on the freeway, WT? luckily, I got off the freeway and took the back roads down to Nimitz Highway instead of sitting in traffic...took this photo of the sunset before we got in the car....

Monday, Aunty M1 gave us a dragon fruit....it was my first time to peel this and luckily, youtube had a tutorial.

I love technology!

Tuesday, Malia has been hiding in the back of my closet, I guess because it is quiet and dark there and also because Aunty Kat has no clue as to where she is...I swear she disappeared...

Wednesday, met up with Flickr friend, Rex...every summer we've been trying to eat at W & M, but always end up elsewhere, finally, we had lunch there, parking is always krazy here, but we were both lucky to each get a stall.

I had the cheeseburger...so good! while Rex had their HAL special.

Always fun talking with Rex, he's super tech savvy and keeps me up to date on things regarding iPhones and such.

Thursday, got an email from the realtor, he will be mass mailing some realtors and planning to have an open house on the Sunday after Labor Day. (Hoping this will spark some interest in our property)

Lunch was from Roast Duck Kitchen...this tiny shop mainly sells roast duck, roast pork, roast chicken and char siu.

I got their roast chicken plate and a gau gee (long fried won ton).

The chicken was tender and very moist.

And I also enjoyed the gau gee, it is stuffed to the gills!

Bummer that the rice was really dry and the cabbage underneath the chicken really oily.

Still, I'm glad I tried this place and there was definitely enough food for two meals...I want to go back to try the cake noodle with oyster sauce chicken and char siu.

That was more or less my week...it is still gross and humid.

It is the end of August, seems so fast, yet it doesn't.

Hoping we'll get an offer in the coming weeks that I am here...have a nice weekend.

Miko and the Juice : UPDATE OHM CLOSED
333 Ward Avenue (inside OHM)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.861.5046
Hours: 10:00-20:00 (Mondays-Saturdays), 10:00-17:00 (Sundays)

L & K Pho & Sandwich : UPDATE OHM CLOSED
333 Ward Avenue (inside OHM)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.722.9730
Hours: 10:00-20:00

Roast Duck Kitchen
99-115 Aiea Heights Drive, Aiea Shopping Center 2nd floor
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.486.0005
Closed Mondays
Hours: 9:00-17:00