this and that

My foreigner card's expiration date is coming up, so last Friday, we went to get it renewed before we left for Kyoto.

We appreciated that we didn't need to wait in the long queue that was was snaking around out in front of the building, but what a mess it was inside!

No signage as to what needed to be done (probably more so because of the pandemic)...thankfully though we were in and out rather "quickly" (30 minutes give or take)...

These days whenever we go to Kyoto, we always pick up some doughnuts from Kamo Donuts.

They are kitty corner to where MIL lives, so we just run across the street and get our fix.

Since I was cleaning all day with SIL, I totally forgot to wear a mask when I went to get these (though I probably should have worn one with all that dust)...luckily the guy working there let me just cover my mouth with my hand and point at the showcase.

Another thing we eat whenever we are in Kansai is 551...

Since BIL had bought pizza for our lunch on Monday, Satoshi picked up an assortment of items from 551 for our lunch on Tuesday.

I was impressed that Satoshi remembered that MIL loved these anpan from Kokoroniamai Anpanya and picked some up for her.

We placed some on MIL's altar and we also enjoyed some too.

SIL said she has always wanted to try these but was never willing to line up for them, I'm glad she got to try them.

I thought I was pretty good at purging, but my SIL has proved that she is the queen of purging, so I brought back a few dishes from MIL's stash as they may not be there the next time we go to Kyoto for MIL's 49 day service in April...

Itami Airport got a face lift just as we moved to Tokyo in 2018, it was our first time seeing all the changes and we loved how spacious (and new) everything looked.

Tokyo's numbers seem to have plateaued in the 300 case range. 

When we went to Kyoto/Kansai by plane, I was shocked that it was a full flight.

Even if we all wore masks during the funeral and cremation, we did have meals with family (which was totally out of my pandemic comfort zone), so hopefully we all will be okay.

Have a safe weekend.

551 (namba)

We got to try the main store for 551 on our way back from Nara.

The restaurant area is located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the building.

It was after the lunch crowd and there was still a line for seats.

I was actually surprised that the line moved quite quickly.

I ordered their mabo eggplant yakisoba.

A combination of deep fried noodles and sauteed noodles, topped with their spicy mabo sauce, eggplant and veggies.

It was a change of pace to see cucumber and watermelon radish in there...

I tried their char siu man (bun), something only sold at this shop.

I had envisioned it to be similar to the steamed manapua (char siu bao) we have in Hawaii, but it wasn't the canton style char siu and there was lots of shiitake in there.

Still, it was better than the nikuman (meat buns) sold at the convenience stores.

Even though it was blazing hot, Satoshi almost always never fails to order soup noodles of some sort whenever we eat at places like this.

This was their seafood ramen.

And another item he almost never fails to order is gyoza or "gee-why-oh" as he likes to call it...

I'm glad we got to try the main shop's food.

They have more items on their menu than at most other of their restaurant type shops.

I guess whenever I want to get my Cantonese char siu fix, I need to check out Ou-lou or Heichinrou.

551
3-6-3 Namba
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6641.0551
Hours: 11:00-22:00 open everyday

chun wah kam

You know what I love about Hawaii, you can get so much done in the morning because everything opens early! In Japan, you'd at least have to wait until 10-ish, and by the time you get your errands done, almost half the day is gone.

Anyway, lunch on Friday was from Chun Wah Kam. It is one of the only places we eat dim sum from in our area.

Lately, though, some of their prices have gone up and quality down...

We tried their Roast Duck Buns...thick pieces of roast duck, hoisin sauce and scallions...moist, meaty, so good! (US$3.75 for 2)

And their Char Siu Buns...nice cuts of char siu, hoisin sauce and scallions...delish! (US$3.75 for 3)

I think I like the char siu version a little better.

We also got a baked manapua (for something this size, please put more filling!! US$2), some pork hash (US$.85/ea), crispy gau gee (US$.80/ea) and taro cake (please put more taro too! US$1.60)

Over all good food, though like I said, some of the quality is going down.

Hope your weekend is going well.

odds and ends

Some random photos...this one was in-between of moonset and sunrise.

One morning while walking there was this huge rainbow, of course I was walking in a drizzle.

A flock of chickens in our neighborhood. I stopped to take their picture and they were running towards me (which is why the photo is so blurry, I panicked!)

Ikura don from Don Quijote...only US$3.99 + tax. It had tobiko (flying fish roe) and maguro (tuna) plus the ikura (salmon roe)...pretty good for the price.

How huge is this baked manapua (char siu bao/pork bun)? Got this from Chun Wah Kam in Kapolei. Their selection isn't as good as when we buy from Waimalu and this bao was mostly bread.

Also from Chun Wah Kam, their Bolo Bao. A sweet bread filled with custard topped with a crunchy cookie topping. This thing is meant to be shared!

We got 2 of these pineapples for free from Foodland with our Maikai Rewards (a point card system for the store). They were super sweet and delicious.

The full moon in July.

A Hummer decorated with maile and ilima.

The old Farmer's Market on Ward still has their old signs.

Saw this while waiting at an intersection. Pau Hana means "after work" or "after work drink"...Happy Friday!

odds and ends

Well, it's been 4 weeks...Grandma's doing fine, we've been taking her to do her grocery shopping and to some of her "normal" appointments.

On other days, I've been shuttling my parents here and there. It's not that they don't drive, but they "don't like" to drive unless they have to, and feel that since I do not drive in Japan, that I may "feel the need" to get driving out of my system...please add chauffeur to my resume (ahem!).

For most of days here, the weather has been miserably humid (Isn't it November??). Add to that the vog (volcanic smog?!)...ugh!

Anyway, I wanted to round-up some of the eats, let's get the "not so great eats" out of the way...

Just Tacos' Quesadilla...some pulled beef (which they call birria), melted cheese between two flour tortillas...thank goodness I took some salsa, there was no other flavor to the meal...UPDATE: as of 3/2012, this place has closed

Starbucks pumpkin spice latte...I like the version in Japan, which I think is non-sweetened then topped with whipped cream and pumpkin spices. This one was sickly sweet then topped off with whipped cream and the pumpkin spices, reminded me of their sickly sweet Chai Tea Latte...blah!

Sam's Club pizza...nice toppings but spongy crusts.

Quickly moving onto the "good eats"...

Baked manapua (char siu bao) from Chun Wah Kam US$1.85 + tax....I used to like the steamed version but have been converted with this one because the outside is soft and a little sweet like brioche and IMO (in my opinion), there is WAY more filling. (sorry no photo)

A teeny teri-beef sandwich from Bob's Bar-B-Que US$2.70 + tax...kinda disappointed with the size of this sandwich, and toughness of the sliced beef, but the flavor was ono! (delicious!) (sorry no photo)...gotta go back to try their steak fries, next year...

A HUGE portobello mushroom sandwich eaten with good friends during lunch at Assagio's. If you've ever eaten here, you'll know that before your meal they serve a loaf of their warm crusty bread. Well, they use the same sized loaf for this sandwich!

It was packed with portobello mushrooms, red bell pepper, onions, spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil, PLUS it came with a small house salad! US$10.90+tax. (sorry no photo)

A couple of Nanding's spanish rolls, which I've written about here...they have a new location in Waipahu....buttery, soft, a little sweet, mmm! (no photo, sorry!)

Addicting seasoned pretzels that my mom made for her church's craft fair...the recipe is similar to this one. I'm supposed to bring this bag home "to share" with Satoshi over beer (I better pack it into my suitcase and not into my carry-on in order to share...ahem!)

Despite the hot and humid weather, there was a guava jam session and cookie baking session for my mom's church craft fair which included these thumbprint cookies...only in Hawaii could the jam/jelly filling be guava!

NOH seasoned mixes, they had a portuguese sausage mix listed on their website and I FINALLY found it at a store (Marukai)! I can't wait to try this when I get back to Japan.

Vosges' dark version of their bacon bar...since I loved their milk chocolate version, I can't wait to try this one. UPDATE: this is good, the 62% dark chocolate makes the bar not as sweet as the milk chocolate version. I love the chewy bacon bits and hits of smoked salt here and there.

Dark chocolate covered creme de menthe Altoids...sounded interesting, hope they are good.

LU 70% Petit Ecolier cookies...while reading the "Trail of Crumbs", this brand of cookie was mentioned in the book. The other day while at the market, I happened upon them (not the exact same cookie in the story, but)...mmm, just the same!

My first trip to Yogurtland...they opened a shop nearby and BFF and I had a blast! putting different flavors and toppings...I tried a smudge of the Nutter Butter/Dutch Chocolate mix and a smudge of the Double Cookies & Cream/Coffee mix, PLUS crushed Reese's PB cups & sliced almonds as toppings.

The thing I like about this shop is that you can put as much or as little of yogurt and/or toppings as you like, you just have to pay by the ounce....at US$.39 per ounce, my damage...only US$1.78 (with tax). I wish they had smaller sized cups. They recently teamed up with Tokidoki (an Italian brand with a Japanese name) and have these cute cups and spoons. I also looked on their site and found out they have 2 shops in Okinawa. (actually by the time I posted this, I've actually gone a total of two times!! The second time around the damage was a little higher, but so deliciously worth it!)

While in the Menehune Mac Boutique at Ala Moana, I bought a locally made shirt by idkwhat2wear (I'm so tech-unsavvy, I had to look up what "idk" stood for (it means..."I don't know")...they need to add the word "dark" to this, but this shirt pretty much sums up everything about me (don't you think??)

This tiny bird, which I think is a type of finch, has such a nice chirp. The photo is kinda blurry because I had to take it from a distance and quickly...these guys are fast!!

Bubble Shack soaps, which I found at our new Target store, I've bought some in the past from Down to Earth, and loved their fragrances! The chocolate malasada soap smells good enough to eat!

An extra-dark chocolate Lindt Lindor truffle..saving this for the plane ride home...along with...

these (candies) and this (bag of chips)...

So, it's back to Japan, hopefully in time to catch some fall foliage, and maybe some chestnuts...

I'm glad I was able to help out with my family and thankful that Satoshi was kind enough to let me come home on such short notice.

Even though I didn't get a chance to play too much while I was here, I still made the most out of my visit, my suitcase is stuffed and I can't wait until my visit next year!

Talk to you again from the other side of the world!

Nanding's Bakery
94-216 Farrington Highway
Waipahu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.678.0828

Bob's Bar-B-Que
1366 Dillingham Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.842.3663

Yogurtland (UPDATE: as of 3/2012 this location is now closed)
94-1254 Kaahumanu Street
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.488.5004

kung hee fat choy!

It is Chinese New Year today and all around the Islands you can hear and see people wishing each other a Happy New Year with the greeting, "Kung Hee Fat Choy!"

I sometimes I think my mom secretly wanted to be born Chinese, she even told us that she wanted to marry a Chinese chef (in front of my Dad even!)...when we were younger, she used to make baked manapua (char siu bao) for us and for Chinese New Year, she makes gau. Gau is the Chinese version of mochi (rice cake), except that it is made with mochiko(sweet rice flour), dark brown sugar, water and a little oil. (well, that is how she makes it anyway)

First she melted the brown sugar sticks.

Then with all the ingredients mixed together, she steamed them in a steamer. When we were younger, I remember she used to make it in a pressure cooker and you could hear the cooker making that "shucka-shucka-shoo" noise as it cooked.

When it comes out it is still watery, so don't cover it with foil or plastic wrap, instead just put it into a brown paper bag to "dry". If you don't do this, you'll see mold form on it faster than you can say "kung hee fat choy".

Then top each one with a red date (I think she said it is called a hung jo) and some sesame seeds. (When I was still working, one of my Chinese-American friends once told my mom that she makes gau better than some Chinese ladies...he got gau from her every year after that.)

Usually, you can't eat the gau right away because it is too soft. After about two days, the gau firms up and is just the right texture to cut and eat. Some people use grated yam and some people coconut. All the variations are delicious!

We had some dim sum the other day for lunch from Chun Wah Kam. A huge steamed char siu bao or manapua as we call it in Hawaii, pork hash and Hong Kong noodles. Delicious and filling.

I really miss manapua, the Japanese have something called nikuman, but it just doesn't taste the same. I think it is because our char siu is sweeter than the Japanese char siu.

The year of the Rat is the beginning of the Lunar cycle. Let's hope this year will be a good one all around!

Kung Hee Fat Choy!

legend seafood restaurant

Legend Seafood Restaurant has been around in Chinatown for quite awhile now. There is always a line out front, which can mean only one thing, they are good! I didn't know this, but they also have another restaurant in Waikiki--that's where my friend, Carroll, took me to lunch today.

In Hawaii, we call these Chinese items "dim sum" but I know in Japan and in other places, they call it "yum cha". I don't quite know what the difference in the namings are, but it is good to know just in case you are craving this type of food.

In Hawaii, the waitresses usually push around these carts with all kinds of different "dim sum" on board. She'll stop at your table, show you what she's got in her cart and you pick and choose what you want to eat. There are even some carts where they will cook the dish right at your table! Then, she'll mark a sheet with what you've eaten. If you go with someone who is REALLY hungry, your card may be filled with lots of stamps by the time it's time to settle the bill. I've never come across this style of dining in Japan yet.

We had char siu bao or as we call it in Hawaii--manapua. The pork filling tends to be red in Hawaii whereas it isn't in Japan and I can't remember if we had these in China. I love the outside of this, it is really soft and fluffy! And the filling inside is a little sweet.

We also had fried taro (a type of potato)--a light airy outside, taro in the center with a whole crispy fried shrimp stuck into the middle.

Spring rolls are always a must....we actually had more dishes, but I was so hungry, I had forgotten to photograph them.

And for dessert, almond float or as they call it in Japan, annin-dofu. I understand that in China they actually use tofu (soy bean curd) for this dish. The gelatin cubes are flavored with almond extract...very nice way to end a meal.

Legend Seafood Restaurant
100 N. Beretania St (Chinatown location)
Phone: 808-532-1868

2255 Seaside Avenue (Waikiki location)
Phone: 808-926-8999

Open daily: (Breakfast & Lunch) 10:30-14:00 and (Dinner) 17:30-21:00
Call for reservations if you have a large group, or to guarantee you a seat