we go picnic

Whenever we visited my grandparents on the Big Island, one of the things we would do was go on a picnic.

In Hawaii, most of us speak pidgin english, so most of our sentences are short and to the point.

Like, "you ate? (have you eaten?)", "how come? (why?)", "we go! (let's go!)". Oh and as someone once pointed out to me, we always end our sentences with "yeah?"

Anyway, whenever we went on picnics, we would usually throw whatever was in the refridge into a big cardboard box, adding some tamagoyaki (rolled omlette), some musubi.

Into the car would go some goza (rolled straw mat) maybe some beach chairs, an ice chest with some juice/soda, some fruit, maybe something sweet and a thermos filled with hot barley tea.

We'd go to a park with a picnic table and benches (if no table could be found, the goza and chairs would be used) and eat the lunch we brought, while waving away flies that came to pester us, hoping for some part of our bento.

If the weather was too windy, you'd have to hold onto your paper plate and paper cup.

Oh, you should also know that the tableware of choice in Hawaii are paper plates, easy to throw away, nothing to wash afterwards. Not very environmentally friendly, but hey, that is our food culture in Hawaii.

Afterwards, the grown-ups would chat while the kids would play, maybe finding a pond with fish.

This post is for my Grandpa who loved going on picnics.

I recently made my own picnic bento using foods that were in my fridge (char siu, yatsumi-zuke, carrot salad). I made a rolled omlette with tsukudani in it and some temari-style musubi topped with takuan and ume (pickled apricot).

For dessert, a cocoa berry mochi and some green tea.

Even though the weather was rainy, pretty gloomy and I had to eat indoors, it was a nice lunch and a nice way to remember my Grandpa.

Miss you Grandpa!

remembering grandpa

shouzan9, Originally uploaded by Kat

Growing up in Hawaii, we would have sashimi only during special occasions. In our family, sashimi and sushi would fall under the category of "gochisoo" or foods for special occasions.

In Japanese, sashimi means sliced raw fish but in our family this meant only one kind of fish, maguro (tuna).

Another thing that we do differently in our family is how we eat it. We didn't eat it with wasabi (Japanese horseradish), we ate our sashimi with mustard. Coleman's mustard.

I remember having to get a jigger, placing some dry mustard in it and then adding some water to get the consistency right. (Though I could never get the consistency right!)

I am not sure why we ate it with mustard and not with wasabi, but I have a feeling, back then, wasabi was expensive and/or hard to get.

Needless to say, I never used the mustard, just shoyu (soy sauce). To this day, I think this is why whenever I eat sashimi I only use the shoyu.

My grandpa used to always buy us sashimi when we visited him on the Big Island. He would go down early to Suisan, where they held the local fish auctions and pick up the freshest piece he could buy. He would come home with the piece wrapped in pink butcher paper, enough to fill a large round platter.

Even during New Years when the price of tuna skyrockets, he would always make sure that we were able to enjoy sashimi.

When I moved to Japan, several friends and family in Japan asked me if I ate sashimi.

I replied "yes" but was shocked when out came a large platter filled with assorted raw sliced fish.

It wasn't just maguro and there was no mustard.

Though you can find sashimi and sushi everyday in the markets here, it is still "gochisoo" to me.

I can't believe 10 years have passed...missing you Grandpa!

my middle name is...

Do you have a middle name? I'm sure most of you do. Native Japanese do not and are surprised that we, Japanese Americans do.

Most Japanese American first names are English and their middle names are Japanese and come directly from their grandparents, or is a combination of both grandparents names, or a Japanese name that their parents like.

Some Japanese Americans that I know don't have Japanese middle names but English or Hawaiian middle names...I guess it all depends on what your parents, grandparents decide.

Anyway, today is Girl's Day in Japan, but in Hawaii it is the memorial of my Grandpa's passing. I can't believe that it is 9 years since he's been gone and I wanted to share with you a little story.

When I was in elementary, my cousin and I were at her neighbor's house (I can't remember why we was there but I think her neighbor was watching us) and she made us tuna with kim chee sandwiches for lunch.

She toasted the bread, spread the tuna on and then added the won bok kim chee. At first I thought, this is a weird combination (I was a picky eater back then), but when I tasted it, it was delicious.

A few months later, when I visited my grandparents, we were having tuna sandwiches for lunch. I told my grandpa he should add some kim chee to his sandwich, so he did. After one bite, he said, "your middle name must be "eat""...I guess he liked it too.

Miss you Grandpa!

the alley

How long has it been since you've been in a bowling alley? (By the way, the Waialae Bowl in Kahala shut its doors last night for the last time.)

Growing up, I remember going to the Hilo Lanes (on the Big Island) to watch my Grandpa bowl. My brother and cousins would cheer him on, and on occasion, embarrass him with our cheering (to the point where he once told us not to come with him anymore.)

The very last time I'd been in a bowling alley though, was in my college days. Cheering on a then boyfriend, while studying my kanji (chinese characters) for Japanese language class the next day.

The bowling alley image that I have is one filled with cigarette smoke and black stuff on the chairs and floor. Touching the ball, your hands would get all black too. Not a pretty image.

So, you can imagine how surprised I was when my mom suggested we go pick-up some lunch from the Aiea Bowl.

With the new "no smoking" law in Hawaii, the smoke filled alley is now gone. The scoring desk is now replaced by these electronic devices. You don't need know how to score the game.

While I was happy about the smoke being gone, I was kind of sad to see that you didn't need to manually score the games anymore. Still, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves playing a game they love with their friends and family.

The restaurant in the Aiea Bowl is called The Alley. The decor is very modern. Mom had heard several good reviews of the place and was anxious to try them. Here's what we ordered:

Dad got their Tasty Chicken Sandwich (US $6.25 + tax). Two big pieces of spicy, deep fried mochiko (glutenous rice flour) coated chicken with shredded lettuce in a bun.

Mom got their Spring Salad with Tasty Chicken (US$8.20 + tax). This is served with a Creamy Thai dressing and croutons.

Mom and Dad were happy with the flavor of the chicken. Spicy but delicious. The coating was just enough--you weren't eating just coating, as some places make their mochiko chicken.

I got the Alley Shrimp bowl (US$8.95 + tax). The bowls are mini versions of the plates. Tender, juicy shrimp are sauteed in garlic, butter and a spicy jalapeno-like sauce. Served with your choice of white or brown rice. Tossed or mac salad. My tossed salad was also topped with the creamy thai dressing. The dressing reminded me of mixture of creamy oriental dressing and sweet chili sauce--delicious.

The food here is definitely delicious, a little pricey, but worth it.

The Alley (inside of Aiea Bowl)
99-115 Aiea Heights Drive
Aiea, Oahu
Phone: 808.488.6855