foodie july (first half)

Some of the new things I tried in the first half of July...

Stumptown Cold Brew with Coconut Cream & Sugar...I used half the carton (serving size is the whole carton) and diluted with more iced coffee...this was delicious.

Juicy and ice cold mountain apple...delicious!

1st time at Pieology.

You can put any amount of toppings and the pizzas are all the same size and price.

Fun, fast and good.

Firestone Walker's Nitro Merlin Milk Stout...chocolatey, a little smokey.

Would've been nice(r) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in it...

Moena Cafe in Kapolei serves dinner and we went there while my Dad's sister was in town...

The braised short ribs were tender.

The okinawan sweet potato mash was a little too sweet and a little too coconut-y.

Restaurant Kuni's catering menu...great service and perfect for the memorial service we had for my Dad.

Zippy's Dream Cake...Dream cake was one of my Dad's faves...this version was kinda meh...

My brother thought the chocolate was kinda too oily...

Gina's Fish Jun...the sauce was sweet and sour which was different from other fish jun I've had.

The taegu was overly soft and sweet too.

Will try some other sides next time.

7-eleven has a 7-eleven day on July 11, in which they give away free small slurpees.

I had never had one, so I went to check them out...I didn't know how to operate the machine (sad, yeah?!), so I needed coaching from the masses standing in line behind me (Thank you!)

Li hing mui slurpee was super sour but tasted more like cherry...meh, but at least I got to try.

Li hing mui is a Chinese preserved plum which is similar to dried Japanese umeboshi...if you salivate when hearing either, you probably grew up in Hawaii.

Japan's 7-elevens need slurpees though...

Meat Jun Bento from Paalaa Kai Mini Mart...only $6 and the meat is tender and flavorful.

My Aunty M1 commented that BFF W and I have gone here quite often this trip home...I told her that "it is closer to get to from Pearl City"...

The malasadas from Paalaa Kai Bakery, called Sada's Malassadas...are super poofy and stay that way the next day.

The sugar melts (the next day) but the malasadas stay intact and doesn't smoosh like others (you know which ones), nor are they oily....love!

While others go to this bakery for their snow puffies, I have only been buying this malasada.

Black Sheep Cream Co.'s "Rub some bacon on it"....Peanut Butter Cream and their Homemade Maple Bacon Toffee...so so good!

That is their single scoop (HUGE) and only $4.50 (tax included).

This place is hard to find...it's between SuperCuts and Subway near the Waipio Costco...no signage outside and the interior is dark, so they don't look like they are open...

Have a good week.

Restaurant Kuni
94-210 Leokane Street
Waipahu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.671.1100
Hours: Lunch 11:00-14:00, Dinner 17:00-21:00

Pieology
Pearlridge Uptown
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.200.5085
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10:30-21:30, Sundays 10:30-20:00
Closed when the mall is

Black Sheep Cream Co
94-1235 Ka Uka Boulevard
Waipio, Hawaii
Phone: 808.620.7904
Hours: 10:00-21:00

foodie june

Earlier in mid-June, BFF W and I were able to get in our last Tacos Zarate fix, they closed up for good June 14, 2018.

On this particular day, I had their fish tacos, super crunchy outside and tender fish inside....will miss their food.

Fish jun bento from Palama Supermarket...enough for two meals!

I also tried the meat jun bento (no photo) and love both!

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli has a shop in Kapolei, I tried their tuna sandwich.

Lots of veggies and lots of tuna salad...and their fries are crispy...so good!

Lychee from the Big Island (Island of Hawaii) were being sold at Costco...some weren't too sweet but for the most part they were delicious.

With all the krazy vog (volcanic smog) from the Big Island, it makes for beautiful sunsets.

Tried Ruscello restaurant in Nordstrom with my aunties.

It was a day when they were going to turn off all the power in the area that my parents home is located, to do some maintenance work, so I made sure to get out of the house.

The crispy panko chicken salad was similar to mochiko chicken but crispier...delicious. (Thanks Aunty M for lunch!)

Pineapple Mint Iced Tea from Island Vintage Shave Ice...super refreshing on that blazing day. (Thanks Aunty M1!)

Mango from Aunty V's stash...Thank you!

Tillamookies...Tillamook ice cream sandwiches filled with mint chocolate chip was meh...the mint seemed to be more peppermint like those hard red and white candies than spearmint.

1st time trying the baked manapua and custard bolo bao from Honolulu Kitchen.

The baked manapua is huge and the outside is really sweet & sticky.

Custard bolo bao is similar to Japan's melon pan but softer and filled with custard.

I'm glad I tried both.

Have you tried the fried chicken from Paalaa Kai Mini Mart (next door to Paalaa Kai Bakery)?

It was my first time.

The skin is so crispy and the chicken so juicy...I dare you not to eat all the crispy skin...I couldn't stop eating it.

1 piece chicken and a musubi under $3! I now understand why all the surfers were hanging out and eating this in the parking lot.

Da Snack Shack is a tiny food court at Pearlridge with 3 shops sharing the kitchen.

Annie's Kitchen, a Vietnamese restaurant is one of them.

I tried their bbq beef banh mi...too bad all their veg was cilantro and not much daikon-carrot pickles.

Also, bummer their beef wasn't tender.

(My brother tried their BBQ Pork Sandwich a couple weeks later and said it was good)

1st time trying HAL special from W & M Bar-B-Q...teri cheese burger topped with lettuce, tomato & onion AND slices of teri beef!

So good, dunno why I have never ordered this before...

1st time trying Donut King.

I tried their chocolate coconut cake doughnut...so moist!

And so cheap too, under $2.

Teri beef sandwich from Shiro's...the beef was super tender...delicious.

Been wanting to try Aloha Cones for some time, but their shop in town has parking issues, so am glad they also have this shop in that Da Snack Shack at Pearlridge.

I tried their mini chirashi and added avocado and edamame for $1 each.

The fish is so so fresh! and the edamame and avocado so generous.

Whew...a list of stuff I tried during June..some new places, some new (to me) items at familiar eateries.

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli
711 Kamokila Blvd.
Kapolei, Hawaii
Phone: 808.674.1700
Hours: Mondays-Thursdays 5:00-21:30, Fridays 5:00-22:00, Saturdays 7:00-22:00, Sundays 7:00-21:30

Ruscello
inside of Nordstrom Ala Moana
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.953.6110
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 9:30-21:00, Sundays 11:00-19:00

Island Vintage Shave Ice
Ala Moana Shopping Center 2nd Floor
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.942.7770
Hour: Mondays-Saturdays 9:00-21:00, Sundays 10:00-19:00

Paalaa Kai Mini Mart
66-1425 Kaukonahua Rd
Waialua, Hawaii
Phone: 808.637.9182
Closed Tuesdays
Hours: Wednesday-Saturdays & Mondays 5:00-18:00, Sundays 5:00-16:00

Da Snack Shack (UPDATE: 2019 all shops in this food court no longer at this location)
Pearlridge Uptown
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.888.8668
Hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10:00-21:00, Sundays 10:00-18:00
Closed when the mall is

Donut King
Market City Shopping Center
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.258.4119
Hours: Mondays-Fridays 6:00-19:00, Saturdays & Sundays 6:00-17:30

ono hawaiian foods

Met up with my Flickr friend, Rex.

He mentioned that Ono Hawaiian Foods was closing so if we could have lunch there...

To tell you the truth, I'd never eaten there, in all of the 50-something years they were in business (sorry!)

Growing up, my family would always make lau lau, lomi lomi salmon, haupia...and on special occasions we would make kalua pig...

So, rarely would we go out to eat these foods.

Anyway...we got there a couple minutes before opening and by the time the place opened there was a nice line.

Lots of people taking out, but there were also quite a bit dining in.

Rex ordered their kalua pig plate, while I went with their lau lau plate...both $18.00 (plus tax)

Each plate comes with lomi lomi salmon, haupia, pipikaula, pickled onions and rice or small poi (we both chose poi).

I really enjoyed the family style dining.

The lau lau was HUGE but super moist and very well seasoned.

The kalua pig was tender and flavorful.

One day old poi was on the tart side but delicious with the lomi lomi salmon.

It was nice experiencing this place, though sad that they will close at the end of the month.

Thanks for suggesting this place and meeting up Rex!

Ono Hawaiian Foods (closing at the end of August 2017)
726 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.737.2275

foodie friday

Friday started off with breakfast at Koa Pancake in Aiea.

Loco moco for Satoshi and a short stack of banana pancakes for me. Their coffee is awful...I know, I'm a coffee snob...

After breakfast, we did a few chores at home then visited with Dad and Grandma.

Lunch was from Poke Stop inside of Hawaii's Favorite Kitchens...the guy making the bowls was such a grouch...at least the lady at the register was nice...

Satoshi had their two choice with Garlic Edamame Ahi Poke and their Furikake Salmon Poke. I chose the mini with their Furikake Ahi Poke.

We both chose sushi rice but learned our lesson (too sweet) and will order just white rice next time.

We took our lunch to Kaimana Beach and were treated to free parking by the parking meter angels...there was a little over an hour on the meter! (Thank you!)

Then after lunch, we fought the gross back-up on Kapahulu due to road construction and picked up some items for dinner from Ono Seafoods.

On the way home, we checked out Satoshi's favorite lookout, Puu Ualakaa and then hit Champion Malasadas for a little snack.

Dinner was the lomi ahi and sashimi that we picked up from Ono Seafoods. It was our first time here but we liked their selection.

We also tried Lanikai Brewing's Pillbox Porter. I liked this one because there were nice notes of coffee and chocolate.

Another day of lots of running around, lots of food and lots of sun.

Ono Seafood
747 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone:808.732.4806

the counter & hawaii's favorite kitchens

Saturday, I went out to lunch with BFF and another friend, S.

BFF treated us to lunch at The Counter. It had been almost 6 years since I'd been back.

I had their B.L.A.T. and sweet potato fries. Bacon is so good in the U.S.! (Thank you!)

After walking around a bit, we went to Hawaii's Favorite Kitchens which is next door to Rainbow Drive-In.

Can you imagine all sorts of island favorites in one shop? You can get KC Drive-inn, Poke Stop, Hoku's BBQ Chicken, Shimazu Shave Ice and some Rainbow Drive-In items.

BFF and I were there for KC Drive-Inn's Ono Shake...Strawberry, Chocolate, Coffee or Vanilla shakes mixed with peanut butter.

I chose Chocolate while BFF chose Vanilla...thick and rich.

S chose Shimazu's Shave Ice.

Can you believe this is a small?!

They have a wide selection of syrups and you can choose up to three.

S chose strawberry, li hing and coconut (I think that is what she said)...

It's been quite hot and muggy lately, so these cold items hit the spot.

Another great foodie day!

Hawaii's Favorite Kitchens
3111 Castle Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.744.0465
Hours: 10:00-19:00 everyday

win-spuntino

Yesterday, I got to meet up with my good friend, Gaye.

She suggested we try Win-Spuntino.

It was our first time here and we both didn't realize that there was an Italian restaurant in Market City.

What I didn't realize, was that there was a two-story building on the Market City property...that's where this restaurant is located.

I think they had enough seating for about 20 people.

Gaye had their lasagna while I had their chicken saltimbocca.

Two generous sized chicken breasts with proscuitto, spinach and cheese. Too bad the chicken was cooked until it was hard and dry.

Flavor-wise this was good though. Lots of pepper on the pasta and mushrooms.

I would come back to try the lasagna, it looked good!

It was nice to catch up with Gaye and nice to try something different. (Thank you!)

Win-Spuntino
Market City (next to Foodland)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.732.1888

tucker & bevvy

Met up with Deb at Tucker & Bevvy.

According to the internet, Tucker and Bevvy is a slang term meaning "food and drink" in Australian.

There are many items on their menu, decisions decisions...

We ordered the Kale and Quinoa Salad, this comes with kale, quinoa, roasted kabocha (pumpkin), tamari roasted seeds (pumpkin & sunflower) and 2 poached eggs.

The poached eggs I thought could have been a little more oozy.

But the salad...wow! I really enjoyed this. Lots of crunch from the seeds and I think the kale salad was dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette.

I want to re-create this!

We also ordered a side order of rosti. This is similar to what we call hash browns. So crispy and not mushy in the center...love!

Lastly we ordered the Tim Tam waffles. Almost everyone we've seen on social media has ordered this.

If you don't know what a Tim Tam is, you can read about it here.

Thank goodness the waffle wasn't sweetened because the Tim Tams and vanilla ice cream made things super sweet. Oh, and if you feel there is not enough sweetness with the ice cream and biscuits, feel free to use the maple syrup that they give on the side...oy!

Even though it was super sweet, this was a nice way to end the meal.

As for beverages, we both ordered their fresh pressed juices.

Deb had their Bevvy Q--watermelon and red apple. While I chose their Sunrise--carrot, orange and ginger. So refreshing and good!

Waitress Sondra made things fun and cheery. And the food was really nice! I'm also glad I got a chance to spend some more time with Deb. I hope she enjoyed this brunch as much as I did...I'll be back.

Tucker & Bevvy (2018 UPDATE: this location closed)
Hee Hing Plaza, #203
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.732.0050
Open daily 6:30-14:30

sweet e's cafe

Got a chance to meet up with my good friend, Gaye. We decided to brunch at Sweet E's Cafe in Kapahulu.

I had forgotten how teeny the parking was at Kilohana Square.

Gaye ordered the Homemade Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict.

We shared....super tasty corned beef hash and here's the oozy egg...love!

I ordered the Stuffed French Toast with Blueberry Cream Cheese.

We shared this one too. We loved that this wasn't sickly sweet.

This is a great place to brunch! I'll be back.

Some cute goodies from Gaye, those Hello Kitty items are to keep your earphone cords or any other cords from tangling...thank you!

It's always fun spending time with Gaye, I hope she had a nice time too!

Thanks Gaye!

Sweet E's Cafe (UPDATE 2016: they moved to 1006 Kapahulu Avenue, same hours and phone number)
Kilohana Square
1061 Kapahulu Avenue, Suite #185
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.737.7771
Open everyday from 7:00-14:00

good to grill

Technically on my blog it is the 4th of July, and since the 4th is all about the grill these days, I think I'll share with you a lunch we had recently from Good to Grill.

This shop is located in the same complex as the Kapahulu Safeway and BOTE.

Since most regular plate lunch items are rather large, we decided to order two and share between the three of us (Mom, Dad & me).

Our first choice was the braised short ribs with grilled mahi and pineapple salsa...US$13.99+tax

The ribs were off the bone and super tender, the marinade was a teriyaki style...really good!

The grilled mahi was a bit dry and needed the salsa to add some flavor.

Our only peeve with this was that they forgot to give us the side of greens we had ordered...boo!

The other plate we ordered was their Kona Pale Ale battered fish and chips...US$8.99+tax

The fish was moist and the outside really crunchy. I loved the tartar sauce too, lots of dill.

The waffle cut fries were flavorful but very very limp...meh!

We're glad we tried this place and would highly recommend the braised short ribs.

Hope your 4th is filled with lots of good fun and good food! Happy Birthday America!

Good to Grill (UPDATE: 2017 no longer in business)
888 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.734.7345

burgers on the edge

Tuesday, I went with my Mom and Dad to check out Burgers on the Edge (BOTE).

This burger place is similar to The Counter (TC), where you can :"build your own burger", I wrote about TC earlier .

Dad couldn't decide and settled for their Classic, US$6.49, 1/3 pound burger with lettuce, tomato, red relish & pickles on their whole wheat w/oats bun.

The guy at the register rattled off what red relish...red peppers, jalapeno and some other ingredients (I couldn't catch them all because he rattled them off really fast), but didn't know if it was spicy...WT??

Mom chose to build her own burger...a 1/3 pound burger with swiss, red relish, tomato slices, applewood smoked bacon, portabella mushrooms & grilled onions...US$6.99.

I also chose to build my own burger...a 1/3 pound burger with pepper jack, smoked hickory bbq sauce, applewood smoked bacon, portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers & thin crispy onions...US$6.99.

We also got an order of their sweet potato fries...US$4.89.

Things we noticed...the burger at BOTE is larger in diameter than TC, the bun is bigger too.

Way the burger was cooked...TC asks how you want the burger cooked, BOTE didn't.

Toppings...you get way more toppings on your burger at BOTE (because the burger is larger in diameter.)

Sweet Potato Fries...TC has better sweet potato fries. They were way more crispier. Mom also thought that BOTE may be using yam instead of sweet potato, or their cut was too thick to get the fry crisp enough.

Price...you will probably get a more reasonably priced meal at BOTE.

Negatives: My only gripe about my burger at BOTE was that there seemed to be crystals of salt here and there that I kept crunching on, which made those bites way too salty, and I wished the crispy onions that I ordered in my burger were crisp.

Also, the music inside the shop was quite loud so we couldn't have much conversation, but it beat sitting outside with the wind blowing everything around and the noise of the traffic zooming by.

All in all, we're glad we tried this, it was really filling and delicious.

Burgers on the Edge (in the Kapahulu Safeway Complex) UPDATE: as of 2013, this place is closed
888 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone:808.737.8866