miyoshiya

The other week I had an errand to run, it was my first time in this part of Nakanobu.

At first I thought it was a soba shop, until I saw this at the bottom of the window..."We are not soba restaurant but we serve tacos"

So Thursday, I came back to check them out and luckily grabbed the last table.

Apparently the owner's father used to serve soba, which is why the outside looks like a soba shop, even the sign still says "soba".

I overheard the owner telling someone that he used to work as a magazine editor. 

He and his brother were not interested in learning how to make soba, and wanted to do something different so he decided to open a taco shop instead.

Lunch...choose 3 tacos (carnitas (pork), chicken, fish, shrimp, grilled veggies or fried tomato) and a drink or soup...1210 yen (tax included).

I chose carnitas, chicken and fish.

The tortillas are made to order.

“Wrap me tender” says their plates.

For my drink, I chose their housemade lemon soda.

It took awhile for the food to come out because everyone came when they opened, the tacos were delicious, even though the fish was a tad overcooked.

The dinner menu seems to be a la carte and more tapas style.

I'll be back whenever I'm in this area.

Loved the buildings in the area too.

Miyoshiya

3-15-7 Nishi Nakanobu

Shinagawa, Tokyo

Closed Tuesdays

Hours: 11:30-14:00 (lunch), 17:00-22:00 (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

mexican dining avocado

When I went to Shinjuku on Sunday, I stumbled upon Mexican Dining Avocado for lunch.

This restaurant has seating on the 2nd and 4th floors (the 3rd is occupied by another cafe).

Did you see the movie, "Coco"?! (I loved that movie even if I only saw half...long story...)

The shop interior is apparently based on the movie, super festive & bright.

I ordered the taco rice, which came with all-you-can-drink soup, a beverage and fresh juice.

It was kind of humid so I passed on the soup.

As for my beverage I chose their iced hibiscus tea and was also given a small serving of their fresh juice.

The tea was refreshing...I had thought it would be more tart but it was actually really nice.

The fresh juice was avocado, grapefruit, honey and chia seed (kind of like a smoothie)...this was creamy and citrusy.

Their taco rice had enough spices to give a little burn.

Wish there had been a little more cheese.

I'm glad I found a place for taco rice in Shinjuku...I'll be back.

Mexican Dining Avocado
3-9-4 Shinjuku, 2nd & 4th floor
Shinjuku, Tokyo
Phone: 03.3356.8585
Lunch 12:00-15:00 (Weekdays), Dinner 17:00-23:00 (Weekdays including Saturdays)
11:30-15:00 (Weekends), 17:00-22:00 (Sundays & Holidays)

guzman y gomez

A couple of Saturdays ago, Satoshi went to watch his university baseball team play.

I instead hung out at Starbucks so that I could use their wifi to catch up on some of my internet tv programs.

Lunch was at Guzman Y Gomez.

I had their nacho fries topped with spicy pulled pork.

Bummer that they fries were soggy, but this nixed my craving for Tex-Mex.

I did like that you could add some red onion, cilantro and put your own hot sauce.

I noticed other eateries that I want to try in this food court, so I'll be back.

Guzman Y Gomez
Food & Time Isetan Shinagawa Atre 3F
2-18-1 Konan
Minato, Tokyo
Phone: 03.6433.9070
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-22:00, Saturday, Sunday & Holidays 10:00-22:00

tacos zarate

Since the last visit to Tacos Zarate, they moved to Kahala.

In the spot where Antonio's Pizza and Honolulu Burger Company used to be.

S, BFF and I went to check them out for lunch today.

The space is clean and bigger than when they were on King Street.

I ordered the Carne Asada Nachos and a small drink.

The server made a mistake and gave me a large drink.

Loved the cheese sauce and the carne asada was super tender.

Will definitely be back to try other things on their menu.

It was nice catching up with S and BFF too! (Thank you!)

Tacos Zarate (UPDATE: closing 6/16/2018)
4210 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.892.1565
Hours: 11:00-21:00
Closed Sundays

foodie tuesday

Yesterday for lunch, I met up with Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. Since I was craving Mexican food, I asked her to meet me at Zaratez (which is also called Tacos Zarate).

When I was on Twitter, I used to follow the owner, when he had a food truck, but never got around to trying his food then.

Fast forward, he opened a shop on King Street about a year or so ago.

This shop has two counters to sit at and eat, but most customers buy "to-go".

Deb and I shared the #8 Güero burrito (your choice of meat (I chose chicken), guacamole, onion, beans, rice, cilantro) and their two tacos (Deb chose pork) this comes with beans and rice.

We also had Mexican sodas (I had lime while Deb had pineapple).

The salsas, red or green, are hot, hot, hot! Red is chipotle & árbol and Green is serrano & jalapeno...we decided they need a "mild" for wimps like us...*cough*

I really liked the freshly fried chips too.

The food was good, nicely seasoned.

After lunch, since Deb has some time, she took me to Lucy's Lab Creamery.

Their flavors are different from "the usual" ice cream shops...I tried Buttery Popcorn and Fruit Loop Vodka.

The buttery popcorn was just like eating popcorn, as Deb said, "without getting kernels stuck in your teeth". The addition of arare or kakimochi as we call it in Hawaii, made it more of a local favorite combo.

The Fruit Loop Vodka, I'm glad wasn't boozy. I liked the fruit loop topping too.

The Ward area has changed drastically over the past year or so. Many new high-rises as well as new shopping areas.

I'm glad Deb showed me around and took the time out to meet up. It was fun catching up with her and she also gave me a ton of snacks (the new Lays flavors, Trader Joe's speculoos chocolate, Trader Joe's freeze-dried strawberries & Lindt bar) and some things to read (books and a magazine).

Dinner was with friend, D.

We met at Big City Diner and both had sandwiches.

I had their Paniolo Burger...a burger topped with cheese, bacon, their guava BBQ sauce and lots of fried onion rings...so good!

D had their Patty Melt.

It was great catching up with D as well and he was nice to share some mangoes that he had.

Major foodie day, but also lots of talking and lots of laughter...thanks Deb and D!

Tacos Zarate (UPDATE: 8/2016, moved to Kahala)
1273 S. King Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.348.0715
Closed Sundays
Hours: 11:00-16:00 (Mondays & Saturdays), 11:00-20:00 (Tuesdays-Fridays)

Lucy's Lab Creamery (MOVED to South Shore Market (Ward Centre))
435 Kamakee Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hours: Mondays-Thursdays 11:30-21:30, Fridays 11:30-22:30, Saturdays 10:30-22:30, Sundays 10:30-21:30

Big City Diner
Pearlridge
Aiea, Hawaii
Phone: 808.487.8188
Hours: 7:00-22:00 (Mondays-Thursdays & Sundays), 7:00-24:00 (Fridays & Saturdays)

que rico

Dinner was at Que Rico which opened a shop in Lucua 1100. I've had this place on my list "to try" for awhile.

Their amuse bouche (the stuff that comes out without you ordering it) were these chips and salsa...200 yen per person...um, for that price I think we should've received at least another plate.

Satoshi ordered the SOL beer 650 yen...meh, he wasn't impressed and switched to Sapporo beer (450 yen) afterwards.

I ordered a strawberry margarita...600 yen (cute, yeah?!)

We ordered a plate of nachos...650 yen. Good flavor, just not enough food...

Tako ceviche...500 yen. Super spicy.

More tomatoes than tako.

Shrimp Ajillo...500 yen.

Two large shrimps and some teeny shrimp and some mushrooms.

Overall, the flavors were good just not enough food for the price.

Sadly, I don't think we'll be back here again.

Que Rico
Lucua 1100 Bar Chika (B2F)
Umeda, Osaka
Phone: 06.6151.1546
Hours: 11:00-24:00, open when Lucua 1100 is.

foodie saturday in osaka

Met up with Tamakikat in Osaka before her appointment.

I had this croque monsieur thingy while she had a green smoothie.

Always nice catching up with her, she was also nice to share some Rococo chocolates (more about those later!) (Thank you!)

After Satoshi's German class, he wanted to go meet up with some classmates for a study session, so first we had lunch at South Swell Cafe.

The burgers are huge here! but the prices are super reasonable...800 yen. I had the South Swell Burger which came with bacon, bbq sauce and I think cheese.

Plus 200 yen and it came with a drink, I chose coke...

Satoshi ordered their Avocado Burger...900 yen and with 200 yen plus he added coffee.

While I waited for him, I checked out the Utsubo Park Rose Festa and read my book.

There were tons of families with kids all itching to play in the fountains...

There were also tons of furry kids!!

After Satoshi's study session, we walked to Nakanoshima Rose Park.

On the way, we bought some coffees and sat in the park.

It was dinner time. We checked out this mexican place I had bookmarked, Herradura.

We tried their guac with chips and ordered two orders of tacos (one with shrimp and the other with chile con carne). An order comes with two tacos.

Their food is quite good. We especially liked their chips which are fried to order.

We also had their queso con chile (melted cheese with tomato) and chips.

Their strawberry margaritas were meh. But we want to go back to try their plates.

It was quite a long day, but the weather is still quite nice.

Have a nice week!

South Swell Cafe
2-1-1 Nishihonmachi
Nishi-ku, Osaka
Phone: 0.6535.8852
Open 9:00-20:00 (weekdays), 10:00-20:00 (weekends)

Herradura
2-2-13 Nakazaki-nishi
Kita-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6361.1011
Open 17:00-3:00 (Monday-Friday), 17:00-5:00 (Saturday)

los chaparros

Met up with my cousin and his family the other day for lunch.

They have been seeking out Mexican food ever since they moved here and were eager to try Los Chaparros.

It is a tiny shop with a tiny parking area.

The food is decent.

I had their lunch special a soft taco and a crispy taco with shredded beef.

Loved how crunchy the crispy taco was and how it wasn't oily/greasy.

I hope they enjoyed their lunches as well.

It was nice catching up with them.

Thank you!

Los Chaparros
2140 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone:808.951.6399
Closed Mondays
Lunch:11:00-15:00
Dinner: 17:00-21:00 (until 22:00 on Fridays & Saturdays)

verde

Went back to Verde and had their nachos.

This time around I didn't add the steak & barbacoa, but did still add the guacamole ($1)...not sure why but my total came out to $7.85, thought it would've been at least $8.75.

Anyway, I forgot to mention the last time that they have about 9 different homemade salsas ranked mild, medium and hot. The corn medley I tried previously was from their mild list.

This time around I tried their watermelon salsa from "the medium heat" list.

It was a bit too watery for me, I would've enjoyed something more chunky, though it had enough heat for me.

Still overall everything was delicious and filling.

I'll be back.

verde

Always looking for a way to get my Mexican fix whenever I come back to Hawaii, I heard about Verde in Kaimuki.

Apparently they opened earlier this year and were recently featured on a foodie segment on the news.

I ordered the nachos which comes with tortilla chips, jack-cheddar cheese, pinto beans and pico de gallo...$7.75

I also added some guacamole ($1) and the steak and barbacoa ($1)

The meat was so moist and tender and I was pleased that there were actual "chunks" of meat.

I also chose their corn medley salsa which was corn, some red chile & chipotle. (I think chipotle is trending these days)

From the photo, it may look skimpy but it was very filling. Everything was fresh and delicious.

I also enjoyed their free lemon & lime water (which is on the counter), refreshing!

They open really early in the mornings and serve breakfast & lunch/dinner all day.

I'll be back.

Verde (UPDATE: 2018 closed)
3607 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.737.4700

el zocalo.burrito

Last Tuesday, I had an appointment and had to go to the west side of Osaka. I had wanted to eat lunch at a cafe I had read about, but they were closed.

Luckily, El Zocalo.Burrito was open.

I ordered the chili beans fries. This was similar to the nachos we tried previously, except this time around it was spicy. They even placed a bottle of hot sauce on the table when the served it, just in case I wanted to spice it up even more.

(Most times, shops do not offer extra spices or even salt, yup, they are THAT confident of their cooking...)

Anyway, it was filling and perfect for the slight hail we had that day.

foodie monday

Monday I met up with my host-brother's wife, Kazumi.

She had been wanting to check out some mexican food, so I suggested we go to Tacos el Nopal in Juso.

Satoshi and I had eaten here previously but in the evening, so I was also interested in seeing what they served for lunch.

Their lunch menu is limited. Choose from 5 entree items. Your meal also comes with guacamole, soup & dessert...1000 yen.

Kazumi chose the en tomatada, two small corn tortillas filled with chicken swimming in a tomato chili sauce and topped with queso fresco.

I chose the burrito, a soft tortilla filled with chicken, beans, rice & cheese.

We shared our entrees with each other and agreed they were both delicious though not spicy at all.

After lunch, Kazumi had some time before having to pick up her son, so we popped into Hamburg, a sweet shop.

I had tried their sweets when they were in Daimaru Umeda, but since the renovation there, they are no longer selling their sweets there.

Kazumi tried their strawberry mont blanc and I had their "strawberry forest"....refreshing!

It was a nice lunch and a great time.

Hamburg
1-12-15 Jusohonmachi
Yodogawa-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6308.5570

el.zocalo burrito

After reading Dayna's comment about El.Zocalo Burrito, I was interested in trying them out.

Then, after reading Tabelog, Japan's Yelp, it seemed that their portions were kinda big.

So, instead of going alone, I dragged Satoshi along.

The shop is located close to the Yotsubashi station and was easy to find.

We ordered a shrimp burrito set to share, this came with the burrito, a soft drink, guacamole and chips...980 yen.

The burrito is filled with rice, veggies and lots of tiny shrimp, delicious.

The chips are fried before serving and are delicious with the guacamole and a little drizzle of salsa.

We also ordered a plate of chili bean nachos to share, this seemed like it was minced chicken, kidney beans, cheese and salsa...600 yen.

Everything wasn't too spicy, and could have been spicier, but we agreed that it was perfect for people trying tex-mex style food for the first time.

It's not an area we frequent, but we'll be back when we're in this area. (Thanks Dayna!)

El.Zocalo Burrito
1-9-6 Kitahorie
Nishi-ku, Osaka
Phone: 06.6533.0337
Closed Mondays
Hours: 11:30-22:00

diego's

I went to Diego's for my Mexican food fix the other day.

The last time I was home, I tried the carne asada with chips and loved it.

Then Dennis commented that he saw carne asada with fries where he lives, and I remembered seeing that on Diego's menu too.

I knew that carne asada with the chips would be awesome but wanted to try it with fries...

So, I asked the guy if I could get a small carne asada with chips and fries. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and the worst thing he could say was "no".

Luckily, they weren't too busy...they gave me a half order of chips and fries with the carne asada and a nice dollop of guacamole...US$6.25 (with tax).

I think if I had eaten it right there in the shop, the fries would have still been crispy but since I drove home and then ate, they were quite limp.

The chips were still on the crisp side but were very very salty.

The meat was delicious and not too much gristle this time around.

I think the next time (probably the next time I come home) I will get the carne asada with chips and ask them not to salt it.

For a "small", this was HUGE, I think I've soothed my craving for Mexican, for now.

UPDATE: as of 3/2012, this place has closed

ola tacos

Awhile back, one of my readers, Rona, suggested Ola Tacos to me.

It is a tiny bar with several tables and a counter near Shinsaibashi.

After we were seated we waited several minutes, and were able to order drinks and then it took some more time before our food came.

While we were waiting for our food, we intricately checked out their book shelf next to our table.

Check out this calculator that was on their book shelf, it was HUGE! and it worked too! (Can you tell we were trying to figure out what to do while we waited for our orders??)

The first dish to come out was camarones al mojo de ajo, garlic seasoned shrimps still in their shell.

It was delicious very nicely seasoned with just a touch of spice, and very nice with a splash of lime....850 yen (about US$8.50)

Next came the tacos that we ordered...lengua (pork tongue) and chorizo (spicy beef with potato)...2 of the same topping for 550 yen (about US$5.50)

I really wanted to try the al pastor tacos since I've seen them on many blogs, but they were out.

I think they make their own tortillas, they were about 4 or 6 inches in diameter. Kind of tiny by US standards, but actually just right to try.

I thought the lengua was on the mushy side. We both liked the chorizo taco. We also loved the fresh salsa.

We had to wait a long time for the nachos...950 yen (about US$9.50), these were delicious, the chips were still crispy and we drizzled some of their hot sauce on it.

Since Satoshi was still hungry, we also ordered some totopos, chips with guacamole....550 yen (about US$5.50).

Satoshi had 2 beers and a frozen mango margarita and I had 2 frozen lime margaritas.

Except for the really SLOW service, we liked the food.

They knew they were really slow and gave us a little discount...total 6350 yen (about US$63.50).

We hadn't been out to eat in Shinsaibashi in awhile, but enjoyed it. (Thanks for the tip Rona Y!)

Ola Tacos (UPDATE: 2016 they moved locations)
1-17-15 Higashi Shinsaibashi Marukiyo (or Marusei) Building 6F
Chuo, Osaka
Phone: 06.6251.2082
Closed Mondays

diego's

For some reason I was craving nachos, probably because I'm going back to Japan in less than a week and know that I can't get good Mexican food....and I didn't want to get them from any "chain", so I went to Diego's.

They make everything fresh.

Their version of nachos is called "carne asada chips"...US$6 + tax.

If I am not mistaken they make their own chips too, they are super crunchy and stayed pretty crisp even after the 10 minute drive home.

Flavorful, marinated steak (had a little gristle), tomatoes, onion, sour cream, cheese, cilantro and salsa verde.

I loved this! The amount of these carne asada probably could have been shared, but I didn't :P

The flavors kinda reminded me of the greek nachos I made awhile back.

It's Halloween in the Islands, hope you have a safe one!

UPDATE: as of 3/2012, this place has closed

hokulani's

Well, it has been a week since I've been back. Grandma is up and around. She uses her cane, when she remembers to (she's never had the need to use one up until now, so this is a good sign that she doesn't really need one.) We have been taking turns staying with her at night, but will try to let her stay by herself after this coming week.

Since I still have to eat...this is just a little round-up of what I've been eating...

From our neighbors...these bambucha (huge) avocados...These actually "fell" into our yard like a bomb...SPLAT! from tip to end they are about 6 inches long! creamy and delicious. (Thank you!) Can you believe the ginormous tree grew from a single avocado seed planted over 20 years ago?

A lunch of 3 crispy tacos with guacamole from Diego's....US$4.50+tax. More than the tacos, which were really dry, I enjoyed the homemade guacamole and homemade salsa. If there is one thing I miss in Japan is Mexican/Tex-Mex food. UPDATE: as of 3/2012, this place has closed

Lunch with my Aunty M at Ryan's. Satoshi and I used eat here often, loving their appetizers and frozen li hing margaritas.

My aunty and I shared the mango stacked salad (refreshing!), buffalo wings (spicy!) and their sweet potato fries (loved their BBQ aioli!). I'm sure if it were happy hour, my Aunty and I may have had some of their reknown mojitos...(Thank you for lunch Aunty!)

Hokulani's Red Velvet Cupcakes...4 for US$10...bought at the New Food and Product Show...Aunty M and I thought there were way more products than food.

They seemed smaller than the ones I picked up from Cake Couture. I guess these cupcakes were sitting out for awhile...the parts that weren't frosted were dry and the cream cheese frosting had a hard shell to them and seemed a bit greasy....meh!

My Dad, who is a man of few words, said they were okay, but he wouldn't have spent $2.50 for it. I guess it was good that we got to try them, will we go back? probably not.

What have you been eating lately?