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

this week

Friday, met up with Instagram friend @cre808 ...turns out we went to the same high school but different graduating class, still, small world yeah?!

It was fun talking with her.

She was nice to give us all this omiyage (thank you!) and introduce us to Yuzu Jelly Soda from Uproll Cafe.

Forgot Friday was a holiday and I was thankful she could meet up on her day off (Thank you!)

Saturday, my brother and I did some errands.

Dinner was a solo pupu party...cole slaw, ahi limu poke (tuna with a type of seaweed), oyster sauce poke, chips and Maui Brewing's Coconut Hiwa Porter.

Sunday, the big day!

Vacuumed and got the house ready for the Open House.

BFF let me hang out with her until 17:00.

When I got home the realtor left us a note...11 people came and 2 seem interested....crossing fingers the house sells quickly!

Dinner was from Palisades Drive Inn...mini sweet sour spareribs.

Monday, met up with family friend D at Chubbies.

Always fun talking story with him. (Thank you!)

Afterwards I roamed the aisles of Whole Foods in Kaka'ako...got some items from their salad bar for dinner.

Tuesday, lunch from Uproll Cafe.

Tried their Ahi Lover...fresh ahi (tuna), green onion, cucumber, takuwan (pickled radish), ginger sauce...I added carrots, lettuce and fried onions...and also got a yuzu jelly soda.

This is a massive futomaki (literally fat roll!)

So good with all the "goodies" in it, want to try some of the other items on their menu.

Wednesday, lunch with Jalna and Mich.

It has been awhile since we've been able to get together.

We met up at Goma Tei.

I tried their Won Ton Tan Tan...meh, I'm a ramen snob.

Their housemade noodles seemed a bit dry almost like wheat pasta sometimes can be and the tan tan soup a bit watery.

Their won ton are delicious, but HUGE filled with shrimp and other ingredients.

Jalna shared some of her handmade cards as well as some omiyage from her trip to Hokkaido. (Thank you!)

Mich shared some dark chocolates and 'ulu chips. (Thank you!)

It was nice to spend time with them and catch up on things.

In the afternoon was a 2nd showing for a couple that came to the Sunday Open House...We'll see what happens

Dinner with BFF at La Tour Cafe.

This time around I tried their Thit Khia Loaded Fries : coconut juice braised pork, white sauce, carrot & daikon pickles, cucumber, red onions, fried garlic, cilantro

Too bad they didn't serve this in a bigger container, it was so hard to eat!

Loved the braised pork, which kind of reminded me of the sweet char siu I grew up with...but, I would've enjoyed this if there were more chunky pieces rather than sparse and thinly sliced pieces.

Their fries are super crispy and delicious.

Thursday, drove out to Wahiawa because I wanted to check out Taqueria El Ranchero.

This restaurant is open from 7:00 in the morning!

They serve breakfast everyday from 7:00-noon.

I know if I lived closer, I would be picking up breakfast from this place (often).

I ordered their Burrito Grande...I chose chorizo which is made in house and is spicy!

I also chose black beans...the burrito comes with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, rice and cheese.

It was so HUGE, that I had it for 2 meals.

I also tried watermelon agua fresca (literally fresh water) for the first time.

They make this in house too and while it was a little too sweet, with the gross humidity this really hit the spot!

I hope to go back to try some other things on their menu.

All in all, heat and humidity were pretty evil this week. Not as bad as Japan, but pretty close.

More photos here if you are interested.

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

Uproll Cafe
Pearl Highlands Center Food Court
Pearl City, Hawaii
Phone: 808.567.7655
Hours: 11:00-20:00 (Monday-Saturdays), 11:00-18:00 (Sundays)

Goma Tei
Kahala Mall
Honolulu, Hawaii
Phone: 808.732.9188
Hours: 11:00-21:30 (Mondays-Thursdays), 11:00-22:00 (Fridays & Saturdays), 11:00-21:00 (Sundays)

Taqueria El Ranchero
823 California Avenue
Wahiawa, Hawaii
Phone: 808.621.9000
Hours: 7:00-24:00 (Mondays-Fridays), 7:00-26:00 (Saturdays-Sundays)

bon dance

It's Bon Dance Season in Hawaii.

If you'd like to know what bon dance is, please read this.

I went to the Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission's Bon Dance on Friday with Aunty M.

There was a nice turn out.

Mini chicken hekka (similar to sukiyaki) sold out fast...

I had their chicken bento...delicious.

Andagi is always a must.

It was our first time going to this bon dance and I'm glad we did.

Thanks Aunty for inviting me.

shige's saimin stand

Had been wanting to check out Shige's Saimin Stand for some time now, but didn't have any reason to go out to Wahiawa to do so...until the other day.

My friend Len had business out there and it was the perfect chance to meet up for lunch there.

Len had their small won ton min. He thought it might not be enough, but it was perfect he said.

Since the weather was a scorcher for all things soupy, I had their fried saimin and BBQ beef stick instead.

I liked the sweet-salty flavor, their noodles are apparently homemade which is why they are a bit flatter and thicker than the saimin noodles at most other places and they had a nice chew to them too.

Their beef stick was a bit "gamey" tasting, but I appreciated it being tender enough to slide off with chopsticks.

It was a good chance to catch-up on things. Thanks for lunch Len!

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

Shige's Saimin Stand
70 Kukui Street
Wahiawai, Hawaii
Phone: 808.621.3621
Open Monday-Thursday 10:00-22:00, Friday & Saturday 10:00-24:00

kua'aina

Today Satoshi and I took my Grandma riding to the North Shore. On the way, my grandma mentioned that her friend had told her that the sakura (cherry blossom) were in bloom in Wahiawa. So, we got off the freeway and drove around Wahiawa town. Apparently, this part of Oahu is at a higher elevation so trees like these from Okinawa are able to thrive.

We happened upon a tree in someone's front yard, so we pulled over to take some snaps. The cherry blossom season is supposed to start next week for Osaka, so hopefully I'll be able to enjoy some of it when I return in two weeks.

After our cherry blossom viewing, we got back onto Kamehameha Highway and headed towards Haleiwa--this is Satoshi's "must visit" area every time he comes home. Another "must visit" is Kua'aina. This place has been making burgers since the late 70's. A specialty is their avocado burger (Satoshi's fav)--a half of an avocado is placed onto a 1/3 lb. or a 1/2 lb. burger with tomato, lettuce and a grilled onion. My favorite is the BLT & Avocado--a half of an avocado added to a BLT (bacon-lettuce-tomato) sandwich....sigh, good crispy bacon is so hard to find in Japan!

Check out the size of the ketchup! Plus, each table has a roll of paper towels, this should give you an idea that these sandwiches are NOT made to be eaten while driving in your car!

On our way back, we checked out the high surf at Sunset Beach. It was a nice drive and we had a nice lunch with my Grandma.