Jin Deui

...also known as Sesame Seed Balls.  As I think I've said before, my judge and I graduated from the same law school.  It turns out there are actually a few lawyers in Hawaii who also graduated from our school and today we had what could be loosely described as an "alumni lunch."  There were 6 of us there and we went to Golden Palace for some Dim Sum.  I have had dim sum before and generally I find it to be filling and well worth its inexpensive cost.  I always walk away from Golden Palace full and satisfied.

Well today I was introduced to a new dim sum dish that I had never tried and was really surprised by.  It is Sesame Seed Balls.  Okay, in reality that's just what it looks like.  It's actually called Jin Deui or Jian Dui and is a type of fried Chinese pastry made from glutinous rice flour. The pastry is coated with sesame seeds on the outside and is crisp and chewy.  They are hollow balls of rice pastry filled with either coconut or sugar-enriched beans or other things.  I know how it may sound, but these were pretty delicious.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Whenever I go for dim sum I still just point at the carts as they come by, but I will definitely point to this next time.

Sweet Taste of Victory

In honor of my commanding victory over my co-worker in Sunday's Sprint Triathlon, I thought I would honor myself at work by brining in some snacks for everyone.  Followers of the Pineapple Project know that there are ALWAYS snacks, pastries, and full spreads of food brought in by people that occupy prime real estate on the kitchen table at work.  Since I hadn't brought anything in to wreck people's diets yet, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to include everyone in the spoils of victory.

Originally my plan was to bring in malasadas, but the malasada shop is closed on Mondays.  So I settled on assorted pastries.  I looked around for a bakery in downtown Honolulu and came across The Patisserie (1164 Bishop Street - map here).  I walked in and they have a glass display case with super fresh-looking scones, croissants, muffins, cakes, and doughnuts.  Everything looked so good!  They also make homemade breads, baguettes, and rolls.  So if you're ever in downtown honolulu, I recommend stopping by for some delicious pastries.

It was a big hit at work and it spread the message of my triathlon dominance so it worked out well.

Grand Cafe & Bakery

Lately I have been doing a pretty good job of bringing lunch and cooking dinner.  I find it easier to ensure I'm eating the right stuff when I do that; however, every once in a while I am too lazy.  On days I am too lazy to pack lunch, I go somewhere around town.  Usually it's a sandwich shop.  However, as I've written about before, I am obsessed with deals and airline miles.  Certain restaurants in downtown offer airline miles just for dining there.  For example, I get 3 airline miles for every dollar spent at Indigo.  Well, I just got an email telling me that I get airline miles for eating at the Grand Cafe & Bakery (31 North Pauahi Street - map here).

The "draw" of this place is that they serve healthy, fresh ingredients in a country-style setting.  It has the feel of a homestyle diner in downtown Chinatown.  As I waited for my order, I noticed that all the dishes that came out had pretty substantial portions, which makes the above-average prices seem more justifiable.  I ordered the blackened chicken sandwich and there was a lot of food.  The meal itself, which came with fresh, homemade potato chips, was pretty awesome.  The chicken was tender and well-seasoned and came on a really soft bun with herb aioli.  A co-worker ordered the fish and chips and said he was equally pleased with his order.  If you're every looking for a lunch place in Chinatown (and don't feel like Chinese food), I recommend checking this place out.

Mexico

No, I don't plan to take a trip there.  Mexico is the name of a Mexican restaurant outside of downtown Honolulu that is actually worthy of being called "mexican food."  It's legit.  As I've written about before, it is nearly impossible to find good Mexican food in Hawaii.  I don't think you can legitimately have a Mexican restaurant unless you have Juan and Jose slingin' my burrito in the kitchen.  In Hawaii, it's always "Asian-inspired" Mexican with no Mexicans in the kitchen.

Not here.  First, the margaritas are fantastic.  Second, the food tastes fresh and authentic.  There is nothing worse than fake Mexican (or anything, really) that then tastes re-heated and processed.  Mexico (1247 North School Street Honolulu, HI 96817 - map here) had fresh fish, fresh vegetables, and even real chips and salsa.  If you're in Hawaii and miss the Mexican food from home, stop by this place and give it a try.  Another nice thing about this place is that it's not located in the middle of any major metropolitan areas.  In other words, not a lot of tourists to degrade the authenticity and atmosphere.  So if you're looking for a quality meal outside of town, hit up this place and bring your appetite.

Well that didn't take long...

I said I hate losing.  More than anything I hate that nagging feeling that I could have done more or could have done better.  Maybe it's my ego.  Maybe my narcissistic type A personality.  I don't know.  Whatever it is, though, it led me to sign up for another triathlon.  Two, actually.  The first is another sprint triathlon on the marine corps base in Kaneohe on the East side of O'ahu.  The other is the Tinman Olympic distance triathlon in Honolulu.

I signed up for two triathlons for a few reasons.  First, I decided to do another sprint distance to prove that my crappy time in the lanikai sprint triathlon was a fluke.  I am out to beat my time (and my friend who also did the lanikai triathlon this past weekend).  Second, triathlons are a lot of fun.  They're not like marathons or bike races where you just do the same thing for a couple hours.  No, triathlons work your whole body and mix things up to the point so you can't just rely on muscle memory.  So I actually did enjoy myself.  Third, I signed up for the Olympic distance to prove that I can do "real" triathlons and I can cross triathlons off my "to do" list without any harassing conversations!

This time, I'm taking no prisoners, though.  I'm going to train seriously this time with no excuses.

Sam Choy's: Breakfast, Lunch and Crab

I had always heard of Sam Choy's, but until yesterday had never been there.  I went to the one located on Ala Moana Blvd (580 North Nimitz Highway, Honolulu, HI 96817 - map here).  On Sunday they have an all-you-can-eat buffet for $19.95 that is from 9am-2pm.  The other restaurant is near Diamond Head just at the end of Waikiki.  The one I went to is located in Honolulu’s busy industrial district of Iwilei.  Sam Choy’s is a family style, casual restaurant that features huge portions of local favorites for breakfast and lunch. Dinner showcases a variety of fresh crab, lobster and shellfish, steaks, ribs, and chicken.  We went for lunch.  Three of us had the buffet and one person had the Shrimp and Scallop scampi.

The buffet had an omelette bar, short rib carving station, french toast, waffles, portuguese sausage, bacon, corned beef hash, sticky and fried rice, panka-crusted swordfish, squid soup, and some other stuff I can't remember.  All the food was good, but the best food was the sausage and french toast.  The swordfish was great and if you like fish, I would definitely recommend it.  The omelettes were also amazing.  In comparison to the shrimp and scallop scampi, though, the buffet was only "okay."  Everything in the buffet was good, but you could still tell it was from a buffet.  The shrimp/scallop scampi though was unbelievable.  There was so much garlic and butter flavor with pesto.  The shrimp and scallops were also incredibly fresh.  If I went back, I would definitely skip the buffet and order something directly from the menu.  The buffet was no really worth the price unless you went with a massive appetite and were prepared to eat a ton of "decent" (as opposed to incredible) food.

Now, if the cool, casual atmosphere with great food wasn't enough for you, then you can always come for the BEER!  I had no idea that this place was also a brewery.  They have a variety of beers that brewed right on the premises.  The beers are called "Big Aloha Brew." We tried the Big Aloha Lager and the Blonde Ale.  Both were good.  The lager surprised me with how light - both flavor and color - it was.  Neither beer was particularly "distinct," but both had nice flavors.  There are plenty of better places to get good beer on the island, but Sam Choy's has a unique "Hawaiian" ambiance that makes it worth a try.

That said, if you find yourself looking for a good spot to grab some food, try Sam Choy's.  Sam Choy, by the way, is an award-winning restaurateur and best-selling cookbook author.  He is also a TV host who tries to educates people about the diverse cultures and flavors that culminate in Hawaii.

St. Patrick's Day - Hawaii Style

Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day.  As I've written about here and here, Hawaiians like to party.  They don't need a lot of excuses to drink in the streets, but when there is a legitimate reason, they run with it.  Naturally, as an Irishman, I was excited to celebrate my heritage.  Of course, by celebrate my heritage, I mean get excessively and inappropriately drunk while wearing shiny green attire.

Unfortunately, it all started poorly because I came to the block party straight from work.  Murphy's Bar & Grill hosted a huge block party with a dozen beer tents, four live bands, and bbq pits.  I walked over to meet some people, but alas, I wasn't wearing green.  It was cool to walk into the sea of green drunk people, but I stuck out like a sore thumb.  Nonetheless, I met up with some friends and drank some Guinness.  The night itself wasn't anything to write home about, but if you're ever in Hawaii for St. Patrick's Day, I highly recommend going to Murphy's block party.

Wahoo's Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

I have now eaten at Wahoo's Fish Tacos twice and the best I can say about this place is that it's "okay."  Although there are a few decent places (i.e. Cholo's on the North Shore), Hawaii is not known for its Mexican food.  In downtown Honolulu, Wahoo's is one of your only options.  I don't recommend their chips and salsa, AT ALL.  The chips are stale and the salsa is bland.  The fish tacos were also not particularly appetizing.  The fish was dry and the portions were small.  One nice thing about this place is that you can order your food "a la carte," which means "without beans and rice."  I have never been a huge fan of refried beans and rice.  So it's nice that you don't have to pay for it if you're not going to eat it.

The best thing I have tried thus far is the burrito. They have chicken, steak, and fish burritos.  I have had the fish and a chicken/steak combo.  I recommend the chicken/steak combo.  Also, get your burrito "wet."  A wet burrito, like the one pictured below, is simply a burrito that they smother is a spicy green chile sauce.  If you absolutely love spicy food, you may be disappointed.  There is not much "kick" to it.  That said, it is hearty and has a good flavor.  If you're visiting and desperately need a Mexican fix, I recommend waiting until you make it to the North Shore.  If you absolutely cannot wait, then stop by Wahoo's.

"Wet" Fish Burrito

Mission Houses Museum

I am a big fan of deals and coupons.  I am absolutely the sucker that marketing companies target because I will buy 2 of something if the second one is 30% off or whatever.  I am naturally drawn to big ass bright signs that say "CLEARANCE" or "50% OFF!"  I also go to the store and compare unit prices and get the item that is the better buy, even if I don't need two 60oz jars of peanut butter.  It's just smart shopping, in my opinion.  This is why I love Costco.  I also love Groupon and LivingSocial - programs that harness group buying power to lower prices of events, activities, spas, and restaurants in major cities around the world.  If you're not familiar with these websites, you get one email a day alerting you to some phenomenal deal for the day.  It's free to sign up and you don't get spam as a result (other than the daily email).

Kawaiaha'o Church

I recently bought a coupon for Buy One/Get One Free Tea at the Mission Houses Cafe and Tea Parlor.  The museum and cafe are located across from 'Iolani Palace and next to the Supreme Court building. It is right off of Kapi'olani Ave on the Kawaiaha'o Church grounds.  The Mission Houses Museum connects the story of the American Protestant missionaries to the history and culture of Hawai‘i.  The Cafe and Tea Parlor is nestled in with the houses of the first Missionaries that came to Hawaii in the 1820's. I was a little skeptical at first, but it was actually pretty nice. The Cafe serves a light breakfast, coffee drinks, and lunch with takeout and casual in-house dining.  On Saturdays, though, they have "Saturday Afternoon Tea," which is what the coupon was for.  They have a preset menu with preset prices where they serve a pot of hot tea (per person), little sandwiches, desserts, and biscotti.

Mission Houses Cafe and Tea Parlor

The pastries, pristine tea sandwiches, and carefully prepared teas are served on fine china and are great for a relaxed afternoon break if you're walking around downtown or sightseeing at the Palace/Supreme Court building. Note that the tea is ONLY done on Saturdays from 11am-4pm.  The Saturday tea menu commemorates the women who came to Hawai'i as Missionaries in the 1820’s. Each menu offering is named after one of these women and highlights her contributions to Hawai'i.  They give you a little booklet that briefly talks about each woman, and I have to say their contributions were impressive. One woman founded the first organized school in Hawai'i.  Another translated Hawaiian into English so they could teach scripture, but she went further and also taught Hawaiians how to speak English.  Lucy Thurston, another woman whose name is on the menu, was diagnosed with breast cancer, underwent the island's first mastectomy in her late 50s, and yet continued to teach in the Hawaiian schools for 21 years (until she died just before her 83rd birthday).

Presentation of Treats

You can see the normal menu here or the tea menu here.  Overall, this is probably something that older couples or mothers/daughters would spend time doing, but it was admittedly a cool place to check out. The food and tea were good and it was peaceful.  As I have said before, I am not a fan of museums, so I didn't tour the museum itself, but you can always do that too if you're interested.

Museum and Cafe Grounds

Christmas in Hawaii

Where I grew up, it was always cold on Christmas.  It may not have always snowed, but the temperature was always around 30-35 degrees.  The days and weeks leading up to Christmas always involved getting bundled up before going outside, driving around looking at Christmas lights, and maybe even playing an occasional game of backyard football with a group of friends.  When I moved to Chicago for law school, it was really no difference. The weather was always freezing by the time the lights went up on Michigan Ave.  So it feels a little weird to see Christmas lights in shorts and a t-shirt, which is exactly what I did on Saturday night.

Christmas Tree outside of City Hall

I wrote before that Thanksgiving is not a big deal here.  Christmas, on the other hand, is a HUGE deal.  I now understand why it was so urgent that the clerks in my office meet to discuss holiday decorations.  Our office looks like Santa and his reindeer came by and threw up Christmas decorations all over the place.  It's awesome.  I love Christmas and all the decorations.  Along the same lines, this weekend was the annual City Lights parade and tree lighting in downtown Honolulu.  All day the city shuts down the streets and there is a Christmas festival with games and rides for kids, booths with food and drinks, and at 6:00 there is a parade followed by the tree lighting.  I didn't make it for the parade, but it's supposedly fun.

Barefoot Santa

The Christmas decorations are a little excessive, but that's what makes them awesome.  First of all, there is a barefoot Santa.  There is also a snowman holding a surfboard.  The pure ridiculousness of a snowman in Hawaii makes it fantastic! Everyone here gets so into Christmas that next weekend a big group of people already have plans to build ginger bread houses and drink mulled cider and mulled wine.  So even though it's 80 degrees and doesn't quite feel like Christmas, I think I can get used to the new warm-weather traditions.

Also, "Mele Kalikimaka" is Hawaiian for Merry Christmas.