Sweet Home Cafe

Americans have fondue, Japanese have shabu shabu, and the Taiwanese and Chinese have hot pot.  It all involves cooking thinly sliced chicken, beef, or pork, and other items such as cabbage or crab cakes in steaming pots of broth, but the similarities end there. While shabu shabu uses Japanese dashi-style broth, Taiwanese hot pot offers a wider range of soup styles, from spicy to lemongrass to curry.  Many islanders are more than familiar with shabu shabu, but hot pot has yet to reach that level of popularity. Well, the other day my friends and I tried Taiwanese hot pot and it was awesome.  It was just a really fun (and relatively inexpensive) experience for a group of people.  You can sit around, talk, BYOB, and cook whatever suits your fancy.

Sweet Home Cafe (map) is a complete and total hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is very easy to miss.  The only thing noticeable about this place is the massive line of people waiting outside.  Wait times vary, but it's not unusual to have to wait 45 minutes to get a seat.  That was the first thing that told me this place would be good.  When a local, run down restaurant in the corner of a parking lot is packed, you can be pretty confident the food is delicious.  In fact, they don't have a hostess at all.  You write your name on a clipboard hanging on the front door and wait until you're called.  Since this is a BYOB place, we just brought two 6-packs and drank while we waited.  No big deal.

The Hot Pot of Broth

Before you're called in, they will also ask you if you know what broth you want to order as well as what meats you want.  BE PREPARED.  This is a no nonsense place and they don't have time for your dilly-dallying.  So they have a few broths to choose from:  Spicy, Lemongrass, House Specialty, Curry, and Sour Cabbage. We had the spicy and lemongrass.  Both were delicious.  The waiter recommended trying to curry next time, though.  When you sit down, they bring out your broth and a few small plates of thinly sliced meat. We did beef and pork.

  

Refrigerators With Food to Cook

Then you can get up and go to the refrigerator and get anything you want.  Things are priced by the color of the plates.  So, for example, a blue plate is $2.95, green plate $3.95, and orange plate $4.95.  The plates vary by size and ingredient.  We went and got rice noodles, crab cakes, octopus, garlic tempura (fried garlic), fish balls, lobster balls, watercress, and some other stuff I don't remember.  There were plenty of CRAZY items that we were not brave enough to try, but everything we got (except the fish balls) were really good.  You can also get all sorts of spices and "add ons" for your meal.  For example, they have spicy garlic paste, green onions, thyme, garlic, red pepper, and other weird Asian stuff that I didn't ask about.

Spices

Then at the end of the meal, they bring FREE shave ice.  Now, admittedly it wasn't the best shave ice in the world, but it was good enough and it was the perfect palate cleanser after the meal.

Shave Ice

3660 On The Rise

One of the people visiting me this week has an aunt and uncle who live on O'ahu as well.  So earlier this week they invited us to dinner for last night.  I had never been to, or heard of, the restaurant, but it was only a short drive from my apartment.  The restaurant is called "3660 On The Rise" (3660 Waialae Avenue - map here).  It turns out the owner/chef is my friend's aunt-in-law's brother.  First of all, getting there is incredibly easy and there is a parking garage underneath the restaurant, which the restaurant will validate.  It's in the heart of Kaimuki.

The restaurant itself is pretty non-descript from the outside.  It's on the corner of Waialae and Wilhelmina and just looks like your average restaurant.  When we walked inside, the atmosphere was really nice.  Everything was clean and perfectly arranged.  It had a swanky feel to it that made for a nice night out.  It was also quiet, which I appreciated.  The dining room is set up well in terms of seating as well.  I don't like when nice restaurants try to pack tables close together in hopes of fitting more people in.  3660 On The Rise has a spacious dining room so you don't feel crammed in like sardines.  The tables are large too, which is good because the food portions are huge and there are water and wine glasses on the table.

 

Anyway, we got a bunch of appetizers and every single one was delicious. We had the Ahi Katsu and Short Rib and Rougie Fois Gras Tortellini.  Both were absolutely phenomenal and I highly recommend both.  Ordering the main course was the toughest part.  Everything on the menu looked so amazing, I couldn't decide.  The restaurant offers a Monthly Special that comes with a salad, main entree, and a dessert for a pretty decent price compared to everything else.  The main entree was a portuguese sausage-crusted mahi mahi with a peach cobbler dessert.  However, I was ultimately swayed by the Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with a Brandy Green Peppercorn Sauce. Yes, that's correct.  Everything came out perfectly and was delicious.  Since my triathlon diet had already gone to shit for the evening, I decided to continue the punishment and order the Mile-High Waialae Pie for dessert.  It was MASSIVE and enough for 2-3 people to share.  I demolished it and ate the whole thing by myself.  I figured if I was going to abandon my diet for the evening, I was going to do it right.

The restaurant serves Euro-Island cuisine that reflects local flavors enhanced with the diverse cuisines of Europe and Asia. The plate presentations reflect many colors with the use of local ingredients and they have a comprehensive wine list with pairing recommendations for every dish.  It's a pretty awesome place.

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.

Lumpia

Earlier, I mentioned that some of the secretaries brought in food to work for Boy's Day.  One of the items, manapua, I already talked about in great detail.  Manapua is a delicious ball of dough filled with pork or chicken or beef or veggies.  Another item they brought in was Lumpia, something I had never heard of.  Everyone in the office got incredibly excited when they heard that Lumpia was in the kitchen.

Apparently there are many types of lumpia.  There is Lumpiang Sariwà (fresh spring roll),
Lumpiang Shanghai (filled with ground pork or beef, minced onion, carrots, and spices with the mixture held together by beaten egg), and Lumpiang Prito/Lumpiang Gulay (literally, fried spring roll).  We had the lumpiang prito and all it's fried goodness.  It was filled with briskly fried pancake, bean sprouts, and various other vegetables such as string beans and carrots. Small morsels of meat or seafood may also be added, but there wasn't any in these.  These, too, were pretty delicious!

Boy's Day

On March 3rd I wrote about girl's day and made some sexist hilarious comments about the Japanese getting it right.  For girl's day, you may recall that someone brought in brownies and fortune cookies to work.  Well, today is BOY'S DAY!  Let me just say, I didn't even know there was a boy's day until I walked into the kitchen.  Again, it seems the Japanese got this one right.  We didn't just get brownies.  Oh no.  The judicial assistants all brought in food for "their boys."  That's right, there are 3 boxes of manapua.  There is a big box of peanut butter crackers.  There is a massive tray of Lumpia (egg rolls).  There is a big bag of bagels with three types of cream cheese spreads.  It's like I died and went to my triathlon training hell!  Anyway, everyone has been in the kitchen all morning snacking on delicious food and hanging out.  As you can imagine, little work is being done.

So what is boy's day?  Good question.  May brings the reminder that in Japan, as in the United States, one of a nation's greatest assets is her children. May 5 is "Children's Day" in Japan, the day to stress the importance of respecting the character of children and promoting their health and happiness. It is also the day for children to express their gratitude for the tender love and care they receive from their parents. On this day Japanese families celebrate Tango-no-Sekku, the Boys' Festival. With its special customs and observances, it is Japan's way of celebrating the healthy growth and development of her young boys.

A carp-like streamer (yes, like the fish) is flown outside your home for each son in the family, a very large one for the eldest, the others ranging down in size.  The carp has become the symbol of the Boys' Festival because the Japanese consider it the most spirited of fish, so full of energy and power that it can fight its way up swift-running streams and cascades. Because of its strength and determination to overcome all obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals. The carp is an appropriate symbol to encourage manliness and the overcoming of life's difficulties leading to consequent success.

Girls are the guests of their brothers on this occasion just as boys are guests of their sisters on the occasion of the Girls' Festival on March 3. Their parents provide them with the traditional delicacies such as Chimaki (sweet rice dumplings wrapped in iris or bamboo leaves) and Kashiwa-Mochi (rice cakes containing sweet bean paste wrapped in oak leaves).

Kobe Steak

As I mentioned before, Hy's Steak House is the best steakhouse I have ever been to.  Kobe Steak (1841 Ala Moana Boulevard Honolulu, HI 96815 - map here) doesn't do anything to challenge that claim.

If you've ever been to Benihana, then you're familiar with Kobe Steak.  It's a Japanese style steakhouse where they cook the food on a grill in front of you.  The food itself was fine, but nothing spectacular.  The chef was pleasant enough, but even his performance was more like that of a lethargic mime than a dinner show entertainer. We ordered a drink - on the rocks - and actually had to double check to see whether they forgot to pour the alcohol.

I think my biggest problem with the place was the value - or lack thereof.  I recognize that these types of restaurants overcharge because you're getting a show with your meal.  However, this place takes the cake with overpricing.  They take full advantage of being next to the Ilikai Hotel's tourists, being in Waikiki, and being a Hibachi-style restaurant.  The average price for this disappointing restaurant only adds insult to injury.  So in the end, if you are in the mood for this type of restaurant, wait until you go home, or try the Benihana in the ala moana shopping center.  But whatever you do, avoid this place.

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.

Mardis Gras - Hawaii Style

Nu'uanu Street in Downtown

Do we celebrate Mardis Gras in Hawaii? Absolutely!  Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday. As I have written about before, the Hawaiians take any excuse they can to get drunk and party in the streets. Mardis Gras is no different. The "festivities" start first thing in the morning with a tradition I can completely get behind: Malasada Tuesday! At Leonard's Bakery, sales for malasadas are five times greater on Fat Tuesday than any other time of year. A malasada is a Portuguese confection. They were first made by inhabitants of Madeira Island (off the coast of Portugal). Malasadas are made of egg-sized balls of yeast dough that are deep-fried in oil and coated with granulated sugar. A popular variation is where they are hand dropped into the oil and people have to guess what they look like. Traditional malasadas contain neither holes nor fillings, but some varieties of malasadas are filled with flavored cream or other fillings.

Malasada

Later on, Chinatown shuts down the streets, barricades everyone in, and the party begins. From 5:30pm to 10:30pm, the Arts District Merchants Association presented “Mardi Gras Carnival 2011."  The event, billed as “An International Celebration of Indulgence,” showcases authentic Mardi Gras - Carnival culture with unique and exciting food, music and dance from New Orleans, Brazil, Cuba. Live music went from 6pm to 10pm with bands featured on four performance stages spread out along Nu'uanu Avenue, Pauahi Street and Hotel Street.  Last year more than 10,000 people attended downtown Honolulu's Fat Tuesday celebration.

All in all it was a cool event. Everyone was running around in Mardis Gras masks and lots of women were running around in Burlesque outfits.  I would definitely not be surprised if there were more than 10,000 people this year.  It was packed.  I was surprised by the lack of alcohol.  I'm not suggesting that people weren't drunk.  They were.  I'm not suggesting alcohol wasn't served.  It was.  Compared to Octoberfest and Halloween, however, this was relatively tame.  At the other events it seemed like there was a beer or wine tent every few feet.  At Mardis Gras they just didn't have as many vendors.

Mac 24/7

Looking for late night diner options?  Well, there are a couple options in Waikiki.  The other night I found myself drunkenly hungry at 2:30am and instead of going home and snacking on the Costco-sized box of Nutri-Grain bars in the pantry, I followed some people to a diner I had never heard of before: MAC 24/7 (2500 Kuhio Avenue Honolulu, HI 96815 - map here).  It's actually located in the bottom of the Hilton Waikiki Beach Hotel.

Walking in (at 2:30am, anyway) you almost feel like you're in a late-night Las Vegas diner.  The post-modern decor is a complete contrast to the ostentacious decor of most other restaurants in Waikiki hotels.  It also contrasts with the theme and style of the hotel's lobby.  It also has a feeling of being disconnected from the outside world of Waikiki.  Outside, even at 2:30am, there are people milling around, talking, and getting from bar to bar.  Inside, there were people stuffing their face in a desperate attempt to satisfy an onset of the munchies, which made the restaurant eerily quiet as everyone is too preoccupied with exhaustion and eating that talking is really not important.

The menu is fairly extensive and everything looks and sounds delicious.  You can order anything on the menu anytime of day, which is also nice.  The prices are not listed on the menu at the above link, but it's somewhat pricey for what you get.  I'd say the average price for everything was $15-18 for a plate.  The real draw to this place is obviously that it's open 24/7, but the food was actually very good.  I had the french toast, eggs, and bacon and was very please.  You could obvious go to iHop or Denny's, but Mac 24/7 has personality.  They also have the Pancake Challenge.  The Pancake Challenge was featured on the Travel Channel's Man v. Food. If you can finish the $15 dish of massive-sized pancakes in 90 minutes or less, you get your meal for free.  When we sat down, I thought I would try to conquer this challenge.  However, the waiter informed me that such a feat would be difficult and pointed to two guys next to our table who were SHARING the dish.  I asked their opinion on my daring attempt to make the short, but distinguished Pancake Hall of Fame, but they informed me that together they were unable to finish it.  I opted to fight another day when I was more hungry.

Doraku Sushi

Doraku Sushi is located in the heart of Waikiki on the second floor of the Royal Hawaiian shopping plaza, at 2233 Kalakaua Avenue.  I've now been there twice and have nothing but the best things to say about it.  Overall, I think it's the best sushi I've had in Hawaii.  The ambiance makes it even better.  It is always full inside, but never too crowded and never too loud.  If you like sushi, this place is a must.  The only complaint I might have is that it can be a bit over-priced.  I think that's just because it's in the heart of Waikiki. If you're planning a trip to Honolulu, take a look at their menu.  My favorite item on the menu is the White Dragon Roll (you'll see it under specialty rolls).

Inside Doraku

This weekend my roommates and I went here for a little birthday celebration.  We ordered pretty much everything on the menu!  We ordered the red dragon and white dragon rolls.  We ordered spicy tuna, mackerel, fatty tuna, salmon, hamachi, unagi (eel), edamame, and two bottles of sake.  That wasn't all, though.  The coolest part of the night was that my roommate Alan knew the executive chef.  See, Alan talks a lot.  When he goes out, he talks to anyone who is around and doesn't carry much of a filter.  Anyway, one night he was out at a sake bar talking with another guest.  They somehow got on the topic of sushi, etc. and the guest told him about Doraku.  Alan, having previously eaten there, told the guest that he didn't really like that place because he had a bad experience.  It turns out that the guest Alan was talking to was the Executive Chef at Doraku.  So hearing about Alan's bad experience, the Chef suggested that Alan bring his friends and the Chef would make us special dishes.  So fast forward to Saturday night, and sure enough, the Executive Chef comes out and explains that he was going to make us five special plates that are not on the menu.
 

During the course of the evening, he brought out different plates, explaining what they were, what was in them, how they're made, and gave us a run down of all the elements of the plate - textures, fish, and best ways to eat them.  It was awesome.  The food was phenomenal and everyone had a really good time.

Uncle's Fish Market & Grill

The other day I went to visit a couple friends who work at Uncle's Fish Market & Grill (1135 North Nimitz Highway - see map here).  I didn't know it at the time, but I had actually already been there.  When my mom was here visiting, we went for dinner.  This time around, though, I had the opportunity to really take stock of where I was, what I've tried at other restaurants, and truly assess the quality of this place.  Uncle's Fish Market is across from the Ala Moana Beach right along the Ala Moana harbor.  It's where all the fishing boats are docked, in between Waikiki and Chinatown on Ala Moana Blvd.  As you drive by, there is a big sign at the entrance alerting you to different restaurants, all of which have some form of "seafood" or "fish" in the title.  It seems only logical to find fresh fish at these place considering their location.

Inside Uncle's Fish Market & Grill

I have to say that very rarely am I as disappointed as I was with Uncle's.  First of all, the ambiance is nice.  It's a pretty quiet place where you can sit inside at the bar and either talk to the bartender or just relax.  They have only one TV inside and it's kind of difficult to watch from the bar.  You can go there for takeout or dine-in.  They only serve seafood, but they have every kind of seafood you can imagine.  So I sat at the bar for a couple hours just talking with some friends before deciding to order. My roommates actually came up and joined me for appetizers before they headed to some other bar.  We tried the fried calamari, which was pretty amazing.  It comes on a bed of french fries and offers a healthy portion of calamari chunks.  It wasn't chewy at all, which usually is why I don't eat it.  Followed by that,  I had the Parmesean crusted MahiMahi.  Again, it was good.  For the price, though, it was definitely not worth it.  In fact, I found that to be the case with almost everything on the menu.  The prices are ridiculously high (especially given the restaurant's location) and the portions are ridiculously small.  We're talking about $20 for a small piece of fish and french fries.  This is not a fancy restaurant where you get vegetables, bread, and 5-star waiters.  Someone else ordered the seafood pasta.  This IS worth getting.  There was a ton of different seafood options in a big bowl of marinara sauce and a side of pasta.  It was awesome.  I was also told that the fish and chips are amazing.

Fish and Chips

So if you're in the mood for seafood and you don't want to go out for a 5-star dining experience in Waikiki, then Uncle's is a solid bet.  The food is delicious, but be prepared to pay far more than you're getting.

Spam Musubi

My judge and I have talked numerous times about different Hawaiian foods that I have either tried or should try. He has regularly insisted that I try spam musubi.  You may remember that it is also one of the Top 5 traditional Hawaiian foods (profiled by 5@5) I wrote about before.  Well, today, my judge brought me one.  Here are my thoughts:  it doesn't taste terrible.  In fact, the spam adds some flavor to the rice, which is otherwise pretty bland.  That said, it doesn't look appetizing, AT ALL.  It is kind of slimy and has a weird texture.  One person likened the taste to a hot dog or bologna.  I more or less agree with the processed bologna, but not a hot dog.  Spam is much saltier and slimy.  Like I said, it's not terrible, so I feel comfortable recommending that you try it at least once.  If you're here visiting or something, give it a whirl.  I don't think I will make it a regular part of my diet, though.

Yes, this is an accurate depiction...

Supreme Court Christmas Party

When I wrote before that Christmas in Hawaii is a big deal, I wasn't kidding.  In addition to a Christmas lights parade downtown, there is also a boat parade showcasing Christmas lights, we had a massive office party with 100+ people last week, and yesterday the Supreme Court had its own lunchtime Christmas party.  Although it was nice, I don't think it holds a candle to ours.  It did last a lot longer, though.  We showed up at 11:30 and didn't get out of there until about 2:00.  The entrees were all catered and thus not nearly as much homemade food.  There was slightly more traditional Hawaiian food, though.

Christmas Tree in Supreme Court Lobby

I tried also Poi for the first time.  It was an experience, that's for sure.  Poi is a very traditional Hawaiian dish made from the Taro plant.  Poi is produced by mashing the cooked corm (baked or steamed) of the taro plant until it becomes a highly viscous fluid. Water is added during mashing and again just before eating, to achieve a desired consistency, which can range from liquid to dough-like (poi can be known as two-finger or three-finger, alluding to how many fingers you would have to use to eat it, depending on its consistency).  It's like a paste.  I thought it tasted terrible and had a bitter, sour taste.  Don't tell any Hawaiians I said that, though.  They'll kick me off the island.  I was sitting next to our secretary who basically pour herself a bowl and ate it like soup.  She ate it ALL.  Poi is like sex to these people...they love it.

Poi

Anyway, the rest of the party involved more door prizes.  Everyone picked a number out of a hat and then received a corresponding gift.  I got a big coffee mug and some Hawaiian-made coffee.  There were also gift cards, homemade energy bars (that are quite delicious - they're made from oats, chocolate chips, and molasses), and see's candy.  Unlike our office party where everyone walked around and mingled, the Supreme Court party had plenty of tables where people could sit and talk with their table.  While people sat and ate, there was also a professional hula dancer who performed.  Finally, they also did a law-related movie trivia game.  The twist, though, was that members of the judiciary would act out scenes from movies and the tables, as a team, had to guess the name of the movie and one of the actors in the scene.  Our table was full of judges and it was VERY competitive.  We were actually in first place throughout the game, but then ended in a tie for first.  It came down to a tie breaker, which was to guess the number of minutes Chief Justice Recktenwald has been in office.  We lost.  Very disappointing, especially because everyone on the winning team received gift cards to various places around Honolulu. I hate losing.

Five Traditional Hawaiian Foods

I was randomly reading CNN.com today and saw a column called "5@5" which is a daily food-related blog that compiles lists by chefs, writers, foodies, and other self-important people who think they know food.  I have never read it before, but the headline on the front page of CNN.com was "Five Traditional Hawaiian Foods." I was intrigued.  The list was compiled by Carol Wallack who is the executive chef and owner of sola in Chicago, Illinois. The writers at 5@5 decided to focus on Hawaii in the midst of a cold spell hitting...well...the rest of the country.  They were longing for the warmth of Hawaii.  While I didn't come up with this list, I have certainly come across all of the items on it and have eaten most of them.  I have not eaten Spam yet and don't really have plans to.  Anyway, without further ado:


Five Traditional Hawaiian Foods:


1. Kalua pork
"Kalua pork, unlike the way it sounds does not have Kahlua, the liqueur, in it. It's pork butt baked in an underground oven called an imu. If you don’t have an imu, you can replicate the flavor by seasoning and wrapping the butt in banana leaves and baking it, then smoking it in a regular smoker. You can pull the pork and mix with herbs,  and put the meat into pot stickers. They are served with a mango and kumquat salsa which really says Hawaii with fruity deliciousness. It’s about the only way I’ll eat pork, besides bacon of course."  [Ed. Note: This is seriously delicious].


2. Poke
"Poke (pronounced po-kay) is my way of having just another form of Hawaiian tuna to eat, and I serve it with avocado which is my second favorite food! It’s so popular at sola that it’s been on the menu since we opened. The tuna is mixed with a hijiki (seaweed) salad layered with avocado and sushi rice, garnished with wasabi tobiko, sweet soy, wasabi oil and scallions. It doesn’t get much better than that. Everyone loves fresh Ahi tuna, and the best is right off the dock in Honolulu at the auctions." [Ed. Note: when I first moved to Hawaii and was invited to Justice Duffy's house to watch football, a local friend suggested I bring this instead of typical "chips and salsa."  This is something you will see at almost any party.  If it's fresh, it can be quite good].

Poke

3. Pineapple
"Pineapple just makes everyone think of Hawaii and it can be used in so many dishes. The best part about it is that in Hawaii, it's always in season and can be used in an array of dishes. I love to grill it and dice it into risotto. A Hawaiian favorite is French onion soup with pineapple in the stock. It tastes fantastic and is the perfect fruit to add sweetness and acid simultaneously." [Ed. Note: If you're a vodka drinker, I recommend putting pineapple in your drink instead of lemon or lime].

4. SPAM musubi
"SPAM musubi is a favorite in Hawaii. Locals eat it all the time. It’s a slice of SPAM over a block of rice. Recipes vary but typically slices of SPAM are grilled first, sometimes with a light teriyaki flavor. An acrylic mold is then placed over a sheet of nori, which is edible seaweed, and rice is pressed into the mold. The grilled SPAM is placed over the rice in the mold, then the mold is removed. The nori is then wrapped over the top and around the musubi. And there you have it, Spam Sushi!" [Ed. Note: Yea, not gonna happen].

Spam Musubi

5. Loco moco
"Loco moco is a rice and hamburger concoction with brown gravy over it. There are many ways to eat it, including what I call the 'Big Kahuna.' I take a Wagyu burger and serve it over togarashi potatoes, cheddar cheese from a local farmer, bacon, fried eggs, onions and Hollandaise. It’s definitely a great brunch item. Sort of poetic license, if you will." [Ed. Note: Haven't had this, either].

Loco Moco

If you find yourself in Hawai'i, then I highly recommend going to a local dive somewhere in Chinatown and ordering these plates.  You'll be considered Hawaiian in no time.  Just make sure you don't do it while wearing a fanny pack!

Golden Palace

Last week our chambers went out to lunch together.  By "chambers" I mean the judge, the two clerks, and our secretary (sorry, no, I mean our "judicial assistant").  Anyway, the idea came up when I went out with the judicial assistants for pau hana last week (pau hana literally means "after work" but you know it better as happy hour).  Our judicial assistant and I were talking and I asked her where I could find good Manapua.  I told her that I could only seem to find it at 7-Eleven.  She was not pleased.  So she suggested we all go to lunch at the place where you can get the good stuff, especially since it is walking to distance to our office.  Upon hearing about lunch, however, my judge decided that he'd rather go for Dim Sum.  Since we all like dim sum, this was no problem.  They suggested Golden Palace in Chinatown.

Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Going for dim sum is usually known in Cantonese as going to "drink tea."  Dim Sum is usually linked with the older tradition of yum cha (tea tasting), which has its roots in travellers on the ancient Silk Road (i.e. an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world) needing a place to rest. Thus teahouses were established along the roadside.  I just call it Chinese tapas.  I hate tapas, though, because they are ridiculously overpriced for essentially no food.  Definitely a rip off.  Dim sum, however, is not like that at all and Golden Palace is awesome.

Golden Palace is located at 111 North King Street and is pretty hard to miss given the big ass sign out front that says "Golden Palace."  It looks like a stereotypical chinese restaurant.  The best part about this place is the price of the dim sim...ready?  $1.89 per dish.  Now yes, the dishes are small so you're not getting lunch for $1.89.  However, 2-3 people would easily be completely stuffed after 10 dishes.  You're talkin' somewhere around $6 to be stuffed.  And it includes pretty good hot tea.

The service here was amazing.  There are several carts that the waitresses push around throughout the dining room.  Each cart has various dishes of dim sum.  They just walk by your table and you stop them, point to what you want, and they hand it to you.  My judge actually knew the names of things, but our judicial assistant informed me that she has never once said a dish by name.  She just points.  Besides, most of the waitresses are very old Chinese women.  If you're a tourist, they're going to pretend they don't speak English anyway.  Even if they do speak English, you won't understand them and they won't understand you.  We had maybe 15 different plates, including Manapua, pork dumplings, shu mai, spring rools, shrimp-stuffed eggplant, shrimp-stuffed peppers, and fried mochi.  It was all really good.

The fact that Hawai'i has a strong dim sum tradition is not surprising since the custom originated in Canton, the region from which many Hawai'i immigrants came. The term is variously translated as "a little bit of heart" or "heart's delight," meaning something that touches the heart. The name speaks to the connection between dim sum and human interaction. That's because these are drawn-out meals - consisting of dumplings, baked treats, and invariably, tea - that you share with others. The dim sum table is a place at which to do business, trade gossip or socialize. In Chinatown and other neighborhoods with a lot of foot traffic, dim sum is an everyday occurrence, generally served from the early morning to early afternoon.  I definitely recommend Golden Palace, and if you're ever in the mood for tapas, opt for dim sum instead.

Kaua'i Coffee Company

History Lesson

When we went to Kaua'i last week, I wrote about how we went to the Waimea Brewing Comany and sampled their beer.  After a few beers, though, we needed some coffee to sober up.  Fortunately for us, right now the street from the brewery was the largest coffee producer in the United States.  The Kaua'i Coffee Company is also located right off the main road in Kaua'i and is a short distance from the brewery.  The Kauai Coffee Company is does all the work - from growing the beans to packaging them - right there on the premises.  There are over 4 million coffee trees grown on 3,100 acres, which makes the company responsible for HALF of all coffee produced in the U.S.

Who Doesn't Like Free Samples?

This was a really cool place to visit, and I wholeheartedly recommend stopping by if you're ever on Kaua'i.  First of all, when you walk in, there is someone there to greet you with a really friendly attitude.  This person will tell you all about the variety of samples they have on the back deck and will point you in the direction of the walking tour, coffee bar, or ice cream shop.  When you walk in, you're in the middle of the gift shop, but if you walk through that, you end up on a covered patio out back.  There, you will find 3 tables with about 8 different coffee-filled thermoses.  That's right, there are 24 FREE samples of coffee.  They actually encourage you to try all of them.  I don't know about you, but whenever I go to, say, an ice cream store and they offer free samples, I always feel guilty (and a little judged) if I asked for multiple samples.  Not here.  No one is there monitoring anything and they encourage you to try everything, so there is no guilt with trying every sample they have.  The tables are broken down by type of roast.  They have espresso roast, dark roast, and flavored.  I was really impressed.  Everything I tried was really good.  So good, in fact, that I purchased a few bags (more on that below).

Little Museum Inside

As you sip your coffee, there is a running video that you can sit and watch that details the way coffee is produced.  Various plantation workers talk about how coffee beans are grown, pulped, and processed.  You can also get ice cream, but ready for this? NO COFFEE FLAVOR!  They just had basic flavors.  Wtf!?  That doesn't even make sense!  Oh well.  They also have a coffee bar where you can get a big cup of coffee if you don't want to mooch and just try the samples.  There are plenty of tables, benches, and chairs on the patio for you to sit and relax outside.  You can also walk into the coffee fields where they have tables and chairs and umbrellas set up to sit outside if you want.

Once you're finished sipping samples and milling around, take the walking tour.  I never knew how coffee was produced (not that I ever really cared to think about it...).  This tour was really informative, but perfectly short.  They had about 8 or 9 stations set up with brief plaques explaining the different steps in the process of producing coffee beans.

Coffee Fields

After you go through the garden walking tour, you can go into the gift shop and purchase bags of coffee beans if you want.  They have other stuff, too, but I actually thought the coffee was really good.  So I bought a couple bags.  But what if I don't have a coffee grinder?  Well, they will happily grind it for you, for free!  And you'll also get a 10% discount if you have a Kama'aina (resident) Discount.

So how do they produce and process the coffee? Did you really think I wouldn't explain it?

Blossoming:

Coffee starts like many other fruits - it grows on a tree as a fragrant and delicate flower blossom. These blossoms eventually develop into the coffee cherry.  The seeds of the cherry (usually two to a cherry) are what become the coffee bean familiar to most of us.

See the Cherries?

Harvesting:

On Kauai, the blossoming begins in February or March, and by May, the cherry begins to form.  The fruit ripens around late September, and harvesting begins.  They employ harvesting technology very similar to many wine grape harvesters in regions like California's Napa Valley.  The Kauai Coffee Company’s harvesting period runs from mid-October through early December.  They harvest 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, using 3 shifts.  Due to the size of the estate, and the existence of varying island climates, daily scouting reports are used to select the fields with maximum ripeness.  Twelve mechanical harvesters that were originally designed for blueberries perform the harvesting.  On the tour they tell you that it would take literally every man, woman, and child on Kaua’i to harvest by hand.  I guess that means they don’t have an influx of Mexican immigrants here.

Wet Processing:

After the coffee cherries are harvested, trucks deliver them from the fields to the “wet processing plant.”  At the plant, the cherries are separated into three stages of maturity - ripe, natural and immature coffee.  They put the cherries in water and the overripe float to the top and the under-ripe cherries sink to the bottom. by using inherent differences in density and hardness.

Pulping:

They take the ripe cherries and remove the skin and fleshy part of the fruit until just the seed (i.e. bean) is left.

Drying:

The leftover beans are then washed to remove the sticky mucous and crap that coats them before the beans are sent to pre-dryers - a fluidized bed of air that is the start of the drying process. After this, the beans are puy in heated drying elevators for 18 to 36 hours.

Milling:

The coffee rests in parchment for a while, and is then milled to remove more skin.  Throughout the process, the producers still have quality control tests that monitor bean temperatures and preserve each bean's flavor and quality. Sizing screens and density tables further sort out the best beans.

Sorting:

The final sorting step in the dry mill is the color sorter, where an electronic eye scans each bean for color, selecting the finest colored beans and rejecting those that don't pass with a blast of air.

Grading:

After the beans are sorted, each batch of coffee is then inspected by the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture, which gives each batch a different graded designation. The DOA inspector officially certifies each batch of coffee by grade quality and origin.  Finally, they roast it and ship it.

Shrimp Trucks

Shrimp trucks are a staple food in Oahu.  Most of the shrimp trucks are on the north shore and are located near the town of Kahuku, which is a well-known shrimp aquaculture area.  You can also find shrimp for sale in several other places on the north shore along the road between Kualoa and Hale'iwa (the main town where you'll find Cholo's and Matsumoto's).  Unfortunately, when I was up there last week, I didn't get a chance to stop by and sample these famous delicacies.  However, there are a couple other food trucks in Waikiki.  Since I have heard so much about these trucks, I decided to risk the tourist trap and give it a chance.  I'll be sure to write about the "real deal" when I make it back to the north shore.

There are 3 trucks in Waikiki just off the main strip of resorts and the end of Kuhio Street (street named for the former prince).  One of the trucks does Mexican, another does steaks, and only one focuses on shrimp and seafood. Shrimp plates are ordered at the windows of these shrimp trucks, and are usually served with two scoops of rice, and sometimes macaroni salad, a green salad, pineapple slices, and/or a lemon slice. They have several shrimp options, but the most popular plates have garlic, lemon butter, hot and spicy, sweet and spicy, or a soy-based sauce. We got garlic and lemon butter.  They cost about $12-$13 per plate.  The shrimp served at these tricks is good, but it is also unpeeled and unveined, thus very messy to eat.  Be sure pick up plenty of napkins. The shrimp trucks in Waikiki have covered picnic tables where you can eat, which is a plus.  A lot of the trucks on the north shore don't always have them so you have to eat and walk (or sit on a curb).

So here's the review:  We tried "Blue Water Shrimp."  This is one of the newest shrimp trucks on the island (both on the north shore and in Waikiki), but the only option in Waikiki.  The shrimp is very good, but it's not gonna leave you in a heroin-type fit of withdrawal if you don't get a regular intake.  The sauce was absolutely amazing, though.  They include plenty of fairly typical white rice that, along with the sauce, went nicely with the 6 pieces of decently-size shrimp you get.  There is also a small, but not terrible-tasting piece of corn on the cob.  Overall, I'd have to say I was not very impressed, especially because of the cost.  I fail to see how you can sell seafood out of the back of a truck, give me only a small handful of "okay" shrimp and rice that I even have to peel myself, and then have the audacity to charge me $13!  No thanks.  Especially since shrimp is so plentiful here, I can't justify making these trucks a regular choice.

I have not given up on the idea of shrimp trucks, though.  I am really looking forward to trying Giovani's, which is only on the north shore.  Giovanni's graffiti-covered white shrimp truck is the oldest and one of the best known shrimp trucks on Oahu's north shore. They usually park in Kahuku and Hale'iwa. They are most famous for their garlic shrimp that has large chunks of garlic in the sauce, but they also offer lemon butter and spicy sauces.

The Verdict on Shave Ice

I tried my second shave ice this weekend.  This time, I made it all the way to the North Shore and tried the famous Matsumoto's.  I am happy to say that the deciding between the two premier shave ice stands - Waiola or Matsumoto's - was not a difficult decision.  In fairness, I did not try the same type of shave ice.  At Waiola, I had the Sundae shave ice while at Matsumoto's I had the Rainbow w/ice cream shave ice.  However, I am confident that ordering the same thing would not alter my opinion.

Without further ado, the winner is...Waiola's Shave Ice. 

Matsumoto's was still good.  The rainbow w/ice cream shave ice includes three flavors: Pineapple, Vanilla, and Strawberry over vanilla ice cream.  Again, the large is PLENTY big enough for 2 people.  The benefits are that it is not as sweet as Waiola's sundae shave ice.  This makes it somewhat more refreshing, but not enough to warrant victory.  It was not as sweet, but both were pretty sweet.  The ice cream mixed with the shave ice was the best part, but you really have to dig for it.  It takes a while to eat your way through the mound of shave ice they put on top.  Another good thing about Matsumoto's is that it is, in fact, cheaper than Waiola's.  A large at Matsumoto's is $2.75, or for another $0.25, you can get a highly-recommended (and re-usable) holding cup to prevent dripping on your hands.  A large at Waiola's is $4.50.

Matsumoto's Rainbow Shave Ice w/Ice Cream

The primary negative of Matsumoto's (and the reason it lost in the taste test) is texture.  It was too "commercial."  Matsumoto's was much closer to a snow cone than "shave ice."  Matsumoto's is so popular and the line is so constant that they "pre-shave" their ice.  They then transfer it to a freezer where they scoop it out like ice cream.  This has the unfortunate side effect of slightly melting the ice and re-freezing it such that it more closely resembles an ice block than "snow."  Waiola's, on the other hand, is shaved for each individual customer and hand-packed by the attendant.  This makes a world of difference in terms of texture.  Matsumoto's also seems more commercial in the sense that you can buy t-shirts, coffee mugs, hats, and other such tourist crap while in the store.  Waiola's is hidden in the middle of a neighborhood available only to locals who know to go there.

The Real Waiola's Shave Ice

Interesting side note:  Waiola's Shave Ice was shown in Hawaii Five-O's November 1, 2010 episode Ho'apono.  However, the Waiola shave ice stand was pictured as being along Ala Moana Beach.  In the show, Waiola's is in front a picturesque ocean front complete with picnic tables and grass, completed by happy people walking by. HA! Waiola Shave Ice is the dessert equivalent of a dive bar.  It is everyone's favorite place precisely because it is NOT set in a picturesque setting frequented by tourists.  It is located in the middle of a fairly run down neighborhood with no picnic tables, limited parking (at best), and certainly no scenic surroundings.  The real Waiola Shave Ice stand, however, would have made for some crappy TV, so the oversight was probably deliberate.  Importantly, I think it is telling that the producers/directors/decision-makers still decided to have the cast eat at a "fake" Waiola's rather than some other shave ice establishment.  Even the fake Waiola's beats the real Matsumoto's.

UPDATE:  In looking through other Shave Ice reviews, I came across Aoki's, which is next to Matsumoto's on the North Shore.  It is separated only by a small church and parking lot.  I actually saw Aoki's when we went to Matsumoto's, but given that no one ever mentions it in serious Shave Ice debate, I ignored its existence.  Anyway, it turns out that at least one person finds Aoki's to be better than Matsumoto's.  Therefore, it seems that another comparison/competition needs to be held.

Shave Ice

Shave Ice is a Japanese dessert that was introduced to Hawaii when Japanese plantation workers immigrated to the islands and brought it here a long time ago.  It is NOT the same as a snow cone, though many people equate the two.  Shave ice is an ice-based dessert made by shaving a block of ice. While the product can resemble a snow cone, snow cones are made with crushed, rather than shaved, ice.  Snow cones on the mainland are made with crushed ice and fruit syrup, and are often re-frozen so that when you get them they're pretty much one chunk of flavored ice. Shave ice, on the other hand, is actually shaved off a big block right in front of you into a fine powder so it's easy to eat. Then it's topped with any one of countless exotic tropical fruit flavors. Shaving the ice block produces a very fine "snow" with an extremely fine texture.  It's nice because the syrups added to it are absorbed by the ice rather than simply surrounding it.  If you've ever had a snow cone, you know the flavored syrup can actually be sucked out of the ice, leaving just a giant ball of ice with no flavor.


Hawaiian shave ice is traditionally served "rainbow" with three flavors and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom.  You can also get sundae shave ice with hershey's chocolate syrup or shave ice with mochi balls and/or azuki beans.  There are countless options.  There is a debate among locals here about which shave ice location is the best.  There is Matsumoto's on the North Shore and Waiola's near the University of Hawaii. A quick Google search will yield a variety of reviews.  I think it's safe to say that Matsumoto's is the most famous, but I think Waiola holds the title of "Best Kept Secret."


One reviewer had this to say about Waiola:  
my favorite shave ice ever. the softest, finest, smoothest shave ice. and i've been eating this for so many years, well before their now fancy schmancy colorful signs!  To me, it's way better than Matsumotos, Aokis, Ice Garden, and the rest of the list.

Sundae Shave Ice from Waiola's

 Another reviewer thought Matsumoto's was the best:
This place is absolutely amazing. I was told it was a must in northshore and who ever told me this, he was right! The shave ice can't be more perfect. The presentation was amazing, the taste was really good, and the price was really affordable. It was worth all the driving.


I have not had Matsumoto's yet.  I live around the corner from Waiola, though, and had my first ever shave ice experience the other day.  Have you ever had something ruined by unreasonably high expectations?  Welcome to my shave ice life.  Everyone told me how amazing shave ice was.  Then they told me that the BEST shave ice on the island was Waiola (to be fair, I think there is a rivalry between the North Shore crowd and the Honolulu crowd with the former recommending Matsumoto's and the latter recommending Waiola.).  So I go to the window and order the Sundae Shave ice.  I get it with Strawberry, Vanilla, and Chocolate.  It came with Hershey's syrup, condensed milk, and a little ice cream.  It was definitely good.  We ate the whole thing (note: these are big enough to share!).  However, I was expecting an explosion of flavor to overwhelm my tastebuds such that I was temporarily disabled with orgasmic sensations.  No such luck.  It had a weird texture.  It was like rating flavored snow.  It was refreshing and unique, but not quite as good as ice cream.  As for price, it was about what I expected.  For a bowl large enough for two, it was $4.50.  I have heard Matsumoto's is cheaper, but then again you have to travel to the North Shore.

Of course, this is just my first impression.  I only had one kind of shave ice (sundae bowl) from one place (Waiola).  It was definitely good enough to have again and I will continue to experiment with different flavor combinations as well as different vendors.  I may even venture a trip the whole 48 minutes to the North Shore to sample Matsumoto's (maybe I'll even buy an over-priced t-shirt).