Yardhouse and Beer Reviews

Until recently, beer was not considered by many to be a drink worth analyzing or pairing with good food.  Brewmasters have always played with flavors, but the public didn't really catch on to the enormous potential for beer until a few years ago.  Since discovering Yardhouse in Waikiki and Bar 35 in Chinatown, I decided to taste as many beers as I can, review them, and post about them.  Unfortunately, because of my triathlon training, I have not really been drinking too much beer.

Well, this weekend a couple of my friends are visiting from out of town and it gave me the perfect excuse to take them to Yardhouse (and Bar 35) and drink too much some delicious beer.  I think we tried so many that I will inevitably forget to include all of them.  However, there were a few distinct beers that were memorable and worth sharing.

Maui Coconut Porter - This beer pours a Coca Cola like dark, dark brown with a thick and frothy beige colored head. The aromas consist of vanilla, chocolate, lightly roasted malts, and a milk stout like sweetness. It smells like no other porter I've had. The flavors are of sweet and bitter chocolate, vanilla, slight coffee, and again a milk stout like sweetness. It has really good flavor the flavors are perfectly proportionate.

Deschutes Black Butte Porter - The aroma is not what I was expecting. Definitely dark chocolate. Strong roasted coffee/espresso. Very malty. Almost no hoppy scent. Hit with chocolate, roasted malts, and hops immediately upon opening. Great smelling porter

Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout - This Oatmeal Stout poured black with a big puffy tan head and ample lacing.  It smelled of chocolate, bread, coffee with decent complexity.  The flavors were of more chocolate, coffee, chocolate milkshake. The payoff on this beer is the mouthfeel which was nice and creamy.

Maui Brewing Big Swell IPA - I don't like IPAs.  They are too hoppy for me and leave too much of a lingering bitterness in your mouth.  This IPA had NONE of those characteristics and is the only IPA I have liked.  I liked it so much, in fact, that I ordered a pint of it.  It had a lot of flavor and the aroma was still from the hops, but it had a really clean finish that left no bitter aftertaste.

Deschutes Inversion IPA - I did NOT like this IPA.  It was bitter and hoppy, but did have a lot of flavor.  The problem was the bitter aftertaste lingered forever and I needed something to clean my palate after I took a sip.

Anderson Valley Imperial IPA - This was sort of in the middle of the Big Swell and Inversion IPAs. It wasn't as hoppy and bitter as most IPAs, but it still had enough of a bite that many IPA drinkers would enjoy.

Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale - Tastes like movie theater popcorn. Seriously. It was really delicious, though.

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

So What's Next?

After completing my second sprint triathlon, I decided that I really like them.  Sprint triathlons are a great because they are short and relatively easy to do.  I don't mean to say they're "easy" but if you are moderately athletic you should be able to finish one without much problem.  Obviously being competitive is a different story, but hopefully you get my point.  They're enjoyable.

Races are also fun.  You get a couple hundred people together to test their bodies and push themselves as hard as they can.  Everyone is friendly, supportive, and encouraging.  It doesn't matter how fast or slow you race, everyone just gives each other credit for being out there.  Ironically the only "criticism" I've heard (i.e. you don't swim fast enough or sprint triathlons aren't "real" triathlons) have come from non-competitors.  I find that both hypocritical and funny.  I also find triathlon races to give a real high upon finishing.  Not to mention you get cool free stuff.  Free t-shirts, snacks, vitamin samples, etc.  Who doesn't like free stuff? Of course, it does cost money to enter these races, but my point stands.

Swim

So I've done two sprint tris and I was asked the other day, "so what's next?"  The Tinman Triathlon, that's what. The bike and run portions are twice as long as the sprint triathlon distances and the swim is 250 meters longer.  That means it is a 750 meter swim, a 24.8 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run.  It starts with a swim at Queen's Beach in Waikiki, then we bike around Diamond Head, through Kahala and back, and then a run around Diamond Head.  I am already signed up and ready to go.

Bike

I anticipate the biggest challenge being the a longer distance.  So far I have been satisfied with myself if I ran 5 miles and swam for about 20 minutes.  That's just not going to cut it for this one.  Not only are the distances longer but more people compete.  The previous triathlons have had about 300 competitors.  The Tinman traditionally has 900!  So in order to adequately prepare and come in the top 5-10 in my age group, I really need to swim for longer periods of time and do a lot of supersets (bike and run back-to-back or swim and bike back-to-back).  I also made sure everyone at work knew that I beat my co-worker that I can't let this one slip away!

Run

Training for the Tinman will officially begin next week.  I have visitors coming into town tonight who will be here until Wednesday.  I have done a little bit this week, but not much.  This was mostly a recovery week from the Marine Corps Base Triathlon.

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.

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.

Hy's Steakhouse

Parents coming to visit is the best.  You get to go places that your state-government salary will not otherwise permit.  The other night my dad took me to Hy's Steak House, one of the best-known steakhouses in Hawaii, which is located in the heart of Waikiki (2440 Kuhio Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815 - map here). The only way I can properly describe this place is to say that it was the best steakhouse - in food, service, and ambience - I have ever been to.  Now, because I know people who will challenge that bold assertion, let me assure you I have been to plenty of steakhouses.  I have been to the original Morton's in Chicago (as well as the second Morton's in Chicago on Rush St.).  I have been to Ruth's Chris in Annapolis and Chicago.  I have been to Hyde Park in Columbus, OH.  I have been to the Chart House in Annapolis, Kobe Steak in Honolulu, the Palm in Washington, DC, and even the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware.  None of these come even remotely close.  Fortunately, I can provide an accurate comparison because I always order the same thing.

Originally part of the Canadian-owned chain, Hy's offers superb cuisine which has a mixtures of American, European, Hawaiian and Pacific influences. Hy's Main Room and Broiler Room resemble an old English mansion and possess all the ambience of a private scotch/cigar club. The Main Room looks like a library, with walls of old books and framed art, a lighted ceiling of authentic circa 1905 Tiffany stained glass, dark mahogany paneling, ornately carved wood moldings and heavy brass chandeliers.  The centerpiece of the Broiler Room is a custom-made, brass and copper caldron which serves as an open hearth for the house specialties broiled over native Hawaiian kiawe wood. The hearth is enclosed by glass in an ornate gazebo, where the chef and grills the steaks to perfection.  I ordered the filet and alaskan king crab legs.  The 7-oz filet seriously melted in my mouth while the huge pile of pre-cut crab legs were (almost) more than I could eat.  We also ordered escargot, which came in 6 individual portions covered in garlic, cheese, and butter sauce.  It was a delicious heart-attack waiting to happen!

Traditions that have disappeared in other fine dining restaurants are maintained at Hy's. Tuxedoed waiters still expertly prepare Caesar Salad, carve Chateaubriand for two and flambè delicious desserts (like Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee) tableside.  The service is probably what stood out to me the most.  We had reservations for 8:30pm, but got hungry/thirsty around 6-6:30.  We figured we would just hang out at the bar and drink until our table was ready.  As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by a very friendly hostess.  We explained our situation and she immediately asked if we wanted to wait or take the first available table.  We were seated immediately with no problem.  All the waiters and waitresses were friendly and knowledgeable.  It was clear that our waiter had tried everything on the menu as he had no trouble describing the items we had questions about.  For dessert we had the Strawberry Flambe (I absolutely, more than anything on this earth, hate Bananas.  I will gag if I smell them, so we did not get the Bananas Foster, even though the waiter recommended it as the best dessert).  The Strawberry Flambe was still awesome.

  

I waddled home.

Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar

I'm surprised I haven't written about this place before.  I have been here twice on Friday night and it's always a pretty good time.  In Japanese the word sansei means “third generation” and in this case refers to the founder of the restaurant who is a third-generation Japanese-American.  Sansai Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar (3rd Floor of the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort - 2552 Kalakaua Avenue - map here) serves contemporary interpretations of sushi and Asian cuisine. In the interest of full disclosure, I don't have much experience with the menu outside of Friday night happy hour.  That being said, Friday nights are great here.  They have half price sushi and appetizers as well as $3 kettle one drinks, $3 beers, and free karaoke until 2pm.  Now, overall this place is not as good as Doraku, but it's still really good.  However, when you're able to have 4 people go out, drink and eat all night, sing free karaoke (I don't sing AT ALL, but I hear others are into it), and spend less than $100 total, sign me up.  Normally (i.e. during the week at regular hours), Sansei is waayyy overpriced unless you get the Kama'aina discount, which gives 50% off everything on Sunday and Monday or 25% Tuesday-Thursday.

Anyway, their Friday night deal starts at 10pm, but I recommend getting there at 9:30 because it is first come-first served and it fills up quickly.  If you get there late, or even try to go at dinner time on a regular day, the wait can be upwards of 45 minutes.  It's best to make a reservation if you want to go for dinner (808-931-6286 - no reservations for Friday late-night special).  The best sushi roll here is their signature "Butterfry Roll."  Yes, I spelled that correctly.  I guess they appreciate a good Asian joke too, which is another reason to like this place.  If you're thinking that 10pm on Friday night is too late, I would remind you that you're in Hawai'i and therefore likely on vacation.  Therefore, relax and go have fun.

Rum Fire

Rum Fire at the Sheraton Waikiki (2255 Kalakaua Avenue - see map here) is an awesome spot for sunset cocktails or drinks on the water.  The only real appeal to this place is the ambiance.  The service is actually terrible.  I have gone there maybe 5-6 times and I have yet to be even moderately impressed with their service.  The waitresses (they've all been women so far) are slow and unfriendly.  Every time we've been there we've had to specifically ask someone to take our drink order or to ask for another drink.  But maybe it's been busy and they were overwhelmed?  Nope.  I've been there when it's busy during their nightcap specials, I've been there in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday, and I've been there in the evening on a Saturday.  The service is terrible.

So why do I tell everyone to go here when they visit Honolulu?  Because if you go during Happy Hour or during their nightcap specials (i.e. when drinks/food are cheap) and have a drink while sitting outside looking out over the water with Diamond Head in the distance, it's pretty much impossible to be upset about anything (see the pictures?).  If you sit close to the bar, it can get loud, though, so I recommend trying to find a seat outside.  I have never had a problem finding a table outside (just a problem getting served).

I've never had dinner there and I rarely see people with entrees, but I have had lunch and I would recommend passing.  The sandwich I ordered tasted fine, but what you get does not justify the cost.  You're better off sticking to pre-dinner drinks/appetizers during happy hour (4-6pm M-F) or the nightcap specials (9:30-11:15pm M-F).  Here is a copy of their happy hour menu if you're interested.  Cocktails during this time are $5, draft beer is $3, house wine is $5, certain shots are $3, and appetizers (i.e. edamame, nachos, baby back ribs, chicken wings, fish tacos, chips and salsa, etc.) range from $4 to $10.  Overall, if you can go and just relax and remember that you're not on the mainland and just enjoy the company and scenery, it's a must-go place.  You can view their lunch menu here and dinner menu here.

Yep.

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.

S.W.A.T. Gun Club

As you walk through Waikiki, you'll notice it has something very similar to Vegas.  Old, creepy looking people passing out fliers directing you to a sketchy back alley establishment.  Now, in Vegas, those fliers inform you that a young woman can be sent to your hotel room as soon as you dial the 800-number.  In Waikiki, the directions on the flier take you to one of about a half dozen indoor gun ranges.

Apparently, the Japanese don't have guns.  I asked a friend why there were so many gun ranges in town and that's what I was told.  I did a little research on this and it turns out he was correct - sort of. The only type of firearm which a Japanese citizen may even contemplate acquiring is a shotgun. Sportsmen are permitted to possess shotguns for hunting and for skeet and trap shooting, but only after submitting to a lengthy licensing procedure/ Without a license, a person may not even hold a gun in his or her hands.

Anyway, last week I went to one of the shooting ranges - the SWAT Gun Club.  Now, if you like shooting guns or have gone hunting or are even somewhat familiar with shooting ranges, then I'd advise you to stay away.  First of all, they don't let you rent a gun, buy some ammo and targets, and have at it.  It's all designed around tourism, which makes it 1) too expensive and 2) pre-determined.  You walk in, and you can choose from one of several "courses" that increase in price with the size and number of guns you're permitted to shoot.  Course A, for example, is $35 ($24.50 w/internet coupon) and gives the shooter 3 guns with one round of ammo each.  You get to shoot a .22 caliber Ruger rifle, a .22 caliber Ruger pistol, and a .22 caliber pistol (total 32 shots).  So, in reality, you're paying about $1 a bullet.  Once you're in the range, there is a person there with you at all times who can help you if a gun jams or you have any questions.  The guns themselves are chained to the booth where you're shooting so that there is no risk of a confused Japanese tourist turning around and shooting something by accident, which I am very thankful for.

.22 caliber revolver

.22 caliber Ruger pistol

.22 caliber Ruger rifle

Although shooting guns is a fun and entertaining sport/hobby, I don't think you need to go to Hawai'i to do it.  Most God-loving states in this wonderful country haven't let Obama crush the 2nd Amendment yet just hand people guns and say "have fun."  If you're really interested in shooting, though, then I recommend places outside of Waikiki - such as OGC Tactical (1507 S. King St) or Magnum Police Equipment (940 Queen Street).

Pearl - Ala Moana Center

I feel I've been letting my devoted readers down.  First, I went on a 10-day hiatus while I was celebrating the holidays back home. Second, now that I'm back, I have been lazy and haven't written anything.  I suppose it will just take some time to get back into the swing of things.  I will start with a restaurant review.  Last night a friend of mine (sort of, she is actually friends with my roommate, but I have met her and hung out with her a few times) had her birthday.  She decided to get everybody together for drinks and appetizers at a swanky club called Pearl (1450 Ala Moana Boulevard - see map here)  It's located in the Ala Moana Shopping Center, which is a HUGE outdoor mall.  The shopping center/mall is actually really nice.  The layout of the mall, however, is a complete nightmare.  It's not your typical mall with a couple stories laid out in a square.  No, leave it to the Hawaiians to screw up a mall.  I have been to this place 3 times now and I have gotten lost every single time.  In order to get there, you have to walk through weird underground parking garages.  Then, once you're in, corridors and walkways just randomly end without notice or change floors randomly or are cut off by escalators.  There is a fourth floor that can only be accessed on one side of this mega mall.  It's a nightmare trying to find something specific.

That brings me to Pearl.  Pearl is classified on the mall directory as a nightclub.  Let me just say I hate nightclubs more than I hate museums.  So the plan was to go for a drink and then head home.  I search for this stupid place for like a half an hour before finally finding that you have to walk down a weird alley with no stores and just guard rails in order to find it.  It is actually on the top level of one of the parking garages.  If you're having trouble picturing it, that's normal.  I have been there and still can't picture it.  Anyway, I finally get inside and it's not really a nightclub at all (at 7pm, anyway).  I would call it more of a lounge (similar to Indigo in Chinatown).  Attention Martini Lovers: they have $5 happy hour martinis that are pretty good.  Happy hour is from 4-8pm and all their appetizers are also $5.  You can also get beer for $3.  The food was pretty good.  I had the tropical shrimp (Crispy fried coconut crusted shrimp served with a spicy pineapple relish) and they were delicious.  I tried someone else's stuffed mushrooms (filled with crab meat and vegetables baked with parmesan cheese) and they, too, were delicious.  The service was decent, but not great.  We had a big group and we were the only ones in the place and people still had to search around to get refills on drinks.

The place was a great happy hour spot and I would recommend checking it out if you're walking around the mall doing some shopping.  Otherwise, there's no real reason you should make a special trip.

You Can't Do This in Chicago

Every once in a while, I have what I like to call "Hawaii Moments."  By this, I mean that I occasionally look around and take notice of the fact that I live in a pretty amazing place.  Maybe it's the 80 degree weather on December 6th.  Maybe it's crystal clear blue ocean on gorgeous white sand beaches.  Maybe it's the towering mountains that dot the background.  I also usually notice these things while holding a drink in my hand at times when I know my lawyer friends back home are stuck at the office, huddled over a desk doing doc review.  These revelations have a way of putting life in perspective.  Yesterday and last night would qualify.  I spent the entire day walking through Waikiki along the strip.  It was 83 degrees, everyone was out milling about, and the sun was shimmering against the unusually calm ocean.  After that, my friends and I grabbed dinner, got a slice of cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory and a bottle of wine from one of the ubiquitous ABC stores and headed the beach at nine o'clock at night.  We sat on the beach where one of the restaurants behind us played live music and we all just hung out on the beach until the wine was gone.  This stuff happens pretty much every weekend.

Ala Moana Beach

Ala Moana Beach

This is a beautiful 76 acre park located along the south shore just west of Waikiki and on your way to downtown Honolulu and Chinatown. Ala Moana is a 100-acre park that has a wide gold-sand beach over a half-mile long.  There is also a big grassy area, banyans and palm trees that make the park a good place to picnic, barbecue, and play all kinds of games.  A good 2.5 mi. paved path that is good for running encircles the entire park.  There are lifeguards, showers, bathrooms, phones, tennis courts, picnic tables, food concessions, and a music pavilion.  Ala Moana Beach Park is a favorite among Honolulu residents because it offers a large enough space to picnic and barbecue and is away from tourists (for the most part). The beach itself is protected by a reef so the water is insanely calm.  There are none of the waves you'll see at Waikiki or Sandy's (the other nearby beaches on the South Shore).  As a result, it is a great place to bring kids.  It's also really big with plenty of space to run around.  On the weekends, A LOT of people come here with their whole ohana (family) to picnic, swim and hang out.

There are two downsides to this beach, in my opinion.  The first is the crowd.  If you're looking for a quiet, relaxing day at the beach, you can find it here IF you don't mind screaming kids EVERYWHERE.  Obviously I accept that it is a beach and it is a family-friendly beach park.  That doesn't mean I necessarily like hearing kids scream.  With so many of them, though, this is more of a family beach than a place to relax for the day.  The second "downside" is the coarse, rough sand.  The sand at Lanikai, Sandy's, and even Waikiki is much nicer.  There are a lot of small rocks and sticks strewn all over this beach, which makes it less enjoyable.  The advantages, though, are that the water is much calmer (i.e. better than Sandy's) and there are full facilities and a big park (i.e. better than Lanikai).  I'd still pick Lanikai any day of the week, though.  The water at Ala Moana is very nice, to be sure, but some parts have jagged rocks, which make wading in some parts of the water uncomfortable.  As a result, everyone tends to congregate in the same area (i.e. lots of kids).  If you come for the tennis, picnics, barbecues, or running, though, then this spot has everything you need.

Ala Moana Park

There is, however, a cool back story to this beach.  Ala Moana (and Waikiki actually) is an area of Honolulu that used to be a swamp. It was a wetland that the city used as a garbage dump. Wanting to develop the Waikiki area, though, hotel moguls needed to divert the water.  So they hired a dredging company to build the Ala Wai canal.  Then, a boat channel was created to connect the Ala Wai Boat Harbor with Kewalo Basin.  All of the land over by Ala Moana, including the beach park is man-made.  It was created by the owner of the Dillingham Dredging Company, hired to dredge the Ala Wai canal, who was looking for a place to dispose of his dredged earth.  So in the 1950s, sand was dumped at this park, which created the beach. Today, in addition to the beach park, there is a really nice mall, high rise hotels, restaurants, and a fishing village (anyone familiar with Streeterville in Chicago should understand this concept).

Ala Wai Canal

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.

Beer Reviews and Yardhouse

I am conflicted.  Yardhouse - Waikiki is a great bar/restaurant but has its flaws.  On one hand, it has dozens and dozens of beers on tap with a choice for everyone's palate. On the other, it's in the middle of a tourist hotbed, which means the bar is almost always too crowded, the food is average, and the prices are a little expensive.  The only real appeal of this place is its vast beer selection.  So it's a great bar/restaurant to visit at certain times.  This weekend, I discovered some new information.  Yardhouse has happy hour after 10:30pm from Sunday through Wednesday (no work on Tuesday for election day made this information easier to discover).  The bar also has happy hour from 2-5:30pm Monday through Friday.

Half the Beers on Tap

Happy Hour at Yardhouse includes $3.50 and $4.50 pints (domestic and import), which beats their normal $5 and $6 prices.  Martinis are $6.25, Wine is $1.25 off, and apppetizers (including 6 types of pizza, onion rings, egg rolls, chicken fingers, buffalo wings, sashimi, etc) are half off.  If you're planning a trip to Honolulu, and you like beer, I highly recommend stopping in to Yardhouse during Happy Hour.


As for my beer reviews, I was with several people this weekend and got a great sample of delicious beer.  Here is the list and a brief description/review, in no particular order.  If you want to see ALL the beer offered at Yardhouse, here is a copy of their menu (this does not include everything, but it still gives a good sampling).


Kona Longboard Island Lager - This is the Kona Brewing Company's flagship beer.  Kona is a small micro-brewery located in Kona, on the Big Island.  The company introduced Pacific Golden Ale (now called Big Wave Golden Ale) and Fire Rock Pale Ale on February 14, 1995. Longboard Island Lager was added three years later. Longboard is a smooth beer very similar to a Stella Artois.  It has a delicate, slightly spicy hop aroma that complements the malty body of this beer.  It's a golden pale color that can be sipped all day on the beach.  Go into any bar/restaurant in Hawaii and they'll serve Longboard.


Kona Wailua Wheat - Light citrus wheat beer made by the Kona Brewing Company here is Hawaii. Here's how the company describes it: "Swimming in a fresh water pool at the base of a cascading waterfall is what we all imagine we would find in paradise.  On Maui, follow the old Hana Highway and you will find such a place – Wailua Falls. This plunging cascade of clear water is the inspiration for our Limited Release Wailua Wheat Ale. This golden, sun colored ale has a bright, citrusy flavor that comes from the tropical passion fruit we brew into each batch."  I couldn't agree more.  This beer is easily on of my favorites.  If you like lighter beer with hints of citrus, this is your beer.


Pyramid Audacious Apricot - Another fruity beer.  The difference between this beer and Wailua Wheat is the power of the fruit flavor.  Wailua Wheat has a distinct, but light citrus flavor that is refreshing.  This is a smooth, mild wheat ale, unfiltered and 5.1% alcohol by volume, garlanded with a pure, sweet apricot note. The apricot part makes it a little hard to match with foods, but if you're looking for a cheesecake beer (or a custard beer), here's your brew.  The Pyramid Brewing Company's Apricot beer is refreshing for the first half pint.  After that it becomes a little too sweet. Overall, it's good, but not as good as Wailua Wheat when it comes to fruit beers.


Young's Chocolate Stout - This one is making a run at being my new favorite beer. This is a thicker Stout beer with a hint of chocolate aftertaste that can even be used to make a Beer Float with Vanilla Ice Cream (available at Yardhouse).  It's made with pale ale and crystal malt, chocolate malt, special blend of sugars, Fuggle and Goldings hops, real dark chocolate and chocolate essence.  Chocolate malt and real dark chocolate are combined with Young's award winning rich, full flavored dark beer to craft a satisfyingly indulgent, but never overly sweet experience.

Young Double Chocolate Stout - One of the few times in my life where I'll say a single is better than a double.  The double chocolate is too thick and sweet with not enough beer bitterness.  First, it comes in a smaller glass, presumably because the high amount of sugar fermented by the yeast yields a higher alcohol content.  This did not have nearly as much character as the Single Chocolate Stout and did not go down nearly as smoothly. I can see using this in the Vanilla Ice Cream Beer Float, but beyond this, it wasn't even a good dessert beer.  The chocolate was actually closer to baking chocolate (i.e. bitter) than the single's bitterness finished with a sweet and smooth finish.  Not really a fan.

Rogue Dead Guy Ale - This is a really great ale beer that, while having a strong hoppy flavor (bitter), it finishes smoothly and with a hint of fruity/sweet undertones.  Someone else said they caught a hint of cloves. It pours a hazy, pale amber/orange with a tall white head that lasts for a decent amount of time.  Fun fact: In the early 1990s Dead Guy Ale was created as a private tap sticker to celebrate the Mayan Day of the Dead (November 1st, All Souls Day) for Casa U Betcha in Portland, Oregon. You could easily drink this beer all night.

The Pipes Keeping the Beer Cold

Halloween in the Pacific

Halloween is a big deal in Hawaii.  They say the freaks come out at night – and no more so than on October 30-31 (see right).  When I first moved to Honolulu, in August, people were already talking about it.  What costumes they were planning to wear, how creative they were going to be, how important it was for me to be creative, how much alcohol they planned to consume, and which bars they planned to shut down.  As it got closer, the Halloween talk intensified.  No one could seem to decide whether they were going to go to Waikiki or Chinatown.  Waikiki was the place to show off costumes, roam the streets, and just “cruise.”  Chinatown, on the other hand, was the location of Three Nights Of Pleasure In Paradise.

Hallowballoo involves shutting down the streets of Chinatown.  Beer and wine stands line every sidewalk.  Bars and clubs open their doors until 4am.  Over 26 Bands and Musicians play over 3 days.  There are homemade costumes, store-bought costumes, and “what the hell is that” costumes.  Everyone uses the opportunity to dress in ways they would never dress in front of their grandmother.  People stop each other on the street and ask to take pictures with you because they like your costume.  It happened to me a few times and I wasn’t even that creatively (or provocatively) dressed.   Old people get into the act as well.  I saw at least a half dozen 70+-year-olds in full costume…capes, masks, cat ears, devil horns, magic wands, etc.

I have a theory as to why Halloween is a big deal here.  Another nice thing about keeping a blog is the opportunity for me to engage in one-sided pontificating without the fear of having my half-reasoned logic exposed for what it is.  Anyway, it seems that a lot of people who live in Hawaii are running away from something on the mainland.  Allow me to explain.  If you take a random sample of people who moved to Hawaii (i.e. not Native Hawaiians), you will get one of three responses: (1) why not?; (2) I was just looking for adventure and I figured Hawaii was as good a place as any; (3) I just sort of bought a ticket and ended up here.  It is a rare person who actually arrived here with any semblance of a plan.  Now, you may be thinking that these are just free-spirited people (read: hippies) who aren’t necessarily running away from something.  Continue talking to them, then.  If you continue to engage the person, you will discover that 8 out of 10 times the move to Hawaii followed a divorce or break-up, recent graduation from college with no life plan, a fight with mom and dad who said they were no longer willing to pay the bills, a fight with roommates, or the loss of some really revered pet.  Okay, I made the pet part up, but you get the point.  Oftentimes, people move here because they have no plan and nothing back home.

   
I classify these people into a category of those with “broken personalities.”  For example, everyone here is covered in tattoos.  I’m not talking about one or two tasteful tattoos in fairly discreet locations.  I’m talking about full-on, full sleeve tattoos that cover significant portions of visible skin.  In general, a tattoo is a way of turning your body into an advertising placard that uncovers the person’s inner personality.  

Consider this: Psychiatrists from the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry studied 36 male inpatients, and found a link between tattoos and antisocial personality disorder. "Our findings suggest that patients with tattoos are significantly more likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorder than those without tattoos, and patients with antisocial personality disorder were also significantly more likely to have higher numbers of tattoos, a larger percentage of their body covered with tattoos, and tended to have tattoos in more visible locations" said lead researcher Dr. William Cardasis of the Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry.

Now that I have established the premise, here is my rant on Dressing Up for Halloween: 

Halloween is when people take the opportunity to pretend they’re someone else for one night.  You can hide your face behind a mask and/or make-up.  You can dye your hair.  You can reveal far more skin than is socially acceptable on the 364 other days of the year (both men and women).  You can parade around in a ridiculous costume and ask everyone to admire your “other self.”  You can comfortably draw attention to yourself and ask everyone to admire you in all your hidden/broken glory.  It allows people the opportunity to masquerade and hide from their otherwise boring and uninteresting life. 

That was Saturday.  Sunday was actually Halloween.  Waikiki was just as out of control Sunday as Chinatown was on Saturday.  I went to Yardhouse for some pre-dinner beers (see Beer Reviews for some descriptions).  One cool thing was the number of kids trick-or-treating at all the Waikiki shops.  Each store had hand-written signs on the storefront window that said, “trick-or-treater welcome.”  Kids were run into the stores, say trick-or-treat, and be rewarded with handfuls of deliciousness.  There were several bands playing outside of Yardhouse and the streets were absolutely packed with hordes of costumes.  It was pretty tame and pretty entertaining, and this was all before 9pm. 

So if you love Halloween and are planning a trip to Hawaii, it’s definitely worth your time to coordinate the two.

Friday Funday

Although my first paycheck was a stark reminder of why the furlough system is the worst idea ever, it is hard to complain when you're sitting in the ocean on a surf board at 9am on a Friday morning rather than behind a depressing cubicle wall.  After surfing for a few hours, it was time to watch the Phillies dominate the Reds.  My co-worker (for the sake of privacy, let's call him Joe) has an absolutely phenomenal apartment building right near Chinatown where we decided to watch the playoff game.  His apartment lets residents and their guests reserve cabanas by the pool.  The cabanas come complete with a grill, cooler with ice, table, and TV hookup.  So we called a bunch of people and set it up.  We had the typical party essentials - chips, salsa, fruit, and beer - and even grilled a few hot links, all while sitting out by the pool and watching the game.  The apartment complex brought Joe's 50'' plasma TV down for us and set it up for the perfect Phillies'-winning playoff party (forgive the alliteration).

Following the game, it was only about 4:00 in the afternoon so the night was young.  A group of people decided to go out, which usually means Waikiki or Chinatown.  This particular evening we decided to head over to Nashville's.  For anyone unfamiliar with this magnificent gem in the heart of Waikiki, I wholeheartedly recommend it for a fun night out.  The alcohol prices are nothing special, but the atmosphere is a lot of fun.  It is a country/classic rock music bar that is open until 4am. It is the only country music/classic rock bar on Oahu, which means that the crowd is everything you would expect it to be.  Everyone sings incredibly loudly and dances because everyone knows all the words to all the songs.  It's that kind of place.

Don't come to Nashville's looking for good food, though.  They don't serve food, unless you're on the liquor diet.  They have happy hour everyday from 4-8pm ($3 Mai Tais and $3 Domestic Bottles), but the real appeal of this place is their daily or weekly activities (and late night music selection).  They have free blackjack every night at 10pm, free line dancing lessons every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 7-9pm, Pool tournaments Sunday through Thursday at 10pm, and Guys and Girls Boxers Contests every Wednesday.  For people not so interested in stripping down to their boxers, though, they have darts and Wii games as well.  Also, if you visit their website (http://www.nashvillewaikiki.com/menu.html), there are a few drink coupons you can print out and bring with you.  Another advantage of this late-night spot over other places in Waikiki is their lack of a cover charge.  No bar should ever have a cover charge unless there is a live band, and even then, no bar should ever charge more than $5.  No bar is ever worth a cover charge.  I will happily go next door to inebriate myself, thank you very much.

Beaches and Hula Pie

Despite a Friday night that involved excessive bar-passing celebrations, weekends in Hawaii are no time to sleep in and recover.  Saturday included more beach-going in Waikiki (but no surfing) and Hula Pie.  Duke's Restaurant and Barefoot Bar (here: http://www.dukeswaikiki.com/) is in Waikiki and has a signature "hula pie" that is made with macadamia nut ice cream on a chocolate cookie crust.  It is topped with hot fudge, whipped cream and more macadamia nuts.  Even if you don’t particularly care for macadamia nuts, they are not overpowering.  If you find yourself in Waikiki don’t miss out on this amazing dessert.  It is easily big enough for two people (and if you tell them it’s your birthday, it’s free).

There are not many better ways to celebrate anything than spending a day recovering on a beach with a stomach filled with delicious ice cream.  The food at Duke's other than Hula Pie is equally amazing.  I highly recommend the chicken quesadillas, the hot wings, and the Mango BBQ Bacon Burger.  The burger comes with local grass fed beef, white cheddar, ranch dressing and grilled onions.  The quesadillas have a special sauce drizzled on top with a pretty good guacamole on the side.

 

Following Duke’s and the beach, a group of people introduced me to the Yard House Restaurant, which is also in Waikiki.  The Yard House is a casual eatery known mostly for its selection of draft beer.  The place features a center island bar and a fleet of tap handles ranging from classic lagers to more obscure ales. The glass-enclosed keg room has as much as 5,000 gallons of beer at any one time.  Also, there are three to five miles of individual beer lines stretching overhead from the keg room to the island bar maintaining a constant temperature of 34-36 degrees.  However, it is also a pretty tourist-y place, and if your time in Hawaii is limited, I wouldn’t bother.  It gets really crowded and the food is, at best, average.  The nachos in particular are terrible.  The cheese was burned on both plates we ordered, the chips were soggy and overly salty, and the toppings were glopped on the middle without anything touching the outer-lying chips.  They did have a really good goat cheese/chicken pizza, but overall, it’s a mediocre place compared to other great options.  The only reason a person visiting Hawaii may choose to go to Yardhouse, though, is their amazing beer selection.