I’m not one who partakes regularly in fine dining. I do enjoy nice restaurants here and there but I don’t have the budget to enjoy fine foods all the time (thought I wish I did!). I recently attended an all day event which included a plated luncheon. It was heavenly! I just loved it because they paid attention to every detail. Check it out!
Beautiful flower arrangement
Isn’t this scene the best? A window overlooking the beach and the endless water. This picture was taken in a spa room in Waikiki, I was given a tour of the facilities so no, I was not being pampered! But it’s all right, I can just stare at this picture and feel relaxed all day. I hope this little light helps you get over your hump day. 🙂
Tenkaippin Ramen is a big chain ramen restaurant in Japan and I heard that they are very particular about their recipes. I also heard the owner of this restaurant was able to convince them to franchise this location in Hawaii, I don’t know how he pulled this off but I’m grateful he did. I’ve been to this restaurant a few times over the years and I agree with reviewers, the restaurant has changed in quality over the years. Have you noticed the Ultimate Japan shows they play in the restaurant? Well if you didn’t know, the hosts of the show are also the owners of this restaurant! In the beginning of my visits here, I would see the owners around helping out but lately, they are almost never around…which I think changes the dynamic of the place.
I tried Tenkaippin a few months ago just to try the food again. I got my favorite Kotteri Ramen and it was as good as it always was. I feel the food is still good and consistent in taste. When I went to Japan, I found a Tenkaippin in Shinjuku and tried it. Oh boy did I prefer the one in Hawaii…is that weird to say? The broth in Shinjuku was incredibly salty and I just couldn’t enjoy it as much as I do in Hawaii.
Kotteri Ramen – look at that thick broth!
When Your Kitchen first opened, I remember cracking a few jokes with coworkers. I’d offer up to pick up lunch and when they asked where, I’d say Your Kitchen and watch them get confused. I’m just a ball of fun at work, 😛 Anyhow! I’ve always enjoyed this restaurant, it’s run by a super cute Japanese couple. It’s a very small space and it’s all street parking but I still like to come here from time to time to pick up some food or just grab their awesome shave ice. I go for the premium flavors, the homemade syrup. It’s heavenly – and I go for a matching scoop of ice cream as well. Anyhow, I wanted to share a quick update of a lunch I had recently. It is their pork bowl with a tonkatsu egg…I just love how the egg yolk is still runny inside – can’t be beat!
Presentation is key
I’m a sucker for a well cooked egg
Your Kitchen is also the first place I discovered Udon Salad and what I used as inspiration to create my udon salad! You can find my recipe here.
Short update for today, I usually line up a few posts at a time so I have been slacking! Here’s a quick picture of a Baked Spaghetti I did on a Sunday a while back. I love this Baked Spaghetti recipe and it’s been a big hit to people I serve it to! It’s gooey and delicious…perfect for that lazy Sunday. If anyone is interested in the recipe, I’d be more than happy to share it.
Can I start this post off with a “lol”? It sounds terrible but The Little Oven remains ever as mysterious as ever. For those who don’t know of The Little Oven, they were a small little bakery/dessert place. When they had first opened a few years ago, they received nothing but acclaim. Why? Because they make amazing desserts! I was a frequent customer and then the shop suddenly disappeared. Well, their storefront always remained but they never opened their doors again. While I understand circumstances change, what bothered me most was the lack of communication. They have a webpage, twitter, instagram and a facebook! They could have even gone old school and posted a sign on their door! So the fans soon became angry and start posted one star reviews on Yelp – it really made me sad to see. Their food deserves five stars for sure.
Well about 6 months ago, a miracle happened! The Little Oven posted a new update and opened their doors for service once again. I was ecstatic! My friend and I headed over and got a seat at the counter and anxiously waited for our desserts. The staff was exactly the same, even the waiter! In fact, I couldn’t believe he recognized us! Let me share some pictures from that night…
Coffee Cake
Painting is really therapeutic. Currently on Oahu, there is only one place you can paint ceramics and it’s at Clay Cafe. I used to frequent their place in Aina Haina but they have since moved out to Ward Warehouse. This place can get pretty busy so I do wish we had a few more on island to go to…
I love breakfast food, don’t you?? That would explain why I have posted breakfast two days in a row. I really wish McDonald’s would carry breakfast all day long, I bet they would make so much more money. I’d take their breakfast platters over the other food anytime. Sweet E’s Cafe is a cute little breakfast/brunch place located in Kapahulu. It’s a nice place to eat but it is very busy and their parking lot is very very limited. I had to parallel park on the street which I hate doing but it was well worth the effort! On to the pictures!
Corned Beef Hash Eggs Benedict
What can I say? I’m a sucker for runny yolks…this was delicious! And you can definitely tell the corned beef hash was homemade.
Stuffed…
French…
Toast!! Star of the meal and it was heavenly. This one is the blueberry cream cheese stuffed french toast with fresh fruits.
This meal was a winner all around. Homemade corned beef hash, how often do you find that in a restaurant? The stuffed french toast? I don’t even like french toast and I loved this dish. I can’t wait to get back here to try more food, I just gotta get out here on a random weekday so it’s not so busy. Definitely try this place out.
Eggs ‘n Things has been a breakfast institution in Hawai’i for years. Unfortunately, I never got a chance to try them in Waikiki. I hate to admit it but it takes a lot for me to try a place if they do not have good parking – I guess I could never make the jump. They did however open a new location in Ala Moana about 6-7 months ago and I had to give it a try! I saw that the reviews on Yelp were pretty bad against this place but I still wanted to try it myself! While my experience wasn’t bad, it definitely was not good. The prices for this place are expensive for the same portion and quality as other breakfast joints.
Waffle with Strawberry Whip Cream w/ Nuts – $12.75 (!)
Corned Beef Hash ($9.95), nothing special – not worth the price
Sunrise Chicken (?) – the dish was okay, pricey
All in all, it was a pretty lackluster meal. There were a lot of Japanese tourists around so maybe it is more of a tourist trap. The food quality was not bad for my visit (although reviewers on Yelp might differ in opinion on their food) – I just don’t think it’s worth the price.
Just wanted to share this cute mug I got from my friend Kristian! It’s one of those mugs that changes color depending on the temperature of the liquid in it. These mugs are pretty genius because you can tell just by looking at it if the drink is hot or cold!
Sleepy head…
Waking up…
Almost there…
Voila! Up and at ’em!