08Jan / 2015

Island Style BBQ – Kalihi, HI

Island Style BBQ is one of the few restaurants I follow on Facebook and I always salivate at their daily specials. If their shop wasn’t so hard to get to, I would go there more often. They don’t have parking and it’s in a bit of a sketch area but shoot, if there was parking – I’d still go, sketch or not. Well, I hate to report that I had a bad dish and I have to share it. They had posted a picture of their Blackened Steak with Garlic Herb Butter on their Facebook page and it looked AMAZING. I went about a week ago and ordered it, and gosh…it was such a disappointment. I might give them another chance with another dish because they have such good ratings!

Blackened Rib Eye with Garlic Herb Butter – $13.99

You see the top right corner? I legitimately thought they were being generous and threw in a piece of lobster (don’t ask me why I thought that) because it looked white and meaty. Well upon closer inspection, it was just a big lump of fat. In fact, half the plate was basically fat. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a bit of fat with steak, not big chunks of it. Do you see the bottom left corner? I think it’s like the oil and butter melted together from the steak. The rice was drenched in it. Ughh…

The white spots are where the butter rounds melted

I ordered the steak rare because I figured it would cook a bit from the drive home. This is actually one of the better pieces, I would say the steak was more so medium than rare. I know I ordered a blackened steak, but it was just…super burnt tasting on the edges. The burnt edges, globs of fat and oil drenched rice was just too much bad for me and I spent a pretty penny on this plate too! I wouldn’t get this again.

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06Jan / 2015

Frog House Restaurant – Waikiki, HI

I always pass by Frog House Restaurant on my way to and from Don Quijote and wondered how this restaurant was. It’s located in a bit of a sketch area so I just figured they were like some sort of Korean bar. Recently, I couldn’t get into Do-ne so we decided to give Frog House a try, it was definitely better than I expected. The prices were pretty good and there wasn’t much other customers so we received our food fairly quick. The biggest plus? I finally found agu jjim and decided to give it a try. If you like monk fish, you will like this dish. I learned that I don’t like monk fish…lol. Anyway, on to the pictures and review!

Ban-chan

My favorite in all restaurants. I know it’s probably just steamed eggs with dashi but I just love it so much. Sometimes the simple dishes are the best!

Eggplant – deliciously savory

Choy Sum

Potato Salad – not great also kind of sweet. It was a bit weird.

Bean Sprouts – hard to screw this one up.

Another favorite ban chan of mine, fish cake.

Kimchee, pretty good! They serve up the entire leaf.

Extra Spicy Chicken – $7.95 (Happy Hour)
This was very good! Definitely a favorite.

Mini Agu Jjim – $14.95 (Happy Hour)

Agu jjim is a very popular Korean dish. I’ve watched many videos of people eating it and I just had to try it for myself. What’s funny is that I crave the bean sprouts the most. I wish they made this in a mixed seafood version because I am not a fan of monk fish.

Kimchee Jigae – $9.95

Kalbi Jjim – $25.95

PRICEY – worth it? I don’t think so for this one. I feel like they just laced it in teriyaki sauce, the meat was pretty tender though. I think you can get better kalbi jjim elsewhere.

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04Jan / 2015

Times Supermarket Poke Bowl – Kaimuki, HI

I have been on a posting spree this week! But now I am using up all the pictures I have! I need to slow it down, will try to update a couple times a week still. I know I have been spending up a storm this holiday season. I am broke like a joke. I also had to pay my car registration this month so I am beyond broke. I have been pretty productive with my days off! I’ve rested but I have also tried to be productive each day no matter how long that productivity lasts. It has been helpful that the weather has been cool – that helps a lot! I have to return to work on Monday. Ugh…now I’m going to miss the days off. I think I mentioned it already but I plan to take one class in Spring so it shouldn’t be that bad this semester.

So Times has jumped onto the poke bowl frenzy! I believe they offer either 1/4 pound or 1/2 pound on rice. Then I think there’s a difference between previously frozen and fresh – I actually get pretty confused. The first time I ordered it at the Liliha location, the guy was not patient at all. They had their menu on this big screen TV that kept rotating so I stood there forever waiting for it to come back, that was irritating. The Kaimuki location recently renovated to add their poke section and this guy was much nicer. He was patient and explained everything. I decided to go for the mixed bowl and if I remember correctly, if you do mix, you cannot do it with like a fresh and previously frozen. I think you gotta do it with all previously frozen, ah something like that. It’s confusing like I said. I went for the hamachi and spicy ahi, it was GOOD! Check out the pictures.

They are super meticulous about the weight. Like he spent a lot of time adding and subtracting single chunks of fish. I actually didn’t mind that because it means they are consistent with what they serve out.

Yummy hamachi! Look at that marbling, this was so good. Who cares if it was previously frozen??

I can never pass up spicy ahi, I don’t know why. Theirs was pretty good! I think their poke section opens after I start work so I wouldn’t be able to pick some up for lunch on work days. Foodland’s poke section opens pretty early…hopefully Times decides to change their times. Give them a try, the Kaimuki one at least.

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03Jan / 2015

Kaimuki’s Boston Pizza – Kaimuki, HI

We ordered some Boston Pizza on Christmas Eve at work as a treat for the students, it was great! Umm…when did all these shops split up and cease to be Boston’s North End Pizza? I don’t know what happened but am glad their pizza is still great! We have a Manoa location near us but I heard that Kaimuki is better, not sure how they are all owned but the website for the one we ordered from is here. They also offer coupons so that’s even better!

Here are the pies we got! They are a bit pricey but they are HUGE!

Half Supreme and BBQ Chicken – I wasn’t a fan that the pizza hangs outside of the box…lol. But eh, a little fresh air doesn’t hurt anyone right? Hahaha

Garlic, Tomato and Spinach Pizza – ding ding ding! We have a winner. This is my favorite pizza. So ono! And we can all tell ourselves quietly that it’s good for us since it’s all veggies, sort of. Ah who cares if it’s all veggies or not, it was DELICIOUS!

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02Jan / 2015

Recipe: Madeleines

Ask and you shall receive. Oh wait, you didn’t ask…but here it is anyway! Aren’t surprise gifts the best? My friend has an affinity for Madeleines so I decided to make him some homemade madeleines with his christmas gift this year! It was my first time making them and they require a special pan but it’s worth it! Homemade gifts are the best right? I have to be honest, I’m not a fan of madeleines. Actually, Kristian is the only person I personally know that likes madeleines…lol. I did taste one and thought it was okay? I did get some honest feedback from Kristian and I think I need to reduce the lemon zest and somehow make the madeleines a bit more airy. Not sure how yet…but I will share the recipe I used!

Packed and ready to go!

Eggs and Sugar

Sifted flour – it didn’t ask for sifting but I just do it for all recipes

The madeleine pan!

Gosh, spooning them into the pan was the hardest part. As you can see…I wasn’t super consistent. You shouldn’t fill the shells all the way since it does rise..I think the bottom left corner would probably be the best amount to put in.

Fresh out of the oven, cooling on the rack.

I found these cute boxes at Islands Marketing! Have you ever been to this place before? It’s located in Kalihi and they sell the cutest packaging! Hidden gem they are. Unfortunately they are only open during weekdays so I can’t really get out to them unless I have a special day off.

Classic French Madeleines
Recipe from: Madeleines: Elegant French Tea Cakes to Bake and Share by Barbara Feldman Morse

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 2 tbsp. melted for pans (optional)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Coat two 12-shell pans with baking spray or brush with melted butter.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Place 8 tbsp. butter in another bowl and microwave on low power for 1 minute or until melted. Cool. In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla and zest and beat for another minute. Fold in flour mixture until just blended, then drizzle cooled butter over the batter and incorporate completely.

3. Pour into shell molds until almost full. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until madeleines puff up and are golden brown. Let cool on wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove madeleines from pans and cool completely on rack.

Makes: 24
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 to 12 minutes

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01Jan / 2015

Happy 2015!

As you read this, it will be the new year! Now I have to get used to writing 15 instead of 14, oh what a bother. Do you folks make resolutions for every year? I don’t. And it’s good that I don’t because I seem to unconsciously rebel against anything I’m told to do, and that includes myself telling me to do something. It’s a bit weird I know. I think I’m just allergic to prescribed things…I do like to be somewhat spontaneous. What I can do is strive to be a good person and hope that others do the same.

It has been so cold in Hawaii lately and I just love it. I’m going to miss it so much when we go back to hot and humid weather. Sometimes I try to get away with t-shirt and shorts still (that rebellion bubbling up again) but I am sitting here in layers as I type up this entry. I hope you all have a great 2015, stay safe and eat well! I’ll leave you with yet another meal at Izakaya Torae Torae (each word links to a former entry).

Spicy Tuna Bowl

Sake – A MUST if you go here. It’s perfection.

I end this post with a Stamina Bowl for you to start the new year! This was a great bowl, and something I probably would never get just a few years ago. Slime factor times 2! Natto and Okra – so good. This was a great bowl! I needed that bowl to finish my papers last semester – I think it did the trick!

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